NOVEL NEXT Chapter 37
Chapter 37
While I was standing in line to be assigned to a team for the dungeon raid, no one bothered to talk to me.
The people in front and behind me whispered among themselves about this examination but didn’t utter a word to me.
Whenever I caught their gaze, they would stop talking, not out of concern, but rather fear.
Is it really possible to make a friend in a place like this?
‘Please don’t poke at my sore spots.’
A friend? That’s a luxury I can’t afford.
Finding hidden pieces and efficiently strategizing the Soul Academy is the true calling of someone drowned in a swamp.
If I had the leisure to spend time with friends, I should just swing my mace a few more times instead!
I wouldn’t be left alone,
I chose to be alone!
For the sake of game efficiency!
In reality, to play efficiently at the Soul Academy, building relationships with various characters is essential, but…
Damn it.
As I waited, chatting with the old man, I ended up right in front of the interviewer before I realized it.
One of the Combat Studies professors, Luca, looked at me and instead of showing suspicion, flashed a smile.
“Hello, Lady Arlen.”
It was refreshing to be greeted by someone smiling for the first time since Benedict, but I found Luca’s attention entirely unwelcome.
This guy is a lunatic who believes that talent blooms through trials.
Luca sweet-talks students he likes, instilling trust in them,
And then uses that trust to push them into the trials he prepared.
If overcoming these trials were simple for the students, I wouldn’t call him a lunatic.
However, the trials Luca prepares are not like that.
The trials he sets up lead to death at the moment you fail to overcome them.
That’s why many famous disciples have come out from under him.
Those who overcome the trials blossom with talent, ensuring their success, while those who fail are buried in obscurity.
As much as I’d love to expose this guy’s deeds right now, it’s simply not possible.
There’s no evidence, and the difference in reputation is too drastic.
Even if I try to spit in his face right now, they’d probably look at me like I’m just some crazy woman rambling.
Of course, I mean it’s not possible right now.
Soon enough, I’ll definitely bring him down.
Luca’s presence is a bundle of variables, and I absolutely despise leaving variables unchecked!
“I watched your sparring closely. Very impressive.”
So what?
“What do you want me to do about it? You scheming rat.”
“Aha! So you are the one everyone makes rumors about, are you?”
I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling of something off while watching Luca chuckle.
Surely, he’s not already eyeing me, is he?
“Now, go on and draw your paper.”
I reached into the box and pulled out a slip of paper. It had the number ’13’ written on it.
“Number 13! You’ve got a good team!”
Good?
“What do you mean by that?”
“You’ll find out when you go.”
Luca wore a gentle smile but didn’t say anything more.
Fine. It’s not like I won’t find out anyway.
Thinking that, I turned toward the flag marked with my number, but then I stopped in my tracks when I spotted someone standing there with crossed arms.
No way! I must be seeing things!
Sure, I was looking for someone to support me from the back, and there they were standing! But still, this can’t be right!
Why the hell is that silly noble there?!
Are we really sleeping with the enemy now?
‘Well, to be precise, she’s not an enemy.’
I may be gambling against that silly noble, but I don’t particularly want to win against her or even hate her.
Oh. I just unconsciously called her a silly noble.
…This is all because of that bratty skill of mine.
Joy approached me, tilting her eyebrow slightly as she saw me trudging in. She raised her voice sharply.
“Hello, you reckless young lady! We have quite the connection, don’t we?”
Yeah, about that…
“Indeed.”
“Yes, indeed, silly noble.”
Avoiding Joy’s glowering gaze, I kept my mouth shut.
Continuing the conversation might lead to something I couldn’t take back.
Now, we had to enter the dungeon together, so piling up any ill feelings could mean I’d later get hit by a fireball from her.
If I look at it from a purely personal standpoint, the party made up of Joy and I is actually quite decent.
With me, a taunter tank, and Joy, a magician who can handle ice and fire, it’s the perfect front and back combination.
On top of that, with all my hard work, I’m recognized by my family’s knight order, while Joy was treated as a top-notch character within the Soul Academy game. Both of us are pretty skilled.
Anyone who joins us will find dungeon raids easy-peasy.
Although, it might not be so comfy for the unfortunate soul caught in between, but that was not my concern.
Think of it like an exchange of high points for bad positioning.
Before long, our last party member walked over to us.
From a glance, he looked like a clear extra, and upon seeing our eyes avoid each other without a word, he stopped in his tracks.
Then, he repeatedly compared his number tag with the flag number we were standing near, wearing an expression as if the world was collapsing around him, before collapsing to the ground.
Poor guy.
But looking at his appearance, he’s the cool and beautiful dandy young lady, alongside the doll-like pretty young lady according to Benedict’s description, so at least he can enjoy good eye candy.
I mean, both are harmless people at heart.
Their reputations might be quite the opposite, though.
“Oh… Hello! I’m Jacob, the eldest son of the Leez Barony!”
Jacob Leez? I’ve never heard of him.
Not even as an extra-name that flies by.
