NOVEL NEXT Chapter 75
Chapter: 75
As I watched the orcs in heavy armor getting slaughtered right in front of me, I couldn’t help but frown.
Not here too?
Are two fully armed orcs just not enough?
Ah, damn it.
If it’s not here, then where else could it be?
[Hey girl, I can feel the vitality of a person nearby.]
While I was deep in thought, the grandpa spoke up.
He was the one who accurately sensed the presence of monsters when I fell into a trap created by Agra before.
If he sensed something, it was definitely reliable news.
“Where is it?!”
[It’s not exact because it's far, but from here, it’s in the south-southwest direction.]
I map out the location in my mind based on the grandpa’s words.
Far to the south-southwest from here.
I know where it is now.
It’s where the wall trap is.
It’s the spot where a wall suddenly appears to split the party when someone steps on a specific position on the floor.
They must be planning to use that to give Arthur’s party a trial by separating us.
Now that I understand Luca’s intent, all that’s left to do is to run.
“Everyone!…”
“Shoddies! I found the place where the Pitiful Prince is crawling around!”
My words drew the attention of the professors present.
At first, they were hesitant about my command, but now it was different.
Seeing my commands hitting the mark, they no longer looked at me as just a student, but were actually listening to me.
“The location is!…”
“The weak Pitiful Prince is…”
*
Not a single word escaped Arthur’s party as they made their way through the dungeon.
The ones who had been cheerful when initially strategizing the Academy Dungeon were now silent, just breathing softly, having gotten lost because of Arthur’s magical tool activation.
Occasionally, Luca would try to lighten the mood, but only a few words would emerge, leaving the depressed atmosphere unchanged.
Within that silence, Arthur realized his mistake.
Because of my misjudgment, everyone was put in danger.
Driven by the desire not to lose to Lucy Allen, I impulsively used the item handed to me by someone I couldn’t trust, and it caused a disaster.
I was foolish.
Being mocked and called the Pitiful Prince, I foolishly sought revenge.
Arthur remembered the monster they had faced in this dungeon.
He couldn’t forget the sight of the Minotaur, wielding an axe larger than a grown man’s height while snorting hot breaths.
It was an opponent that the current Arthur, Jack, and Matthew couldn’t handle.
The overwhelming pressure emanating from its massive body made that fact clear.
Though Luca had pulled out a knife from his own gear and subdued the Minotaur without anyone getting hurt,
Had Luca not been there, the three of them would have been dead meat.
My mistake almost caused those who had come to assist me to die.
The shock that brought to Arthur was undeniably heavy.
Until now, he had looked at tales from history of those blinded by revenge and thought them foolish, yet here he was, the same kind of fool.
The only silver lining for Arthur was that he had Luca nearby, which gave him a chance to fix things.
As someone who had made a name for himself at a young age and became a professor at the Academy, Luca’s skills were indeed real.
Seeing him handle the Minotaur effortlessly, this dungeon probably wasn’t that dangerous for him.
With him around, they should be able to safely escape the dungeon.
So, he thought about what to do next.
First, he needed to apologize to Jack and Matthew.
He had already apologized, but just saying it wasn’t enough; he needed to offer material compensation.
After that, he’d have to confront the professor who had handed him the compass.
He had to find out what purpose he had in giving him that item.
Of course, he should also be punished.
Even if the Academy might show some leniency, he still needed to be held accountable for his actions.
It was clear that he had made a mistake.
And. He would have to forgive Lucy Allen.
…
In any case, a match is a match.
When Arthur was tackling the 6th floor, Lucy Allen had already climbed over 20 floors, so his defeat was certain.
Lucy Allen was an opponent Arthur could never beat, no matter what he did.
Thus, Arthur had to acknowledge the one who insulted him by calling him the Pitiful Prince…
Hah. This is tough.
Despite knowing he lost, admitting that is incredibly hard.
Is it because my heart is just too small?
Clink.
As Arthur was lost in thought, he suddenly heard the sound of something being activated.
Recognizing that sound, he looked up to see a depression underneath Luca’s left foot.
“Oh no.”
As soon as Luca uttered that, a stone wall appeared, separating Luca and Arthur’s party.
“Not this, please.”
“Everyone! Please step back!”
As Jack was about to approach the wall, Luca shouted from the other side.
Hearing his words, Jack turned away just in time as a tremendous rumbling echoed from the wall.
From the other side, Luca was attempting to break the wall down.
But the stone wall stood firm.
Even though there were loud bangs coming from beyond, not so much as a crack appeared on the wall. In the end, Luca must have given up.
The rumbling sounds from the wall finally ceased.
“Everyone! Please wait there! I will definitely come for you!”
As Luca’s voice grew quieter, footsteps were heard rushing from beyond the wall.
Unable to break the wall, it seemed he planned to find another route to come to them.
With the three new students left behind, the first to speak up was Arthur.
“We need to move.”
“Excuse me?”
“What do you mean, Prince?”
“Luca said to wait, but if we stay here, we’ll be in big trouble.”
