"Scaredy-cat young lady, are you frozen in fear? Such a coward~"
Lucy shot a mischievous grin at Joy, who had stopped in the hallway leading to the dungeon.
This scene was one Joy had seen before.
Lucy, clad in armor, shield in one hand, walking confidently ahead. Back then, Joy had followed her but collapsed to the ground when she saw the dungeon door.
The difference today was that their meeting was not by chance.
That morning, when Joy finished preparing and stepped out of her room, Lucy was waiting for her.
"I thought the scared little lady wouldn’t show up. But look at you, not a trembling little coward hiding in your room after all?"
Even though Lucy spoke like that, it was obvious why she was waiting for Joy.
She must have been concerned about Joy being afraid to enter the dungeon.
That was how Lucy was now. She might be snappy with her words, but she was considerate at heart.
Someone who would risk her life for others.
And when everything was over, instead of boasting about her achievements, she would give that annoying grin and say, "I just did what the useless ones couldn’t do."
When Joy saw Lucy waiting for her outside her door, all the doubts she had about whether she could enter the dungeon vanished.
It wasn’t a matter of whether she could or couldn’t do it.
She had to go if she wanted to be of any help to Lucy.
Standing in front of the dungeon’s entrance now, Joy reminded herself of that.
She took a deep breath, steadied her heart, and reassured herself with self-hypnosis that she would be okay.
She repeated over and over that she had to enter the dungeon, if only to repay Lucy.
"Scaredy-cat young lady."
Lucy tapped Joy on the back with her gauntleted hand.
"Hyah?!"
Joy, who had been trying to steady herself, let out a startled scream.
It was something the usual Joy would never do.
Embarrassed by the sound that had come out of her mouth, Joy quickly looked around to see if anyone was there. Then, feeling a sense of dread, she turned her gaze to Lucy.
There stood Lucy, laughing with her hand covering her mouth.
"Pfft, haha! Scaredy-cat young lady, wow, you really were scared! Hyah?! Oh, this is too funny."
"It’s because of you, Lady Allen."
"Me? How is it my fault that the scaredy-cat young lady got scared? If you’re a scaredy-cat weakling, that’s your own fault."
"Ugh..."
Joy wanted to argue but couldn’t.
She owed too much to Lucy to even think of protesting.
As Joy stood there, her face red and trembling with frustration, Lucy stopped laughing and walked up to her, thumping her chest.
"Scaredy-cat young lady, don’t trust your useless self. Trust me, got it?"
Trust me.
Come to think of it, whenever Lucy had said those words, she had never broken her promise.
Whether it was during the entrance exam.
Or when they encountered a dangerous situation.
Or even when they were facing death.
Lucy had confidently told her to trust her, and in the end, she always managed to save Joy.
Realizing this, Joy felt the many doubts and anxieties that had been swirling in her mind dissipate.
Lucy, noticing Joy’s gaze on her, gave her a smile before walking ahead.
She then opened the door leading to the academy’s dungeon entrance.
The entrance to the dungeon appeared before them.
The same entrance that had haunted her nightmares.
Seeing it again, Joy lowered her head.
Her hands were trembling.
Her teeth were chattering.
The nightmare of that day still weighed heavily on her shoulders, leaving her paralyzed with fear.
But the moment she saw the small but dependable back in front of her, Joy found the courage to lift her head again.
Facing the entrance of the dungeon head-on once more, Joy realized something.
It was just a door.
It wasn’t something threatening her.
And even if something were to happen inside, the small but strong back in front of her would protect her.
Exhaling slowly, Joy cautiously took a step forward.
Then she took another step.
Eventually, she managed to reach Lucy’s side, who had been waiting far ahead.
"Are you okay, scaredy-cat young lady? If you feel like you’re going to cry out of fear, it’s okay to go back."
"I’m fine, Lady Allen."
As long as I’m by your side, I think I’ll be okay.
Feeling too embarrassed to say what was in her heart, Joy hid it and instead smiled. Lucy returned the smile.
"Oh, by the way, scaredy-cat young lady. You’ve never been in a dungeon before, right?"
"Yes, that’s correct."
"Then we’ll have to start from the first floor. Hold on a moment."
While Lucy was operating something in front of the dungeon entrance, Freyr Kent, who had arrived earlier, approached Joy.
"Hey."
Having built some rapport through joint training sessions, Joy smiled and greeted her.
"Yes, Lady Kent?"
"Are you sure you’re okay?"
"About what?"
"With your scaredy-cat stamina, this will be tough."
Joy’s eyebrow twitched slightly at the mention of "scaredy-cat young lady."
Oh right, Lady Kent is also incredibly self-centered.
Since she only shows up at official events or for sparring, I almost forgot.
She’s not someone who’ll change just because she’s warned, like Lady Allen, so I’ll have to adjust to her.
"Is it tough?"
"Yeah, even I had a hard time. I almost died."
"You, Lady Kent?"
That’s impossible.
Every morning, Lady Kent runs for two hours at a pace that rivals Lady Allen’s, and she says she almost died?
Her expression was too serious to be joking.
If what she says is true...
...I might end up traumatized by the dungeon again.
