Chapter Index

    Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
    206

    Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
    206

    Desperately begging didn’t
    change reality.

    Duke Partan’s request was
    purely personal. It wasn’t a quest, so skipping it was out of the
    question.

    After snapping out of my
    panic, I hinted at my refusal to the Duke. No matter how much I
    pondered, I couldn’t see anything good coming out of it. However,
    the Duke didn’t accept my plea.

    “Lady, you triumphed over
    the First Prince. What would others think if you didn’t even express
    your thoughts?”

    Duke Partan sternly pointed
    out that it could be seen as blatant disregard towards the First
    Prince.

    The usually easygoing Duke,
    often called the Careless Duke, looked so stern because he was
    worried about me, Joy’s companion.

    Seeing this, I reluctantly
    nodded, and Duke Partan flashed a grin that belonged in a horror
    movie.

    …It was a smile of approval,
    right? Right?

    After the Duke left, telling
    me; Good luck, even though my head was aching, I urgently called out
    Grandpa’s name.

    With my feeble mind, I
    couldn’t find a way out of this situation.

    But even Grandpa didn’t have
    a magical solution to this situation. Since my actions were limited
    by the skill, no matter how politically astute Grandpa was, there
    were inherent limitations.

    ‘Got it.’

    In summary, Grandpa aimed for
    minimal damage.

    With the [Mesugaki] skill in
    effect, preventing an explosion was impossible, so we should at least
    reduce its scale.

    Hearing this, I could only
    sigh.

    If I had known this, I would
    have just lost to the First Prince and worn the dress…

    No, wait. That’s not right.

    But blurting out insults like
    sloppy trash in front of several influential nobles is also…

    Reflecting on it all, I
    realised the cruel truth.

    Whichever choice I made, the
    road ahead led straight to hell.

    I thought I had crushed
    Armadi’s schemes, but no. From the moment he gave that quest, my fate
    was sealed.

    What kind of god sets traps
    for his own apostle? You wretched, trashy moron!

    Countless people wished to
    attend the party hosted by the Partan Family.

    The prestige of being one of
    the few Duke’s Families in the Kingdom.

    The reputation built from the
    numerous achievements of the Partan Family.

    The honour born from their
    dedication to the kingdom.

    The Partan Family possesses
    all three aspects.

    How many people wouldn’t want
    to establish some kind of connection with the people here?

    Because of this, the number of
    people wishing to attend a Partan Family party always far exceeds the
    number of actual participants.

    Given such a situation, the
    titles of those attending the party were never insignificant.

    The two princes of the Soladin
    Kingdom.

    Members of other Duke’s
    Families, excluding the Burrow Family.

    The Kent Family, known for
    their swordsmanship. The Rumley Family, wealthy from their abundant
    lands. The Vulcan Family of the Blue Tower Lord, along with other
    influential noble families that supported the kingdom.

    The saint of the Church of
    Armadi. The leader of the Claw Mercenary Group, known for leading the
    frontline in various dungeon conquests.

    The apostle of Beauty and Art.
    The next successor of the Dragon Burp Company, which linked various
    countries across the continent.

    Though there might be
    differences in status, none of their names were trivial.

    That was true, but even among
    greatness, there were differences.

    All jewels shine beautifully,
    but their values vary.

    The same goes for the
    attendees of this party.

    There were those that had
    people eagerly hoping to talk with them, and then there were those
    unable to fit in anywhere, who only watched awkwardly.

    And at this moment.

    The name of the family waiting
    for the door to open beyond the party hall was undoubtedly among the
    former.

    The person guarding the door
    took a deep breath after hearing something through the magic tool.

    “Sir Benedict Allen and
    Lady Lucy Allen of the Count Allen Family are entering!”

    With a voice ringing loudly
    throughout the entire party hall, all eyes turned to the entrance. As
    the grand doors opened, a father and daughter stepped inside.

    To describe them in a single
    phrase: a monster and a fairy ensnared by it.

    A towering physique that
    reduced any average man to a child and muscles so bulging that they
    seemed ready to burst out of the suit.

    A fierce and intimidating
    expression.

    The spirit exuded from his
    sheer strength.

    The reverence born from the
    legendary tales surrounding him.

    Benedict Allen.

    Once called the Kingdom’s
    Fang, and despite his long seclusion in his territory, his name
    always came up when discussing the strongest on the continent.

    The looks directed at him were
    of longing, gratitude, awe, and respect.

    With such a name that
    protected the kingdom through numerous adversities, those gazes were
    inevitable.

    Standing next to him was a
    tiny girl, barely coming up to Benedict’s waist.

    Her attire was extremely
    modest and simple.

    A dress based on white with
    occasional gold accents.

    An outfit that would have
    drawn sharp criticism as unsophisticated if worn by some unknown
    noble lady.

    Yet, there wasn’t a single
    person who dared to say such words to this girl.

    She was far too beautiful for
    anyone to dismiss her as unsophisticated.

    Her strikingly white skin. A
    leisurely smile. Confident red eyes, a mix of purity and mischief.
    Twin tails swaying as if dancing in the air.

    She looked like an angel
    painstakingly crafted by God.

    Her beauty transformed the
    perception of her attire.

    What seemed plain turned into
    elegance, confidence, simplicity, and sophistication.

    Though her appearance would
    leave anyone who saw her in awe and admiration, the gazes directed at
    her were far from kind.

    Those long involved in social
    circles knew what lurked beneath that angelic exterior.

    Lucy Allen.

    A child infamous for her many
    misdeeds.

