Faybi had been part of dungeon explorations with the Holy Knights of the main church several times before.
In order to pass the academy's trials, it was essential to know how to clear a dungeon, so she had to enter the dungeon to learn it.
It was never dangerous.
After all, she was a priestess of the main church, and those who accompanied her were no ordinary individuals.
They were powerful enough to hold the position of commander in most prominent families, yet they were sent to clear lower-level dungeons.
In reality, rather than saying Faybi cleared the dungeons, it was more accurate to say she simply experienced them.
However, because those who taught her were so skilled, Faybi learned what a standard dungeon exploration should be like.
Her understanding of dungeon clearing involved caution.
A dungeon is an unknown space, and as such, one must move forward while considering all possibilities.
What kind of monsters might appear and where?
Could there be traps along this path?
Is this the right way?
Is our stamina sufficient to survive the next battle?
Of course, overwhelming strength could eliminate most variables, but usually, you had to approach a dungeon cautiously, as if crossing a frozen lake.
But Lucy Alrn's dungeon strategy was different.
Her approach to the dungeon felt like a scripted play.
On the stage of the dungeon, Lucy Alrn, the director, writer, and lead actress, orchestrated the entire performance.
This couldn’t be called "clearing a dungeon."
Everything happened exactly as Lucy commanded. How could this be called an exploration?
“Ten steps ahead, turn the corner. Three useless orcs. I’ll take the lead, knock them down, and we’ll pass through.”
Even though there was no way to confirm if there were monsters ahead, Lucy gave the order, and no one questioned her.
Not even Faybi.
And sure enough, as soon as they turned the corner, three orcs were waiting for them.
At first, Faybi doubted Lucy’s words.
No matter how gifted Lucy was, it was impossible to give such precise commands in a dungeon filled with countless variables.
But Lucy, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, made the impossible possible.
Initially, Faybi thought it was just a coincidence.
But when that "coincidence" happened ten, twenty times, it became clear it wasn’t luck.
In the dungeon, Lucy moved as if she had received divine miracles, her knowledge omniscient.
After witnessing these miracles several times, Faybi couldn’t help but wonder.
Is this what it means to be Armadi’s apostle?
Could someone loved by Armadi create such miracles?
“Ugh!?”
Faybi’s thoughts shattered as Lucy rammed into an orc.
Since Faybi was piggybacking on Lucy, she felt the shock just as Lucy did.
As Lucy trampled over the orc lying on the ground in her armor, Faybi, feeling nauseous, cast a miracle on herself to prevent dizziness.
Ugh.
I had no choice but to get carried, but this isn’t comfortable.
Of course, it’s better than running like Lady Alrn, but still...
At first, Faybi had refused to let Lucy carry her.
After all, she was a priestess.
Even though it was physically tough, she wanted to maintain her dignity and pride. The thought of being carried on the shoulders of someone much smaller than her was not easy to accept.
“Are you sure? With your pathetic stamina, you’ll be out of commission halfway through.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Despite her determination, it didn’t take long for Faybi to admit her mistake.
After collapsing repeatedly, her legs giving out, and gasping for breath to the point where she could hardly breathe, she had no choice but to lower her head in defeat.
There are some things in this world that sheer willpower alone can’t overcome.
So, Faybi reluctantly climbed onto Lucy’s shoulders and quickly realized that Lucy had been slowing down out of consideration for her.
Ugh, Zoi...
You must have known this would happen, so why didn’t you warn me?
If you had told me in advance, I wouldn’t have had to embarrass myself by collapsing repeatedly.
Did you do this to trick me, Zoi?
I won’t say anything if you simply forgot, but if you did this on purpose, I’m going to give you a lecture!
“More monsters.”
Regardless of what Faybi was thinking, Lucy didn’t stop, and their dungeon progress continued smoothly.
10th floor.
20th floor.
30th floor.
40th floor.
50th floor.
60th floor.
As they ascended the levels, the dungeon expanded, causing some delay, but that was all.
The party's speed didn’t slow down in the slightest.
Even now, running at a pace comparable to a warhorse, they were conserving their stamina.
Meanwhile, Faybi, piggybacked on Lucy, was exhausted just from enduring the constant shaking.
So this is what it’s like when the two strongest people on the continent push themselves to the limit.
How did Zoi manage to keep up with them on a regular basis?
Now I understand why Lady Kent told me to ‘hang in there’ before we entered the dungeon.
This isn’t something an ordinary person can endure.
Just before reaching the boss room on the 70th floor, Lucy finally set Faybi down and looked around.
“Useless swordswoman. You okay?”
Finally!
