The boss of the 10th floor was utterly powerless in front of my shield imbued with divine energy.
This was not the first time it had been blocked by my parrying skills. There was no way it could pierce through a shield enhanced by divine energy.
The golem struggled desperately, but it was nothing more than futile thrashing. Within a few minutes, it crumbled pitifully.
As I watched the remnants of the golem fall apart, unlike when it was first summoned, I leaned against my shield embedded in the ground and let out a long sigh.
Ah, this is exhausting. Now that the battle is over, I find myself half-exhausted.
Fighting the golem wasn’t an issue at all.
I know just how good my stamina is.
Even during my training with the Alrn family, I could move for hours without rest.
At my current level of growth, I could probably keep going for two nights straight.
So, it makes no sense that I’d be exhausted simply from physical limitations.
But why am I on the verge of collapse now?
There’s only one reason: the backlash from using divine martial arts for too long.
‘Maintaining defense with divine energy is incredibly taxing?!’
<That’s why I didn’t tell you earlier. You’ll be wiped out after using it.>
I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m still clumsy at handling this skill.
I’ve gotten somewhat accustomed to enhancing my physical abilities, but applying it beyond that is quite taxing.
I always have to unleash maximum energy without being able to control the output.
It was the same this time when I imbued my shield with divine energy.
While blocking the golem’s attacks, I had to pour all my divine energy into it at all times.
As a result, I could feel my stamina dropping in real-time.
It was only my unyielding willpower that kept me on my feet; otherwise, I would have asked Karl and Alsetin for help, right?
...Ah. That’s right. I should’ve just asked for help.
Having achieved my original goal of assessing my shield skills, I didn’t need to face the golem alone.
Ahhh, I can’t believe it. Damn, it’s all that pathetic tin can’s fault.
Why is that ugly tin can so tough?
It should’ve collapsed around the one-minute mark like it did in the game.
And it’s only dropping a single fire gem as a reward?! What a ridiculously annoying tin can!
“Shall we call it a day?”
‘Yes.’
“Yeah. I can’t stand this shabby, stinky dungeon any longer.”
I had initially thought I would continue after clearing the 10th-floor boss, but that was unrealistic.
If I pushed myself, I might genuinely faint. Let’s just head back to the inn and wash up. I can’t stand being so filthy.
I needed to settle the loot I obtained from the Menesteil Dungeon today.
Most of the items I acquired from the lower levels are worthless trinkets from my perspective.
Putting these in my inventory only takes up space, and there’s no way I could use them effectively.
So it’s best to hand over these useless trinkets to the adventurer’s guild.
Selling the loot means I can earn some money, increase my evaluation with the guild, and maybe raise the receptionist's favor... well, it’s enough if they don’t outright hate me.
“You don’t have to go, Miss. I can handle it and come back.”
Karl tried to dissuade me from visiting the adventurer's guild again, seeming worried.
He had faced several greedy gazes at the guild yesterday evening.
He was likely concerned about exposing me again.
Personally, I think that worry is unnecessary.
If my name hadn’t been revealed, maybe I’d understand, but who would dare meet my gaze now that I’m known as Lucy Alrn?
What would they do if they tried to pick a fight with me?
It’s true that I look like a cute girl, but the name Lucy Alrn carries enough weight to crush that cuteness underfoot.
I know better than anyone the power my reputation holds, so I ignored Karl’s concerns and headed to the adventurer’s guild.
Once I entered the guild, I was assured my expectations were correct.
As soon as I showed my face, silence fell over the entire guild.
‘What a familiar atmosphere.’
<Yeah. It’s the scenery I grew tired of seeing at the academy.>
People turned their heads away, trying to avoid my gaze. Some peered cautiously, while others cowered into corners in fear.
This was a scene I often saw when I walked into class late.
Desires or greed directed toward a cute, pretty girl? There’s no way that exists.
As I confidently walked toward the reception desk, the line of people naturally parted for me.
The receptionist sent a desperate look to the other adventurers as if asking for help, but no one responded.
“Excuse me.”
“Hey, you big guy.”
“Y-yes! Lady Alrn! What can I do for you?!”
The receptionist responded to me in a stiff manner, as if she wouldn’t give me even the slightest chance to criticize her.
Seeing her tense up like that made me want to tease her.
I could easily find something to nitpick...
Starting with whether she’s scared of me...
No. No. Let’s calm down.
Maybe it’s just that I’ve had a stressful day, but my thoughts are consumed by my Mesugaki skill.
What do I plan to gain by harassing someone I’ll have to see repeatedly?
With great difficulty, I gathered my thoughts and told the receptionist that I was there to process my loot.
“Loot, you say? Could you place it on the desk?”
‘Here?’
“On this shabby desk?”
“Yes.”
Hmm. I wonder if everything will fit here.
Well, she said to do it, so I will.
I pretended to open a spatial pocket and began pulling out the loot from my inventory, one by one.
