Chapter: 67
On my way back to the dorm after finishing the early morning training, I noticed a crowd gathered around the notice board.
Is it the new announcement for today?
I turned my feet towards the notice.
“Excuse me?”
“Shoddy folks, move aside.”
People were quite friendly. They hurriedly made way upon hearing my voice, though I would have appreciated it more if they hadn’t looked at me like I was a cockroach.
Having become accustomed to such situations, I walked through the crowd to check the notice.
[Notice about the Semester Dungeon at Soul Academy]
Just as I thought.
Every semester, a dungeon is opened at Soul Academy. It’s an artificial dungeon created by the academy, with about 100 floors in scale. The inside generally takes the form of a maze-like dungeon.
There’s a boss every 10 floors, the difficulty increases as you go down, and the themes of each layer differ, making proper preparation essential.
However, what sets this dungeon apart from others is its crisis escape feature. If someone attempting to conquer the dungeon falls into a crisis, the magic present in the dungeon recognizes them and facilitates their escape.
Because of this, the students of the academy can conquer the dungeon without any risk involved.
Originally, this feature should have activated during the entrance exam dungeon, but an incident occurred due to Agra’s interference.
As a student of Soul Academy, it’s not mandatory to conquer this dungeon. However, rewards are given based on the dungeon floors, so it’s generally better to tackle it.
Especially, the first three parties to fully conquer the dungeon receive special rewards.
When playing the game Soul Academy, the most crucial aspect was to be among those top three parties. Whether you get those rewards or not changes your comfort in the future.
The rewards for the first semester can be skipped depending on the situation, but other rewards are a must to obtain.
Of course, I have no intention of skipping the rewards from the first semester.
I can’t let the pride of the Soul Academy’s rotten waters slip away!
While reading the academy’s notice, I stumbled upon something intriguing, worrying if any changes have occurred in reality.
I can’t believe I’m reading this sentence in the first announcement.
Since there was no way to obtain Agra’s curse right after enrolling, I’d never seen this sentence before.
“Regarding the incident during the entrance exam: We’ve ensured that the Evil God cannot interfere through cooperation with the Jushin Church. Moreover, thorough monitoring has been implemented to prevent any incidents…”
This seemed like a credible story.
When Agra intervenes in the Soul Academy dungeon, this sentence appears in the notice, and after that, Agra never interferes again.
So, to farm items cursed by Agra, I had to go to an outside dungeon.
There might be exceptions, but for the time being, it’s safe to conquer the academy’s dungeon.
Is the rest all similar content?
Nope, there’s something different… huh?
“For new students entering this time, entry to the dungeon will be restricted unless they are in a party of four, including current students or professors. If a professor accompanies them, they guarantee safety but will not assist with the dungeon conquest; please keep this in mind.”
What? Wait, what?
If it’s not a 4-person party, I can’t enter the dungeon?
Why?!
With questions in mind, I looked down and saw the reason written there.
The notice was lengthy, but in summary, it said this:
“We have taken great care, but there can be variables and accidents anywhere. While current students who are used to conquering dungeons can handle these situations, new students may not be the same.”
Many haven’t tackled any dungeons apart from the entrance exam, so they can’t be expected to respond well. For their safety, this measure has been taken.
No. This can’t be right.
A party of four?!
I understood the principle but isn’t this a bit excessive?!
For safety, a party of two would suffice, right?
Now, an outcast like me can’t even enter the dungeon!
What’s with this overreacting?
They didn’t enforce such strictness in the game.
Unless going to conquer an outside dungeon, you never insisted on forming a 4-person party!
What’s different this time? Huh?
Because an incident occurred during the entrance exam dungeon?!
Ah, damn. I don’t know.
I have to conquer the dungeon for the reward somehow, but how?
I can bring Karl along, but what about filling the other two spots?
Who’s there to enter the dungeon with me now?
“Four people?… That’s tough.”
Oh, there’s actually one.
Unlike me, who was forced to be an outcast, someone’s making the world shun them on purpose.
The one who followed me, frowning and pouting her lips was Frey.
Should I bring Elle?
Sigh. I never thought I’d have to worry about this.
I’m supposed to invite this troublemaker who’s a scourge and a nuisance into my party?
If I have to make that choice, I might as well go in alone.
But I can’t go in alone! Damn it!
What’s more infuriating is that even if I have to bring Frey, one person will still be left out.
It’s fine if I skip the rewards for the first semester dungeon; I can coolly move past that, but…
“Lucy Allen.”
Who? Right now, my head might just explode!
If you’re here to pick a fight, I’ll gladly unleash all the chaos!
As I turned my head, I met the cruel, icy blue gaze looking down at me.
‘Arthur.’
“Pitiful Prince.”
I was startled to see someone I had consciously dodged since the entrance ceremony catastrophe and inadvertently called out his name.
And, as always, the Mesugaki Skill was doing its best.