The grueling march that began with Lucy Allen’s suggestion to clear up to the 50th floor since they were starting from the first floor anyway, started around lunchtime and continued for four hours.
At first, Joy was amazed, thinking, "So this is the academy’s dungeon," and was in awe as she watched Lucy give directions.
But midway through, all she could think about was how exhausting it was.
She barely managed to keep up with Lucy’s commands as she ran ahead.
By the time they reached the 30th floor, Joy had done her best to stay close behind Lucy.
But unfortunately, that was Joy’s limit.
Completely exhausted, Joy had to be carried around on Lucy’s shoulders like a sack of potatoes.
‘Haha, the scaredy-cat young lady has evolved into a baggage young lady. With that weak stamina and poor skills, is there anything you’re good at?’
It was humiliating as a lady of the Partran family, but there was nothing she could do.
When even walking was difficult, how could she possibly cling to her pride?
On the way back after clearing the 50th floor.
Joy forced her trembling legs to carry her back to the dormitory.
They said they’d be doing training of similar intensity every weekend from now on.
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Will I be able to endure that?
No wonder Lady Allen became so strong.
She must have endured this kind of training without batting an eye, which is why she’s so powerful now.
If I grit my teeth and endure, I can become as strong as she is too.
Hang in there!
"Scaredy-cat young lady. You look really worn out."
As Joy steeled herself with determination, she heard a voice ahead and lifted her head.
There stood Arthur.
Did he just finish some training too? He’s drenched in sweat.
"You too, Your Highness."
"Haha, I’ve been feeling quite motivated lately. Don’t you feel the same?"
"That’s right."
Maybe because they were both inspired by the same person.
The two nodded in agreement and shared a laugh.
"How was it? The dungeon with Lady Allen."
"It was hell. Lady Allen judges everything by her own standards. I doubt anyone can keep up with her."
"I agree. She doesn’t seem to realize how exceptional she is. Maybe it’s because she’s so incredibly talented."
"She probably thinks, ‘If I could grow this much in a year, why can’t others do the same?’"
"Annoying, isn’t it?"
"Jealous, right?"
They both spoke about disliking Lucy, but their expressions said otherwise.
For one, she had gone from being a nuisance to a savior.
For the other, from a hated rival to someone to aspire to surpass.
"Take care. I’ll do my best until I can surpass Lucy Allen."
"You won’t manage it, Prince Arthur. While you’re growing, Lady Allen will grow even faster."
"Just wait and see."
"Yes, I’ll be watching closely."
With that, they both laughed and headed to their respective dorms.
A few days after Joy joined the party, a message arrived from Alsatyn.
He said he had found the shield I had requested.
I had been looking forward to this day, so as soon as classes were over, I headed to the back alleys of the academy district.
A shield.
A new shield.
I’d been using standard issue shields until now.
Every time I got attached to one, it would break, and I’d have to get a new one.
Finally, I was about to get a shield I could become attached to and use for a long time!
If it’s a shield made by dwarves, it should last until I find the ultimate shield!
Humming a tune in excitement, I visited the tavern in the back alley and was awestruck when I saw the shield.
The sleek curves of the shield.
The perfectly smooth front surface without a single bump.
The grip was firmly attached in a comfortable position.
Perfect.
As expected, Dwarf-made equipment is the best!
The quality is on a whole different level compared to mass-produced shields!
Ah, what should I do?
After using this shield, could I ever go back to using a standard issue shield?
No way.
I’d rather use a shield made by divine power instead.
I’ll take good care of it.
Once I get the ultimate shield, I won’t have to worry about it breaking, so I just need to take care of it until then.
There’s no way this Dwarf-made shield will break during my first year, but I’ll still take care of it.
After examining, wearing, swinging, and holding the shield in both hands, I smiled and strapped it onto my back.
Ah, I’m so happy.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been using low-quality shields until now, but I’m in love with this shield.
<Young lady, I never knew you were like this.>
‘Excuse me?’
<I mean, you’ve never shown me this side of yourself.>
‘Grandfather, do you have any conscience?’
How could I be happy about getting him when he’s caused me so much trouble!
I almost died because of him!
The more I think about it, the angrier I get.
I showed him the trashy side of the Allen family, but I haven’t shown him the academy’s trashy side yet, have I?
Maybe I should let him know the difference between the academy and the Allen family?
"Excuse me, Lady Allen."
As I was planning my revenge on him, Alsatyn’s voice made me look up.
‘What is it?’
"What’s up, informant?"
"I have another reason for calling you here, Lady Allen."
‘Go ahead, tell me.’
"What is it?"
"It’s about the Burrow family’s necklace. There’s been an obstacle in acquiring it."
Huh?
Why?
This didn’t happen in the game.
The Burrow family’s necklace was something Alsatyn had acquired without me even having to ask for it.
‘What’s the problem?’
"Informant, can’t you handle something like that? So incompetent~ Such a failure~ Even calling you an informant is too good for you~"
"...It seems the Newman family has gotten involved."
The Newman family? They’re one of the count families in the Soladin Kingdom.
Why would they care about the Burrow family’s necklace?
Right now, there shouldn’t be many who know its true value.
"As far as I’ve gathered, it seems they caught wind of your interest and moved ahead of you."