Chapter: 110
There was a small disturbance, but preparations for the duel went on normally.
If you asked who the strongest among the people taking this Combat Studies class was, two names would pop up first.
Lucy of the Allen Family and Frey of the Kent Family.
In their duels during class, Lucy’s record was nothing short of a one-sided massacre.
No matter how much Frey Kent unleashed her offensive, everything was meaningless against Lucy Allen’s shield.
Like a turtle hiding in its shell, Lucy Allen defended all attacks and, when she saw a critical gap, she would counterattack, leading Frey to fall with no choice.
Jack felt a mix of admiration and jealousy when he first witnessed the dynamics of that duel.
Who was Frey Kent?
She was one of the most talented individuals among the countless divine beings in this continent, wasn’t she?
Jack remembered facing Frey Kent during a tournament hosted by a nobleman as a mere joke, realizing just how insane her skills were.
At that time, Jack couldn’t even leave a scratch on Frey Kent.
No matter how he wielded his spear or whatever tactics he had, it meant nothing.
Everything he had was just a joke in front of Frey Kent’s overwhelming speed.
He should’ve been thankful that he wasn’t dead in front of the furious storm of swords coming at him.
Back then, Jack claimed it was his lack of effort that made him lose to Frey, but the truth was different.
He’d already surrendered in his heart.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t beat Frey.
Piercing through that genius who had reached the extreme talent was impossible.
He could only come to that conclusion.
However, Jack didn’t particularly envy Frey.
How could he envy someone born with talents beyond this world?
Frey Kent was destined to stand above others from the start.
A genius with talents no one could rival.
Everyone said so, and Jack thought so, too.
But that wasn’t the case.
Just like it was merely people’s assumptions that she stood above the heavens.
Lucy Allen had effortlessly dragged Frey Kent down to the realm of humans.
Just a moment ago, she’d been called the shame of the Allen Family.
The girl known for causing various incidents both inside and outside the social circle, who would’ve lost her head ages ago if not for the reputation of Benedict Allen.
The same girl whose teacher once spread rumors that such a fool would never exist in this world again.
The frail little brat who used to gasp for breath halfway up the stairs to the 2nd floor.
She had defeated the continent’s most renowned genius.
At first, people dismissed it as a fluke.
Right?
No matter how much she had changed, the unruly Lucy Allen beat Frey Kent!
It made no logical sense.
They said Frey must have been caught off guard.
In reality, she was unwell.
Rumors spread, but Lucy Allen proved herself once again.
By taking down Frey Kent again.
Clueless about the rumors due to her lack of friends, Lucy wouldn’t know.
That people were starting to recognize her abilities, regardless of her character.
That there were those who wanted to witness the majesty of the Allen bloodline.
Lucy Allen and Frey Kent faced each other at their positions.
Surely, the outcome of their duel this time wouldn’t be any different.
Lucy Allen would again prove herself.
As Jack pondered this, jealousy grew within him, causing him to grit his teeth.
Is it talent?
Is it just talent in the end?
No matter how hard I try, I can’t beat Lucy Allen, I can’t beat Frey Kent, and I can’t beat Arthur Soladin?!
What’s the point of giving a speech as the representative of the new students?
People don’t recognize me!
They praise the knowledge of Arthur Soladin.
Whisper about Lucy Allen’s transformation.
And just marvel at Frey Kent’s sword!
Would it have been different if my brother were here?
When those stars sparkled and rushed past, could I have run alongside them?
Am I doomed to be a cog in the machine, robbed of talent by my brother my entire life?
I am.
I am.
*
Frey soaked in the sight of Lucy holding her shield high.
Numerous fragmented wounds coated the shield.
The armor was the same way.
Though she pretended to be relaxed as usual, fatigue was evident in her eyes.
Lucy’s current state was far from normal.
It was clear.
In terms of stamina, Lucy wouldn’t fall behind the current knights, but the fact she felt fatigued suggested something must have happened last night.
Typically, during such moments, those who call themselves knights would show consideration for their opponent’s state.
However, Frey didn’t care about that.
Why should she?
What mattered to her was pressing Lucy further into a corner, prompting her to spew out more words.
After that, she would feel something bubbling up her spine.
Ideally, it would end with a victory.
Hmm? If Lucy isn’t feeling well, isn’t that even better?
It was just the right opportunity to press the attack.
Alright. Let’s win today.
And then, let’s make Lucy angry.
That way, next time she’ll say even more vicious things.
It’s a flawless plan.
Frey marveled at her ingenious thoughts and grabbed her sword with both hands.
