Chapter: 293
It’s been almost a year since Ruel started spending time with Lucy.
Their first meeting was far from pleasant, but now Ruel cherishes Lucy like his own blood.
He even sincerely regrets having to throw her into battle due to his lack of a physical body.
With this said, Ruel knows Lucy pretty well.
Thanks to the blessings from the God, she may act like a damn brat, but underneath, she’s kind.
She often shows her weak side, but when it comes to helping others, she endures a lot of pain and remains strong and principled.
And she can be oddly sensitive to loneliness.
After earning the hatred from those around her, she doesn’t even consider that someone might actually like her.
On a usual day, she’s a perfectly sensible kid, but sometimes she acts in ways that are far from common sense.
Like now, when she’s so engrossed in something that she forgets about her surroundings.
Having received paper from the Dungeon Studies professor to draft her dungeon, Lucy holed herself up in her room right after class ended, grasping the sheets tightly.
Normally, she’d train hard until dusk and return home to practice Sacred Arts late into the night, but today she threw all that routine away to focus just on writing her dungeon.
It’s not like there was an urgent deadline; the professor said that as long as it was completed within three weeks, it would be fine.
The reason Lucy was so absorbed in creating the dungeon was simple: it was just too damn fun.
‘Using a weakness-exploit gimmick here is great, but how should I convey the clues? Making them too obvious is a no-go… then…’
Unaware that her thoughts were spilling out of her head, Lucy moved her pen as Ruel smiled warmly.
Is it that delightful to be able to create a dungeon with her own hands?
Of course, it’s only natural for her to be grinning like that, considering how her emotions soar whenever it’s related to dungeons.
Normally, Ruel would’ve scolded Lucy for pulling an all-nighter and missing meals, but today was different.
Watching Lucy, bubbling with excitement, is exactly how children her age should be!
She’s a kid who had been weighed down by responsibilities, so occasionally, she should be allowed to focus on something she enjoys.
‘…Why is the capacity full already when I haven’t even put anything in?! Am I supposed to make the dungeon or not?! Damn. Let’s just try to keep these complicated gimmicks to a minimum. And…’
Seeing Lucy stressing so much over creating a dungeon shows just how tricky it is, far more complicated than one might imagine.
She usually had almost omnipotent abilities when it came to dungeons, yet here she is, pulling her hair out.
Since she’s always been the one to conquer the dungeons created by the Evil God, it never crossed my mind that even the minions of the Evil God had their own struggles.
Ah, so that’s why she got so angry when her party wrecked the dungeon earlier.
‘Huh?! I can’t use this gimmick yet?! Why not?! This is the basic strategy for conquering dungeons!’
Seeing her struggle like that tempts Ruel to give advice, but since Lucy takes pride in creating dungeons, it wouldn’t be wise to jump in with unsolicited help.
He wasn’t sure what kind of advice to give anyway, so he figured it’d be better to wait until Lucy asked something and then he could respond positively.
With that decision made, Ruel began preparing for Lucy’s potential questions.
He genuinely wanted to help her and also yearned to hear her say, “Grandpa! You’re amazing!”
Praise from a girl who’s like a granddaughter to him would warm the heart of Ruel, a Holy Knight who had always been treated like a troublesome old man.
Yet, unfortunately, Lucy never asked Ruel any questions. She was merely lost in her own thoughts, figuring things out without seeking anyone’s help.
How many times had Ruel expected something only to be let down?
As time slipped from evening to night, creeping towards dawn, sunlight began to stream in through the window, yet Lucy continued moving her pen, eyes bloodshot.
“Does that kid not know exhaustion?”
Around the late evening, Lina, who had fallen asleep earlier and just woken up to the sight of Lucy poring over her work, approached Ruel.
“Did she even get up from that spot?”
[I did, of course. She’s human…right? ]
“That means she must have gone right back to work!”
[Yes.]
“Seriously, what kind of magical dungeon is she trying to create like this?”
Ruel chuckled at Lina’s comment about potentially traumatizing first-year students.
[No way. She’s heard warnings from people, so Lucy will be careful.]
“She will be careful, sure. But no matter how careful she is, the fact that it’s probably going to be absurdly difficult won’t change.”
Lucy has a habit of evaluating others based on her own standards, perhaps a remnant of the long time she spent being overlooked.
She just doesn’t realize she’s far surpassed the norm.
Just look at the tasks she hands out to those around her.
She thinks, “This should be easy enough,” but those tasked struggle every day with the pressure and burdens.
Right now, she’s surrounded only by extraordinary peers like Arthur, Joy, Frey, and Phoebe, so everyone keeps up with her.
Otherwise, someone would’ve long since collapsed from overwork!
“It’s evident. Lucy will cook up some insane dungeon that everyone else will fail to overcome while she thinks it’s easy-peasy.”
Ruel couldn’t contradict Lina’s observation.
“I’m sure she’ll get told to redo it by the professor if she submits something like that, and even though Lucy’s improved, it still won’t be at a first-year level.”
[…I can easily guess you’ll comment that even the Third Prince can conquer it.]
“Definitely. That Third Prince is a genius, no doubt about it.”
And when it comes to Lucy’s dungeon to the Third Prince, he’ll probably think, “Can I really conquer this? What kind of nonsense are you on about?”
Lucy, especially when it comes to dungeons, seems completely out of touch with her abilities.
“So before handing it in to the professor, let’s filter it a bit ourselves. We shouldn’t waste any unnecessary time.”
[Today, you seem particularly meticulous.]
Why the sudden heightened interest today, when usually your approach is more hands-off when it comes to what Lucy experiences?
