As I watched the heavily armored orcs being slashed to pieces before me, I couldn't help but furrow my brows.

This isn’t the place either?

Not even two fully armored orcs are enough?

Damn it.

If this place isn’t right, then where...?

<Young one, I sense a faint trace of life nearby.>

Just as I was continuing my frustrated thoughts, Grandpa's voice echoed in my mind. He had accurately detected the presence of monsters when we fell into Agra's trap before, so if he said he sensed something, it was likely reliable information.

Where is it?!

<The location isn't precise due to the distance, but it's to the south-southwest from here.>

I mentally mapped out the area and pinpointed the location based on Grandpa's directions.

South-southwest from here...

I think I know where that is.

It must be the place with the wall trap.

It’s a spot where, when someone steps on a certain part of the floor, a wall separates the party members.

So Luca must be planning to isolate Arthur and his team and give them a trial.

Now that I’ve figured out Luca's intention, the only thing left is to rush there.

Everyone!… “Lowlifes! I’ve figured out where the pathetic prince is crawling around!”

My single declaration drew the attention of all the professors present. Initially, they were hesitant to follow my orders, but now things were different. Having seen my commands consistently prove effective, they no longer dismissed me as just a student and were now listening closely to my direction.

The location is!... “The weakling pathetic prince is...”

There was no conversation among Arthur and his party as they progressed through the dungeon.

When they first began raiding the academy’s dungeon, they were in high spirits, but now, after Arthur’s magic tool had sent them off course, the only sound that could be heard was their breathing.

Luca occasionally tried to break the tension by speaking up, but his words only filled the air for a moment before the oppressive silence returned.

In this atmosphere, Arthur was deeply aware of his mistake.

Because of my poor judgment, I’ve put everyone in danger.

The desperate need to avoid losing to Lucy Allen had driven him to use a tool given to him by someone he shouldn’t have trusted, and now they were in this mess.

How foolish.

Blinded by the desire for revenge against the person who called him the pathetic prince, Arthur had made a colossal blunder.

He couldn’t forget the sight of the minotaur they encountered earlier in the dungeon, swinging its massive axe, towering over any grown man.

Arthur, Jakal, and Matthew were not equipped to handle such an opponent.

The sheer presence of that massive creature had made that abundantly clear.

If Luca hadn’t drawn his knife and dispatched the minotaur with ease, they would have all been slaughtered.

The fact that Luca had to intervene only highlighted how dire their situation was. Without him, the three of them would have been killed by the monster.

Knowing that his own mistake had nearly led to the deaths of those who had come to help him weighed heavily on Arthur.

He had always thought those who let revenge blind them were foolish, and yet, here he was, proving himself to be the same kind of fool.

The only saving grace for Arthur was that Luca was with them, giving him a chance to rectify his mistake.

Luca, despite his young age, was renowned as a skilled professor, and his abilities were real. If he could dispatch a minotaur with such ease, this dungeon likely didn’t pose much of a threat to him.

As long as they stayed with Luca, they should be able to safely escape the dungeon.

So, Arthur began thinking about what he should do afterward.

First, he needed to apologize to Jakal and Matthew. He had already expressed his regret, but a verbal apology wasn’t enough; he would need to compensate them properly.

Then, he had to confront the professor who had given him the compass. He needed to find out what the professor’s true intentions were in giving him such an item.

Of course, he would also have to face the consequences himself. Even if the academy tried to show leniency, he would refuse it and accept his punishment. After all, his wrongdoing was undeniable.

And then... he would have to forgive Lucy Allen.

...

No matter what, a defeat is a defeat.

When Arthur was still on the sixth floor, Lucy Allen had already surpassed the 20th, making his loss inevitable. Lucy Allen was an opponent Arthur could never have defeated, no matter how hard he tried.

So, Arthur had to acknowledge the one who had called him the pathetic prince...

Huh, that’s difficult.

Knowing he’s been defeated, it’s so hard to admit it.

Is my heart really this small?

Click.

In the midst of his thoughts, Arthur heard a mechanism click.

Looking up, he saw that Luca had stepped on something that caused the ground beneath his left foot to sink slightly.

“This isn’t good.”

With that exclamation from Luca, a stone wall shot up, separating him from Arthur and the others.

“No, this can’t be happening.” “Everyone! Step back, please!”

As Jakal, startled by the sudden separation, moved closer to the wall, Luca’s voice boomed from the other side, warning them to step back.

The moment Jakal stepped back, a loud crash echoed through the air as Luca tried to break through the wall.

But the stone wall was solid and unyielding.

Despite the repeated loud crashes, the wall remained intact without even the slightest crack. Eventually, the crashing stopped, signaling Luca’s abandonment of the effort.

“Everyone! Please wait there! I will definitely come and get you!” Luca’s voice called out before the sound of his running footsteps faded away.

Unable to break the wall, it seemed Luca intended to find another route to reach them.

With the three freshmen now left alone, Arthur was the first to speak.

