Chapter: 84
Thanks to Arthur’s willing agreement, our group was filled up, and we could head straight into the dungeon.
“Kal?”
“He’s fine. He comes running and wagging his tail at the slightest word from me.”
Just as we were about to arrive at the dungeon entrance, a thought from last time crossed my mind, so I quickly halted and asked Arthur.
“Arthur, do you have any trauma related to dungeons?”
“Pitiful Prince, you’re not going to wet yourself just from seeing the dungeon entrance, are you?”
“Is it because of Joy? Well, if that’s the case, it’s okay. She’s had life-threatening situations regularly.”
Arthur joked playfully, but I know it’s not just a simple joke.
The disputes over the throne in this country are quite vicious.
With no one to watch his back and no mother to protect him, Arthur has probably faced deletion multiple times.
So, he wouldn’t be rattled by threats to his life.
He’s gone through far too much for that to faze him.
“I’d rather ask the opposite. Lucy Allen, how about you? Don’t you feel like crying when you see the dungeon entrance?”
“I’m fine!”
“I didn’t expect the trembling Pitiful Prince to worry for me. Don’t worry, I’m really fine.”
“Prince, were you trembling?”
“I? Not at all. I wasn’t scared.”
Arthur’s lips gradually stiffened at my mockery and Frey’s innocent question.
While I could hold up by myself, the innocent questions coming from beside me seemed hard for him to endure.
“Professor Kal, how do you endure this?”
“You get used to it. A person’s heart wears down slowly.”
“Sounds tough. Really.”
While the two men comforted each other, we kept moving and soon arrived at the dungeon entrance.
“So, how many floors are you thinking about climbing today?”
“I’m not climbing the dungeon today, though?”
“What? Pitiful Prince, did you want to use me to climb? What a shame. I’m not thinking of climbing any floors today.”
The first semester dungeon climbers of Soul Academy appear exactly two weeks after the midterms.
So, if I completely conquer the academy dungeon before that, I can receive the reward given to the first conqueror of the dungeon.
I’m someone who could completely conquer a dungeon in just one day if I set my mind to it.
There’s no need to rush into a dungeon conquest for a reward I don’t need immediately.
Last time, I took it seriously thinking I was competing against Arthur in a speedrun, but this time isn’t like that, right?
“Hm? Then why are we entering the dungeon?”
“To level up!”
“We’re going in to gain experience.”
Due to what happened last time, my level has risen significantly, and I’m already at level 15.
Considering the surrounding characters typically range from level 4 to 5, that’s quite high.
Yet, it’s still not enough.
What I must prioritize in this reality-turned game is safety first, and safety second.
Soon, the main story will start, and I’ll collide with the Apostle of Evil God.
I must prepare for any variables that might arise then.
According to my plan, I intend to reach level 23 by today and stack my proficiency diligently.
In the past, when I enjoyed this as a game, grinding levels too much was boring, so I deliberately aimed for a precarious level and played around.
Those were the good times. Damn it.
“Experience. Do you really need that?”
Did the word ‘experience’ mentioned by the Mesugaki translation sound ambiguous? Arthur asked.
It would be bothersome to explain levels and proficiencies to him, who’s an NPC in the game, so I’ll just brush it off for now.
“Of course.”
“Pitiful Prince, I’m a person too, you know?”
“Um. Right. I thought you might be related to trolls or evil spirits due to what you’ve shown.”
“Prince, I agree.”
Is he trying to retaliate against the insults I’ve thrown his way?
Arthur blurted out words about trolls and evil spirits.
Then Frey beside him nodded vigorously, while Kal, unable to control his expression, hurriedly turned away.
Why do I have to hear about trolls and evil spirits for something I did?
It’s true that Lucy’s father, Benedict, is troll-like, but it’s strange that the ripple effects come down to me!
“Where do I look like a troll?!”
“Pitiful Prince, are your eyes quite sloppy? Calling me a troll whilst looking at me.”
“I didn’t mean your appearance. I was talking about your actions.”
Arthur, as if he’d waited for this moment, listed off his reasons.
The astonishing recovery he showed when facing the Minotaur last time.
The inhuman persistence he displayed during training.
The ridiculous strength that came from his small frame.
Hearing all this, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was called non-human.
“There’s enough reasons to list, but do you have any rebuttals?”
Arthur, showing thoroughness in teasing, grinned confidently, which really annoyed me.
He’s going to turn me into the troll, no matter what I say, huh?
Alright. If that’s how it is, then I’ll respond in an unexpected direction.
“If Arthur wants to make me a troll, I’ll acknowledge it.”
“I never expected Pitiful Prince to be so desperate in teasing a girl. It’s quite pitiable. I’ll acknowledge it.”
Covering my mouth with my hand and giving a playful smile, Arthur stared blankly at me.
Haha. He probably didn’t expect me to charge straight at him!
With this, he became the petty prince who’s serious about teasing a girl!
“Wait, Lucy…”
“Let’s go!”
“Let’s go to the dungeon. We can’t just keep chatting like this, can we?”
He didn’t even give me a chance to say anything and just left.
Perfect victory!
“But didn’t you end up admitting you’re a troll?”
Frey muttered something from behind, but I ignored it.
Frey, catch on.
