Chapter: 38
After Lucy stepped inside, Joy, who was following her, felt an odd shift in the atmosphere of the dungeon entrance.
Until just moments ago, she felt nothing out of the ordinary. Why did a chill suddenly settle in as soon as Lucy entered?
This was Joy’s first time in a dungeon, and as she scanned her surroundings, she found no one talking about anything unusual.
Is it usually like this?
Tilting her head in confusion, Joy followed closely behind Lucy into the depths of the dungeon.
Just crossing one door completely altered the ambiance around them.
What once appeared to be a lab now seemed like something that had been shut down due to an accident, presenting Joy with an entirely new scene.
In the midst of it all, Lucy stood with arms crossed, frowning as she examined what lay beyond the door.
Lucy’s normally annoying expression turned serious, and Joy thought to herself, Wow, she can actually focus when she puts her mind to it.
Honestly speaking, Joy didn’t find Lucy all that reliable.
She recalled Lucy’s antics in high society.
Lucy had received training from the knights of the Arlen family?
Sure, she might have trained…
But there’s a massive difference between learning and applying it in real life.
The knights of the Arlen family are renowned across the continent, sure, but that didn’t earn Lucy any trust in Joy’s eyes.
Rumors circulating behind her back suggested Lucy wasn’t going to become any better just because she was being educated.
So, why did Joy hand over command to Lucy? The reason was quite trivial.
She was fed up with Lucy’s provocations.
To put it simply, Joy just passed on the reins, telling Lucy to figure it out herself if she felt so confident.
After emotionally handing over command to Lucy, Joy felt regret wash over her.
Was it wise to entrust leadership to a troublemaker like Lucy right before the academy entrance exams?
Yet, it seemed impossible to take back what she’d said out of frustration.
For some reason, Joy didn’t want to admit her mistake in front of Lucy.
It’s weird, really.
Had she always been this hot-headed?
Why did she become so impulsive as soon as she stood in front of Lucy?
Joy couldn’t figure herself out.
Just yesterday, she had vowed not to get entangled with Lucy, yet here she was, engaged in a mental tug-of-war with her.
The crunch of debris underfoot marked the arrival of Jacob, who entered the dungeon last.
As soon as everyone stepped inside, the entrance to the dungeon vanished.
Now, there were only two ways out of this place.
Either conquer the dungeon or use the emergency escape tool the interviewers had given them when entering.
Choosing the latter would practically mean waving goodbye to passing the academy entrance exam, so there was essentially only one option left.
Conquer the dungeon.
“Foolish Young Lady.”
Joy frowned at the sound of Jacob calling her.
Has he decided to drop my name entirely and stick with “Foolish Young Lady”?
We’ll see about that!
There’s not much time left for this nonsense.
Once the exam is over, you’ll be the troublemaker Young Lady and I’ll be Joy, the Duchess!
“Squirt.”
At least Jacob was marginally better than that. At least he didn’t drop all the titles.
In comparison, Jacob’s lower rank and status meant he didn’t get the luxury of being addressed properly or even having his name mentioned.
“Squirt”? Come on, that’s a bit much, isn’t it?
You should at least call me by my name!
Wait a second… if he doesn’t even call me by name, there’s no way he’d mention Liz’s name.
“As I mentioned before, I will take the lead instead of you sloppy folks. I’ll go first, so just keep a lookout from behind. Even someone as inexperienced as you should be able to manage that, right?”
What’s this? Just because he’s done a dungeon run once, he’s acting all high and mighty?
He probably just stood in the back while the knights did all the heavy lifting!
Joy muttered complaints internally but kept her frustration under wraps.
Now wasn’t the time.
The moment he slips up, I’ll make sure to pounce on him like a lion!
But unfortunately, the situation never arrived where Joy could exploit Jacob’s mistake.
From Joy’s perspective, Lucy conducted the dungeon raid almost flawlessly, having learned through books.
“There’s a trap ahead that looks like it’s set for us dummies. I’m not sure who set it, but if someone falls for such a trap, they must think everyone else will too.”
Throughout her scouting, Lucy never missed a trap that the academy had set up.
Moreover, she knew exactly how to disarm said traps, leaving Joy and Jacob with nothing to do when the traps appeared.
As long as they stayed back, Lucy handled everything by herself.
Perhaps feeling a little unwanted, Jacob made an effort to help Lucy, but she firmly rejected his assistance.
“Squirt. Are you going to mess things up with your lousy help? Just stay back.”
Though her tone was a bit harsh, Joy saw that Lucy was right in her judgment.
Even though it was the first time Joy had seen Jacob, he appeared to be really clumsy.
He must be new to dungeons too, just like Joy!
If this was a practice run, that would be one thing; but this was a place for an exam.
There was no way Joy could assign him any responsibilities knowing he was bound to screw up.
With that thought, Joy comforted the dejected Jacob upon his return.
“It’s okay. Everyone has their roles.”
