Unlike some others, Vissy was aware of the situation due to having friends who kept her informed.

So when Lucy mentioned needing someone, Vissy quickly realized what Lucy was implying.

She's trying to drag me into her contest.

Vissy wanted nothing more than to stand up and leave.

There was nothing beneficial about joining Lucy Allen's party.

Having to enter a dungeon with this bratty lady who seemed to have learned no other language than sarcasm.

Having to step into a contest that seemed impossible to win.

And above all, the biggest issue was taking a stand against the Third Prince, who had both moral and practical advantages on his side.

Less than a day had passed, yet the opinion within Soul Academy had already tilted decisively.

The Third Prince, who had issued a fair challenge to the person who insulted him, versus the bratty lady who accepted it as if doing him a favor.

It was painfully obvious which side to support.

To stand against the Third Prince in this situation?

That would be like asking the students at the academy to throw stones at you.

And it wouldn’t stop there.

Supporting Lucy wouldn’t just affect her reputation within the academy.

Word would spread across the entire social circle.

People would whisper that she had sided with the bratty lady against the Third Prince.

While it wouldn’t be political suicide to oppose a prince who wasn’t in line for succession, it was still considered madness.

Yet, Vissy couldn’t bring herself to leave because Lucy Allen had a hold on her.

“If the extra lady doesn’t help me, I think my lips might get very loose.”

Necromancy.

A forbidden art that Vissy absolutely couldn’t afford to be exposed.

“Maybe I’ll even head over to the dusty old church and tell the lousy god all about it.”

Lucy spoke nonchalantly, toying with the cross-shaped necklace around her neck.

The High Church’s necklace.

A relic given only to those who have done significant work for the church.

How this blasphemous woman, who referred to Armandy as a lousy god, had received such a necklace was a mystery, but it was clear that Lucy Allen had ties to the church.

Not to mention she could use holy magic.

If someone like her reported Vissy to the church as a necromancer?

Vissy had heard from her master about the fate of necromancers who were exposed to the church.

Stories of horrific scenes that would make one wish for death.

She had to avoid that at all costs.

Suffering on a difficult path was better than being captured by the church and tortured to death.

“...So, I just need to be your party member?”

“You catch on quickly for an extra, don’t you? That’s right.”

As Lucy giggled, Vissy clenched her fists under the table.

If only I had the power, the authority to give this bratty lady a good knock on the head.

To make her cry and shout that she’s the lousy one!

As Vissy stewed in her resentment, Lucy pulled out a small orb from her pocket.

It looked like a simple gem on the outside, but Vissy immediately recognized what it was.

“This is a reward I got after defeating the necromancer last time. I thought you might know what it is.”

Even if she wasn’t highly skilled yet, Vissy was still a necromancer.

She couldn’t possibly miss the pure necromantic energy contained within the orb. Vissy couldn’t take her eyes off the orb.

If she could absorb that much necromantic energy into her body, she could undoubtedly reach a higher level.

It would bring her one step closer to the level she aspired to.

“It’s a rare item. You’d have to pay a fortune in the underworld to get something like this.”

Lucy was right.

Necromancy was considered forbidden magic by the church.

Naturally, items related to necromancy couldn’t be found in the open, and even in the black market, they were hard to come by.

Such items were far beyond the reach of a minor noble like Vissy.

“I’m not someone who gets others to work for free, extra lady. If you help me beat the Pathetic Prince, I’ll give this to you. What do you say?”

Vissy stood up and walked over to Lucy.

Then, she bowed her head respectfully.

“I’ll do my best!”

“Don’t bother. I don’t expect anything from a lousy extra like you. Just breathe quietly in the background.”

•  

<Can you trust a necromancer?>

After sending off the extra noble lady, who had seemed eager to lick my boots if I asked her to, Gramps asked in a low voice.

There was an unusual, dark tone to his voice.

It couldn’t be helped.

Most necromancers were followers of evil gods.

How could Gramps, who had spent his life fighting against evil gods, have any positive feelings toward a necromancer?

‘It’s fine.’

There’s a significant difference between the necromancers Gramps had encountered and the extra noble lady.

How could a madman who sincerely worships evil gods be the same as an extra lady who walked this path just to see her younger brother once more?

<I won’t press the issue since the situation demands it, but be cautious.>

‘I understand.’

Though I thought his worry was excessive, I nodded.

It was better to reassure him than to cause unnecessary conflict.

<So, what’s your plan now?>

‘Preparation.’

<But you don’t even know how the dungeon is set up.>

‘I do.’

