chapter_0077

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
77

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
77

As I regained my senses, I
urgently surveyed the surroundings.

Where are we?

At least, we weren’t
transported to another dungeon but somewhere else within the Temple
of Kolhiti.

Stay calm. Panicking won’t
help us here.

“What’s this? What on
earth…”

‘Hold on a second.’

“Pitiful Prince, now’s not
the time to chatter mindlessly like a sloppy amateur. Just stay put.”

The first thing to do in
unexpected situations like this is to figure out our current
location.

If we’re in the middle of a
monster’s path, we could be dead meat.

To properly navigate the
temple of the Old God Kolhiti under normal circumstances, you’d
need a well-prepared party of mid-level 30s.

Facing Minotaurs or heavily
armed Orcs requires at least that much firepower.

So, what’s our situation
right now?

I’m just a Level 11 Paladin,
and Arthur is even weaker than me.

What would happen if we
encountered monsters now? It’s obvious.

So obvious that you can
imagine it even if you don’t want to.

From the lack of vines
crawling through the cracks in the wall, it seems like we’re deep
inside.

The 6th floor? 7th floor?
There’s a painting on the well.

So, we’re on the 7th floor.

I recall the map of the 7th
Floor of the Dungeon and scan the surroundings.

Judging by the location of the
alleys and the surrounding landmarks…

Grandpa’s shout was a
warning; there was no need to listen to the rest.

I’ve figured out our
location. Based on the map in my head, I planned our escape route.

The only fortunate thing here
is that the depths of the temple are maze-like.

Originally, it was meant to
confuse users, but it’s different for me.

For someone like me who has
memorised the geography of this place perfectly, maze-like paths are
just convenient escape routes.

I hoist the dazed Arthur onto
my back.

“Lucy Allen?!”

‘I’m sorry! Please
understand!’

“Pitiful Prince! If you
want to keep your pitiful life, be quiet!”

“Behind us!”

‘I know!’

“Do you think I’m as
incompetent as you? Pitiful Prince?!”

Following the path in my head,
I sprint desperately, with heavy thudding sounds following behind us.

Damn it. How far do I have to
run to lose this aggro?!

After desperately running for
a while and finally shaking off the footsteps behind us, I put Arthur
down from my shoulder and caught my breath.

Phew. I’m seriously going to
die back here. How many times have I sprinted today?

If I had been even a little
negligent in my stamina training, I would have died.

I barely managed to calm my
wildly beating heart and looked up to see Arthur trying to maintain
his composure.

Arthur must be the most
confused right now. While I know that Agra’s behind this mess,
Arthur just got caught up in it.

Despite that, he’s staying
silent, probably to avoid causing more confusion by talking
unnecessarily.

Just like in the game, he’s
definitely competent.

‘If you have any questions,
ask.’

“Sloppy Pitiful Prince.
If there’s anything you don’t know, just ask. I’ll be exceedingly
kind in explaining it to you.”

“I won’t hesitate then,
Lucy Allen. Do you know what situation we are in right now?”

I informed Arthur of the
necessary details.

We had been thrown onto a
different floor of the dungeon.

To survive, we would need to
hold out until a rescue team from above could reach us.

For that, we either had to
keep running or head towards a safe section.

“It’s a difficult
situation.”

I didn’t disagree with
Arthur’s words.

This situation was worse than
when I ended up in Where The Alchemist Stayed before. (The entrance
exam dungeon fiasco.)

The monsters coming at us now
were weaker, but the last one from that place was practically blind.

Its weaknesses were so obvious
that it was easy to evade. However, this place is different.

No matter how far we run, the
Orcs will relentlessly pursue us, and the already aggroed Minotaur
will chase us.

If we make one wrong move
while running, we’ll end up being ambushed and killed.

Therefore, to hold out until
the professors come to our rescue, our best bet is to head for the
safe section.

We must keep moving.

‘Grandpa, just like last time,
please guide me.’

‘What can I do? I’m already
marked.’

If I want to be safe from such
chaotic situations, I need to become strong enough to crush any
threats, no matter what tricks they play.

Wait, Agra.

I may still be growing, but
soon enough, I’ll be strong enough to face your schemes with a
smile.

I’ll show you the skills of a
true veteran from the Soul Academy!

You might think you have the
upper hand now, but enjoy it while you can because soon you’ll be at
my mercy!

“What will you do?”

As I lifted my shield, Arthur
asked.

‘We’re heading to the safe
section.’

“Even a pitiful prince
like you knows what a safe section is, right? That’s where we’re
going.”

“Do you know where the
safe section is?”

Arthur responded.

He pointed out that the place
was as complex as a maze, as we saw during our earlier escape.

If we aren’t careful, we might
get lost and run into enemies, leading to our deaths.

So, instead of rushing forward
recklessly, he suggested that we stay in a quiet place and only move
when we detect the monster’s scent. It was a rational judgement.

If this were a dungeon studies
exam, it would merit a perfect score.

However, this isn’t an exam,
and at least for me, that wasn’t a good decision.

‘I know where everything is.’

“Pitiful Prince. Just
because you’re sloppy doesn’t mean you should see me as sloppy, too.
I know where everything is in this dungeon.”

“That can’t be true.
Isn’t this the first time you’ve seen this dungeon?”

No, it’s not. I’ve seen it
countless times.

Just considering how many
times I’ve conquered this dungeon, it must be thousands of times.

Maybe even more than that.

The rewards from the fragments
of Kolhiti, the boss here, were quite good, so I came to conquer it
every time.

