Sparring Victory Reward? (2)

It was a remark that surprised even me the moment I blurted it out. It was a tone that slightly deviated from my status, having forgotten even the most basic etiquette between a master and a maid.

Fortunately, my head quickly cooled the moment I spoke, so I hurriedly bowed my head and offered my apologies to Ethan for my recent words and actions.

“I apologize. I momentarily made a slip of the tongue to Young Master-nim….”

“…It’s alright, Lilith. I don’t really think it was that big of a mistake.”

I apologized with my head bowed so low it almost touched the dining table, while Ethan accepted my apology with his usual reassuring smile.

The emotion I felt during that process was shame so intense I wanted to dig a hole and bury myself. My recent remark was, even to me, utterly absurd.

Not only did I act disrespectfully towards Ethan, the noble I serve, but the reason was because he wouldn’t sleep with me… It was an act so embarrassing that if there had been a sturdy rope nearby, I would have hanged myself.

‘Indeed, it’s a reward for Ethan in the first place, so it’s up to Ethan whether to accept it or not.’

And strictly speaking, the very reason for such actions was to make Ethan feel good and to serve as a reward for his skill improvement.

So, if he could win the sparring match against Harold without any lingering attachment to such lewd acts, then it was certainly a good thing for Ethan, but….

‘…Somehow, my chest feels a little sore.’

Does this mean he’s held my body so much that he no longer feels anything, whether he does it or not?

Or was he already tired of it, but just pretended not to be because he felt sorry telling me that?

Just as all sorts of negative thoughts were swirling through my mind, Ethan’s hurried, almost-not-a-defense, continued.

“Please don’t misunderstand, Lilith. It doesn’t mean I’m giving up the reward for winning a match against my father.”

“……Huh?”

“Well, starting tomorrow, it’s the Geology Exploration Class again for a week, isn’t it? I don’t know how long this exploration class will take, and I thought it might be a bit risky to go if I accumulate too much fatigue tonight, so I’m trying to manage my condition.”

“Ah…. So that was the reason…?”

“So, I was going to say that after this Geology Exploration Class is over, there will be another week of no classes, so we could do it when we have a bit more time. It seems there was a bit of a misunderstanding.”

“…….”

Ah, how embarrassing.

I honestly want to die.

“I apologize. Even as Young Master Ethan-nim’s exclusive maid, I failed to grasp Young Master-nim’s intentions.”

“It’s alright, Lilith. Rather, I’m relieved. Because I also learned that Lilith is looking forward to the ‘reward’ after the sparring match as much as I am.”

“…….”

“I’m looking forward to when we return from the Geology Exploration, Lilith.”

“……Yes.”

It was a moment where I only added another unnecessary dark chapter to Ethan’s history by making a baseless assumption.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

A night passed with nothing happening, despite Ethan’s victory in the swordsmanship sparring match against Harold, and then came the next day.

The misunderstanding that Ethan didn’t desire a reward from me was immediately cleared up thanks to his subsequent words, but the shame and embarrassment I gained in that process remained indelible.

And the awkward atmosphere that had momentarily flowed between Ethan and me during the creation of that misunderstanding still lingered even a day later, making the mood inside the carriage, as we traveled for the ‘Geology Exploration Class,’ particularly uncomfortable today.

“…….”

“…….”

In the quiet silence, I deliberately avoided looking at Ethan and stared blankly out the opposite window, while Ethan kept glancing furtively in my direction.

Now, if we were to enter the Geology Exploration Class again, we’d have to stick together for at least three days, up to six, and if the atmosphere remained like this throughout the entire Geology Exploration Class, one of us, either Ethan or I, would probably collapse from suffocation.

“Ahem, E-Ethan Young Master-nim.”

“…Why, why did you call me, Lilith?”

“I-I’d like to briefly explain the information I know regarding the Geology Exploration Class, if you don’t mind right now?”

“…Yes, it’s fine now, so tell me.”

I deliberately steered the conversation towards class-related topics and naturally opened up a new subject for discussion. After all, once we entered the dungeon, we’d have to stick together the whole time, whether we liked it or not, just like during the last Natural Science Exploration Class.

And as I mentioned before, Ethan and I don’t have much time left to be together. Wasting each precious day by being awkward over something trivial was simply too much.

“First, I believe there are three main criteria the professor will evaluate in this Geology Exploration Class: the speed of dungeon clearing, the stability of dungeon clearing, and the appropriate distribution of roles among party members….”

While we talked about various things, the carriage carrying Ethan and me had already entered ‘Dungeon City,’ the stage for this Geology Exploration Class.

I hoped that this exploration subject, too, would conclude smoothly, just like the last Natural Science Exploration.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

The Geology Exploration Class, also known as dungeon exploration, considered the preparation process itself as part of the class.