Could it be that after everything during the Burrow Territory incident, you’ve changed your view?
Just then, while Ruel was admiring Lina’s mature demeanor—at least when it didn’t involve Lucy—he saw her melting smile when she looked like a fox.
“This needs to be done quickly so Lucy can show off her bunny girl outfit.”
[…Huh?]
“You bet! When the younger Lucy wore a bunny girl outfit, I felt my sanity slip away, so if current Lucy wore one? And then with that contemptuous expression, stepped on me? Haaah. Just imagining it makes me tremble.”
As Ruel’s head cooled at the sight of Lina drooling, he was left speechless.
What do I even say here?
Lina is undoubtedly capable and has a dignified nature, but why does she turn into an absolute pervert when Lucy’s around?
It’s true Lucy stands out everywhere she goes.
But combined with this latest charm, just making eye contact leaves you speechless!
Still, isn’t it a bit extreme to react this way to such a young girl?
If I were still in my physical form, I’d’ve smashed him on the head with my mace and taught him some manners.
“I’m done!”
As Lina’s face turned to mush, Ruel’s dislike grew along with Lucy’s joyous voice as she jumped from her seat.
“Grandpa! Hurry and look! I worked super hard on this!”
“Gramps, you’ve got to see this! It’s a dungeon that even an old-timer like you wouldn’t even think of!”
Just how many times had he told her to keep those thoughts to herself?
She really seems too excited to even consider that.
But he wouldn’t rain on her parade, especially with her looking so happy.
…Hmm. And it’d be best to avoid any negative feedback as well.
Lately, he’s been on the receiving end of her antics far too often, and while he was tempted to mess with her now, he couldn’t ruin that radiant smile.
If there were corrections to suggest, he’d find a way to word it nicely.
With that in mind, Ruel slowly took in the dungeon Lucy had created.
First off, he noticed the size of the dungeon was pretty small. At this rate, Lucy could probably clear it in under 10 minutes.
As if testing the kids, isn’t this a bit short?
Though he held onto his doubts, he swallowed them and continued to read the contents of the dungeon.
Since it was created by Lucy, there must be a valid reason for her making it so short.
His guess was correct.
The dungeon Lucy created was short but not exactly so.
[An infinitely repeating dungeon in the same location, huh?]
‘Yes! Exactly! When you meet certain conditions, the dungeon scenery changes, and to move on, you have to meet different conditions again!’
Aha. This is definitely suitable for evaluating their gimmick-conquering abilities.
[That’s a great idea.]
‘Right?! Right?!’
As Ruel continued reading Lucy’s designed dungeon, he heard her laughter from the praise.
The overall structure is solid.
There weren’t any absurd parts, and the realizations gained from previous challenges will effectively carry over to the next—very attractive indeed.
Haha. It made sense why she seemed so deep in thought earlier.
Creating something like this would require a lot of brain power.
…Hmm? Wait, this isn’t right?
Given how things had been til now, you should think about how previously used gimmicks might reappear.
Ah! So that’s how it was!
How could I be so foolish? I’m totally rusted my brain.
Ruel, initially looking for flaws in the dungeon, found himself gradually reverting back in time to when he strategized alongside the heroes against countless dungeons while deeply contemplating Lucy’s challenges.
[Ha! Right! If it’s up to me, this is absolutely no problem!]
How long had he been doing this?
After defeating the final boss of the dungeon, reaching the end made Ruel raise his voice in a unique sense of accomplishment, realizing Lucy was smirking.
“Grandpa! Grandpa! Didn’t I make an awesome dungeon?! Right?!”
[…I can’t deny that.]
The dungeon serves as both an examination area and a place of enlightenment, and a stage for performance.
If anyone manages to reach the end, even the most cold-hearted person would likely react excitedly.
That’s just how well-made this dungeon turns out to be.
[I could shower praises forever about what you created.]
‘Hmph! Of course! Who do you think made it?!’
[So, let’s point out at least one flaw before we conclude.]
But that doesn’t mean there are no issues.
‘A flaw? In this dungeon? You must be joking.’
[Indeed. The flaw lies in the fact that none of the first-years will ever reach the conclusion of this dungeon.]
‘…Huh?’
[Even I, after conquering countless dungeons, had to think hard just to get through, so how is it possible for a first-year student to conquer this in one go?!]
Even with repeated contemplation, it simply doesn’t add up.
Thinking about exposing kids to real challenges through this dungeon for an exam is insane.
Thank goodness Lucy’s a disciple of the God. If she ever fell under the Evil God’s influence in creating a dungeon…
Just thinking about it sends shivers.
It’d definitely be a nightmarish place where even heroes, including Ruel himself, would have to prepare for death.
‘But… but the monsters are weak! There’s really nothing that dangerous, so if you take your time…’
[Do you honestly think it would work? Students don’t only have the dungeon exam during their tests, you know.]
With that categorical statement, Lucy visibly sank into despondency.
For someone usually carrying a confident smile, the despair was easy to spot.
Seeing her like that, Lina nearby raised her voice in affection, but both Ruel and Lucy ignored her.
Lina’s odd comments are a routine at this point.
‘Ugh. There’s nothing more I can take out! If I strip any more gimmicks, it’ll destroy the concept of the dungeon!’
[I agree on that point. Shrinking the dungeon wouldn’t be a smart choice.]
‘Then what should I do?! Should I scrap it and start from scratch!?’
[No need for such extremes. You still have a solution.]
‘…What is it?’
[If no one can conquer this dungeon in one shot, then let those who fail try as many times as needed.]
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
