Perhaps it was because there were now two people learning how to clear dungeons from me instead of just one.
The dungeon exploration on the archipelago went much more smoothly than the day before. Joy’s quick thinking laid out the broader strategy, while Arthur filled in the gaps she overlooked. Naturally, this boosted their overall efficiency.
Of course, I had foreseen this improvement and adjusted the time limit for clearing the dungeon to three hours.
When I announced this, Arthur and Joy complained that cutting an hour from the previous limit was unreasonable. But when I threatened to reduce it further to two hours, they quickly nodded in reluctant agreement.
"Don’t worry. It’s not like I don’t know how incompetent and foolish you two are, right? Today, I’ll be extra generous and give you two attempts instead."
I offered them an additional chance in exchange for the shorter time limit. If they succeeded in just one of today’s two dungeon runs, they would win the bet.
I had been confident that they wouldn’t manage to succeed within the time frame, but by the time the first dungeon was nearing completion, I found myself regretting my earlier smugness.
"Damn it. If only we’d been 20 minutes faster."
"Still, we’ve seen hope. This much is definitely doable."
"Yeah. Let’s fix what went wrong before we tackle the next dungeon."
There were several reasons why my predictions had been off.
First, Joy turned out to be much smarter than I’d anticipated.
Although she had initially acted reluctant after receiving my dungeon guide last night, she had read through it at an astonishing pace. At a glance, it seemed like she was just skimming, but that wasn’t the case. Joy was speed-reading and memorizing the content as she went.
Unbelievable, right? That’s exactly what I thought when she told me she had "roughly memorized" it. But the moment she started applying the strategies from the guide as soon as we entered the dungeon, I realized she wasn’t bluffing.
Sure, I knew Joy had top-tier potential as a mage character, but I hadn’t expected her intelligence to be this high. For a moment, I almost wanted to ask for just half of her brainpower!
Still, Joy being Joy, she did make occasional mistakes.
But Arthur was there to immediately correct her, amplifying the impact of Joy’s abilities.
To top it off, Freya was unusually cooperative today. Normally, she’d be running off on her own whims, but for some reason, she actively collaborated with Arthur and Joy. The pace they were setting was so fast that I seriously considered sabotaging their progress. I was genuinely worried I might lose the bet at this rate!
Thankfully, I managed to pull through this time. There was still one attempt left, but that wasn’t a problem. All I had to do was take them to a harder dungeon than originally planned.
Now that I had a better grasp of their abilities, I could choose a dungeon that couldn’t possibly be cleared within three hours. That way, I’d secure my victory while preserving my dignity.
"Damn it!"
"We were so close. Just a little faster, and we could’ve done it."
Despite taking them to a dungeon I was certain would ensure my win, the results were shockingly close.
What’s with these two and their ridiculous growth rate? Are they the top-tier companions you can recruit in Soul Academy or something?
I couldn’t help but laugh as I imagined how things might have turned out if Freya had joined in earnest. I probably would’ve lost the bet.
Still, no matter how exceptional they were, the one who ultimately won the bet was me.
Standing between the two as they reviewed the day’s events near the dungeon exit, I flashed a triumphant grin.
"Losers, it’s punishment time! Were you looking forward to this? Hearts racing?"
Hearing my words, Joy turned pale as she glanced at Arthur, who was still wearing the rabbit ears. Meanwhile, Arthur hung his head in resignation, his voice heavy with frustration.
"Lucy Allen, just remember this: we still have plenty of chances left."
"Oh, I’m terrified~. What kind of humiliating punishment is the perverted little prince planning to inflict on me?"
"No, that’s not—"
"What should I do, Joy? What if the pathetic prince tries to pounce on me?"
"...Oh my. Your Highness."
"A perverted prince, perhaps?"
"I said I wasn’t planning anything like that! I value my life! I don’t want to get killed by the Allen Patriarch!"
Under the barrage of accusations, Arthur raised his voice in exasperation before letting out a long sigh.
"Fine. Do whatever you want. I refuse to be your plaything any longer."
"Perfect. Joy, it looks like the prince is ready to take his punishment. Hahaha. He’s trying to act all cool and manly."
"What?"
"Huh?!"
As Arthur’s faintly hopeful eyes met Joy’s bewildered ones, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. The stark contrast between their earlier brilliance and their current foolishness was just too much to handle.
After a good laugh, I wiped away the tears gathering at the corners of my eyes and smirked.
This content is taken from freёwebnovel.com.
"What’s this, Joy? Were you planning to save yourself? How selfish and cruel of you."
"I-I wasn’t—"
"And Prince Arthur, refusing even the smallest sacrifice? How petty. I understand your true nature perfectly now."