Are you hoping to be trampled badly when we duel later?
To get smaller experience points, the best method is to go to an external dungeon outside the academy, like Evans’ Dungeon, which doesn’t disappear and continues to maintain itself.
Repeatedly clearing such dungeons is efficient.
However, students can only go to external dungeons starting from the second year.
As a first-year, I’m stuck in the academy dungeon.
No problem there.
Gamers are people who find the best efficiency in any situation.
Of course, the research on how to level up most efficiently as a first-year at Soul Academy has already been completed.
There are several routes.
Now, since I plan to raise my level from 15 to 23, I guess I can start from the 34th floor.
Entering the dungeon, I tilted my head, looking at the scenery around me.
I clearly set it up to start from the highest floor for conquering, yet why is it the 7th floor?
“What’s this?”
“Huh? Why is it the 7th floor?”
I had cleared up to the 30th floor last time.
While I was thinking this, Arthur reminded me that he had just become part of the party.
“Oh, right. Arthur could only conquer up to the 7th floor, huh?”
“Ah, right. Pitiful Prince, you could only conquer up to the 7th floor, you sloppy one?”
I didn’t even realize I had muttered it, but the Mesugaki skill added a taunt to it.
Sneaking a glance at Arthur’s face, he definitely was smiling, but his eyes were still.
“Sorry for being sloppy. Troll Young Lady.”
“No, it’s fine! I can climb up quickly!”
“Well, I’m alright. Unlike you, Pitiful Prince, I can climb up quickly.”
“Really? Let’s see.”
*
“As we pass the alley, a weak goblin will shoot a sloppy arrow. I’ll stop it, so Frey, behead it.”
Lucy’s words were correct.
As soon as we reached the end of the alley, a goblin lurking on the other side shot an arrow, and just as it was blocked, Frey swung her sword and beheaded the goblin.
The harmony of Lucy, who has confidence in her actions, and Frey, who doubts none of her words, is marvelous.
Arthur marveled internally as he watched.
He felt it even back when they fell into a trap together last time, but Lucy Allen’s ability to conquer dungeons was transcendent.
If someone said Lucy had intervened from the moment this dungeon was created, he’d nod as if that made sense.
Even though he knew things inside the dungeon due to the blessing, such command doesn’t come from mere information.
It’s raw talent.
Knowing instinctively how to use the information granted by God most efficiently.
At this level, Lucy Allen could be even better than the commanders of most knight orders, he thought.
No wonder Armadi granted her a blessing.
If such a person existed, even I would want to offer them my strength.
Arthur thought like this but didn’t speak it out loud.
If he complimented her, she would surely get all flustered and start spouting “sloppy this” and “weak that.”
So, the group continued to conquer the dungeon at an astonishing speed under Lucy’s leadership.
The burden that was once Visi had transformed into the effective force that was Arthur.
Naturally, the speed of conquering the dungeon was much faster than last time.
It took less than 10 minutes to reach from the 7th to the 10th floor, and it took just 30 minutes to reach from the 10th to the 20th floor.
They arrived at the 34th floor, which Lucy aimed for, about 2 hours after entering the academy dungeon.
“What’s up, Pitiful Prince? Struggling already? You seemed so confident at first.”
I really feel like I might die.
We’ve mostly just been running without engaging in many battles, yet I feel this way.
As Arthur clutched his knees, barely managing his heavy breaths, a voice laced with mockery came from the front.
“That’s what happens when you provoke people with such sloppy stamina. Isn’t that humbling, Pitiful Prince?”
As he raised his head slightly, Lucy Allen’s composed face, without any sign of disturbance, came into view.
She had a slight sheen of sweat, but that was all. Her breathing was the same as usual.
How can she remain so calm while running with that heavy armor and shield?
Is this person truly a pure human?
No matter how I look at it, she seems to have some non-human blood mixed in.
“I wish I could move a bit more.”
Is she going to push for a forced march from here on out?!
Is she a demon?!
If that’s the case, I’m sure I’d collapse before facing any monsters!
“If the sloppy Pitiful Prince desperately desires a break, I might let you rest for a while.”
Are you kidding?
Me, the 3rd Prince of this kingdom?
To you?!
“What will you do? Pitiful Prince?”
Her eyes curled into a crescent and looked down at Arthur.
Lucy’s intentions were clear.
She knew he was already at his limit when she spoke like that.
She was teasing him.
What should I do?
My body has already reached its limit.
Even if I grit my teeth and try to move, I’ll ultimately collapse, and then I’ll be a source of ridicule again.
I don’t want to give her any reason to gloat!
But if preserving my pride leads to my downfall, I’d rather…
“…Can you let me rest?”
Arthur said this in a small voice, like air escaping.
Lucy tilted her head in response.
“What? What did you say, Pitiful Prince? I can’t hear you well!”
This little…!
No way someone with such outstanding physical abilities could’ve actually not heard that!
Does she want to impose humiliation on me?!
Is this because I called her a troll?!
How petty! Truly petty!
Arthur simmered with hidden anger but couldn’t think of any proper means to counter it.
“I said I want to rest for a moment.”
“Ahaha. I get it. If the Pitiful Prince wishes to rest that badly, then let’s take a short break.”
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