A person with no impact on the game’s storyline, huh?
There’s really no need to pay attention to him either.
From the look in his eyes, he was terrified, so he wouldn’t probably disturb us anyway. So let’s just let him be.
“I’m Joy Partran. You must have heard of it, right?”
“Y-Yes! Of course!”
‘And I’m Lucy Arlen.’
“You already know my name. What a waste! Just comply.”
“Y-Yes! Understood!”
Jacob nervously greeted me, looking exasperated, while Joy shot me a glare.
What do you want me to do? That bratty skill of mine is just doing its thing!
Joy sighed heavily and then asked,
“We’ll soon enter the dungeon, but how will we command?”
‘Oh, that’ll be my job.’
“I’ll take charge, silly noble.”
“You?”
Joy’s dubious gaze pierced through me.
I admit I’m not very trustworthy.
Before anything else, I’m suspicious whether I even have the talent to lead people in a dungeon, rather than being competent at it.
But trust me just this once! I can do it well!
“Uh… that’s…”
I shifted my gaze toward Jacob, who had piped in with a nervous voice but then promptly clammed up, scared stiff.
“Hey? You wanna take charge instead of me? Go ahead, lead the way and show off your ‘skills’!”
Feeling intense pressure from the thought that a single mistake could lead to a disaster, I glared at Jacob, who immediately retreated, knowing his place.
‘Joy!’
“Hey, silly noble. Have you even been in a dungeon before?”
Probably not. This is something I remember; it’s part of the game’s setting.
Upon joining a party with Joy, she would say she hadn’t entered a dungeon since the practical exam in the academy.
“I haven’t. But you?”
‘I have. And…’
“I have too! I learned all about dungeon raiding from the knights of the Arlen family!”
While listening to me, Joy still didn’t ease up on her suspicious gaze, and upon hearing the words “knights of the Arlen family’s knights,” she finally showed a flicker of interest.
Is that it? So she doesn’t trust me but trusts the knights?
Those guys actually seem much scarier than I thought!
To think the gentlemanly knights from the Arlen family are actually a big deal.
Well, it makes sense; there are no two ways about it beneath terrifying Benedict and Possell.
“That must be true, right?”
‘Yes! Trust me!’
“What if I don’t trust you? Silly noble. I’m probably better at this than you.”
Hearing Joy’s words warp my original intentions made me close my mouth for a second.
That’s not how I wanted to say that at all.
“Aha, I see.”
Her frown wasn’t an overreaction at all.
What loomed there was genuine anger.
To evoke genuine rage in Joy, who usually has a tantrum only twice in the game, tells you just how serious this girl can be.
But why would I waste this taunting skill on allies instead of monsters? Curse this lousy skill!
“Fine, let’s see how you plan to lead. I can’t wait to witness your spectacular command that matches that confidence of yours.”
Is it possible that mending this misunderstanding with Joy would be out of the question?
I might be stuck in her mind as some dark duck.
Shouldn’t you be worried about magic hitting your head first?
‘No way she’d do that!’
If she flunks out of the academy test, she’d be disqualified right away, and the sweet-hearted Joy wouldn’t even think about doing something like that.
… I hope.
*
As I exchanged no words amidst the chilly atmosphere and tried to pass the time, it was soon our turn to enter the dungeon.
The academy’s interviewer was making a bunch of warnings towards us, but I let it slip through one ear out the other.
No matter what this guy has to say, my goal is to set the record straight!
Can you actually pull that off with this level of distrust among the team?
‘No worries. I’ll just make them trust me.’
Where does trust come from?
On the battlefield, it transmutes into performance!
If they see my dazzling command that left even the knights of the Arlen family impressed, no matter how much Joy loathes me, she’ll have no choice but to trust me!
That’s a rather overly optimistic prediction, don’t you think?
I blocked out the granny’s ramblings as I awaited the interviewer to finish speaking.
“Lastly, I must emphasize once more: if any dangerous situation arises, please use the magic tools provided by us to return.”
With that, the interviewer stepped aside, revealing the entrance into the dungeon.
This dungeon, being artificially created by the Soul Academy, did not emit the same eerie vibes that Evans’ Dungeon would bring.
Could that eerie feeling stem from something related to Agra?
There was no hesitation on my part as I stepped into the dungeon first.
Inside the dungeon, several magic lum stones were fixed to the walls, making it quite bright.
Thanks to that, I could leisurely observe the surroundings of the dungeon.
The ground was littered with unidentified wreckage, and the gray walls were splattered with dark markings here and there.
A half-broken table that people had once used lay there.
On top of it, shards of glass were scattered about.
This sinister dungeon felt very much like somewhere that experienced some sort of incident, which I recognized.
Where an alchemist used to stay.
Among the Soul Academy’s practical dungeons, this one is on the higher difficulty side and has many hidden passages that can save time if utilized well.
The moment I understood what kind of dungeon this was, I licked my lips excitedly as I began plotting the shortest route in my head.
I can really cash in on this, can’t I?