Of course, I’ve memorized the structure of the dungeon that’s created in the first semester at Soul Academy.

Which monsters appear on each floor.

What the boss on every tenth floor is.

How to defeat them.

The layout of each field.

The hidden items and secret routes that the professors have stashed away.

I know all of it.

There’s no dungeon in the game Soul Academy that I don’t know.

The academy dungeon, being the primary stage of the game, is no exception.

Gramps didn’t ask further once I said I knew.

Given all the outlandish things I’ve done before using the lousy god as an excuse, Gramps must have assumed that the perverted deity was involved in this too.

After returning to the dormitory to gather some things, I took out a pouch from my room.

It was the pouch of gold coins that Benedict had prepared for me when I came to the academy! Inside were 20 gold coins.

That’s more than enough to cover a typical noble student’s living expenses for a year, yet Benedict handed it to me as pocket money, separate from my living expenses.

Because, as he said, it’s better to have too much money than too little.

Sure, the more money, the better, but is it really okay to give such a large sum to a student?

No wonder Lucy had developed such a wasteful habit! Benedict, you fool.

You’re so good at fighting and working, so why are you so terrible at parenting?

I took out two gold coins from the pouch and headed back outside.

In most cities, evening is the time when the streets start preparing for sleep.

In this world, without streetlights or electricity, night is purely a time for rest.

But the streets around Soul Academy are different.

The most active time in this city, which thrives around the academy, is the evening.

That’s when the academy students, who are the biggest spenders in this city, are free to roam.

Tonight, the streets of Soul Academy were bustling as usual, but I ignored the commotion and headed toward the back alleys.

While it was possible to find the items I needed in the shops here, their quality would be too low.

There’s no way a shop you visit early in the game would have anything good.

Once you unlock certain conditions later on, you can get decent items, but that’s not possible right now.

So, I chose a different location.

As I opened the door to the back alley pub, I felt the same stares I did the last time I was here.

But the nature of those stares had changed.

There was no hostility or wariness.

There was only caution.

I guess I’m a customer now, huh?

“Lady Allen. What brings you here today?”

The man who had picked a fight with me last time and ended up getting beaten by Alsetine asked politely.

‘Hello...’ “Hey, old man. I’m here to see the informant.”

His eyebrows twitched at the words that insulted both him and his superior.

But he didn’t lose his temper like last time.

The first time I saw him, he seemed like a hothead.

Was it just because I was an outsider?

“He’s upstairs. Shall I go call him...”

‘No...’ “No need. I’ll go to that lazy informant myself.”

I knew where Alsetine’s room was. I’d been there before.

I walked past the man who stepped aside to let me through and knocked on Alsetine’s door before opening it.

“Who...”

Alsetine, frowning as he looked up, quickly changed his expression when he saw my face.

‘It’s Lucy Allen.’ “It’s me. Got a problem, informant?”

“No. Of course not. What brings you here?”

‘I’m here to buy something.’ “There’s only one reason I’d come to this lousy, filthy place: to buy something.”

“I see. Please, have a seat.”

Following Alsetine’s lead, I closed the door and took a seat.

As I moved, he discreetly hid some of the papers laid out in front of him.

I guess there’s some important information there? Not that it matters to me.

Whatever it is, it can’t be more valuable than what’s in my head.

‘By the way...’ “Did you look into what I asked?”

“You mean the necklace of the Burrow family? Yes, we’ve confirmed its current location and should have it secured within two weeks.”

Already? That’s fast.

I expected it to take at least a month.

This was good news, but it wasn’t what I was asking about.

‘Not that.’ “Not that.”

I’m talking about your master.

You’ve investigated, haven’t you?

With the information network you have, you must have found at least a small clue by now.

“Yes. Of course, I investigated. I’ve determined that your claim had sufficient merit. We’ve picked up your master’s trail.”

Good. Now Alsetine won’t want to cross me until I tell him everything about his master.

If I ask him for a favor, he’ll undoubtedly do his best.

“I’m curious how you came by such information, but I assume you won’t tell me?”

‘Of course not.’ “Why even ask, informant? Trying to make me waste my breath?”

“Haha, no such thing. So, back to the main point. What are you here to buy?”

I handed Alsetine the list of items I had prepared in advance.

He looked it over and raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Are you planning to explore a dungeon?”

‘Yes...’ “That’s right, informant. Can you get all of this in top quality within a week?”

“Of course. However.”

Before Alsetine could finish, I took out two gold coins and placed them next to the paper. Alsetine’s face lit up with a bright smile.

“Come back in three days, and it will be ready.”