“We need to move.”

“What?”

“Prince, what do you mean?”

“Luca said to wait, but we can’t stay here.”

“But we might miss Luca if we move!”

Jakal’s voice was almost a scream, but Arthur was resolute.

It was true that moving might make it harder for them to reunite with Luca.

Arthur knew that.

But even so, he insisted on moving because this was a dead end.

“Jakal, the monsters here are far too strong for us. If we encounter one of them here, with no way out, what do you think will happen?”

There was no need to spell out the answer.

They would be massacred.

All three of them would die.

Sacrifice? A miracle?

There would be no such thing.

The three of them, each with a promising future ahead of them, would die here, slain by a dungeon monster.

“But…”

“Prince, wouldn’t it be the same even if we miss Luca?” Matthew’s question echoed Jakal’s concerns.

Arthur nodded.

“You’re right, Matthew. My plan might just be a desperate attempt to buy us a little more time. But in this situation, where we don’t know when Luca will arrive, I believe securing a fallback position is our best option.”

Arthur spoke calmly, but the expressions on the two others’ faces were still uneasy.

After all, it was because of Arthur’s magic tool that they were trapped here.

From their perspective, trusting Arthur’s judgment wasn’t easy.

My past actions are already coming back to haunt me.

How do I convince them?

As Arthur began pondering this, a heavy footstep echoed from the corridor ahead.

The sound was far too loud to be human.

The party had encountered many monsters by now, so it wasn’t difficult to guess who the owner of those footsteps might be.

“A minotaur.”

“No, no, no!” “Oh, God.”

As the towering figure of the minotaur, nearly touching the ancient temple’s crumbling ceiling, came into view, Arthur realized he had been too slow in his judgment.

He drew the sword at his waist and stepped to the front.

As a magic swordsman, Arthur’s place was usually behind Jakal, but not now.

Having brought them into danger through his own actions, Arthur had to stand at the front.

Even if it was a futile gesture, he had to try to take responsibility.

“I’ll try to buy us some time. If you see an opening, run.”

I don’t know if I’ll be able to create such an opening, but I have to do my best.

Just as Arthur was preparing to risk his life to face the minotaur, a mocking voice that didn’t fit the gravity of the situation rang out.

“Oh my, you’re such a big brute, ♡ Are you trying to be a lady with that size?♡ Running at a man while drooling like that makes you look like a pervert♡”

The minotaur froze at the sound of the taunting words.

Arthur turned and saw her.

A girl, her hair tangled and messy from what must have been a desperate run, with a smirk on her face that he had always found infuriating.

Hah, I must have been really cornered.

Why do I feel so relieved just by seeing that smirk?

“Lowlifes, attack.”

Grandpa, thank you so much!

<It’s nothing. Being trapped in a mace, this is the least I can do.>

That was close!

If it hadn’t been for Grandpa, I might have wasted time searching other areas and arrived too late.

If that had happened, could I have still saved them?

Watching the professors check on Arthur and his team after easily dispatching the minotaur, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness. I’m really glad.

If I had been late and failed to save them, how much would I have tormented myself again?

Sigh. So now all that’s left is to finish clearing the dungeon?

That’ll be easy.

With the strength we have here, even if Agra tries to pull something, we can crush it.

Great, let’s clear this dungeon as quickly as possible and get back. The academy isn’t that far from here, so we should be back before the sun sets.

Just as I was thinking this, Arthur broke away from the professors and walked toward me.

What? What does he want?

Considering what I’ve done to him, I was scared to see him approaching.

But I saved his life, so he wouldn’t be mad, right?

Right?

“Lucy Allen.”

‘Y-Yes!’ “Go ahead, Pathetic Prince.”

Arthur didn’t react much to being called the pathetic prince, only raising an eyebrow slightly before continuing.

“First, let me thank you. The professors told me that you were instrumental in rescuing us. If it weren’t for you, Jakal and Matthew could have been in real danger due to my mistake.”

As he bowed his head to me, I felt a bit uncomfortable.

I never thought the day would come when Arthur would thank me!

I always thought I’d be on his bad side forever!

“And as for our competition, I acknowledge my defeat. Your talent is real. You may be arrogant, but you have the right to be.”

Arthur spoke with a serious tone, and I wasn’t sure how to respond.

No matter what I said, the Mesugaki skill would probably filter it into something weird.

Ugh. How do I keep from ruining this mood?

Ding.

Just then, the sound of a notification chimed in.

What’s this? Is it saying I cleared the quest?

Hmph. Useless god.

You’re pretty good at rewarding me at the right time.

As I thought that and checked the message, I realized...

[Agra is watching you.]

I seriously realized that I was in deep trouble.

A magic circle appeared on the ground, centering around me and Arthur.

“Milady!”

Carl reacted in alarm, but before he could do anything, the light from the magic circle flared up, separating us from the rest of the group.

When the light finally faded, Arthur and I found ourselves thrown into some unknown part of the old temple of Kolhiti.

Shit.