For some reason, Jacob’s lips pursed and his shoulders slumped at Joy’s words.
Why’s he feeling defeated instead?!
I just tried to console him!
Was it the tone? The delivery? Maybe the word choice?
Ugh! I can’t figure it out at all.
Fine, I’ll just shut my mouth and stay still.
Continuing to speak would just drag me down further.
Feeling the stagnant atmosphere of their party, Joy started to yearn for her companions back home.
Big brother!
Other Ladies from the academy!
Where did everyone go? I miss you all today!
Lucy’s triumph didn’t end simply with finding traps.
She also showcased excellent tracking skills.
“Once we turn the corner, you’ll find three worn-out golems waiting for us. I’ll go first to attract their attention, so you all can provide backup from the rear. You can handle that, right?”
Just as she stated, as soon as they rounded the corner, three humanoid golems awaited them.
Two golems wielding clubs flanked one who held a staff, spaced out slightly behind them.
This was Joy’s first real combat experience, and while she clenched her lips and prepared magic, Lucy dashed ahead.
“Hey, ancient junk♡ Is your joint rusted so you can only creak around?♡”
Lucy’s taunting aimed at those mindless golems came off as a pointless action in Joy’s eyes.
Was she engaging in some self-affirming pep talk before heading into battle?
But the moment Lucy finished her quip, the golems’ gazes suddenly zeroed in on her.
It was as if they actually understood her words!
What’s this all about?
That mystery could wait for later.
Right now, it’s my turn to assist Lucy.
If I stood here doing nothing, Lucy would undoubtedly issue some dismissive comment from her tiny mouth.
Above all, I don’t want to be looked down on by Lucy any more than this!
Let’s support her.
I can slow the golems’ movements with magic first, and then think about firepower afterward.
“Brutal winds of winter.”
As Joy wove the thread of magic, she inscribed a spell circle.
What she conjured was a winter gale capable of freezing everything in the northern lands.
As soon as the magic circle finished, ice erupted from the ground, gripping the golems’ feet.
Caught off guard by the sudden immobilization, one golem faltered, and Lucy seized the opportunity, swinging her mace and smashing its head in.
Nice. That first move was flawless.
Now for the next spell…
“Foolish Young Lady. Don’t try to waste magic on pointless antics.”
Just as she was about to channel her next spell, Lucy interrupted her.
“These old relics can be disposed of without wasting even a bit of your mediocre magic.”
Joy felt her temper flare up at Lucy’s words but didn’t press the issue any further.
Magic isn’t infinite. Saving it is the right course of action.
As declared, Lucy confidently took out the two golems.
She deflected attacks with her shield, creating openings, then delivered a single strike to crush the golem’s head, making them appear weak and trivial.
“Is this because it’s the entrance exam? Weak monsters are showing up.”
“Jacob, you’d struggle against those.”
“Eh?”
Having learned basic self-defense due to her noble upbringing, Joy could gauge the strength of those confronting them.
The golems were not weak. Though slow, their movements were deliberate and posed a definite challenge.
Lucy was simply stronger.
What would have happened to Jacob, who seemed clumsy even when wielding a weapon, if he had been surrounded by those three golems?
There was no need to ask; he would have been beaten silly and disqualified.
“Hey, both of you.”
Despite nearly taking on three of the golems single-handedly, Lucy wasn’t even slightly winded.
She must have remarkable stamina now.
Where had the Lucy who’d pant and lean against the railings when climbing steps disappeared?
“Let’s hurry. No time to rest.”
Among Lucy’s various skills, Joy was most impressed by her navigating ability.
It wasn’t like both Lucy and Joy were unfamiliar with this dungeon; yet Lucy seemed to navigate remarkably well.
She didn’t just follow obvious paths.
She found numerous hidden passages as if she were the very instructor who crafted this dungeon.
“Lucy, how are you so good at finding the way?”
Joy was so fascinated by this that she forgot to call her the troublemaker Young Lady and asked her the question.
Turning her head slightly as she stepped into the hidden passage, Lucy flashed her usual annoying grin.
“Curious, are we?”
“Yes.”
“Keep wondering. I won’t tell you.”
*
The golems encountered in the dungeon were all antiquated relics.
With just one hit from a mace to the head, these scrap heaps would crumble and the tension began to dissipate.
This feels strange.
Sure, Joy provided good support, but is it really supposed to be this easy?
Weren’t the golems in the game much stronger than this?
Perhaps they adjusted the difficulty for the academy entrance exam.
That must be it. Without that, there’s no way I would be this comfortable.
Thanks to that, I could press forward without pausing.
Had the combat been grueling, she would have needed breaks, but today felt breezy.
In less than an hour, they arrived at the boss room of the dungeon.
“This has to be among the top records in the Soul Academy’s long history, right?”
Expecting an answer, she tossed the question out, but none came back.
Turning around, she noticed Jacob and Joy struggling to catch their breath and unable to even lift their heads.
…Oh. Did I push it a little too far?
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