Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy

When all the conversations came to an end and it was time to return, Faybi offered a bright smile and said she'd see me tomorrow, while anxiously glancing at me.

I wondered what more she had to say, and as I kept silent, Faybi carefully spoke up.

“Um, Lady. Was I of any help to you today?”

I chuckled softly, unable to hold back my amusement at her worried expression. I let out a few light laughs before answering her.

‘Of course.’

“I didn’t even sense the aura of the evil god! If the pathetic saintess didn’t help, then what am I?”

“...Ah, that’s not what I meant! Just... um.”

Seeing Faybi flustered, I could sense that she had changed significantly from the saintess I once knew.

In the game, it was hard to find her flustered at all.

Was it because I was the apostle of the Divine? Or had she made mistakes she wouldn’t have made as the saintess in the game?

Regardless, I didn’t dislike this version of Faybi. Her humanity was much more suitable for friendship than a saint who was detached from everything.

‘You were plenty of help, Faybi.’

“Quite a bit of help. For a pathetic saintess, that is.”

“...I’m glad to hear that.”

After Faybi cast aside her worries and left with a bright smile, the moment I was certain her footsteps were fading into the distance, I let out a loud cheer that echoed through the room.

A dungeon.

One that didn’t exist in the game. One that existed only in this world. A unique dungeon created by a multitude of variables—one I had yet to conquer!

Previously, the old man had told me to think of entering that mansion as conquering a dungeon, but now it had truly become a dungeon conquest?!

Hehe. Hehehe.

I couldn’t help but let out a careless laugh.

A new dungeon, indeed.

What a sweet resonance it was.

Years had passed since the game Soul Academy was released.

Having completed everything possible within it, I had spent days desperately trying to find ways to enjoy the game. Now, I was finally being rewarded.

No, now wasn’t the time to get carried away.

I needed to think about what to prepare to conquer that dungeon!

I pulled a blank notebook from the shelf and began jotting down various information I currently knew.

First and foremost, I had to establish the fact that the Barrow family had fallen into Nakrad's grasp.

When we visited, the Duke of Barrow claimed that his illness had nearly recovered.

Assuming his illness had arisen from resisting the evil god's aura, his recovery would mean he had been consumed by the evil god’s influence.

If even the Duke had been devoured, there was no way the others would remain unscathed.

Well, still, I didn’t think Nakrad could fully control the entire Barrow family.

He had been swept away by me throughout the first semester and had hardly done anything effective. There’s no way he has the strength to manipulate the entire Duke's household.

In most cases, his limit would probably be to trap them in an eternal nightmare. The number of people he could handle at once would be, at most, three to four knights, plus a few minions of the evil god.

Considering the knights would lack reason, I’d be able to manage on my own without issue.

I knew all the paths in the Barrow mansion by heart, so that wouldn’t be a problem.

I could counter the traps Nakrad would set, as they were all rather predictable.

Hmm. Ultimately, the problem would be the boss battle.

Thinking about the structure of the dungeons Nakrad creates, I envisioned how the boss battle would unfold.

First, he would appear as a mid-boss—the inferior prince.

He would show up first, followed by the fake boss—the Duke of Barrow. It would seem resolved, but in reality, there would be one more hidden stage.

That would be the battle against Nakrad himself.

I remembered all the strategies for conquering every dungeon in the game Soul Academy.

While every dungeon has its characteristics, they can’t all be completely different.

The theme of the dungeon. The creator of the dungeon. The one who will become the boss. The very existence of the dungeon.

By incorporating this information, I could make a rough guess about how its structure would be.

Having organized everything that came to mind in my notebook, I flipped to the next page to think about the various preparations I needed to make.

I had already stored most necessary items in my inventory before heading to the Barrow mansion, so there was no need to sweat the small stuff.

I only needed to consider the essentials.

First, enhancing my personal specs.

I needed to at least be able to stall the Duke of Barrow for time.

And as for party members...

I couldn’t let anyone else join in the sacred task of conquering a new dungeon! If it wasn’t absolutely impossible, I should move alone as much as possible.

Now, for the items I needed to prepare.

First, I’d need a means to detect the evil god’s magic.

I’d have to get my hands on a wedge to ensure Nakrad couldn’t escape.

And... as I started jotting down the necessary items, I quickly filled a page of the notebook.

As much as I wanted to gather all of this, it would take too long. The sooner I resolved this matter, the better.

Though I thought I should only select the absolutely necessary items, everything seemed essential, and I found myself unable to stop writing.

Ugh. What should I give up?!!

<Child.>

‘What is it?’

<I have a question. Why don’t you even consider asking for help from others?>

‘Huh?’

<If the evil god's influence is at play in that mansion, wouldn’t it just be easier to borrow power from elsewhere?>

Suddenly, I wondered why the old man was saying this.

<It’s simple. No matter how rotten the church may be, they won’t just overlook traces of the evil god. If there’s testimony from a saintess, they will do everything in their power to attack the Barrow family.>

That made sense. No matter how decayed, the church is still the church.

They would know that failing to perform even minimal obligations would cost them support from various countries. They would undoubtedly be a great help in driving out the evil god's influence from the Barrow family.

<If you’re truly wary of the church, you can also ask your father for help. If you give him a reason to mobilize based on the saintess’s testimony, everything can be resolved easily.>

That made sense too. Even if Nakrad had grown stronger than during the first semester, that was only in comparison to the first semester.

He wouldn’t be able to withstand Benedict’s strength. If he attempted to assault the Barrow family, it could be resolved without much difficulty.

<Why are you so determined to solve everything on your own? Why are you rushing into danger this time without seeking help from others?>

In the old man’s tone, which sounded somewhat scolding, I could feel his wish for me to avoid unnecessary risks.

So I couldn’t bring myself to reveal my true feelings.

How could I tell someone genuinely worried about me that I didn’t want to pass on the content I had only just found after crossing into this world?

Even I thought it sounded crazy, so how would others react if they heard it?!

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason, but I also shared the sentiment of not wanting to say it aloud.

As I hesitated, unsure of how to respond, the old man pressed me.

<Did the Divine instruct you to solve everything alone?>

Not at all. The pathetic god had yet to issue any commands. The quest window still only displayed that rewards were being calculated.

<If that’s not the case, do you believe you can handle the deaths that might arise from your actions...?>

“Stop it, old man.”

The old man’s probing had become tiresome. The girl who had somehow made her way onto my desk was standing there, resting her butt against the mace.

“Nothing has even begun, yet why are you acting so reckless?”

<The master of the forest, you do not know the dangers posed by the evil god. Anything could happen in relation to those bastards. So...>

“I’m a child who has nearly died several times due to the threat of the evil god. Do you think I don’t understand?”

<...>

“Let me ask on your behalf. What you should be asking isn’t why I made that choice, but rather if I’m confident I can succeed after making that choice.”

The girl, usually not so strict, reprimanded the old man before turning her gaze toward me.

It wasn’t difficult to understand the meaning behind that look. She wanted me to respond to her question.

‘I'm confident.’

“What do you think I am? Of course, I'm confident.”

Be it the inferior prince, the Duke of Barrow, the knights within the mansion, Nakrad, or the dark evil god, these were all opponents I had faced countless times.

If this were a game, I could beat them to death with my bare hands and underwear.

There was no need to throw myself into danger; I could face them after preparing for it, so there was no way I would fail.

The rotten waters of Soul Academy shouldn’t fail in such a manner.