The training ground of the academy, gradually turning scarlet.
On one side of it, Arthur and Frey were fiercely exchanging swords as if wagering their lives against each other.
“Frey! Are you trying to kill me!?”
“You, too, Third Prince, cast magic targeting my face. What goes around comes around.”
On the swords facing each other was engraved a blue aura known as the knight’s insignia.
Just mastering the aura before graduation from the academy would earn one the title of genius.
Despite not having completed their first year yet, the sight of the two skillfully wielding their auras brought wry smiles from others in the training ground.
They needed to be moderately outstanding to evoke jealousy or belittlement, but the talent both possessed was so exceptional that such feelings were impossible.
The intense duel between the two concluded when Arthur kicked up dust with wind magic, obscuring Frey’s vision and knocking her sword from her hand.
“So that makes it 2 wins and 4 losses, right?”
“No, from the Prince’s perspective, it’s 1 win, 4 losses, and 1 draw.”
“Where did that draw come from?”
“That was the duel that got interrupted. Don’t you remember?”
“That duel was already tilting in my favor, wasn’t it? Didn’t we agree that it counted as my victory?”
“Do you want to insist on that? Fine, I’ll let it be 2 wins and 4 losses. But I’m still in the lead.”
“It’s not insisting!”
“Both of you, calm down. At this rate, you’ll really start a sword fight.”
As Joy, who had been diligently practicing magic, interjected between them, Arthur and Frey reluctantly stepped back a pace.
“I know you two are on good terms, but if one of you gets hurt, it’ll interfere with the dungeon conquest.”
“...I’m sorry. That was immature of me.”
“Right. The Third Prince was immature.”
Hearing Frey’s teasing, Arthur’s neck flushed with anger, but he sighed and shook his head at her bemused expression, as if uncertain whether he had done something wrong.
“Alright, let’s take a break.”
“Okay.”
“Then I’ll continue my personal training.”
Without caring for decorum or dignity, Arthur plopped down onto the dusty ground, wiping the sweat from his matted hair.
After checking the announcement posted earlier in the day and having moved his body this long, he had trained for roughly half a day.
He could definitely feel that his stamina had improved.
A few months ago, if he had moved his body this roughly, he wouldn’t even have thought of getting up from the ground.
It was worth asking Lucy Alrn for guidance.
This wasn’t the only area of improvement.
His magical power. His physical strength. His magical skills. His swordsmanship. His composure in real combat.
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Most importantly, his ability to handle his aura was rapidly increasing.
A month ago, he had barely managed to manifest it; now, he could handle it to some extent.
Such rapid growth wasn’t unique to him.
Joy, who was now manifesting five spells simultaneously beside him, had also grown immeasurably compared to before entering the academy.
He had heard nearly ten times the question of whether she planned to head to the magic tower after graduating.
He understood the professors’ feelings.
How could one not feel greedy when there was someone before them wielding five spells with different properties so freely?
If it were him, he would have done his best to draw her into his faction.
Even Frey Kent, who, despite not having learned swordsmanship properly, was regarded as the strongest among promising talents due to her raw talent, was also experiencing steep growth.
With her seriously embracing swordsmanship now, how could her growth not be rapid?
To be honest, the only reason he could beat her now was that this was a practice match.
If he were to truly duel her for their lives, he would surely lose.
Ha. Seriously. Although he was also of a lineage considered genius, he couldn’t understand why all he had around him were such monsters.
No wonder he couldn’t relax for fear of falling behind.
As Arthur, who had staggered to his feet, lamented and grasped his sword again, he heard a murmur at the entrance of the training ground.
What was going on?
In Arthur’s view, as he brushed his bangs aside, there appeared a burly figure he had seen since childhood.
Cecile Soladine, the Second Prince of the Soladine Kingdom.
He was passing right through the center of the training ground.
What brought him here, when his older brother had prepared a personal training ground on the academy street?
Moreover, he had come alone, abandoning all his usual subordinates.
As several questions filled Arthur’s mind, he realized the moment he locked eyes with Cecile that he had come to see him.
After being soundly beaten by Lucy Alrn, he had been quiet. Did the Second Queen command him to do something? Or was it just a passing whim?
As Arthur hastily tidied up his disheveled attire from his training, Cecile approached him.
“Good day, brother.”
“Yeah. You look well.”
“What brings you here?”
“Do I need a reason to come see family?”
“You do.”
Even under Cecile’s smile, Arthur didn’t relax his guard. He couldn’t treat him lightly after all he had endured.
“Ha. I understand. I heard that the designer of this dungeon studies exam is Lucy Alrn.”
“...Yes, that’s what I understand too.”
“Then tell her this: I intend to prove that I can conquer the dungeon you created faster than anyone else and challenge her to a duel once again.”
Hearing his serious tone, devoid of humor, Arthur unintentionally responded with a sharp voice.
“Is that the Second Queen’s will?”
It was a rude question implying that he still hadn’t escaped his mother’s grasp.
The old Cecile would have likely shouted at him, asking if he was belittling him, but today he was different.
Seeing Arthur’s fierce glare, Cecile merely smiled.
“No. Mother only wishes for me to stay quiet. If she knew I was speaking such words in a public place, she would surely sigh.”
“Then why?”
“It’s a matter of pride, brother. I have no taste for a prince who is belittled by his subjects.”
