Chapter: 163
Was Joie’s warning actually effective?
Since that day, the malicious gazes directed at me noticeably decreased.
Sure, there were still many who looked at me unfavorably, but that was just everyday life, so I didn’t care too much.
What mattered more was something else.
I no longer had to eat alone!
Every day, Phoebe and Joy came to have meals with me!
Maybe I became accustomed to the poison-tipped words of the Mesugaki skill, or my favorability rating with them was high enough to withstand it, but the two naturally took the seat next to me at lunch every day.
Usually, Phoebe would come first, followed by Joy.
Thanks to that, I was living a happier daily life than ever before.
Sometimes I wished Frey could join us too, but she seemed to be busy with Karl.
She said she’d show me something during the final exam, and it would be rude to interrupt, so I didn’t bother her.
Of course, along with happiness, I also rolled around quite a bit.
In reality, I continued my training as always until dinner. Even when I slept, I was pulled into practice mode and trained with Grandpa.
On top of that, I couldn’t even take a nap during academy classes.
The moment I slacked off in class, Grandpa would burn me with his gaze.
To avoid the terrible feeling of waking up tired the next morning while my body was fine, I had to attend classes, no matter what.
“Lady Allen. What did I do wrong?”
As I lifted my head, having blended into my desk as usual, the professor trembled as he asked me this.
Who would have thought my simply being attentive in class could hurt someone? That’s a bit of a heartache.
Though it was tough in various ways, life at the academy flowed peacefully overall.
Originally, Nakrad would typically cause some trouble, but it seemed he took a massive hit from Grandpa and didn’t make a peep.
The church was even slow to erase the darkness spreading through the academy.
Moreover, even the Shoddy God, who was trying his best to bother me, fell silent, allowing me to enjoy a proper school life for the first time since entering the academy.
They say good times fly fast, right?
As I enjoyed my youthful days, the final exam snuck up on me, but I was worried about nothing.
The Shoddy God didn’t order me to get first in the final exam, and besides, the rewards given to the top student weren’t that tempting either.
I felt like if it failed, it failed, and if it didn’t, it didn’t.
Grandpa had said to think of it as a test of everything I had studied so far.
So, I didn’t ask Grandpa for help during this final exam.
What I realized, however, was that Grandpa’s cheat was insane.
When I solved the problems myself, I could manage half of them, but the other half? Not a clue.
After studying hard up till now, I can only imagine how I did when I buried my face in the desk and just slept. What’s there to say, really?
No matter how I think about it, during this final exam, I’d probably end up near the bottom of the rankings.
Even if I supplemented my scores in Dungeon Studies, Monster Hunting Studies, and Duel Studies, there’s a limit to that.
If I ranked higher than Joy, she would surely sulk.
With all the karma built up, that would definitely happen.
That would be cute in its own way, but I think Joy looks cuter when she’s slightly defeated. Ugh, that’s a shame.
The day after finishing all the written exams was the day of the practical exams.
What I had to do was basically two things.
The Dungeon Strategy exam and the Duel Studies exam.
There were also physical tests and weapon skills and various other minor things, but I wasn’t worried about any of it.
The physical side was my specialty.
And the first of the many practical tests was from the Duel Studies class.
“Hey. Lucy. Long time no see.”
And the opponent was the same as last time.
Frey Kent.
The genius of the century who would someday take the title of Sword Saint, and a monster with top-tier performance among close-range characters at the Soul Academy.
Though mostly trolled in the game for her performance, she turned out to be much more normal than I expected now that the game was reality, and I liked her.
And she was my longest companion since entering the Soul Academy.
“Yes. Long time no see.”
“Who was it again? Ah, the Shoddy Swordsman? I forgot because you’re such a nonentity, a real shoddy weakling.”
She chuckled and teased me, but Frey didn’t show any reaction.
Strange. She’s usually emotionally shallow, but the Mesugaki skill would usually get a small reaction.
Did she practice controlling her feelings since she said she had been training against me?
Well, she must know that the sword that trained her wouldn’t stand a chance if provoked. She must have at least prepared for the bare minimum.
It might not mean much, though.
If preparing could ward off the Mesugaki skill, then it wouldn’t be the cheat skill it is!
Originally, overpowering techniques render any preparation pointless.
“You won’t be able to call me Shoddy or weakling anymore from today.”
“I wish it were the case too.”
“Puhahaha! Dream big, huh? That’s impossible. You’ll always be a shoddy weakling, filthy swordsman.”
I hoped Frey would somehow help eradicate the word shoddy from my mouth.
If she succeeded, I could do something she wanted in return.
Wiping my impossible thoughts away with a scoff, I gripped the duel mace in one hand and conjured a divine shield with the other.
If I went all out, the first-years at the academy wouldn’t be able to handle it, so this was the minimum safety device I prepared.
