Chapter: 532
While Lucy and Ruel were scheming on how to mess with Erginius, Arthur, Joy, and Frey were separated from Lucy, discussing strategies for the dungeon.
“It’s kind of annoying to be without Frey,” Arthur remarked.
“Lady Kent’s strength is irreplaceable,” Joy shrugged. “There’s no helping it.”
Lucy Alrn had once again issued a bet to them. Naturally, Phoebe, who practically worshipped her, accepted it without hesitation, and both Joy and Arthur, eager to redeem themselves after the humiliation from the last bet on the island, decided to step back into the dungeon.
And they got utterly wrecked.
“Damn it,” Arthur cursed.
So far, their record was 0 wins, 3 losses. If they failed to conquer the dungeon entirely, they’d have to endure Lucy’s punishment threefold.
“Maybe next time we should choose a route that completely avoids fighting monsters,” Arthur pondered.
“Like Lucy does?” Joy raised an eyebrow.
“Do you think that’s possible? That kind of knowledge doesn’t come without Lady’s expertise,” Joy replied.
“Well, we could at least try to imitate her,” Arthur suggested.
“What secret plan do you have?” Joy asked, intrigued.
Hearing Joy’s question, Arthur subtly shifted his gaze. It fell on a small, childlike figure floating next to him. The little kid, a fragment of the first Soladin, yawned lazily at the attention.
– What’s up?
After a recent assault by the Void Followers, Arthur had returned to the underground lair.
Finding his way was easy. The fragment guided him back, courtesy of the lingering echoes of miracles that followed him.
Though the remnants of miracles felt tingly on his skin, the fragment guided Arthur past the broken walls while asking him to treat a little girl named Visi kindly.
So Arthur finally arrived back at the magic circle and faced this fragment.
– This is troublesome. I couldn’t help but grant permission to someone unqualified.
‘What does that even mean?’ Arthur frowned.
– It’s a bother that you’re completely clueless. I can’t explain due to restrictions. Ugh, for crying out loud. That brat…
After grumbling for a while, the fragment tossed its hair dramatically and took a spot next to Arthur.
– In the end, if you just let it happen, everything gets resolved! Then my mistakes disappear too!
‘…Was the first Soladin really such a reckless guy?’ Arthur mused.
– Isn’t it obvious? No sane person would think of establishing a nation in those chaotic times.
‘That was a fact I didn’t want to know.’
After that, the first Soladin’s fragment followed Arthur around, chattering non-stop.
– Why should I be of assistance to you? Hah! I’m a part of someone from the Age of Myth surviving here! I’m on a completely different level compared to you, little brat!
– You use both sword and magic? Why would you do something that crazy? I don’t get it, but just go ahead and wave them about.
– …I see. It’d be a shame to throw either away. Both have solid fundamentals. If only you could merge them properly…
At first, Arthur thought the once cocky fragment seemed trustworthy.
Surviving the Age of Myth was itself an achievement. Even if only some of the hero tales were true, they’d surely be helpful.
– Ah! There was a magic suited for you!
– Um… wait. Damn it.
– Just keep up your training for now. I’ll let you know when I remember the details.
However, that anticipation vanished in an instant.
The fragment watched as Arthur trained, boasting about how he had seen similar methods before.
But it never shared anything useful.
When Arthur faced mockery from others, the fragment chuckled along.
And when Arthur’s face flushed in front of Lucy, it was simply delighted, thinking it was part of the joys of youth.
Except when it came to the dungeon, things were different.
– Right side is correct.
– Looks like a familiar face. Aim for the legs first. Once the center collapses, they’re nothing.
– See? I was right!
The experience of fighting against creatures empowered by the Evil God proved to be meaningful in the current dungeon too.
The fragment reached the correct answers quicker than Arthur could judge, and as soon as the enemies emerged, it blurted out strategies.
Though it hadn’t reached the absurd levels of Lucy Alrn, that was more about Lucy being entirely out of the ordinary. This little brat possessed enough skill to baffle others with its experience.
So technically, playing dirty and squeezing assistance from this fragment would undoubtedly allow them to meet Lucy Alrn’s conditions.
Feeling a twinge of guilt, but with the greater fear of facing impending humiliation looming over him, Arthur bit his lip and decided to sell his conscience.
