NOVEL NEXT Chapter 68
Chapter: 68
Arthur’s condition he presented to me was as follows.
The condition for the duel is dungeon strategy.
Five days from now, on Saturday at 11 AM, we’ll enter the dungeon at the same time and see who can strategize deeper by 6 PM that day.
The members for the dungeon strategy will consist of only first-year students, except for one professor or current student.
Attacking each other is prohibited.
There were several other minor rules set, but those weren’t something to worry about that much.
[What are you planning to do?]
As soon as I parted ways with Arthur, Grandpa asked me softly.
‘What do you mean? I have to win.’
[Are you even sure you can find someone to enter the dungeon with you? ]
That’s a bit of a problem.
It’s not like my reputation is great.
After just clashing with Arthur, it must have become rumored that I’m at odds with the Third Prince; who would be willing to side with me in this situation?
Is there anyone who would want to embrace the Sloppy Young Lady knowing it might make them be disliked by Arthur?
No way.
Even if there is, that person would probably be someone mentally unstable, so it wouldn’t matter if I brought them along or not.
‘But there is one person.’
Normally, Frey, who would be walking alongside me now, would be that person, but in this situation, she looks like a goddess.
‘Frey…’
“Sloppy Swordsman.”
“Is that you asking if I want to party with you?”
Oh? Why is she so perceptive today?
Usually, she would tilt her head in confusion even if I spoke a bit.
“I’ll do it, but there’s a condition.”
A condition Frey would reasonably want?
Does she even have one?
I thought she would just be satisfied with swinging a sword and practicing dueling.
“Duel with me!”
‘Huh? Duel?’
“What? Duel?”
“Yep!”
‘Every day…’
“I’m bored of it already! Sloppy Swordsman, have you gone insane?”
Frey and I have been continuously dueling every evening after class.
Neither of us can find suitable opponents among our peers, so our dueling serves as a mutual assistance.
Thus, asking for a duel could not be considered a request.
“I might make an excuse later and not do it!”
Ah, I see. So, you want to put a leash on me in advance to ensure I can’t run away later?
You’re surprisingly cunning while acting like an idiot, aren’t you?
‘I get it.’
“Alright, Sloppy Swordsman.”
I didn’t even think about fleeing from a duel with Frey in the first place.
Finding someone to duel with me at this cursed academy is incredibly hard.
After I smashed the Third Year Senior and got my Underdog skill, all the training ground people have been avoiding my gaze!
The only one that could replace Frey is Karl, but he looks busy these days, so I don’t want to call on him randomly.
“Is that a promise?”
‘Yes.’
“Great.”
Seeing me nod, Frey looked satisfied and ran ahead.
[That fills one, and considering one of the other two might be your knight, what about the last one?]
‘I’ll have to think about that from now on.’
In this situation, the best balance would be between Phoebe or Joy.
I only need one frontline, so I need someone in the rear to support.
Given I can play the healer role, having Joy join the party would be ideal, but I haven’t spoken to her since the poor prince incident, so I don’t know what she thinks of me now.
Given her naturally kind personality, she probably doesn’t hate me, but that doesn’t mean she would help either.
Phoebe is…
Well.
Since she has a pure heart, if I beg her with my head down, maybe she’d give a hand out of sympathy.
But because of that Mesugaki skill, I can’t pull off such a shameful act.
“Shoddy Saintess. I’m giving you the chance to help me.” I can imagine her saying the same thing.
Still, I should give it a try.
If that doesn’t work, I’ll just have to threaten an extra to drag them in.
*
“Third Prince.”
During lunchtime at the academy.
Arthur, who was dining with his friends, shrugged at the sudden visit from Joy Partlan.
His expression was never good, but today it seemed worse.
On top of that, considering she came to meet me alone without anyone around, she must be pretty angry.
“Joy, what’s the matter?”
“I have something to tell you. Can we talk privately?”
“Hmm, that works out well. I had something to say, too.”
Arthur, acting like a prince, requested his friends’ understanding and headed out with Joy to the garden outside the cafeteria.
As soon as they reached a spot away from others, Joy’s voice became as cold as ice.
“I believe you can guess why I’m here.”
“Is it about proposing a duel to Lucy Allen?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“I don’t see the problem. It’s just a fair duel we agreed upon.”
“Fair, you say? It sounds to me like the conditions favor Lady Allen unfairly.”
Just by choosing dungeon strategy as the condition.
Unlike Lucy, who struggles to form a four-person party, Arthur can compose his party however he likes.
Regardless of Lucy Allen’s abilities, she’ll inevitably be disadvantaged by the difference in party members.
That’s not all.
The clause prohibiting attacks between them.
The lack of restrictions on the use of artifacts.
All other conditions were structured in favor of Arthur.
Even the outcomes of the duel were skewed in his favor.
