Chapter: 76
As I regained my senses, I quickly scanned the surroundings.
Where the heck am I?
Well, at least it’s not another dungeon apart from Colhiti’s temple.
Looks like we’ve just been sent to a different part of the same dungeon.
Calm down. Panicking here won’t do me any good.
“Huh?! What the heck is this?”
‘Just a second!’
“Oh, pitiful prince. Quit rambling like a loser and stay still!”
There’s a well-known rule for these unexpected situations.
First and foremost, get your bearings straight.
If this is right in the monster’s path, I’m toast.
To tackle the old god Colhiti’s temple properly, you need a party with at least mid-level 30 preparations.
To face the Minotaur or armored orcs, that’s about the kind of firepower needed.
But where are we right now?
I’m just an 11-level Holy Knight while Arthur’s even weaker than me.
So, what happens if we bump into a monster? It’s a no-brainer.
It’s so obvious that I don’t even want to think about it.
Given the almost invisible vines growing along the walls, this must be a deep layer.
6th floor? 7th floor?
The drawings on the walls are pretty clear.
So, it’s the 7th floor.
I’m recalling the layout of the dungeon’s 7th floor as I survey the surroundings.
Position of alleys and the terrain around me.
[Hey, girl!]
The old man’s shout was a warning, so I didn’t need to hear the rest.
I’ve figured out where I am. I’m mapping out an escape route based on that mental map.
The one good thing about this intricate maze-like depth of the temple is that it’s designed to trap users.
It’s meant to corner players, but for me, it’s different.
For someone like me who knows the landscape perfectly, this maze is just a refuge for escape.
I scoop up the dazed Arthur, who’s still trying to process what just happened.
“Lucy Alrn?!”
‘Sorry! Just bear with me!’
“Pitiful prince! If you want to keep your pathetic life, just shut up!”
“Behind!”
‘I know!’
“Do you think I’m as useless as you, pitiful prince?!”
I dash desperately along the route drawn in my head, the pounding sounds of pursuit echoing behind me.
Damn it. How far do I have to run to shake this aggro?
After a frantic sprint, I finally manage to shake off the footsteps and set Arthur down, taking a breather.
Haa. This is really killing me.
How many all-out sprints am I gonna do in a single day?
If I had slacked off on my stamina training even a little, I would’ve been dead.
As I struggled to calm my racing heart and looked up, there was Arthur, trying hard to appear calm.
It’s probably Arthur who’s the most confused right now.
I know that Agra, that bastard, pulled a fast one on us, but Arthur’s just been caught up in it.
Still, keeping quiet is likely his way of not wanting to add to the confusion.
He definitely has some skill, even if he didn’t show it back in the game.
‘If you have any questions, just ask.’
“Pitiful prince, if you have any doubts, ask away. I’ll tell you all about it—very kindly.”
“…I won’t refuse. Lucy Alrn, do you even know what kind of situation we’re in?”
I laid out some ceremonial bullshit for Arthur.
That we’ve been thrown into a different layer of the dungeon.
To survive, we need to hold out until the rescue team arrives from above.
For that, we must constantly evade or head for the safety zone.
“It’s a tough situation.”
I didn’t deny his words.
Right now, things are worse than when we fell into the place where the alchemist stayed.
The monsters coming out now might be weaker, but they weren’t blind idiots.
Their weaknesses were painfully obvious, making them easier to dodge.
This place, though, is different.
No matter how far we run, the orcs will keep coming after us, not to mention the Minotaur with its hulking mass and annoying agility.
If I slip up and miscalculate a route, I could very well end up ambushed and dead.
So, to survive until the professors come to the rescue, heading to the safety zone is the best course of action.
We have to move.
‘Old man. I’m counting on you again, just like last time.’
[You’re really having a hard time, huh.]
‘What am I supposed to do? I was marked for death.’
If I want to be safe from this hellhole, I’d better get strong enough to crush whatever trick Agra wants to throw at me.
Just wait, Agra.
I’m still growing, but give me some time, and I’ll be strong enough to welcome your tricks with a smile.
I’ll show you the skills of a veteran player from Soul Academy!
Before long, you’ll be the fool, so enjoy this while it lasts!
“What’s the plan?”
As I lifted my shield with one hand, Arthur questioned me.
‘We’re going to the safety zone.’
“You know what a safety zone is, right? We’re going there.”
“Do you even know where the safety zone is?”
Arthur said that, recalling how complicated this place was when we just ran away.
If we’re not careful, we could end up wandering around and meeting our doom.
So, we shouldn’t blindly charge forward but instead wait quietly until we sense the monsters coming, then move.
Logically, he was right.
If this were a dungeon studies exam, he’d get full marks.
But this isn’t an exam, and for me at least, that’s not a good judgment call.
‘Don’t worry; I know exactly where everything is.’
“Pitiful prince, please don’t think that just because you’re useless, I am too. I know where everything is in this dungeon.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Isn’t this your first time here?”
Not at all. I’ve seen it way too many times.
