Chapter: 70
“Hey, Young Lady Alrn.”
As usual, after taking a break from sparring with Frey, Visi, the flunky lady, approached me cautiously.
“What’s up?” I responded.
“Well, ‘flunky lady,'” she hesitated, “is it okay if we don’t practice our team strategy before going in?”
It was surprising to hear someone as timid about our chances bring up “teamwork.”
Why is she being so pushy?
Did my puzzled stare make her sigh?
“You might not know, esteemed Young Lady Alrn and Young Lady Kent, but this duel has become quite the buzz in the academy.”
Apparently, the word had spread that Arthur and I would face off in a match.
The battle between the brilliant Third Prince and the Alrn family line that topped the entrance exam had grabbed everyone’s attention.
“And it’s so popular that there’s even betting happening.”
Betting?
There’s only one character who would partake in something like that.
Seth, the merchant’s son running the massive trade organization.
His gambling tables are trustworthy.
He’s the kind of guy who would shout about how important trust is.
‘What about the odds…’
“What are the odds like?” I asked.
“And that’s not even the most important thing right now,” she replied.
“It is important.”
“Flunky lady, deciding what’s important isn’t your job, it’s mine. Answer me.”
“…1.1 to 10.”
No need to ask who gets the 1.1.
It’s obviously Arthur.
Rumor has it he’s gathered the best first-year students, so it’s no surprise.
Frey, who’s capable of leading both front and rear, and even Matthew, a priest with unbelievable talent who’s still overshadowed by Phoebe.
The three of them gearing up for Saturday’s match was common knowledge, even for a loner like me.
And what about me?
I wasn’t even sure if I managed to assemble a decent party.
Practice for clearing the dungeon?
Not once did I do that.
So, where would trust lead?
But isn’t that a crazy high payout?
I’m not someone who has done nothing here.
I ranked first in the entrance exam, proving I have talent.
Plus, I demonstrated some strength during my spar with Frey.
My party members, Frey and I, should at least be competitive—so why is it 10 to 1?
Of course, I’d still grab that quick cash.
I’ll have Karl place a bet with Seth later.
Ten gold coins per person were definitely the limit.
That’s already a hundred gold coins.
Ahh, it feels so sweet; it might rot my teeth.
“Anyway, this duel has become the talk of the academy. If you lose miserably, just imagine the whispers.”
Seriously, such pointless worrying.
‘Why are you thinking about losing?’
“Why is the flunky scared? Is the thought of defeat so ingrained in you?”
“How can I think of winning when even Young Lady Kent and Young Lady Alrn are so powerful? The dungeon isn’t just a matter of strength!”
Visi was partly right.
Clearing a dungeon isn’t solely about brute force.
Strength makes it easier, but knowledge of the dungeon is way more crucial.
But she was missing one key point.
I’m not just some musclehead.
‘Flunky lady…’
“Flunky, if I were just a stupid brute, how could I have topped the academy entrance exam?”
“That was just compensation for past incidents… the teamwork.”
Oh, I see. Is that what regular folks think?
That someone like me couldn’t possibly ace the entrance exam without some shady methods?
Sure sounds more convincing than the idea of a troublesome person like me suddenly changing in just a year.
No wonder the odds are so high.
Trust in me has hit rock bottom; it’s no wonder it got out of control, even with Frey in the mix.
Seeing Visi biting her tongue, I let out a deep sigh.
I initially planned to say a few words right before entering the dungeon, but maybe I should explain a bit more now.
“Excuse me.”
“Flunky, got time today?”
“Uh? Yes!”
“Just wait here for a moment.”
After saying that, I approached Frey.
I mentioned I had something to discuss for tomorrow’s dungeon drop, and Frey asked why we needed a strategy.
“If we just bulldoze through, it’ll be fine.”
That was a statement so absurd it made me doubt whether they even had a brain.
If a normal person said that, I might have thought they were just overly confident; however, not Frey.
This person genuinely thought that way and was ready to act on it.
Left unchecked, they’d likely charge in like a bull to the first enemy they see, ruining the dungeon clear.
But that’s okay.
I have a way to somewhat rein Frey in.
“Frey…”
“The dungeon-clearing leader is me, not you, dumbass.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“You need to follow my lead.”
“Why?”
Frey tilted her head in confusion.
I expected that.
When I first raised Frey’s affection in the game, I struggled with her pesky “why” question.
Arguing logically wouldn’t work.
By now, she’s already made up her mind.
To convince her, I’d need to choose one of two paths.
Prepare an answer in line with her world or get just as stubborn.
This time, I chose the latter.
‘Otherwise, I won’t spar with you.’
“If that’s the case, I won’t spar with someone as pathetic as you.”
