Chapter: 421
Starting from the second year at Soul Academy, the value of the academy’s dungeons drops significantly.
You see, from second year on, students can raid external dungeons unlike when they were first years.
This offers better opportunities for experience gain, proper rewards, and enhancing their reputation.
Plus, they can get some lucky chances through various quests.
In comparison, there isn’t much merit in raiding the academy’s dungeon.
The only distinctive aspect might be the initial clear reward, but even that falls short compared to what can be acquired by exploring external dungeons. So unless you’re going for achievements, it only makes sense to get your minimum requirements to head outside.
Honestly, at first, I thought about following the game’s strategies, but as I planned, I started to wonder if that was really necessary.
And it’s no wonder — this isn’t a game, it’s reality.
Unlike in games where you’re limited by the system, now I can move however I please as long as I want.
I could even conquer the academy dungeon in one day if I really felt like it, grabbing that initial clear reward and then heading off to external dungeons later.
With these thoughts in mind, I gathered my friends, drafted a class plan, and brought up the topic of the academy dungeon.
“I checked the announcement about the academy dungeon too. Are you planning to rush in as soon as it opens again?”
“Of course. It’s just a worthless dungeon made by the incompetent professors of this academy, after all.”
“Lucy, who are you going with this time? Hmm?”
Fray was eagerly signaling with her whole body that she wanted to enter the dungeon with me, and next to her, there was Phoebe with subtle expectations.
“Hmm, well, I’m not sure, but I doubt it’ll be anyone who doesn’t listen and just causes trouble, right?”
“Hehe!”
“And I also doubt it’ll be someone who ranted endlessly at me yesterday.”
“Milady, you know that wasn’t meant to harm you.”
“Not someone who pinched my cheeks mercilessly?”
“…I apologize.”
“Puhaha! It’s great to see you all falling for my words. You guys are so pathetic that if I took you to the dungeon and told you to lick my feet, you might just do it, huh? Right?”
“Lick?”
I barely stopped Fray, who was genuinely about to kneel down. I then subtly shifted my gaze to Arthur, who was unusually quiet.
Why is he lost in thought today?
Is he going through puberty?
Thinking about his age, it’s not that surprising, I guess.
Hmm, I’m not sure, but he seems like he could build quite a dark history.
Arthur really is the type who could shout things like, “Flames of Hell! Coalesce into my sword!” while fighting, so…
Some might find it cool, but that sort of thing is likely just setting him up to be humiliated later.
Recalling my own cringe-worthy moments from my past, I grabbed Arthur’s shoulder and gave him a serious look.
“Poor Prince. Please consult me before naming your skills. Don’t want to die laughing at your trashy sense!”
“…What nonsense are you spouting?”
Arthur looked at me as if I was a strange person.
Hey! I was genuinely giving heartfelt advice, and you respond to me with those eyes?
So annoying.
Just watch. When you inevitably do something embarrassing, I’ll roast you in mesugaki language.
I’ll tease you until your face turns beet red!
“Enough with the jokes. Let’s talk dungeon strategies. You’ve thought about it, right?”
As I penned my silent resentments in my head, I lightly clicked my tongue and shared my plan with my friends.
“Let’s make a bet. Let’s see who can clear the academy dungeon faster.”
Right now, I can ignore the limit on numbers and take everyone into the dungeon with me.
But that’s only the case for regular dungeons.
In the artificial dungeon from the academy, this power doesn’t work, so it’s impossible for everyone to enter together.
So I thought of splitting into a party of me and four others for the dungeon raid.
This is the most efficient way, and by splitting the party, I can also check how well Arthur and Joy have internalized what I’ve taught them.
…And more importantly, this way I can get my revenge for the humiliation from last semester.
I’m a petty and stingy person who hasn’t forgotten that humiliation.
“…Do you really want to bet on the academy dungeon?”
“…Milady, that’s a bit much.”
“Sure, splitting into parties is one thing, but betting…”
“Lucy, this is just cowardly and selfish. Totally pathetic.”
Of course, my friends didn’t react well to my idea.
Having seen my antics in the dungeon way too many times, to them, wanting to bet against me sounded like I just wanted to mess with them.
And honestly, that was my intention too.
“Scared, are you?♡”
But what’s that to me?
“Frightened, huh?♡”
Just because I’m a cowardly and petty person, what can they really do?
“Puhuhuh♡ Come on~♡ If you think you can’t win, isn’t it better to just tuck your tail between your legs from the get-go?♡ Knowing your place is admirable, I’ll just pat your head, okay?♡”
What can they do against my mesugaki skills’ taunting!?
It’s definitely true that my friends have become familiar with my tone.
They can overlook most casual remarks to some degree, since they’re now less averse to my mesugaki style of speaking.