Frey slightly lowered her eyebrows when she saw it.
“Are both sides ready?”
Anton, who oversaw the Duel Studies class, stood between us and watched both our eyes.
“I’m ready.”
“Can’t you tell?”
“Ready.”
“Then I’ll begin the duel. Three.”
As Anton counted down, Frey got into position.
This was very different from the last time she swung her sword. Back then, she was closer to being instinctual.
There weren’t any specific stances; it was beast-like, good if called instinctive, bad if brute-like.
But now? No. Her movements were simple and organized.
Even the usual jitters seemed to have vanished.
“Two.”
The sword had been properly disciplined. To hit someone relying on her extraordinary talent with a set structure.
I truly didn’t like that.
What was she trying to do by training her lady rival?
Did she want to see me get beaten up?
Karl, you’re beginning to resemble the Shoddy God more and more, huh?
I guess I’ll have to stomp you someday.
“One.”
Still.
Yeah.
Still not yet, Karl.
You think I just sat around while Frey was training?
I had also trained like my life depended on it under Grandpa.
I gave it my all day and night to get stronger.
I won’t get smashed here.
If you want to break me, bring a pathetic evil god’s absurdity or something.
“Start!”
As Anton shouted “start,” Frey charged.
She was definitely fast!
If it were any other first-year at the academy, they wouldn’t be able to handle Frey’s speed and would surrender their necks to her sword!
I guarantee it!
But not for me!
The Iron Wall commands it. Move the shield!
I decide. The shield has to move.
In that overlapping moment of thoughts, my shield connected with Frey’s sword, and the power imbued in her sword weakened and bounced back.
Thus, a huge gap emerged.
Frey seemed to retract, no longer stubborn, and readied her stance again.
She has improved a lot.
In the past, she would’ve been bullheaded enough to push me even in this situation. Has she learned to pursue calm?
“What?♡ Did you really think you could beat me with this?♡ Too funny!♡ Have you even turned into a weakling in your brain?♡”
“…Yeah. Guess I’ll have to use this.”
As the ecstasy climbed my back, I was convinced her provocation had worked when Frey pulled something out from her pocket.
What is that…
[An earmuff.]
“It’s earmuffs, isn’t it?”
Frey’s response to the provocation elicited a scoff from me.
Nice strategy.
It’s a good strategy, but…
It’ll probably be useless, right?
There’s no way the Mesugaki skill, which even works on inanimate objects, can be neutralized so easily.
*
“Did you really swing with everything you got?♡ A sword that looks like it couldn’t even cut paper?♡”
The earmuffs are truly useless.
Frey gritted her teeth as Lucy’s voice pierced through her earmuffs.
Hearing Karl’s advice that being emotionally stirred from being provoked would lead to defeat, she readied her earmuffs.
They said it could block a dragon’s roar, but these earmuffs were meaningless.
Lucy’s voice penetrated through them, without any problem.
Realizing that blocking her ears was annoying, Frey stepped back and threw the earmuffs to the ground.
“What?♡ Was it because my voice was gone that you lost your strength?♡ You’re a pervert too?♡ Disgusting!♡”
“Be quiet.”
Quietly answering, Frey took a deep breath and gripped her sword.
Lucy was indeed strong.
Her shield technique precisely blocked the path of the sword.
Her overwhelming strength was sufficient to lightly deflect her sword.
Her reflexes didn’t miss even the smallest opening.
Despite going through several exchanges, she didn’t even breathe heavily. An abnormal level of stamina.
She’s truly a monster.
Still.
It’s doable.
Frey steadied her stance and recalled Karl, who had taught her everything to defeat Lucy.
Karl told her the best way to beat Lucy was to make her strong.
Starting from how to grip the sword, to moving her feet.
Things to think about while fighting.
How to swing the sword. Responses to crises.
Karl had pulled everything Frey had done instinctively from beneath the surface and moved her one step further.
Then at some point, when Karl decided she was ready, he told her:
“If you fight for too long, you will lose. When it comes to a war of attrition, the one who can defeat Lady Allen isn’t an academy student but rather a knight.”
“So, force a chaotic battle. Even if the shield is bothersome. Even if the mace is frightening, keep getting close to disrupt the standard setup.”
“To draw out an alligator hiding in the water, you’ve got to make it want to bite.”
The strategy that Karl taught Frey was truly aimed at perfectly dismantling just Lucy.
Knowing that, Frey remained unfazed even in the face of overwhelming disparity.
With this level of difference, there’s no need to be intimidated.
I can definitely win.
At that moment, raising my sword, I glared at Lucy, who was grinning mischievously.
“Are you not coming?♡ Are you scared your legs…”
“Shoddy.”
“…What?”
“You’re just a coward who can only hide behind a shield.”
And then I mocked her.
To shake the emotions of the alligator named Lucy.
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