Wow, taking everything out one by one is quite the task. I ended up hunting far too many minor mobs because of those pathetic adventurers.
If I had followed my original plan, I wouldn’t have had to fight this much.
Thanks to that, I did level up once, but I’m not thankful at all. The hardships and annoyance outweighed any positives.
“Um...”
“Hey, big guy.”
“Is this everything?”
‘No, that’s not it...’
“What nonsense are you talking about? You look as dull as you appear. Just put it on the floor. You don’t mind, right?”
“Um, yes. Yes.”
After rummaging through my inventory for a while, I was finally able to lay out all my loot in front of the reception desk.
In the game, it would have been done with just a few clicks of the mouse, but in reality, this is exhausting.
I should just leave useless trinkets behind the next time I enter the dungeon tomorrow.
“...Did you really hunt all this today?”
‘So what?’
“Then why? Is there a problem?”
“No! There’s no problem at all! I’ll take care of this right away!”
While the receptionist, along with several guild staff, sorted through the loot, a party approached me.
Ah, I remember them. The pathetic party from when we first encountered the monster train.
I had been planning to say something to them, so this works out well.
These foolish adventurers. It’s time to vent my frustration accumulated while tackling the dungeon.
I waited to catch them off guard and pick at their flaws.
“I’m sorry! Lady Alrn!”
““We apologize!””
They came before me and bowed their heads.
Wait, what? Huh?
“We were foolish and dared to...!”
“Please, spare our lives!...”
“I have a sick younger sibling at home!...”
Initially, I had planned to crush their self-esteem, but seeing them bow their heads so quickly left me momentarily speechless.
If it had ended there, I might have regained my composure somehow. But as the first party bowed their heads, the other ones I had saved joined in, making my head spin.
The most ridiculous was Karl.
In a situation where he should be helping me, he was just standing in the back, nodding his head!
If Alsetin hadn’t jumped in, I might have ended up watching everyone bow for a while.
Sigh. What a dumb, useless dog that’s only helpful in battles.
Just you wait. I’ll kick your butt later.
After things settled down, I understood why the adventurers were so desperate.
The problem was that my infamy was far too great.
Think about it.
While they were desperate to survive, they had still put me, a lady of the count’s family and a notorious troublemaker, in danger.
They must have thought that remaining silent could lead to unpredictable consequences. Thus, by lowering their heads and apologizing first, they tried to preserve their lives.
‘I’m exhausted.’
After assuring them that I wouldn’t take any revenge, I leaned back in my chair and sighed internally.
I’m truly exhausted. I feel like I might die from fatigue.
Even training with Grandpa all night didn’t make me feel this worn out.
<Shall we take a break from training today?>
‘No. I need to do what needs to be done.’
Normally, I would welcome the suggestion to rest, but not today.
I need to practice how to properly imbue my shield with divine energy.
How can I take a break when I don’t know what variables might arise in Menesteil Dungeon?
Rest can wait until everything is over.
While I was gathering my thoughts, considering my plans to visit Partan’s territory later, the man who had started the wave of apologies approached me.
“I sincerely apologize once again, Lady Alrn. Because of me.”
Despite being terrified, he stood before me, showing a sense of responsibility.
‘It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.’
“Cannon fodder. Do you really think I would concern myself with a pathetic commoner like you? Ha ha, what a delusion.”
The man, faced with the criticism of the Mesugaki skill, seemed unsure how to respond.
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At this rate, he might end up with holes in his disguise. I should send him off quickly.
But I will say what needs to be said.
‘Aren’t you a bit too weak to be living the adventurer life?’
“Hey, why is someone like you, who gets beat up by girls, even going into a dungeon? If you want to die, just do it quietly in your corner!”
Tackling dungeons is a matter of life and death.
Going in with a flimsy skill set will only lead to a gruesome end.
If he’s begging for his life on the lower levels, it’s better for him to give up being an adventurer altogether.
Not wanting an unpleasant ending, I tried to poke my nose in, and the man waved his hands.
“No! I don’t want to die! Uhm, it’s just that... usually, there aren’t so many monsters on the lower levels today. But something feels off with the dungeon today.”
The man explained that while he didn’t have the skill to go higher, he was capable enough to barely survive on the lower levels.
But today, the dungeon was acting strangely. The frequency of monster appearances was higher than usual, and the ferocity of the monsters was also intensified.
“I’ve been roaming the Menesteil Dungeon for quite some time now, but this is the first time I’ve seen anything like it.”
As I listened to his story, I was left speechless, my lips moving without a sound.
To hear that something unusual had arisen on the very day I entered the dungeon was shocking.
‘Um, Grandpa. Could this be...?’
<Hmm. It seems that while the deity watches over you, the evil god also takes an interest in you.>
Right? No matter how I look at it, this has to be my fault?!
...I’m just glad I saved everyone who was in danger.
If I had ignored that and later found out it was because of me, I would have felt guilty for a long time.
Now, there’s one more reason to tackle the dungeon quickly.