Is it now?
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Seasil, who had been moving between the front lines and the midlines to support others, gripped his great sword with both hands.
As he inhaled and exhaled, black magical energy flowed out, and soon his great sword was covered in black magic.
Aura. A technique that is the exclusive domain of a warrior who has surpassed a certain level and a qualification of a knight.
By the time they reached the second year at the academy, talented individuals would awaken to their aura, but he was merely at the level of mimicking it.
The dense and thick aura that Seasil wielded was on a completely different level from those inferior versions.
His aura, which even current knights struggled to endure, was already at a point where it could be considered perfected.
“Your Highness!”
With his strike prepared, Seasil raised his sword high at the call of his subordinate.
The yeti, which had been blocking their path as a boss in a weakened state after hindering them from ascending the dungeon, felt threatened by Seasil’s sword but could do nothing about it.
His party members, flanking the yeti, wouldn’t allow it any freedom.
“I will go.”
Seasil’s sword was not so poorly made that it would fail to target the head of a stationary opponent.
The strike he unleashed naturally struck dead center on the yeti's head, splitting the enemy in two.
“Indeed, Your Highness the Second Prince!”
“A single strike!”
It was truly remarkable that he brought down an opponent whose thick hide had made it difficult to inflict more than surface wounds with a single blow. It was entirely reasonable for others to admire the second prince.
However, the very person who achieved this, Seasil, clicked his tongue at the unsatisfying sensation in his hands.
It would have been better if it had been harder. That way, Lucy Alrn’s progress would slow down significantly.
“Barson, how long did it take to conquer the 10th floor?”
“35 minutes.”
35 minutes. Generally speaking, that’s an exceptionally fast pace, but Seasil found the situation rather displeasing.
Their opponent this time was Lucy Alrn. She had knowledge of dungeons superior even to his brother’s.
“Everyone, we don’t need to rest yet, right?”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
“Compared to the outside dungeon, this feels like a walk in the park.”
“How many dungeons have we raided? There’s no way we would tire from something like this.”
It was essentially a declaration of a strenuous march, but all the second prince’s party members welcomed the endeavor.
Those here were members who had raided all sorts of dungeons alongside Seasil.
Having surpassed the number of dungeon raids required for the second year at the academy, they were testing their limits, so movements that didn’t even last an hour felt like a warm-up.
“Alright. Today, we will conquer at least more than half of the academy dungeon.”
Lucy Alrn. I don’t know how much you and those around you have grown until now.
However, now that I possess the rumored blessing you have, the ability to comprehend the structure of the dungeon, everything else should put me at an advantage.
This match will conclude with your utter defeat.
Arthur couldn’t hide his unease at Lucy Alrn’s audacity.
It would have been insufficient to choose only the three most outstanding individuals around him; it was reckless to attempt to raid the dungeon alone!
Especially when it wasn’t an ordinary opponent he was up against, but rather a competition with the younger prince!
The younger prince was not someone to be underestimated!
He was only compared to the elder prince standing next to him.
The current commander of the knights acknowledged his overwhelming talent, and the younger prince, who had tackled numerous dungeons since entering the second year of the academy, was undoubtedly an intimidating opponent.
No matter how excellent Lucy Alrn might be, she was not someone to be taken lightly, so why?!
“...Haah.”
Of course, Arthur knew why Lucy Alrn made such a choice.
Though it was hard to imagine someone who usually made crass remarks and acted without consideration, Lucy Alrn was someone who cared about those around her.
She would listen well to requests and follow along when it was time to socialize. When asked for help, she would thoughtfully consider the most appropriate assistance to provide and, above all, she would appear in times of crisis to help, risking her life.
If she thought it might burden others, she wouldn’t ask for help, instead opting to shoulder everything herself.
Just look at the time she insulted the elder prince.
Even when she found herself in a predicament, she didn’t reach out to anyone nearby. She tried to handle everything by herself.
It would surely be the same this time.
Lucy herself might say that going solo was faster and more convenient, but Arthur didn’t believe those words.
It was a statement far removed from common sense. It was obviously an excuse.
An excuse born from wanting to avoid needlessly burdening those around her.
Taking responsibility for one’s actions is good, but she should also acknowledge that those around her were worried.
No, from the beginning, if she could simply avoid causing trouble, there wouldn’t be any reason for concern or burden to carry.
Why does she keep causing trouble?
“You know what, Pebbi? Aren’t you worried at all?”