“If we move, we might miss Luca!”
Jack shouted, almost like he was screaming, but Arthur was resolute.
It was true that moving arbitrarily would make it harder to meet Luca.
Arthur was aware that he couldn’t afford to not think that way.
Yet he still needed to act because they were at a dead end.
“Jack, the monsters here are too strong for us to face. But if we encounter a monster here without an escape, what do you think will happen?”
There’s no need to explain the result.
It would be a slaughter.
The three people at this location would die.
Someone’s sacrifice? A miracle?
There would be none of that.
The three of them.
Those three who had a bright future ahead of them would die at the hands of the dungeon’s monsters.
“But…”
“Even if we miss Luca, the result will be the same, right?”
At Matthew’s question, which left Jack speechless, Arthur nodded.
“You’re right, Matthew. My plan might be a desperate act just to extend our survival a little bit. Still, since we don’t know when Luca might reach here, it’s best to secure an escape route nearby.”
Arthur said it coolly, but the expressions on the faces of the other two were not pleased.
They were Jack and Matthew, thrown into this situation because of his magical tool.
From their perspective, trusting Arthur’s words was tough.
My sins are coming back to bite me already.
How can I convince them?
Just as Arthur began to struggle with that thought, the sound of footsteps came from around the corner.
It was overwhelmingly heavy for a human.
Having faced several monsters along the way,
It wasn’t hard to guess who the owner of those footsteps was.
“Minotaur.”
“No, no, no!”
“Oh God.”
A huge figure, perhaps touching the ceiling of the decaying temple, emerged thanks to the sudden wall blocking the exit.
I was too slow to judge.
Arthur drew the sword at his waist and stepped to the front.
Originally, Arthur, the magical swordsman, should have been behind Jack, but not now.
Having caused this danger, Arthur had to take the front.
Even if this meant a meaningless and desperate effort, he needed to take responsibility.
“Let’s buy some time. If we find a chance, we’ll run.”
I’m not sure if I can create a chance, but I have to try my best.
Ready to throw his life away to face the Minotaur, at that moment.
“Hey there, big dude! You think you’re a girl with that body? Haha! Chasing after a guy while drooling all over! That’s so perverted!”
An annoyingly cheerful voice that didn’t fit the serious situation reached his ears, and the Minotaur froze.
Arthur saw it.
A girl’s hair was unkempt, as if she’d run desperately, her cheerful smile filled with an annoyance he always found abhorrent.
Haha, I must have been a bit out of it too.
Why do I feel relieved when I see that smile?
“Shoddies! Charge in!”
*
“Thank you, grandpa!”
[What for? I had to do this much while stuck in a mace.]
That was close!
If it hadn’t been for the grandpa, I could have gotten lost searching in other places.
Then would I have been able to save those people?
As I watched the professors easily subdue the Minotaur and check on Arthur’s group, a sigh of relief escaped me.
Thank goodness. Really, thank goodness.
If I hadn’t been able to save them, how much longer would I have been suffering alone?
Hah. So now all that’s left is to finish the dungeon strategy?
That won’t be easy.
Just look at the level of power that’s here.
At this level, even if Agra pulled some foolish stunt, they could probably smash it to pieces.
Alright. Let’s finish up the strategy in the shortest route and head back.
It’s not that far from where this dungeon is to the Academy, and I should be able to get there before sunset.
Just as I was thinking that, Arthur slipped through the professors and walked towards me.
What’s this? What does he want?
I felt scared approaching Arthur since I had done something to him.
But he just saved my life, so he shouldn’t be mad, right?
He wouldn’t be, right?
“Lucy Allen.”
“Y-yes!”
“Speak up, Pitiful Prince.”
Hearing himself referred to as the Pitiful Prince, Arthur only raised an eyebrow slightly but showed no other reaction.
“First, let me express my gratitude. I heard from the professors that you played a vital role in rescuing us. If it weren’t for you, Jack and Matthew would have been in danger because of my mistake.”
Watching Arthur bow his head made me feel a bit awkward.
A day would come when I’d receive thanks from Arthur?!
I thought I’d be hated by him for life!
“And regarding this match, I admit my defeat. Your talents are genuine. You are arrogant, but you deserve that arrogance.”
Faced with Arthur’s serious tone, I had no idea how to respond.
Whatever I say will probably be filtered through my Mesugaki Skill and turn into some weird word.
Ugh, how can I not ruin this atmosphere?
– Ding.
Just as I was mulling over that, a notification sound popped up.
What is it? Did I clear the quest?
Hmph. Shoddy God.
He sure knows how to take care of things at times like this.
Thinking that, as I checked the message, I saw.
[Agra is watching you.]
I suddenly realized I was seriously screwed.
A magic circle appeared around me and Arthur.
“Hey, girl!”
Before the startled Karl could react, the light from the magic circle flared up, separating us.
And when the light from the magic circle finally faded,
Arthur and I were thrown somewhere deep inside an ancient shrine of Colhith.
Damn it.