Thanks to Arthur’s willingness to agree, we now had enough people to enter the dungeon, so we headed there immediately.
Carl?
He’s fine. As soon as I give the word, he’ll come running, wagging his tail.
Just before we reached the dungeon entrance, I suddenly remembered what happened last time and quickly stopped to ask Arthur.
"Arthur, by any chance, do you have any trauma related to dungeons?"
“Pathetic Prince, you’re not going to wet yourself at the dungeon entrance, are you?”
"Is this because of what happened with Joy? If so, don’t worry. Being in life-threatening situations is an everyday occurrence for me."
Arthur spoke lightly as if joking, but I knew it wasn’t just a joke.
The struggle for the throne in this country is quite brutal.
Without anyone to back him up, and with no mother to protect him, Arthur must have had several close calls with death.
So, threats to his life don’t shake him.
He’s been through too much to be startled by something like that.
"On the contrary, I’d like to ask you, Lucy Allen. How about you? Doesn’t the sight of a dungeon entrance make you want to cry?"
"I’m fine!"
“I’m surprised that the Pathetic Prince, who was trembling behind me, would be worried about me. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
"Did the prince really tremble in fear?"
“I... was not... afraid.”
As Freyr asked with genuine curiosity and I spoke with a mocking tone, Arthur’s lips gradually stiffened.
It seems that while he can endure my taunts, dealing with Freyr’s innocent questions is much harder for him.
"Professor Carl, how do you endure this?"
“You get used to it. The human mind slowly wears down.”
“You’ve got it tough, really.”
While the two men commiserated with each other, we continued to move and eventually reached the dungeon entrance.
"So, how far are we going today?"
"We’re not climbing floors today."
“What’s this? Were you hoping to use me to climb the dungeon, Pathetic Prince? Too bad. I’m not planning to ascend any floors today.”
The first semester dungeon raid in Soul Academy happens exactly two weeks after the midterm exams.
If you fully conquer the Academy’s dungeon before then, you can receive the reward for being the first to clear it.
I’m someone who could conquer the dungeon in a single day if I wanted to.
There’s no need for me to clear it just for a reward I don’t need right now.
Last time, I took it seriously because I was competing in a speedrun with Arthur, but that’s not the case now.
"Hmm? Then why are we entering the dungeon?"
"To level up!"
"We’re going in to gain experience."
After what happened last time, my level has risen quite a bit, and I’m now at level 15.
Considering that the surrounding characters are usually around level 4 or 5, it’s a significant difference.
But it’s still not enough.
Now that the game has become reality, the first and second priorities I must pursue are safety.
The main story will soon start, and I’ll be facing the Apostle of the Evil God.
I need to be prepared to deal with any unexpected events.
According to my plan, I should reach level 23 today and then focus on grinding skill proficiency.
When I used to enjoy this as a game, I deliberately kept my level on the edge to make it more challenging.
Those were the good times. Damn it.
“Experience, huh? Do you really need that?”
Arthur seemed puzzled by the ambiguous term "experience," which was likely due to the Mesugaki skill’s translation.
It’s too much trouble to explain levels and skill proficiency to an NPC like Arthur, so I’ll just brush it off.
"Of course."
“Pathetic Prince, I’m a human too, you know?”
“Hmm. I see. I thought, given what you’ve shown, you might have the blood of a troll or a demon.”
“Prince, I agree.”
Is he trying to retaliate for all the insults I’ve thrown at him?
Arthur said something about trolls and demons.
Freyr, standing next to him, nodded vigorously, while Carl quickly turned his head to hide his expression.
Seriously, what have I done to deserve being called a troll or a demon?
It’s true that Lucy’s father, Benedict, is like a troll of a man, but it’s strange for that to reflect on me!
"What part of me looks like a troll?!"
“Pathetic Prince, are your eyes that bad? To look at me and call me a troll?”
"I wasn’t talking about your appearance. I meant your behavior."
Arthur immediately listed his reasons, as if he’d been waiting for this moment.
The incredible resilience I showed when fighting the Minotaur last time.
The inhuman persistence I display during training.
The absurd strength that comes from such a small frame.
Listening to each point, it’s no wonder I’m being accused of being something other than human.
“Those are the general reasons, but do you have any counterarguments?”
Arthur, showing a thoroughness in teasing people, was really starting to get on my nerves with that confident smile of his.
No matter what I say, he’s going to paint me as a troll, isn’t he?
Alright, if that’s how it’s going to be, I’ll take a different approach.
"If you want to label me as a troll, I’ll acknowledge it."
“Who would have thought the Pathetic Prince would be so desperate to tease a girl? Speaking so pathetically, I have no choice but to accept it.”
I covered my mouth with my hand and gave him a mischievous smile, and Arthur stared blankly at me.
Ha, you didn’t expect me to go along with it, did you?
Now you’re just a pathetic prince who takes teasing a girl seriously!
"Wait, Lucy..."
The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.
“Let’s go!”
“Let’s go. To the dungeon. We’re not going to waste more time talking, are we?”
Now I’m not giving him any time to say anything else before moving on.