The stage for the class was ‘Dungeon City’ in the southeastern part of the Empire. It wasn’t called Dungeon City because it had a dungeon and was a city; it was simply the literal name of the city: ‘Dungeon City.’

Normally, there was one underground dungeon per region, very rarely two, but this city had as many as four such dungeons.

Furthermore, all four dungeons had their own unique difficulties and characteristics, so this area also served as a tourist city frequently visited by many adventurers for dungeon exploration.

“Alright, from now on, I will inform you brats of the grading criteria for the Geology Exploration Class.”

The other students listened intently to the class explanation, tensing up at the words of the muscular professor who clearly gave off a physical education vibe.

Since nearly half of the combat-oriented students were participating in the class, I casually scanned the considerable number of students.

The Hero Party seemed to have full attendance. Among the other faces I recognized were Gwyn, the Student Council Vice-President, and Karaham, who was alone without Lilia for the first time in a while.

As I looked around, my eyes momentarily met Karaham’s, so I deliberately pretended not to see him and averted my gaze. I didn’t want that guy to interfere with this rare opportunity to clear a dungeon alone with Ethan.

‘Well… given that muscle-brained guy’s personality, he’d probably just go into a 1-person dungeon and swing wildly.’

As I mentioned earlier, there are four dungeons in this Dungeon City. Four dungeons, each with different difficulties and recommended party sizes.

The easiest dungeon is a 1-person dungeon with a recommended party size of one. It can be cleared in half a day if one puts their mind to it.

Next is a 2-person dungeon with a recommended party size of two. While it can be cleared within a day if one forces a time-attack play, it usually takes about two days.

A 4-person dungeon with a recommended party size of four takes about three days if cleared according to the standard method, and finally, the largest and most difficult dungeon, the large-scale dungeon, requires a full party of eight to explore and traverse the dungeon for almost five full days.

As you might guess, the last dungeon was the one Gyeotmwa Jyosyegigot and his party members would enter. From the start, there was no one who could really clear the final large-scale dungeon without the Hero Party’s physical prowess and abilities, so it was destined to be the class venue for Gyeotmwa and his party members throughout this entire class.

And naturally, Ethan and I planned to undertake a standard two-day clear of the 2-person dungeon.

Some might wonder how it’s possible for all academy students to explore dungeons for a week when there are only four dungeons and each takes several days to clear.

However, it would be a great misconception to think that all students who entered the Geology Exploration Class had a deep understanding of dungeon clearing.

It was not uncommon to see examples of students fleeing out of a two-day dungeon in less than half a day, or a four-person party entering a three-day dungeon only to be wiped out in a single day.

“The moment this necklace, which I’ve distributed to you all, is destroyed, the test will end. Consider this your life and make sure you never lose it inside the dungeon.”

For your information, that necklace is an item called the ‘Return Necklace,’ a specialty product of Dungeon City.

It’s an Artifact that, if one enters a dungeon in Dungeon City and loses their life inside, the necklace is destroyed instead, and the user’s body is transported to the Church in Dungeon City.

In fact, it was a ridiculously expensive necklace, to the point where it could be considered the main source of income for this Dungeon City. Of course, paying such high tuition fees normally also meant that these were to be used as class materials.

“The Geology Exploration Class is a relative evaluation subject, not an absolute evaluation like the Natural Science Exploration or Solar Studies Exploration. The group that clears each dungeon fastest, according to the recommended number of people, will get an A+. The next will get an A, then a B+. You can think of it as scores being assigned in this manner. Well, even if the clearing is delayed, as long as you pass, you’ll get a C, so do your best until the very end.

Anyone who comes out of the dungeon claiming insufficient preparation or whose necklace is broken will be treated as an F, without exception. However, there will be cases where a dungeon is cleared with some party members’ necklaces broken; in such cases, I will listen to the circumstances, and if I judge that the sacrifice was a reasonable one, I will exempt them from an F, so even if members drop out midway, do your best until the end.”

“Professor-nim, then how is the dungeon clearing order decided?”

“It’s first-come, first-served. For your information, I will not accept complaints such as someone inside coming out late and thus not being able to take the test within the period. Dungeon clearing itself is a test from the moment you enter the dungeon.”

“M-me, me! We’ll go in first!”

“We’re first for the 4-person dungeon! Get out of the way, everyone!”

“Don’t push, you bastard!”

As soon as the Geology Exploration professor finished speaking, various groups of students rushed towards the dungeon entrance, clamoring to go in first.

Ethan and I, standing slightly apart from the crowd of students, moved towards the Commercial District of Dungeon City, contemplating the remaining six days of the test period.

Because, when it came to clearing dungeons for this ‘Geology Exploration’ class, the top priority wasn’t whether one could enter the dungeon or not.