Frey seemed quite fixated on our sparring time together.
Normally, she wouldn’t give anyone a second glance until her affection was high enough, yet she’s seeking me out.
She doesn’t look for me except during sparring, so it doesn’t seem like my affection’s built much.
For reasons I don’t understand, I’ll have to use it to my advantage.
Upon my firm refusal to spar, Frey’s eyes widened.
“Why? You promised to spar with me!”
“That’s…”
“That was when I wrecked the pathetic prince.”
Frey rolled her eyes as if thinking it over, then soon nodded.
“Okay.”
Having agreed, she’d likely start behaving now.
While she has a base nature to be wild, it should at least fall within the expected range.
That much is manageable; Frey is a variable I can control effortlessly.
After getting her permission, I led her and Visi toward my dorm.
There, I unveiled various supplies I had prepared and shared my plan with them.
“…I’ll need to ask my friend to place a bet with unfavorable odds.”
After hearing everything, Visi replied.
*
On the fateful day of the duel.
Arthur had been warming up since early morning on one side of the training grounds.
The moment he stepped into the dungeon, the real non-stop grind would kick in.
He needed to get his body warmed up first.
“You’re out here already, Third Prince.”
While Arthur was in the midst of exercising, he turned upon hearing his name.
Standing there was the formidable Jackal Burrow, leaning on his spear.
“Seems a bit excessive for a warm-up, doesn’t it?”
“My body is my business.”
“Of course, I figured that. But I wondered if you weren’t perhaps spurred on by what’s happening over there.”
Jackal pointed towards Lucy Alrn and Frey Kent.
The two right beside each other seemed bent on trying to kill each other as they sparred this morning like any other.
At this rate, I worried one of them might end up hurt before Arthur ever got to fight.
“Is a beast’s battle going to sway a human?”
“Haha. Fair point.”
Arthur shook his head firmly, dismissing any doubt Jackal might have.
There was no reason for it to affect him.
Because today’s victory was practically already settled.
Just looking at the surface, it was obvious.
Lucy Alrn was one thing, but Frey Kent was merely a reckless beast, unwilling to heed anyone’s advice.
Their other party member was a regular student practically forced into the group by Lucy.
In contrast, Arthur had nearly guaranteed talent—including a young priest destined to become a cardinal someday, who’d ranked second in the entrance exam, Matthew.
The power disparity was clear enough to secure victory.
Yet Arthur wasn’t complacent.
He sought information from students currently scaling the academy dungeon.
He wanted to know how it was structured.
What the internal layout looks like.
What they’d need to prepare.
How to tackle it—all of it.
While the other students were only reaching the 30th floor at that point, he still gathered ample information.
Lucy Alrn was overly proud.
She didn’t prepare for the dungeon at all.
Not even the slightest effort to comprehend its structure.
Nor did she take the time to gather materials for the dungeon haste.
She didn’t even contemplate assembling her party to sync their movements.
It was as though she believed she could easily defeat him without needing to do any of that.
Was she so arrogant to think she could beat me just because she considered herself an overwhelming talent who could surpass everyone within a year?
Arrogant and audacious. Lucy Alrn.
Is that what you think?
I won’t deny your genius.
Perhaps you might even shatter my expectations and surpass the 30th floor.
But it won’t matter.
I’m not preparing for defeat today.
If you pull off something unforeseen…
*
Maybe it was because I mentioned that I wouldn’t spar if the results were bad yesterday.
Today, Frey was relentlessly aggressive.
Even before entering the dungeon, I felt completely drained.
After some light stretching, I got ready to head into the dungeon and walked outside, where someone was waiting for me.
“Young Lady.”
“Young Lady Alrn.”
Karl and Joy were both standing in front of the dormitory.
While Karl was set to enter the dungeon with me, why was Joy here?
Upon seeing my face, Joy let out a sigh.
“Do you have any thoughts? Or none at all?”
Huh? Why the sudden lecture?
Aren’t we just catching up after a while?
“Isn’t it unreasonable to challenge the Third Prince so confidently without any preparation?”
It dawned on me that her furrowed brows showed concern for me.
She really is a good person.
“Here’s the current information gathered so far on the academy dungeon, and this is—”
“Joy…”
“Flunky lady. Do you think I’d need this?”
I had all that I needed all set.
“Young Lady Alrn, you haven’t prepared anything. If it’s due to your pride, set that aside.”
‘But I did.’
“Do you think I’d be foolish enough like you? I’ve already prepared for victory.”
I didn’t know what preparations Arthur made, but it didn’t concern me.
I’m not weak enough to lose to NPCs.
‘I’ll be back victorious.’
“I’ll win, so enjoy the show, flunky lady.”
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