In Cecile’s determination that he would win this time, Arthur saw himself.
He envisioned a time when he would surpass Lucy Alrn and hear what she had kept hidden.
The moment he saw him, Arthur felt his emotions stir.
“If that is your intent, you could convey it directly to Lucy Alrn.”
As the flame of anger flared in his heart, Arthur’s aura manifested around him, but even in front of him, Cecile maintained a relaxed smile.
“I know as well, brother.”
It wasn’t mere bravado. He had intentionally chosen to use him as a messenger, knowing there was a better way.
That meant his purpose lay in another direction.
Arthur’s mind, racing wildly, reached a conclusion before even a second had passed.
“Are you challenging me to a duel?”
A declaration of war. It was a warning that if he stayed still, he might lose someone he trusted, so he should fight with all his might.
Interpreting this visit in that way, Arthur raised his voice filled with rage, causing Cecile to smile wider and spread his aura around him.
“Brother, this is special information I’m sharing, as a way to repay a portion of the debt I owe Lucy Alrn.”
“...What? Where did that come from?”
“You’re likely unaware, being cut off from central politics, but there are those who view you as a serious threat.”
Even as Arthur blinked in surprise at the unexpected words, Cecile continued in a small, clear voice.
“As long as you carry the Soladine bloodline, you can’t keep postponing your choice indefinitely.”
Finishing his words, Cecile crushed Arthur’s aura with his own and, with a playful laugh, patted Arthur’s shoulder.
“I’m saying if you value Lucy Alrn, you should make an effort.”
“...Why is her name suddenly popping up here?”
“Isn’t it that you’re interested? There’s a rumor that your face turns red every time you see Lucy Alrn.”
“Do you think I would be interested in that foul-mouthed girl!?”
“Oh. Could it be that a tiny girl is your type? Is that why you keep Frey Kent by your side?”
“What kind of person do you think I am!?”
Cecile, who watched Arthur, flustered and at a loss, with a mischievous smile, declared that he had finished his business and swiftly exited the training ground.
After the sudden downpour of Cecile vanished, Joy, who had been watching with concern, cautiously approached Arthur.
“What did you talk about?”
“...Did you not hear?”
“During that time, the Second Prince blocked the sound with his aura.”
...Was my guess wrong?
The declaration of war was just a surface reason, and what he truly wanted to convey was the story behind it?
No, but there was no reason for him to inform me of that.
“Ha. Damn it. I can’t grasp his intentions.”
He couldn’t understand why his brother, who usually saw him as something to be erased, was suddenly acting this way.
There were too many unknowns for him to make hasty assumptions.
...But one thing was certain.
“I have one more reason to conquer the dungeon for the dungeon studies exam.”
He couldn’t let his brother, full of confidence, speak to Lucy Alrn without interference.
If another incident were to happen, with Lucy Alrn causing trouble and spreading rumors about the foolish prince, it would impact him too.
Furrowing his brow, Arthur was lost in thought when he felt a tug on his sleeve. It was Frey.
“Hey, Third Prince. Was what you said earlier true?”
“What are you talking about?”
“That you have a preference for small girls.”
“...Do I look like some kind of pervert?!”
As Arthur shouted in shock, Joy quietly added her voice.
“But Third Prince...”
“What! If you have something to say, say it!”
“Never mind. Just ignore me.”
“Doing that is more annoying, so just speak! Quickly!”
As he barked at Joy, he turned to find someone tapping him on the back.
“Who this time!... Oh. Saintess?”
“Third Prince of Soladine. It’s alright.”
“Y-yes?”
“Tastes can differ among people. You needn’t be embarrassed...”
“No! My tastes are far from that! Please believe me!”
Adding the desired elements to the newly incorporated resources wasn’t a difficult task.
It was merely a matter of reintegrating the various gimmicks that had to be compromised against the wall of reality.
Rather, I found it so enjoyable to see the dungeon's completeness improve that I would lose track of time while engrossed in it.
What had been truly challenging was adjusting the difficulty of the dungeon to match each grade level.
Soul Academy has a system in place where students cannot advance to a higher grade unless they achieve a certain level of performance.
In other words, the higher the grade, the better the average skills of the students.
In this situation, what happens if you put second and third-year students into a dungeon designed for first-years?
They would be able to brute force their way through a dungeon that should have been resolved using gimmicks.
Thus, the dungeons for second and third years had to increase the strength of the monsters to compel them to utilize gimmicks.
The problem was that I was inexperienced in balancing.
When I thought, “This should be enough for second and third years,” and raised the difficulty, I was told that no one would be able to clear it.
Thanks to that, I had to go through several rounds of revisions.
If the professors hadn’t brushed aside the suggestions to adjust the difficulty and I hadn’t willingly taken on the hardship, I would have surely cursed several times.
Anyway, due to all the effort I put in, the dungeon I designed began production not long after, and after about a week, it started to take shape.
Ah, of course, it’s still not complete. There remains the process of verifying whether the dungeon has been built according to the design and correcting any issues.
<You look excited despite having work ahead of you.> ‘Well, I get to physically experience the dungeon I designed! How could I not be excited?’
Now then, it’s QA time.
Let’s check whether the dungeon I designed has been properly completed.
If I notice that the production team has done a shoddy job,
then I will personally whip them into shape to transform it into a proper dungeon.