Arthur stands to lose nothing, but Lucy has everything to lose in an unfair contract.
Claiming it’s fair is insulting to the god of contracts.
“Is that really a problem? It’s something we agreed upon.”
When Arthur answered nonchalantly, Joy narrowed her eyes.
“You’ve created a situation where there’s no choice but to accept, haven’t you?”
Arthur chuckled at her words, acknowledging the truth behind them.
Indeed, he did pressure her using Lucy Allen’s reputation.
“Nevertheless, agreeing is still agreeing.”
It was Lucy Allen herself who accepted the proposal out of fear of others’ eyes and criticisms.
Upon hearing Arthur’s words, Joy fell silent.
Principally, Arthur has no problem here.
“Most of all, it was Lucy Allen who started this. I resolved to act this way purely because she called me the pathetic prince.”
Yet, there’s nothing morally wrong about this.
After all, Lucy Allen was the one who instigated it.
Arthur chose to take revenge for his insult.
“I don’t understand why you’re coming to me about this.”
Joy surely knows these facts.
Though she may have grown like a greenhouse flower, she’s still a daughter of the ducal family.
She has at least a minimum sense of politics.
“Joy, do you still think you owe a debt to Lucy Allen?”
Yet, the reason she came to Arthur was that she still saw Lucy Allen as a benefactor.
When Arthur pointed this out, Joy bit her lip slightly.
“Yes. Is that wrong?”
“No, it’s not wrong. But it makes me sad.”
Arthur stepped closer to Joy as he spoke.
Though she’s tall for a girl, compared to any adult man, she surely appears smaller beside Arthur.
His icy blue eyes gazed down at Joy.
“You and I have known each other for a long time. I can’t believe you would stand by that arrogant young lady’s side.”
“I learned from my parents to repay kindness.”
“Your parents did a fine job teaching you.”
Despite speaking half threateningly, seeing Joy not back down made Arthur internally smirk.
In the past, she would have shown some signs of fear.
People have changed a lot since that dungeon incident.
“So, what do you want to say?”
“From the beginning, you weren’t planning to forgive Lady Allen. Your duel proposal was merely to insult her further. That’s vicious.”
“True, Joy. You’re correct. So what’s wrong with that?”
After listening to Joy’s words, Arthur raised his voice, throwing up his arms.
“I learned that not only must kindness be repaid, but also grudges!
Lucy Allen touched upon my deepest wounds.
Therefore, I shall repay her humiliation! Is there something wrong with my way of thinking? Is there?!”
Arthur, who was shouting with a vein popping out on his neck, coughed and rubbed his face while watching Joy’s stiff expression.
“Judging by your thoughts, it seems you’re unwilling to hear my proposal.”
“Did you want me to be a party member?”
“Yes.”
“I politely refuse. However, I will not help Lady Allen out of respect toward your connection.”
“Well, that’s appreciated.”
As Joy finished her words and prepared to bow, Arthur grabbed her.
“Joy, may I ask you one thing?”
“What is it?”
“Who do you think will win?”
“I think Lady Allen will win.”
Joy answered without the slightest hesitation.
Even though she had been going on about how disadvantageous and unfair Lucy was just moments ago, Arthur chuckled at her reply.
“Why do you think so?”
“Didn’t I tell you? I would have died if it weren’t for Lady Allen.”
Until now, no matter how much Joy praised Lucy Allen’s greatness, no one had believed her.
Because to everyone, Lucy Allen was nothing more than the Sloppy Young Lady.
Everyone just bleated that the Partlan Young Lady was humble nonsense.
Yet, despite this, Joy continued to talk about Lucy Allen.
Because it was true.
“I have little experience in dungeon strategy, but I don’t think there’s anyone better than Lady Allen at strategizing dungeons.”
With that, Joy finished her greeting and turned to leave.
A while later, Arthur, now alone, stared into the void and let out a long sigh.
*
Unfortunately, Phoebe turned down my request.
She said she couldn’t take sides because it was hard to say which side was right.
That’s a saintly response fitting for a saintess.
I wasn’t surprised in the slightest, as I had expected this would happen from the start.
It wouldn’t be like the Saintess to side with Arthur after all.
With this situation, I had only one choice left.
After the classes I had to attend all day ended in the evening.
The Lady-in-waiting who locked eyes with me hurriedly tried to escape from her chair, but she was a necromancer, and I was a knight.
She couldn’t possibly shake me off given her physical limitations.
Thus, the lady-in-waiting, who I half-forced to come and sit at the table with me, watched me cautiously with her legs crossed.
“What do you want?”
‘I need someone to work with me.’
“You need people. Even if it’s someone as sloppy as a Lady-in-waiting, I’ll have to drag them in.”
Upon hearing my request, the face of the Lady-in-waiting turned pale.