Chapter: 307
Toby, who had grown up in a mercenary group since birth, had a keen instinct.
To be precise, he had to develop a good sense of things, or else.
If he couldn’t read the atmosphere around him, it was a daily occurrence to get pummeled by the mercenary seniors. So, he had no choice but to hone his talents to survive.
Even now, after living such a life, he felt a cold sweat trickling down his back as he sensed Lucy’s scrutinizing gaze.
Something was definitely off.
He had poked a bear he shouldn’t have.
Despite wanting to turn on his heels and flee at that moment, the opportunity had already slipped away.
Once a predator locks onto its prey, it won’t let go, no matter what.
The moment he caught Lucy’s attention, all Toby could do was pray that her teeth wouldn’t pierce his neck.
“What are you standing there for? Dumb golem? Did your speech function break or something?”
“C-can I share my thoughts about the second room?”
“Pfft! Asking that after forgetting what I just said? You really are dumber than I thought, aren’t you?”
Hearing Lucy laugh made Toby’s veins pop, but he struggled to suppress his anger.
He needed to keep it together. If he lost his temper here, it was clear where his life would end up.
“…The reason I concluded that the wolf in the second room is an illusion is due to several factors.”
First off, there was that bizarre feel he got when his sword clashed with it.
It wasn’t that the sword couldn’t penetrate; it was more like his hand was frozen, and that just wasn’t normal.
From that moment on, Toby suspected that the wolf wasn’t a typical enemy.
“Next, I felt something odd when I saw my teammate being ejected.”
“Hey, dumb golem. Haven’t you played through this lousy dungeon exam already? If you run into danger, it just pushes you out.”
“That only applies if it’s a lethal blow. The second dungeon was different. It forcibly ejected us even when we weren’t gravely injured.”
The mercenary group typically plays the role of an advance party.
They go in first to learn the dungeon’s characteristics and determine its difficulty.
No matter how thorough the preparations, safety can’t be assured in an unknown dungeon.
Injuries and fatalities were commonplace for mercenary groups.
Because of this experience, Toby could distinguish between fatal and non-fatal injuries. In his view, the assault that befell his friend was not something that should have led to being ejected.
Yet, his friend had been expelled from the dungeon just for grazing the wolf’s fangs.
“Through these two facts, I was convinced that the wolf was not an ordinary being, and I tried to uncover the truth behind its identity.”
Struggling to survive even if it meant putting his friends up as wolf bait, Toby managed to identify various anomalies within the dungeon.
He discovered several magic circles scattered in the dark corners of the cave.
Or the sections where the wolf had dashed at such speed that it left no fur behind.
Or how the huge wolf’s footsteps were surprisingly quiet in some areas.
He had also noted several other peculiarities.
However, despite discovering all these clues, he failed to conquer the dungeon because he got caught by the wolf before reaching the answer.
“At least my efforts weren’t in vain. Thanks to having gathered clues, I was able to piece together an answer, even if belatedly.”
If that giant wolf is indeed an illusion.
If it’s just a fantasy inflated from a small wolf.
Then everything he discovered in the dungeon falls into place.
The fact that his hand couldn’t move. The one who wasn’t injured being expelled. The mismatched traces on the wolf’s appearance. The various magic circles.
All of it.
“Hmm. You’ve concluded that the sly wolf is an illusion, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then just try to take it on directly! Why don’t you go into the dungeon? Is it because you think you might pee your pants when you see the wolf?”
“Because my friends in the party don’t want to go into the dungeon.”
Toby did want to verify it himself. But since circumstances weren’t favorable, he found himself approaching Lucy.
He couldn’t engage in the exploration, but at least he wanted to confirm whether his answer was right or not.
“I don’t know when I’ll get to challenge the dungeon again. However, I want to alleviate my disappointment at not being able to enter an interesting dungeon like this.”
“…Interesting, you say?”
“Yes. Growing up in the mercenary group and having tackled numerous dungeons, it’s been a while since I encountered one that made me think as hard as this. To be honest, I would love to be in that dungeon even now.”
This was no flattery; it was Toby’s genuine feeling.
Having challenged everything from naturally occurring dungeons to those set up as academy exams and dungeons created by various professors, it was only natural he found Lucy’s design fascinating.
“Hm. Is that so? Fine. Perverted golem, after the exams are over, come back to me. I’ll specially help you find a party member.”
“…Huh? There’s no need for that.”
“Are you really refusing my kindness? You, a perverted golem?”
Seeing Lucy’s slightly furrowed brows, Toby realized he had no choices.
If he shook his head here and ended up on Alrn Young Lady’s bad side, there was no doubt he’d face her torment at the academy and get beaten to a pulp by his father during the break.
That would be troublesome.
“…No. I’ll gratefully accept it.”
“Good, good. That’s how it should be.”
At that moment, Toby thought he had made the best decision possible in a worst-case scenario.
But that thought evaporated shortly after.
“…Alrn Young Lady. You want to take this commoner along? That’s a bit difficult with the noble ladies you’re with.”