However, this is only true when it’s not sincere!
When I activate the taunting skills with true intent, no one can keep their cool, even if they’re my friends!
“Why is everyone looking so fierce?♡ Do losers who fold before even trying have the right to be angry?♡”
I can see their lips quivering. Just a bit more, and I’ll have them!
“Okay~♡ I’ll tell you what you should say~♡ ‘I’m sorry for acting big when I’m just a pathetic nobody♡ We are the mere footstools for the noble Alrn!’♡”
Just a bit more.
Just a bit more.
“Hurry up and repeat after me♡ Then I’ll forgive you for running away instead of showing your tails!…”
“Enough! Lucy Alrn!”
The moment I heard Arthur slam his hand on the desk and stand up, I couldn’t help but let out a giggle.
Yes!
I’ve taunted them enough; now it’s time to sweet-talk them.
Guide them into accepting my bet smoothly.
The conversation flowed just as I desired.
So the three of them, excluding Fray, are familiar with politics and socializing?
So what? If they’re all worked up and can’t see straight, it gives me the advantage of keeping calm!
Of course, just because I can play with them doesn’t mean I set unfair conditions for the bet.
The very nature of the bet was forced upon them, so setting more unfair conditions would feel wrong.
I imposed various restrictions like entering the dungeon a day later, not skipping floors, or not skipping the boss fight.
Of course, I rejected any rule that went too far. Even though I think I can win under any conditions, there’s always a ‘what if’ factor, right?
The growth of my friends is something I still have a hard time grasping.
What if—what if…
If Arthur and Joy have perfectly internalized the dungeon raid book I gave them, I could really lose!
Pathetic, you say?
Stingy, you say?
I know! But you know what’s worse than becoming a trash human? It would be placing bets and losing!
I’m going to win!
This time, I’ll pay them back for the humiliation I suffered last time!
[Wasn’t the last time’s attempt to make the Third Prince dress as a bunny also not considered revenge?]
‘That was a legitimate bet!’
[Admitting that this one isn’t fair to yourself, huh?]
‘…Shut up.’
*
On the day the academy dungeon opens.
Parna Kent was waiting for the door to the dungeon to open.
Out of all the artificially created dungeons, the Soul Academy’s dungeon boasts the largest size and remarkable structure.
The thought of raiding such a place with her newly made friends had Parna brimming with excitement.
“Chester! How much longer until the academy dungeon opens? How much longer?!”
“Didn’t you just ask the same question thirty seconds ago?”
“I remember that! So how much longer is it?”
“The time since then has shrunk by thirty seconds.”
“So what’s that time, then?”
“…Thirty minutes left.”
Chester heaved a sigh, resigning to Parna’s innocent gaze, finally giving her the answer.
Today, she was bursting with an unusual amount of energy.
Though he had never seen her quite this lively, it still felt excessive.
Was the thought of raiding the academy dungeon really that exciting?
Just before Chester started wishing he could already leave before even entering the academy dungeon, Jackal finally appeared.
Having missed all of second semester and repeating the first year, he didn’t need to check grades, and he chuckled at the sparkles in Parna’s eyes.
“Lord Burrow! I’ve been waiting for you!”
“Are you really that excited to enter the academy dungeon?”
“Yes! Absolutely!”
Originally, Jackal had no particular interest in the academy dungeon.
He would eventually raid it for grades, but he never thought about running straight toward it like this.
However, the reason he found himself moving on the day the academy dungeon was set to open was due to Chester’s desperate plea.
“Lord, I can’t handle Lady Kent’s liveliness by myself. Please save me.”
After hearing Chester say he felt like he’d be drained of life if no one else restrained Parna, Jackal relented and agreed to join them.
After all, they were partners now.
“Lord Burrow! Lord Burrow!”
“What do you want to know?”
“Yes! Can you tell me what the inside of the dungeon is like? You must have raided it last year!”
Jackal recalled the moment from a year ago when he almost died raiding the academy dungeon. He smiled bitterly and answered the bouncing Parna.
“Well, that shouldn’t be hard to explain, but last year’s experience might be useless this time.”
“Why’s that?”
“I feel like the direction of the dungeon might be completely different.”
At the end of last year, Lucy Alrn’s final exam dungeon shocked the professors in Soul Academy greatly.
The dungeon received endless praise from both the academy and the outsiders, igniting enough passion in the academy professors that all the lower-tier ones rushed to create dungeons themselves.
As a result, the dungeon set to open now is rumored to be the largest in Soul Academy’s history, filled with a massive amount of effort.
“Lady Parna, before we enter the dungeon, let me mention. Don’t move until orders are given. This academy dungeon will likely be quite wicked.”
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