    If not for Benedict Allen’s
    name, she would have long since fallen into the Devil’s hands.

    Seen as a girl abandoned by
    God because all light had been given to Benedict.

    Rumours had circulated that
    Lucy Allen had changed since entering the Academy, but not many
    believed it.

    Even if her competence had
    bloomed, her innate nature would remain.

    This was the collective
    judgement of those who had been wounded by Lucy Allen’s malevolence.

    Given such circumstances, the
    eyes on Lucy Allen were not friendly.

    “Why is that girl here…”

    Someone expressed outright
    hatred.

    “Leeching off Lady Partan’s
    grace…”

    “It’s laughable that she
    dared to challenge the First Prince without knowing her place.”

    Another voice revealed
    jealousy.

    “They must have made a
    pact with an evil god.”

    “Exactly. How could that
    scum suddenly become so competent?”

    Some were even bold enough to
    openly accuse her.

    For Lucy Allen, this place
    felt like a punishment.

    The kind of punishment where
    she was surrounded by the needles of others’ hostility.

    While an ordinary person might
    have staggered under such pain, Lucy Allen was different.

    Without a hint of wavering,
    she stood before the Duke and Duchess.

    Duke Partan raised an eyebrow
    as he watched her.

    ‘Thank you for inviting us,
    Duke Partan and Duchess.’

    “Thank you for inviting
    us, Careless Duke and Weak Lady.”

    As the father and daughter
    from the Allen family entered, the party hall buzzed with murmurs,
    but all fell silent the moment Lucy Allen spoke.

    It was a breach of etiquette.

    An extremely grave one.

    Insulting the hosts of the
    party, and not just any noble family but the great Partan family!

    While everyone held their
    breath, afraid that a misstep might escalate the situation, the Duke
    and Duchess of Partan burst into laughter.

    “Puhahaha! My dear, did
    you hear that?”

    “Yes, indeed. I never
    imagined she would dare call us such names here.”

    “She’s got guts.
    Definitely Benedict’s daughter.”

    Hearing their laughter right
    in front of him, Benedict stammered as he spoke.

    “I’m sorry, Your Graces.
    It’s my daughter…”

    “What are you talking
    about, Benedict? I quite like this nickname. All I’ve ever heard from
    a child’s mouth were cries, yet now I’m the Careless Duke! I wish
    the other kids would be this friendly too.”

    “Me too. Thus far, the
    only nicknames I’ve gotten were Demon or Witch, but now I’m the
    Weak Lady.”

    Though they patted Benedict’s
    shoulder with a smile, no one, including him, took their words
    seriously.

    They only let Lucy’s rudeness
    slide because she was the daughter of the great hero Benedict, a dear
    friend of theirs.

    “Oh dear, it seems I’ve
    kept you too long. You’ve got to enjoy the party, especially since
    it’s been a while.”

    The eerie laughter of Duke
    Partan made everyone in the hall force out a response.

    They couldn’t think that the
    Duke’s words to enjoy the party were directed solely at the Allen
    pair.

    Was it because it had been so
    long since he had been outside the mansion? Benedict was overwhelmed
    with meeting people.

    There were so many who wished
    to greet him that they nearly formed a circle around Benedict.

    Watching this, I quietly
    slipped away from his side and headed to the corner of the party
    hall. Unlike the attention Benedict received, the looks directed at
    me were far from kind.

    ‘Indeed.’

    Back at the Academy, most
    people feared me rather than outright dislike me.

    However, things were different
    here. The people here didn’t bother to hide their animosity toward
    me.

    When I stepped forward
    briefly, I felt suffocated. How did Lucy endure it all?

    At this point, I couldn’t help
    but feel genuine respect for her.

    Grandpa’s voice was filled
    with disbelief, but I didn’t respond.

    Maybe he didn’t really expect
    an answer, as he quickly changed the subject.

    As Grandpa said, not everyone
    was watching me with sharp eyes.

    People who seemed unfamiliar
    with high society, those who appeared to keep their distance from
    noble status, looked at me with curiosity.

    Is this part of the reward
    from the Sloppy God?

    I still can’t quite feel it.

    When I reached an
    inconspicuous corner, I quietly scanned the hall for any familiar
    faces.

    Joy and Phoebe were at the
    centre of this party. Surrounded by a multitude of people, it seemed
    impossible for them to break away.

    Frey was busy munching on food
    in a corner. And Arthur hadn’t arrived yet.

    Oh. There’s Avery.

    When our eyes met, I gave her
    a slight frown as if to say.

    You remember what happened at
    the auction house, right?

    Avery frantically nodded.

    Regardless of her character,
    she sure is quick-witted.

    As I thought this and rested
    my chin on my hand, I saw Jeff walking towards me from afar.

    For the young master of the
    Partan Family, who should be the centre of this party, to come all
    the way to this secluded corner—

    There could be only one
    reason.

    “Lady Allen. Are you
    prepared to give your speech?”

    No. I’m not ready.

    I’ve prepared, but I don’t
    want to give it.

    Can I pass? You just saw it
    happen. If I go up on that stage, it’s guaranteed that something will
    go wrong.

    Do you really want such a
    disaster to occur at the party?

    Though I was grumbling these
    words internally, what came out of my mouth was the complete
    opposite.

    ‘Yes. I’m ready.’

    “Of course, Sly Young
    Master.”

    I wasn’t brave enough to run
    away from this situation.

    Alright. Let’s go ruin my
    reputation.

    I really don’t want to do
    this…

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