“Hm. You’ve grown so bold as to refuse my command, huh? A lowly young lady? Alright, if you’re going to be like that, I’ll also act as I please.”
“No! No! That’s not what I meant! Understood! Young Lady! I will embrace this commoner! …Uugh. Why do I have to suffer because of this damn commoner?”
The glare from Rumli Young Lady felt as piercing as if she were about to bore a hole through him.
Had he already drawn Alrn Young Lady’s ire while also incurring Rumli Young Lady’s clear resentment?
To earn disdain from both countess young ladies with a single misstep.
He could already foresee what his academy life would be like moving forward.
Yet even if he considered escaping back home, it wouldn’t guarantee safety.
If his father found out he had drawn animosity from two countesses, he’d surely…
…
Should he just run away?
*
Having skipped lunch to challenge the second room of the dungeon, Arthur and his party soon faced failure.
It wasn’t that they were completely swept away like the first time they encountered the wolf, but they hadn’t leaped over it either.
Of course, it wasn’t like they came away empty-handed. They uncovered a few clues while trying to struggle against the wolf.
For instance, its fur wasn’t unnaturally sturdy but rather structured to prevent it from being penetrated. Or how magic circles were set up all over the cave.
“If only we had successfully analyzed those magic circles…”
Arthur felt as if he was inching closer to the truth of the second room but still wasn’t satisfied.
That wolf was merely a barrier for the second room.
If this much struggle awaited in the second room, how arduous would it be to get through the third and fourth rooms?
At this rate, he wouldn’t be able to take revenge on Lucy Alrn but would just be picturing her mockery after the final exams.
Tch. Should he gamble? Analyze the magic circles at the risk of his life?
“Third Prince.”
Just as Arthur was nervously chewing on his nails, Phoebe, noticing his anxieties, stepped closer to him.
“Don’t be too anxious. Aren’t we making steady progress, step by step?”
“…That’s true, but…”
“Sometimes going slowly can be faster too.”
Hearing Phoebe’s gentle voice soothed the fiery emotions surging within Arthur.
So this is what it feels like to have the Saintess of the Holy Church by your side.
Just hearing her say everything would be okay had calmed him down.
Taking a deep breath, Arthur closed his eyes and organized the flurry of information swirling in his mind.
The previous failure had gathered clues. Now it was just a matter of building some hypotheses and testing them.
If he took things step by step, he would surely get through the second room soon.
Once he finished sorting out his thoughts, Arthur opened his eyes and bowed his head to Phoebe.
“Your words are wise, Saintess. We still have plenty of time. There’s no need to rush now.”
“I’m glad to hear that I could help.”
“Let’s rest a bit longer and prepare before entering the dungeon again…”
Just as Arthur was about to share his thoughts, commotion erupted from afar.
Curious about what was happening, he turned his head to see the source of the chaos.
A wooden board erected in the center of the dungeon exam hall. Changes had occurred in the place indicating who was leading among the conquerors.
[Avery Rumli Party: Attempting Floor 3]
“…What in the world is happening?”
The fact that the second room had been cleared wasn’t shocking.
After all, dungeons were crafted to be conquered by someone eventually. It was only a matter of time before someone managed to break through.
Even knowing this, Arthur was surprised because of who had managed to clear the second room.
Avery Rumli.
The young lady of the Rumli Count family.
With skill set at the mid-upper tier, she was the definition of a prodigy.
Her companions were around the same level.
Not too incompetent but not particularly remarkable either — that was likely the makeup of Avery Rumli’s party.
So why had a party like that seized the lead over the upper-level monsters, seniors, and even him?
While Arthur was lost in a daze, it seemed Avery’s party, having failed to breach Floor 3, had just revealed themselves outside the dungeon. Immediately, people began to flock toward them.
“Awesome! Young Lady!”
“Just as expected of Young Lady Rumli! I knew you could do it!”
“How did you manage to take down that wolf?!”
“…Oh ho ho! That’s all thanks to my abilities!”
Amid the praises and curiosity of the crowd, as Avery chuckled, Arthur’s gaze scrutinized the composition of her party.
The trio of young ladies, including Avery Rumli, seemed underwhelming.
What drew attention was the stern-looking boy who seemed out of place among them.
That guy’s name was definitely Toby.
The son of a mercenary captain, who had entered the academy specializing in martial arts along with Frey.
Arthur recalled having crossed blades with him during sparring class.
He had some talent, but he wasn’t on the level of Frey or Lucy.
He certainly wasn’t a genius capable of compensating for the mediocrity of those three.
In other words…
“Then maybe brute strength isn’t needed to clear the second room.”
While simply observing the party composition that returned from the challenge had led Arthur to capture a crucial clue, he glanced at Toby’s face, which wore an expression of contemplation, then bit his lip and turned back to his party members.
While he wished he could dive into the dungeon right now to explain what he had realized, he couldn’t act rashly after just being advised by the Saintess not to be hasty.
It’s fine. It’s only the second room.
Eventually, the one who crosses the finish line last would win.
Don’t rush, Arthur Soladin.
“Everyone, look this way! I think I finally have a rough idea of the strategy for the second room, so let me explain!”
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