Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy-Chapter 635: Warrior (3)

The king thought Erginus’ suggestion was strange.

Even when considering the differences in their powers, the king had an advantage.

With the divine power of the Evil God now in his grasp, he had overcome the last of his physical weaknesses.

Even if the five brilliant talents faced him, he could not be defeated.

Though there were miracles that could happen due to the Apostle of the Lord, the fact that he had the advantage remained unchanged.

Yet, in this situation, Erginus suggested that the king make his own dungeon.

He directly told him to create a castle and hide in it. The advantage between the defense of a castle and an open battlefield was clear to anyone not a fool.

Erginus, having acquired the power of darkness, could not have failed to understand the disparity in strength, and he surely knew the advantage of constructing a castle. So why suggest this first?

Why offer the king an advantage? What could he possibly be planning?

The king thought and thought, but no matter how he tried, he could not figure out why.

Could it be that he believed in the dungeon-related power that Lucy Allen possessed?

Was it possible that, in a situation where the divine power of the Evil God neutralized the Lord’s powers, he truly believed that only the power itself could make a difference?

Could it be that Erginus, the hero, and the god of darkness, had failed to consider such a thing?

Impossible. There was something else. Something I didn’t anticipate.

"Scared?♡ Can't even hide in a corner by yourself?♡"

"I will."

Ha. Whatever Erginus believed in, it didn’t matter.

The enemy had suggested creating a castle first, hadn't they?

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

Whatever variable they believed in, it didn’t matter. They would be crushed. No matter what their plan was, all we had to do was create a dreadful place so ruthless that the meaning of their thoughts would be nullified.

"I will, Erginus."

Creating dungeons was a pastime and a cultured activity for the kingdom’s men.

Naturally, I was engrossed in dungeon creation as well.

No, rather, it was because of my age that I became engrossed in dungeon creation.

Since I could not participate in the knightly fun of wielding swords, I did my best to enhance my authority in this aspect.

So I knew well how to create a truly ruthless dungeon.

"However, promise me one thing. That our duel will end solely between us."

"Don't worry. That is one of the constraints."

The king smiled at the notion that external help might disrupt the balance.

After the king left to create his dungeon, Rene watched Lucy Allen hum a tune, quietly observing her.

He understood intellectually.

Lucy Allen, who exhibited abnormal abilities when it came to dungeons, would surely surpass any trial prepared for her.

Erginus must have known this, and yet still chose the path of a dungeon, conceding the advantage to the opponent.

But was this really the right thing to do?

This was not meant to test us, was it?

If the aim was to kill us, then giving us weapons to do so was akin to handing us our doom.

Would Lucy Allen's abilities truly function in a place where rationality was thrown aside?

"What are you so worried about?"

At Arthur's question, Rene shrugged.

"This is no different from offering one's neck to the enemy to kill."

"Does it really seem that way?"

"Isn't it?"

"Not at all. From my perspective, it seems like the enemy is practically begging to be killed. After all, it’s Lucy Allen."

Rene was puzzled by Arthur's firm belief.

Facing someone with the power of the Evil God was unimaginably terrifying.

His mind had quickly shattered, and he had come to believe that self-harm was the best way out.

Only after time had passed did Rene realize how foolish he had been.

Arthur, surely, knew this fear. He was a hero who had directly faced the dark Evil God, not someone who had borrowed the power of the Evil God.

"Aren’t you scared?"

"I've been through worse, so it's fine."

"How can you say that?"

"Ah, I guess you wouldn't know. You’ve never jumped into hell with Lucy Allen, have you?"

Arthur laughed, saying that Rene was speaking from his own perspective, and shrugged as he watched Lucy Allen list all the dangers she thought about.

"She’s small. She's treated like a friend by children. Her body is so delicate that it seems like it might blow away on a windy day. But, when she stands at the front holding a shield, there’s a strange sense of trust. As long as Lucy Allen stands at the front, I have an irrational belief that we can’t lose."

Rene closed his mouth, having opened it in surprise, and quietly observed Lucy’s surroundings.

The saint listening with a kind smile to Lucy's explanation.

Partlan's young lady, frowning deeply, asking why things were the way they were.

Kent’s young lady, swinging her sword in mid-air without listening.

"If Lucy Allen is the hero, are you all the hero’s companions?"

"That guy's a hero? Does that even make sense?"

"But he's the Apostle of the Lord. Isn't that enough?"

"...Wouldn't it be a big problem if Lucy Allen starts being worshipped?"