Seriously, a little laziness would mean I’d be in trouble.
“…That filthy mouth of yours hasn’t changed even after a week, has it? Well, you’ve lived like this your whole life, so I shouldn’t expect any different.”
Arthur smirked slightly at being referred to as the Pitiful Prince and replied mockingly.
I can’t see my favorability meter right now, but for some reason, I felt I could guess Arthur’s favorability.
It was surely negative.
“Blasphemous Lucy Allen. I have a proposal for you.”
‘…What is it?’
“What’s it about?”
“Ordinarily, I ought to punish you for your blasphemy, but this is the academy, isn’t it? I’m a prince, yet not entirely one, and you’re a young lady but not entirely one, either.”
As Arthur exaggeratedly spread his arms, the gazes surrounding us shifted.
The warmth of those glances was starkly different. The eyes looking at Arthur were gentle, while those directed at me were nothing short of icy and heavy.
Those hundreds of eyes were so heavy, it felt like they could suffocate me even without physical form.
If it weren’t for the Mesugaki Skill forcibly creating confidence, I would’ve collapsed by now.
[Should I call this ominous or smart?]
‘What do you mean?’
[It means that jerk intentionally created this scenery.]
Knowing the public opinion is favorable towards him and icy towards me,
Arthur chose to speak to me in a crowded place.
[His intentions are obvious. He’s trying to impose his proposal on you.]
‘…What is he trying to say?’
[I doubt it’s anything positive.]
I already knew that, Grandpa!
As if Arthur, who might hate me, would say anything good.
“So, allow me to propose something. Will you listen?”
‘Go ahead.’
“I’ll hear your proposal, Pitiful Prince.”
The scene created was as if he’d throw a stone if I didn’t listen to his proposal.
With that answer, Arthur raised one eyebrow and continued slowly.
“You are excellent. To the point you can spew out pitiful remarks about me. Some might say a genius of the century has shown up.”
What is he even saying?
A genius?
I’ve never heard that before.
I might’ve heard someone mumble ‘Sloppy Young Lady’ once while passing by.
[He’s deliberately raising you up.]
‘Why?’
[So he can drop you even further afterward.]
Listening to that, Arthur deliberated before he spoke again.
“Listening to that has sparked my competitive spirit. While I may not be as good as you, I, too, have been called a genius throughout my life.”
He said that and paused,
like a storyteller telling people when to focus.
“How about a match?”
‘A match?’
“A match?”
“Yeah. A match. Let’s wager who can go deeper into the dungeon within a day.
If you win, I will willingly forgive your blasphemy. I’m generous after all.
Even if you lose, you won’t lose anything. Just face the punishment for your blasphemy. What do you think? Not a bad offer, right?”
[Decline it.]
As soon as Arthur finished speaking, Grandpa shouted firmly.
[At first glance, it may seem like he’s giving you a chance for forgiveness, but it isn’t. He’s scheming to legally humiliate you.]
Typically, people like him wouldn’t suggest something like this if they thought they’d lose.
They would pull any trick to make me lose instead.
Grandpa said it wasn’t even worth listening to his proposal.
[The worst thing is how nothing is clearly stated.]
If I win, I get forgiveness.
But what does that mean?
Arthur would only pretend to show compassion while holding no forgiveness in his heart and my reputation won’t change at all.
So what if I lose?
What must I endure if I lose?
To put it simply, what Arthur offered was a blank contract.
A blank contract favorable only to him.
[With public opinion like this, if you refuse, they’ll label you a coward or a cowardly person, but who cares? What more can you fall? ]
I trust I can defeat Arthur no matter what tricks he plays, but there’s no reason to accept a proposal with just losses.
Reputation?
It’s already in the gutter; there’s no more to fall.
Just as I was about to voice my refusal,
– Ding!
A message window popped up before me.
[Match with Arthur]
[Arthur has challenged you to a match! Win in that match!]
[Reward: Stophe’s Special Ticket]
Shoddy Perverted Lord Jushin.
You’re watching me right now, aren’t you?
And you want me to accept this match.
Isn’t that right?
If you were trying to entice me, you did it perfectly.
An item that could immediately raise the favorability of the Foolish Young Lady.
To get that, I would normally have to clear a dreadfully annoying quest, but you’re offering me a chance to get it for free?!
Ha. Damn it.
I don’t really know what your true intentions are.
Whether you’re looking down on me like a god gazing at insects or whether the Shoddy Perverted Lord Jushin wishes to see me humiliated.
If it were you usually, the latter seems likely.
But whatever!
I’m confident I can win no matter what kind of schemes this NPC pulls!
“Alright…”
“Alright, Pitiful Prince. I accept that proposal.”
[Wait, Girl?!]
As I nodded, Grandpa shouted urgently, and Arthur pulled his lips into a long smile.
“Feeling confident, huh?”
“Of course.”
“Of course. Pitiful Prince. I can’t possibly lose to you, right?”
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