Just then, there was a ruckus outside.
“There he is!”
“Don’t let him escape!”
“Damn it! That way!”
The tent’s door burst open, and a man stepped through. With long black hair that reached his waist, he spotted the three sitting inside and broke into a gentle smile.
“Long time no see! How have you all been?”
“…Who are you?”
“Who do you think you are?”
“Oh right, already forgotten? Ah, back then I was just a skeleton.”
The man nonchalantly nodded despite their cautious stares, settling into a chair without breaking a sweat.
“Do you recognize this?”
He cast a spell, and his skeleton face appeared.
“Erginius?”
“Indeed, it’s me.”
When Joy suddenly voiced out recognition from their last dungeon visit where they’d been bombarded with skeletons, Erginius nodded again.
“I intended to wait inside the dungeon, but due to the gods’….”
“Erginius! That’s still supposed to be a hidden truth!”
“Hah, is that so? Why? If it’s your word, blessed by the god, I’ll believe it, but it doesn’t make sense why you’d need to hide such glorious titles.”
“…That’s….”
Noticing Phoebe struggle to find words, Erginius tilted his head and opened his mouth to ask again, only to freeze when he spotted Arthur.
“Whoa! No way you, of all people, broke through a trial?”
“…What exactly is this ‘qualification’ you’re rambling about?”
“Qualification to undergo the trial! The token I gave to the first Soladin! Without that, the trial wouldn’t allow you to pass!”
As Erginius’ words sank in, Arthur turned sideward, but there was nothing there. Just moments ago, the loose fragment had disappeared in an instant.
Hmm. It seems that the little brat was throwing a fit because of a problem related to Erginius’ role bestowed upon him.
If the truth were leaked now, it would certainly lead to some interesting comic relief, but it’d be more beneficial to keep that as a threat.
“…That’s….”
Weighing his decision carefully, Arthur decided to explain the situation, excluding details about the fragment.
“That kid’s so different from her appearance it’s like day and night.”
Finding the circumstances narrow down to Lucy Alrn’s antics, Erginius chuckled helplessly, then leaned closer to Arthur.
“Alright, if that kid says she qualifies, then that’s likely true. It’s not something for someone as ancient as myself to dispute.”
“Is… that so?”
“Then please tell the fragment I have no further thoughts on it. No wait. I guess it wouldn’t matter now since it’s likely eavesdropping.”
– Ah, you knew?
“How could I not notice my own creation?”
Finally disgruntled, the fragment made a reappearance, prompting Erginius to chuckle lightly.
“Don’t worry about it. It was an unavoidable situation.”
– Thank you so much!
“Sure.”
– By the way, I’d like to ask something. Wasn’t there a time you composed pure magic into a sword?
“Ah. That.”
As Erginius conversed with the first fragment, Joy and Phoebe, unable to see it, were utterly baffled.
While Arthur contemplated how to explain their confusion, a flustered Lucy suddenly appeared, and he let out a sigh of relief.
“Hey, you smelly pity-crazed wizard! What are you thinking barging in without a care given the ruckus outside? What? Is it hard to talk to both ladies and gentlemen now?”
“Haha, I thought you’d handle the chaos well,” Erginius replied.
“Seriously?”
“You’ve done a good job managing the disturbance, haven’t you? My judgment proves correct.”
“Sigh. With social skills like this, it’s no wonder you died alone. Truly, so on-brand for you.”
“I’ve often been told I lack common sense. It seems that’s still quite true.”
Despite Lucy’s biting criticism, Erginius didn’t show an ounce of anger. It was a stark contrast to when he’d called her a brash little brat last time.
Thanks to that, the three, including Arthur, began to wonder what Lucy might have done this time while they themselves remained unaware of Erginius’s surprise.
“Now that we’re all gathered, let’s get to the point. You folks remember how I mentioned wanting to ask you something when you left last time?”
“Yeah. It’s hard to forget your whiny voice trying to trap people. Just gross.”
“What I want to ask is related to me, specifically about the mistakes made by the hero Erginius I left behind.”
With that, Erginius took a deep breath and pulled a flower from his robe, placing it on the desk.
Whatever magical treatment it had been through, despite its roots being broken, it retained a beauty that was awe-inspiring enough for anyone to admire.
“How much do you know about the Fairy Forest?”
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