“Are both sides ready?”
“Yes.”
“Alright.”
“Confirmed. Then let’s start the duel.”
There were still no openings.
No matter how fatigued she was, Lucy was still Lucy.
She was someone who trained to fight even in extreme situations.
Frey never imagined Lucy would show any signs of weakness from the start.
To create an opening, she’d need to strike that solid turtle shell countless times until cracks appeared.
With that resolve, Frey lunged at Lucy without any hesitation.
What was needed when facing Lucy wasn’t a strong attack.
It was quick and frequent.
An attack that could shake her thoughts.
Pressure that would force the turtle hiding in its shell to poke its head out.
As her sword swung down, a shield shot forward.
An accurate movement as if she had read Frey’s mind.
As expected, that’s Lucy for you.
She knew exactly how to make things difficult for me.
As Frey’s sword bounced off, various thoughts swirled in her mind.
What should I swing my sword at this time?
Where should I aim?
What attack could make Lucy anxious?
“Shoddy Swordsman♡ It seems you don’t know the word ‘development’♡ With just swinging your sword, that’s all you know, and your sword is even trash!♡ Foolish and♡ ignorant!♡ Heehee♡”
That laughter.
It pierced through all the noise in the training grounds and lodged itself in Frey’s ears.
Feeling her heart race, Frey couldn’t help but smile.
This time, she was going to smash Lucy to pieces.
She would see Lucy lying on the ground, her face crumpled.
Absolutely.
*
“I feel like I’m going to die from exhaustion.”
[For someone saying that, you’re moving pretty well.]
“Moving my body is one thing, feeling tired is another.”
Was it because she hadn’t paused a second since last night?
Fatigue piled up in her body.
Just closing her eyes on the bed made her feel like she could sleep until the sun rose and set again.
Because of that, it was quite dangerous when she fought Frey as well.
At times, her head would get foggy, and she’d zone out.
If it weren’t for the Iron Wall Skill continuously guiding her on where to hold her shield, she would have lost to Frey.
Normally, she wouldn’t care much even if she lost to her, but this was a test.
No matter how much the duel assessment focuses on the content and not the victory or defeat, the pressure cannot be ignored.
After somehow getting through the duel exam, she only had one more test to take.
After that, she’d be free for the day.
In fact, calling this subject a test would be a bit off.
For the Dungeon Studies exam, if she conquered more than the 30th floor of the dungeon in the academy’s first semester, the midterm would be graded with full marks.
Even if she went to the exam venue, there would probably be no test for her?
Normally she wouldn’t need to go to the exam venue at all, but reluctantly she had to.
She needed to observe who was receiving orders from Nakrad at the location of the Dungeon Studies exam.
The moment when the dungeon appears during the midterms in that academy game is precisely when the Dungeon Studies exam takes place.
Suddenly, an entrance to an unknown dungeon pops up during the exam, and monsters come pouring out.
Later, it was revealed that the reason a dungeon appeared in the academy was due to a student receiving orders from the Apostle of Evil God using a magical tool.
Perhaps this time for the Dungeon Studies exam, a student will use a magical tool as well.
Originally, she had wiped out every dungeon, so there shouldn’t be any orders from the Apostle, but that bastard Nakrad used tricks to create a dungeon.
He must have given that student something as a gift that could link to a dungeon.
That student, unaware of anything, would use the magical tool as instructed by Nakrad, but nothing would happen.
Because she had destroyed that dungeon.
Thinking about it, it’s terrifying.
What if Aderi’s mansion, which shouldn’t exist at this time, went berserk and the monsters inside leaped out?
Even if the professors responded instantly, there would still be major damage.
Many students would get hurt,
Aderi would be hunted down,
Visi would be sad.
Although she had a bit of a rough night, going to save Aderi was a good choice after all.
In times like this, one should express gratitude to the Shoddy God.
Because without Him, she wouldn’t know what choices she would’ve made.
Hehe! Today, I shall call you Lord Armadi, just this once!
Isn’t that decent enough?
Forgetting her fatigue, Lucy arrived at the Dungeon Studies exam location just as Joy, chatting with other young ladies from afar, spotted her and walked toward her.
“Lady Allen.”
Joy’s expression was as fierce as ever.
Even a casual greeting felt intimidating coming from her.
It wasn’t unusual for her to look displeased.
Knowing that, Lucy wondered why she looked even grumpier than usual.
“Yes, Joy.”
“What’s wrong? Foolish Young Lady?”
“What were you up to sneaking out of the dorm last night?”
Huh?
How does she know I wasn’t in the dorm last night?
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