As Arthur furrowed his brows and sighed, he lifted his head at Zoe’s voice.
“Are you talking about Lady Alrn?”
“Yes. I thought you’d be worried since you care about Lady Alrn so much, but you seem calmer than I expected.”
Indeed, recently, Pebbi had been following Lucy Alrn closely enough for anyone to notice.
She was always by her side during meals, greeting her with bright smiles whenever she passed by, and often initiating conversations. It was no wonder rumors circulated that Lucy Alrn was favored by the saintess.
For Pebbi, it was only natural to worry about Lucy, yet her expression now seemed too serene.
“Though it may look that way, I’m actually very worried inside.”
“Yes? But...”
“More than that, it’s because I believe in Lady Alrn that I can remain calm. I trust that she wouldn’t make such a decision without a good reason.”
The moment Arthur heard Pebbi’s words, a thought crossed his mind.
What if, just what if, there were circumstances that forced her to cause trouble?
What if there was a reason she had to be the target of everyone’s hatred?
Yes. This seemed more reasonable. Given her wisdom, it would make sense to explain why she kept causing trouble.
“Rankings are coming out.”
Arthur’s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Frey’s voice.
The rankings of those currently raiding the academy dungeon.
The names of those leading the way.
While they had been slowly examining the names starting from the lowest rank, it would take quite some time before they found the name they were looking for.
Lucy Alrn and Seasil Soladin.
The first name that appeared among the two was Seasil’s.
His name, written at the very top, revealed the state of the competition.
“Of course, it’s the second prince.”
“So, if he’s set his mind to conquering the academy dungeon, is this the kind of result we can expect?”
“He was confident enough to go in alone, yet we can’t even see Lucy Alrn’s name.”
“My money! My bet!”
Current floor level: 28.
It hadn’t even been two hours since they entered the dungeon, and they had already cleared a quarter of it.
Arthur understood the murmurs around him.
That was an overwhelmingly high record. Perhaps a speed that could be engraved in the history of the academy.
No matter how excellent Lucy Alrn was, it would be impossible for her to catch up to that record alone.
“...Huh?”
The buzz around the entrance to the dungeon quickly shifted to silence.
As Seasil Soladin’s name dropped down one position, a new name appeared above it.
Lucy Alrn.
Current floor level.
- “What the hell is going on?”
“Is it an error...?”
“Should we ask the professor managing this?”
A number that raised doubts about the truth of that record, exceeding the word “overwhelming.”
“Puhahaha!”
As those witnessing it blinked in disbelief, Arthur couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
All eyes turned toward the sound in the midst of silence, but Arthur paid it no mind.
Was it a misunderstanding?
Was it a delusion?
Was she truly faster when alone, and did she merely want to shed the burden of us in order to unleash her speed?!
How could he imagine how bewildered she must have been when we didn’t believe her!
...Still, he would ask.
He wanted to know why she was causing trouble. Whether it was a matter of her mood or if there were unavoidable circumstances behind it.
<This isn’t what I consider dungeon raiding.>
‘What do you mean all of a sudden, old man?’
<How can this be dungeon raiding! This is assaulting a dungeon and insulting its creator!>
Perhaps the way I was conducting the dungeon was displeasing to the old man. As I passed the 50th floor, he suddenly raised his voice.
It wasn’t that I didn’t understand the old man’s feelings.
Super jumps using monster attacks.
Clearing a path blocked by lava to carve out the shortest route.
Crossing the forest using the rampaging patterns of giant wolves.
Using the boss’s patterns to ascend to the next floor without even defeating it.
Utilizing the behaviors of monsters to kill the boss before even entering the boss room, and so on.
I was showcasing various techniques that I had used as a matter of course in the game, so it was no wonder the old man would be dumbfounded.
After all, I had only swung a mace a handful of times, yet here I was, already rushing toward the 60th floor, so it was only natural for him to question if this was really dungeon raiding.
But the old man didn’t know one thing.
When it was a game, I could pull off even more outrageous plays than I could now.
In this world, since it was reality, I couldn’t use the same glitchy plays I had in the game.
I couldn’t phase through walls, teleport several floors up in an instant, or kill a boss with a single step.
If that were possible, I would have already cleared the dungeon long ago, which is quite unfortunate.
As I thought about this, I stepped into the boss room on the 60th floor, raising my shield at the sight of the chimera formed from various creatures.
‘Old man.’
<What is it?>
‘I’m going to show you how that guy will kill himself by his own pattern this time.’