Counting just how many times I’ve tackled this dungeon, probably in the thousands.
Or maybe even more.
The boss here, Colhiti’s shard, had good rewards, which is why I came back each time.
That’s the reality, but saying it out loud doesn’t seem like it would convince Arthur.
So, I just gave him my most trustworthy smile and said it.
‘Trust me.’
“Pitiful prince. Don’t trust the thoughts of a loser like you; trust my thoughts instead.”
“…Do you have any evidence?”
‘Yep! I have a blessing!’
“I’ve received the blessing of the pathetic god.”
As I said that, Arthur’s eyes widened, then he let out a light snicker.
“Alright. I’ll give you a chance.”
*
Lucy Alrn’s claim of receiving divine love had no fabrication.
She knew this dungeon inside and out just as she confidently said.
She understood how the paths of the dungeon were laid out.
Where the monsters appeared and how they moved.
How traps were set up within the dungeon.
This wasn’t just surface-level knowledge; it was knowledge so complete that one could believe she designed it herself.
She was said to have the blessing to know everything about the dungeon’s realities.
Hah. How foolish was I to propose a competition to someone with such an advantage?
What a dumbass.
I had walked straight into the path of defeat, confidently expecting victory.
Lucy Alrn must have found my challenge utterly laughable.
Sigh.
Is she talented enough to look down on the world?
“Lucy Alrn.”
“What?”
Maybe it’s because we’re standing in such danger, but Lucy’s voice was sharper than usual.
“May I ask why you call me pitiful prince?”
I’d heard from Joy that Lucy didn’t insult him to belittle him but rather was repeating a reality she believed.
Had it been anyone else, I would have dismissed it as nonsense, but Lucy had lived her life in isolation because of her arrogant nature.
She’d have no choice but to be somewhat oblivious to the news around her.
Previously, I’d overlooked this truth lost in my emotions, but now I felt differently.
My head had cleared up somewhat, and I recognized that Joy’s explanation had a high chance of being true.
So I brought it up.
Why does she call me pitiful prince when she knows nothing of my circumstances?
Upon hearing the question, Lucy turned her head, looking at me as if she found me pathetic, and said,
“You act pitiful, so pitiful prince, duh.”
“Me?”
“Didn’t you know? Hah. You’re so useless, I don’t even want to explain.”
I act pitiful? Me?
No way.
I’ve lived my life avoiding pity.
Even to fulfill my deceased mother’s last wish.
To protect my mother’s dignity from disgrace.
I worked hard to not be a person anyone could easily disregard.
For me to act pitiful like that?
“Care to explain?”
“Pitiful prince, quit charging in like a raging dog and just stay still.”
Despite the insulting words, her tone was serious enough that I kept quiet.
He could suppress his emotions for the sake of the current situation.
Following Lucy’s lead, I peeked around the corner and spotted a monster blocking the path.
A Minotaur.
I’d heard tales of this creature before.
One of the knights I knew back at the castle loved to brag about his exploits, and among the stories was of the Minotaur.
‘The Minotaur is a very strong monster. It has the strength to crush any ordinary soldier in armor and the speed of a bison. Moreover, it possesses human-like intelligence and stamina that can weather pretty much any wound.’
‘Remember, prince. The Minotaur can put knights in peril. If you encounter it, you must run.’
I still recalled that knight’s tales.
While the professors at Soul Academy could handle it easily, that wasn’t the case for me or Lucy Alrn.
If we charged in recklessly, we’d meet our demise.
Lucy must know this, but she showed no intention of steering away.
Instead, she started preparing for a battle, pulling out a few potions from her pocket and pouring them into her mouth.
“Lucy Alrn, you aren’t seriously thinking of fighting that thing, are you?”
“Yup. I’m gonna smash that big head in.”
“Are you insane?!”
That would be a suicidal act.
No matter how skilled Lucy Alrn was compared to her peers, there’s no way she can take on that beast.
“What’s wrong, pitiful prince? You look like you’re about to pee yourself.”
“This isn’t about fear, alright?”
“I have to wreck that big brain to get to the safety zone.”
The safety zone.
That cursed space created by Agra, blessed with the power of Armadi to ensure safety.
It’s the only place adventurers can rest assured in the unpredictable dungeon.
Lucy stated we needed to head there to survive.
And to get there, we had to take down that Minotaur.
“That’s impossible. Rather than trying something dangerous, we should continue avoiding monsters as we have.”
“Pitiful prince, you think you and I can last until the academy’s losers show up like this?”
The moment I heard that, I realized Arthur understood.
Lucy Alrn couldn’t possibly not grasp the level of danger this was.
Knowing everything about this dungeon, there’s no way she’d be unaware of the Minotaur’s perils.
“Is this truly the only option?”
When Lucy nodded, I tightly gripped the hilt of my sword.
Is my life on the line here?
“Well, if you’re too scared, the cowardly pitiful prince can stay in the back and whimper.”
“No. I’ll fight too.”
Letting a girl handle everything while I run away is just too disgraceful.
I don’t want to be that shameful of a person.
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