That was the reality, but I
didn’t think Arthur would believe me even if I told him this.

So, I tried to smile
reassuringly and spoke confidently.

‘Trust me.’

“Pitiful Prince. Don’t
trust your sloppy thoughts, trust mine.”

“…Do you have any
proof?”

‘Yes! I have a blessing!’

“I am loved by the sloppy
Armadi.”

When I said that, Arthur
widened his eyes and then let out a small chuckle.

“Alright. I’ll trust you
this time.”

Lucy Allen’s claim of being
loved by a god was no lie.

As confidently as she had
spoken, she knew every detail of this dungeon. The paths in the
dungeon.

Where the monsters appear and
how they move.

How the traps within the
dungeon are arranged.

This wasn’t just knowing how
to conquer a dungeon.

Lucy Allen’s judgments were so
precise that you’d believe she designed the dungeon herself.

‘Didn’t she say that she
possesses a blessing that lets her know all the dungeon’s
information?

Ha. Did I really suggest
competing in dungeon-conquering against someone like that?

How foolish. Truly foolish.

Even as I walked down the path
of defeat, I was so confident of victory.

How laughable I must have
seemed to Lucy Allen when I proposed that challenge.

Sigh.

Is she someone with talents so
great she can look down on the world from above?’

“Lucy Allen.”

“Yes?”

‘Is it because we stand in
the middle of danger?

Lucy Allen’s voice was sharper
than usual.’

“Can I ask why you call
me Pitiful Prince?”

According to what Arthur heard
from Joy, Lucy Allen wasn’t mocking him out of malice; she simply
didn’t know his circumstances.

Anyone else would dismiss it
as nonsense, but Lucy Allen had lived a life of isolation due to her
arrogant personality.

Naturally, she’d be out of
touch with the news around her.

Previously, Arthur had ignored
this fact out of emotion, but now things were different. Arthur, his
mind now somewhat clearer, reluctantly admitted that Joy’s
explanation was likely the truth.

So, he decided to speak up.

Why did she call him the
Pitiful Prince when she didn’t know anything about his circumstances?

When she heard his question,
Lucy Allen turned her head to look at Arthur with a pitying
expression and said:

“Because you act so
pitiful, of course.”

“Me?”

“You didn’t know that?
Pfft. It’s so pathetic I don’t even want to explain it.”

‘Act pitiful? Me?

No way.’

He had lived his entire life
to avoid being pitied.

To fulfil his late mother’s
final wish.

To ensure his deceased mother
was not disrespected.

He had worked to become
someone whom nobody could look down on.

And yet, to think that he had
been acting pitiful?

“Explain in detail.”

“Pitiful Prince, try not
to jump to conclusions like a frenzied dog and just stay calm.”

Despite the insult, her tone
was serious, and Arthur fell silent.

He was someone who knew how to
put aside his emotions for the matter at hand.

Following Lucy Allen, Arthur
peeked beyond the wall and saw a creature blocking the path.

A Minotaur.

Arthur had heard about that
creature before. One of the knights Arthur knew from the royal palace
was someone who loved to share his heroic tales, and among those
stories was one about the Minotaur.

“The Minotaur is an
incredibly strong monster. It has the power to twist an average
soldier in armour and the speed of a buffalo. Moreover, it possesses
human intelligence and the might of a warrior. Its vitality is so
great that it doesn’t die easily from common wounds.”

“Prince, remember this:
even a knight can fall into great peril when facing a Minotaur. If
you ever encounter one, you must escape.”

Arthur still remembered the
knight’s story.

Although the professors of
Soul Academy were once renowned in the field and could easily handle
such a creature, he and Lucy Allen could not.

Attacking recklessly would
lead to a pointless death.

Lucy Allen, of all people,
surely knew this, yet she showed no intention of heading elsewhere.

Instead, she took out several
potions from her pouch and poured them into her mouth as if preparing
for a fight.

“Lucy Allen, are you
seriously thinking of fighting that thing?”

“Yes, I’m planning to
smash that bull’s head.”

“Are you out of your
mind?”

‘That’s a suicidal act.’

No matter how skilled Lucy
Allen might be compared to others her age, there was no way she could
face that monster.

“What’s the matter,
Pitiful Prince? About to wet yourself?”

“This isn’t about being
scared! This is—”

“We have to smash that
bull’s head to get to the Safe Section.”

Safe Section. Armadi creates a
safe space where Agra’s power doesn’t reach, ensuring safety in
almost every dungeon.

It’s the only place in the
dungeon where challengers can relax and rest without worry.

Lucy Allen explained that to
reach this place safely, they had to get there.

And to do that, they had to
defeat the Minotaur.

“It’s impossible. Instead
of attempting such a dangerous feat, we should continue dodging the
monsters as we have been.”

“Pitiful Prince, do you
think a sloppy person like you and I can hold out until the Academy’s
sloppy members arrive?”

Upon hearing that, Arthur
realised something.

Lucy Allen knew this path was
dangerous.

Someone who knew everything
about this dungeon couldn’t be unaware of the threat that monster
posed.

“Is this truly the only
way?”

When Lucy Allen nodded, Arthur
tightly gripped the hilt of his sword.

Was he going to risk his life?

“Well, if you’re really
scared, Pitiful Prince, you can stay back and take care of your
soiled pants.”

“No. I, too, will fight.”

Running away and leaving
everything to a girl would be too disgraceful.

He didn’t want to become an
even more disgraceful person.

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