"That sounds fun. Imagine the church priest imitating her manner of speaking. That’d be hilarious."

The two laughed together at the thought of the stern old man on the podium clearing his throat and saying, "Hah-hah," in an exaggerated manner.

"Useless prince. You're only smarter than that idiot swordsman, but why are you being so lazy? Do you want to become a fool that badly?"

"I heard everything."

"Prove it. You know what happens if you can’t, right?"

Arthur’s anger flared up as he watched the banter between them, while Rene forced a smile.

Instead of showing up again, the king sent a door to invite us.

He wanted us to enter the dungeon himself.

How fun. It’s much more immersive, I like it.

What had he prepared, I wonder?

Had he set up childish traps the moment we entered?

As usual, the moment I stepped in first, the floor collapsed beneath me.

From between the exposed walls, all kinds of traps poured out.

Magic. Curses. Arrows. Poisons. Everything meant to kill the intruder.

As I watched my friends fall behind me, the feeling I had was anticipation.

Well prepared. The traps were designed to ensure that if you tried to avoid them clumsily, you’d end up hurt.

But...

This isn’t the end, right?

This is just a prelude, isn’t it?

The king probably didn’t expect us to fall this easily.

He probably thought we’d take a wound or two at best.

The real challenge starts when we reach deeper, doesn’t it?

"As expected."

"Freya Kent."

"Understood."

As Freya swung his sword, the walls and all the traps were sliced away. It didn’t matter that the traps had already been triggered.

We landed without a scratch, and we were greeted by a tall castle.

Countless archers and mages stood on the ramparts, aiming at us, while the soldiers around us raised their spears, trying to suppress us.

There was only one staircase leading up, and it was long and winding, making it clear that we’d have to endure numerous attacks while climbing.

And, standing in mid-air under the high ceiling, was the king.

Dressed in the king's attire, too large for his withered body, he gazed down at us, laughing.

He must have planned to intervene with his power at intervals.

"This is completely different from what you mentioned, Lucy Allen."

"Is this really a dungeon? It seems more like a war."

"Yeah. It feels dangerous, like it’s sending chills down my spine."

This is a hunt.

Just like when an army appears to hunt dangerous monsters, the soldiers of this castle are here to hunt us under the king's orders.

<Efficient, yet at the same time, petty. What kind of dungeon is this?>

When I heard my grandfather's irritated voice, I couldn’t help but laugh.

"Why? This is a fine dungeon."

If you ask what the definition of a dungeon is, everyone would answer differently.

But there is a commonality.

There are enemies swarming, traps everywhere, dangerous bosses, and if you reach the end, there’s a reward.

This place fits that definition perfectly.

Considering that the enemy we face is the king, I actually like the concept.

When did kings ever fight on the front lines?

A king is a ruler. Someone with an army. A person who must stand above others and display their arrogance.

Look at this. Where else can you find a place more fitting for the king's dungeon?

"Young lady, your orders?"

At Faeby’s words, I looked around.

The spear soldiers slowly walking toward us.

The knights waiting for an opportunity behind them.

The archers who would turn us into porcupines as soon as the order was given.

The mages who would use their magic to kill us, even if it meant the destruction of their own side.

"This is a nice place for a pigsty. They must have worked hard, sweating buckets to stack all these bricks."

Since the enemy prepared such a nice place, we should show them something nice in return, right?

Alright. The baby piggy, too scared to come out of the brick castle, I’ll show you your castle crumbling down.

I’m not a stupid wolf, though. I won’t huff and puff and blow your castle down or claw it apart.

The most efficient way to destroy the castle is...

"Idiot. Do you remember what you took from the fool prince?"

"Seems like it’ll be effective now."

Explosion.

"Does it piss you off when those idiots look down on us from above? Let’s drop them to the ground where they belong."

"Faeby, support with magic."

"Willingly."

As Joy tossed the jewel from her pocket and infused magic into the ring on her finger, the jewels that were supposed to fall to the ground hovered in mid-air.

A magic circle was drawn around the jewels.

"I’ll start the fireworks now."

Flames erupted from countless magic circles, blasting apart the ramparts.

Some were intercepted, some were blocked by mages, and some flew to random places, but who cares.

There were hundreds of flames rising from the enormous mana imbued in the jewels.

With overwhelming firepower, several of the ramparts collapsed.

As a result, the order on the ground shifted to chaos, and the moment my gaze met the king’s, I knew.

Looks like the first victory is mine, foolish piggy.