A perfect victory.
“But doesn’t this mean you admitted to being a troll?”
I ignored Freyr’s comment from behind.
Freyr, have some sense.
Do you want to be thoroughly trampled during our next sparring session?
The best way to grind experience is to go to one of the external dungeons outside the Academy that remain stable, like Evan’s Dungeon.
Repeating such dungeons is the most efficient way to level up.
But you can only access external dungeons from the second year onward at Soul Academy.
So in the first year, you’re stuck in the Academy dungeon.
No problem.
Gamers are people who find the most efficient way in any situation.
Naturally, the most efficient way to level up as a first-year at Soul Academy has already been studied extensively.
There are a few routes.
Since I plan to go from level 15 to 23, I’ll start at the 34th floor.
When I entered the dungeon and looked around, I tilted my head in confusion.
I had set it up so I would start from the highest floor I’d reached, but why am I on the 7th floor?
"What’s this?"
"Huh? Why are we on the 7th floor?"
I thought I had cleared up to the 30th floor last time.
Then I remembered that Arthur had just joined the party.
"Oh, right. Arthur, you only cleared up to the 7th floor."
"Oh yeah, Pathetic Prince, you only managed to clear up to the 7th floor, didn’t you?"
It was a casual remark to myself, but because of the Mesugaki skill’s attached sneer, it turned into a taunt.
I glanced at Arthur’s face, and although he was smiling, his eyes were cold.
"Sorry for being pathetic, Troll Lady."
"No worries! We can ascend quickly!"
“Well, it’s fine. Unlike the pathetic Pathetic Prince, I can climb quickly.”
"Is that so? I’ll look forward to it."
Lucy was right.
As soon as they reached the end of the alley, a goblin lying in wait on the other side fired an arrow. Freyr swung his sword and decapitated the goblin the moment the arrow was blocked.
Arthur was amazed at the coordination between Lucy, who was confident in her actions, and Freyr, who never doubted her words.
Remarkable. Arthur admired them inwardly.
He had felt the same during their last encounter when they fell into the trap together, but Lucy Allen’s ability to conquer dungeons was extraordinary.
If someone told him Lucy Allen had been involved in creating this dungeon, he would nod and say, “That makes sense.”
Even though she knew what was inside the dungeon thanks to the blessings, her leadership couldn’t be attributed solely to having the information.
That was talent.
An innate ability to instinctively know how to use the information provided by the gods in the most efficient way.
At this point, Lucy Allen might be better than the commanders of most knight orders.
No wonder Armathi bestowed blessings upon her.
If there were someone like her, I’d want to give them power too.
Arthur thought this but didn’t say it out loud.
If he complimented her, she would undoubtedly respond with more “pathetic” and “lousy” remarks.
Thus, they continued to clear the dungeon at an astonishing speed under Lucy’s command.
With the burden that Vissy had been replaced by Arthur, who was now an effective ally, the dungeon was being cleared much faster than before.
It took less than 10 minutes to reach the 10th floor from the 7th, and only 30 minutes to reach the 20th floor.
They reached the 34th floor, Lucy’s target, about two hours after entering the Academy dungeon.
“What’s this, Pathetic Prince? Feeling tired? You were so confident earlier.”
I’m really about to die.
Even though he hadn’t fought much and had mostly been running, this was still too much.
As Arthur held his knees, struggling to catch his breath, a mocking voice came from ahead.
“With such pathetic stamina, it’s no wonder you end up humiliated. Pathetic Prince?”
When he slowly lifted his head, he saw Lucy Allen’s face, still composed and confident.
Although she had a slight sheen of sweat, that was it. Her breathing was as calm as ever.
How can she be so composed after running with that heavy armor and shield?
Is she really just a human?
No matter how you look at it, it seems like she has the blood of something non-human.
"I’d like to keep moving if possible."
Are you planning to push us even harder?!
Is this woman a demon?!
We’ll collapse from exhaustion before we even face a monster!
"If you beg me desperately to rest, Pathetic Prince, we might take a break."
Beg?
The Third Prince of this kingdom.
Begging you?
"What will it be, Pathetic Prince?"
Lucy’s half-moon-shaped eyes gazed down at him.
Her intent was clear.
She knew Arthur had reached his limit, and she was saying this to tease him.
What should he do?
His body had already reached its limit.
Even if he forced himself to keep going, he would collapse soon, becoming even more of a laughingstock.
He didn’t want to give her the satisfaction, but...
Would it be better to swallow his pride than to collapse?
“...Could we rest for a moment?”
Arthur spoke in a voice as small as a leaking breath, and Lucy tilted her head.
"Pardon? What was that, Pathetic Prince? I couldn’t quite hear you."
This brat!...
There’s no way someone with your keen hearing didn’t catch that!
You’re doing this to humiliate me!
Is this because I called you a troll?!
How petty! Truly petty!
Arthur seethed inside, but he had no other option.
"I said I’d like to rest for a moment."
"Ah, I see. If the Pathetic Prince is so~ desperate for a break, we can rest for a bit."