Finally, it seemed like they were going to take a break!
Although she hadn’t said anything while being carried around like a sack of potatoes, Faybi was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion.
More than anyone else, she longed for a break.
Swallowing her dry throat, Faybi looked at Frey’s expression.
Strangely, Frey seemed to be hesitating.
What’s she thinking about?
Why not just say we should rest?
Even though Lady Alrn and Lady Kent have extraordinary stamina, they’re still first-year students at the academy.
No matter how well they know the dungeon, if they keep pushing without rest, there could be an accident.
So, we need to take a break.
We have to!
“I’m fine. I’m perfectly fine.”
But Frey’s words were the exact opposite of what Faybi had hoped for.
How could she be fine?
After sprinting all the way up to the 70th floor, how could she be okay?
You’re clearly out of breath!
What if you make a mistake during the 70th-floor boss fight?
Of course, up until now, Lady Alrn had meticulously prepared for every boss, so they had been able to finish them off easily, but this time could be different.
There must be a reason why Lady Alrn suggested taking a break!
As Faybi tried to convey her thoughts to Frey with her eyes, she met Lucy’s gaze and quickly looked away, her face turning red.
R𝑒ad latest chapt𝒆rs at freewebnovёl.ƈom Only.
“Let’s keep going, then.”
At Lucy’s words, Faybi sighed and cast another recovery spell on herself.
Though it was only a temporary solution, without it, she wouldn’t have been able to keep going.
I almost wish the 70th-floor boss were really difficult.
At least then, we’d be forced to rest.
But Faybi’s wish wasn’t granted.
“Dispose of the intruders.”
As soon as they entered the boss room, the boss cast a massive spell, but it was blocked by a scroll Lucy had prepared.
Then Lucy used another scroll to activate the boss’s own magic, which blew off its head.
The entire fight lasted barely a minute.
It was far too short for Faybi’s exhausted body to recover.
As the boss’s corpse crumpled to the ground, Lucy stood before Faybi.
Having given up everything at this point, Faybi climbed onto Lucy’s shoulders again without any hesitation.
By the time half a day had passed since entering the dungeon, we were standing in front of the 100th-floor door of the academy dungeon.
As much as I wanted to charge straight in, we couldn’t, given Faybi’s current condition.
Her divine magic would be crucial to comfortably clearing the 100th floor.
If she entered in her current state, unable to even speak properly and hanging onto me like a corpse, anything could happen.
There was still time before the academy dungeon closed, so we might as well rest for a while.
After setting Faybi down, she collapsed to the ground as soon as her feet touched it.
It was strange to see the priestess in such a disheveled state, something I’d never witnessed during the game.
In Soul Academy, she had always maintained a dignified, priestly appearance.
But of course, even a priestess is human. When she’s exhausted, she can’t help but show it.
Looking away from Faybi, I glanced at Frey. She was tired, but not to the point of being unable to move.
Her stamina had improved a lot since we started training together.
In the beginning, she had to take breaks multiple times, but now she was able to push herself all the way to the end.
Thanks to that, even with Faybi in the party, our dungeon-clearing speed was incredibly fast.
Unfortunately, that speed had pushed Faybi to her limits.
But what could we do?
She had agreed to join the dungeon exploration the moment she nodded her head.
If she didn’t want an extreme experience, she should have refused from the start.
Should I have given her a heads-up?
Well, there’s no law that says I had to.
I did nothing wrong.
If she didn’t like it, she should have done her own research.
And hey, I’m giving her a proper reward for all her hard work.
I’m literally serving her the title of "First Clearer of the Academy Dungeon."
That’s a pretty big honor.
In the game, it boosted both reputation and prestige significantly.
Not to mention, there are special rewards for the first clear, so the compensation more than makes up for a day of exhaustion.
She might not appreciate it now, but later, she’ll realize, Oh, Lady Alrn had a plan all along. She’ll thank me for it.
As the silence of rest continued, Faybi, sprawled out on the ground, suddenly blushed and adjusted her posture.
Looks like she’s finally coming to her senses.
She’ll still need more time to fully recover, but at least she can talk now.
‘Faybi.’
“Useless priestess.”
“...Neh?!”
Startled by my words, Faybi bit her tongue as she tried to reply, causing me to let out a small laugh.
I’m starting to see why the mesugaki skill calls her "useless priestess."
She really does act useless sometimes.
“Don’t worry, I’m not telling you to move. Just listen.”
“Were you scared I’d tell you to get up? Pfft. You’re so useless. Don’t worry, I’m not asking for that. Just sit and listen.”
After all, your role is important for the 100th floor.