"...Damn it. Fooled again."
After teasing the two to my heart’s content, I handed out their punishments evenly to ensure they didn’t hold a grudge against each other.
After returning to the inn from the dungeon, Arthur and Joy dragged Freya into their schemes, plotting how to win future bets against me.
Their frantic behavior was driven by a single fear: if they continued to lose, the punishments I handed out would only grow more humiliating.
"First, it was the rabbit ears. Then it was drawing whiskers. Lucy Allen’s goal is clear—she wants to turn us into full-on rabbits, head to toe."
Joy, who was still wearing her rabbit ears, tried to maintain a serious expression as Arthur continued, but she failed, lowering her head to hide her smile.
Arthur, noticing the absurdity of his own appearance, flushed red but stubbornly tried to keep his composure.
"Joy, when you think of rabbits, what comes to mind?"
"Um... carrots?"
"Never mind. Don’t say it. I believe the next step will involve adding a rabbit nose or tail."
Arthur’s reasoning was that the whiskers were a foreshadowing of further rabbit-themed punishments.
"The problem is that it likely won’t end there."
With five more days of dungeon exploration ahead, the remaining number of potential punishments seemed far too small. Even if they added a rabbit nose, tail, and limbs, there would still be days left.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Joy stopped laughing and cautiously spoke.
"Your Highness, what do you think the final punishment will be?"
"I’ve heard of an outfit resembling a rabbit. Lucy Allen might be planning that as the ultimate punishment."
Joy shuddered as she recalled an outfit Lucy had once worn during a negotiation—a scandalously revealing costume.
If that was the final punishment...
"Absolutely not!"
The image of herself wearing such an outfit made Joy’s face flush bright red as she shouted.
"That’s one thing I can’t wear! This isn’t just about the honor of the Partlan family!"
"Do you know something specific about it?"
"...Your Highness, have you never seen it yourself?"
"Only heard of it. Could you describe it?"
"Well... it’s, um... you see..."
Unable to articulate her thoughts, Joy eventually trailed off. Freya, casually munching on snacks, glanced at Arthur and nonchalantly commented.
"Your Highness. Pervert."
"What part of that conversation warranted calling me a pervert?!"
"Pervert. Pervert."
Later that evening, I left the inn and followed the directions on the map.
Once again, I was the only one able to pass through the barrier.
Perhaps because of what had happened the night before, no one—except Kal—expressed much concern about letting me go alone.
Kal insisted that he couldn’t allow me to be put in danger, but since he couldn’t cross the barrier, his words were meaningless.
As I entered the restricted area, I was met with a dungeon I had cleared before—a brutally difficult one where a single moment of carelessness could cost you your life.
But for me, it was nothing.
By now, you can probably guess what lay at the dungeon’s end. Once again, I was confronted with Lucy’s past memories.
"It’s all right, Lucy. This mama isn’t going to die so easily."
Mira sat on her bed, her face pale and haggard, a shadow of the vibrant woman she used to be. Illness had taken hold of her.
Despite Benedict’s desperate efforts to find a cure, reaching out to priests and magicians alike, no one could identify the cause of her ailment.
"I’ll be by your side until you’re an old grandmother, Lucy."
Though every day was a struggle for her, Mira fought to remain a dependable mother for Lucy. She wanted to be her daughter’s pillar of strength.
But human willpower alone couldn’t overcome fate. Mira passed away shortly before Lucy’s tenth birthday, leaving her all alone.
By the time I reached the end of the memory, I understood.
The love and care that once anchored Lucy had been ripped away. She had been left adrift in a sea of resentment and despair, cursed by the world that only seemed to punish her.
After Mira’s passing, the weight of her absence was unbearable for young Lucy. Benedict, who should have been her support, struggled to deal with his own grief, unable to extend comfort to his daughter.
The household staff showed no sympathy for Lucy. Her tutors, frustrated with her refusal to attend lessons, willingly abandoned their posts. Despite the mansion being filled with people, Lucy was utterly alone.
She shut herself in her room, sinking further into despair, her fragile spirit slowly rotting away.
Why couldn’t I tell my mother I loved her before she died?
Why couldn’t I say anything meaningful to her?
Why must I endure words of scorn instead of comfort?
What did I do to deserve this?
What sin have I committed?
Why am I the only one who has to suffer like this?
Why am I the one everyone despises?
Why?
Why?
Why?!
Two months after Mira’s death, the young Lucy, who had desperately tried to cling to kindness in accordance with her mother’s wishes, was gone.
What emerged from the darkness of her room was a broken girl who could no longer suppress her bitterness toward the world. All that remained was a sorrowful child, consumed by resentment, lashing out at everything around her.