Chapter 49: Rowene Dungeon(9)

Avalli entered the Rowen Dungeon with the determination to avenge the insult to her master-

“Puhaha, your hair is so frizzy.”

“You don’t take care of it? But it feels fine. It feels like the fur of Senior Evelyn’s dog.”

“When are you planning on coming to the Magic Tower? At your age, it’s probably time to knock on the door.”

-Surrounded by teenage girl magicians including Sophia, she felt like she was going crazy.

‘… Strength… It’s hard.’

Avali had been following the rhythm at first, but these girls wouldn’t stop talking.

Every time Avali said a word, they made eye contact and laughed out loud.

They weren’t mocking her.

Even Avali, who was weak at female language, could tell that much.

However, since they weren’t hostile, it was even harder to respond.

“But your skin is so soft. Like a newborn.”

“How old are you this year, Avali? Ten?”

“…”

I’m 12 years old.”

“Really? We’re only two years apart? But why are you so cute?”

“Cute… Don’t call me cute!”

When Avali shouted at Sophia’s words, the girls were briefly surprised, but soon giggled again and poked Avali’s cheeks.

“You’re cute.”

“You’re cute, Avali.”

“What did you eat to be so cute?”

Avali couldn’t help but be astonished.

‘These kids aren’t even listening to what people are saying!

Even one-sided communication is scary at this level.

No matter what they say, the topic quickly turns to ‘cute.’

“Ha… Hans!”

Avali looked for Hans to ask for help.

However, he was completely absorbed in a conversation with other boy wizards of the same age.

“Hans? His name is Hans?”

“Do you like him? Hmm… He’s not as handsome as Senior Gish, but he’s pretty good-looking.”

“His face is pale, but he’s really good at using a sword.”

“Awesome.”

The girls started chirping like sparrows after hearing Avali’s request for help.

As is typical of people their age, they seemed even more excited when the topic of the ‘opposite s*x’ came up.

Avali couldn’t keep up with the rambling conversation and gave up on thinking any further.

“Lucy, your student is super popular, huh?”

“… I hope nothing bad happens.”

“No way. They’re all good kids, even though they look like that.”

Lucy immediately frowned at Gish’s words.

What good could there be in those damned kids?

Thinking about the dark bullying they suffered on the fourth floor still makes her feel sick.

While Lucy was keeping her mouth shut with a blank expression, Professor Pell, who had finished talking to Cedral, approached her.

“Ms. Lucy, is it true that you’re going downstairs?”

“Yes, Professor Pel.”

“Is that okay? Only four.”

“To be exact, three. I’ll just guide you and then go back.”

Professor Pel seemed to hesitate for a moment after hearing Sedral’s words, then continued.

“Then I’ll come with you.”

“Professor?”

Gish asked back, bewildered by the unexpected declaration.

“The problem of the depths needs to be checked once. But I can’t take my students with me, right?”

“… Lucy is your student, too?”

“To be exact, a ‘former’ student. You said you had no intention of returning to the Magic Tower for a while, right, Lucy?”

Lucy nodded at Professor Pel’s words.

“… I’ve had a change of heart.”

“Change is a good thing. I don’t know whether the result will be progress or regression, but all of that is better than stagnation.”

There was a hint of bitterness in his tone.

Both Gish and Lucy guessed the reason, but they didn’t mention it and waited for Professor Pel to continue.

“It is Lucy’s will to explore the lower levels of the dungeon. Of course, if my student gets hurt, I’ll be held accountable too, so I’ll stop…, but there’s no reason to do that now.”

“That’s not a very pleasant thing to hear.”

Gish made a strangely dissatisfied expression at the tone that completely treated Lucy as an outsider.

“Doesn’t that mean you don’t care whether Lucy gets hurt or not?”

“Mr. Gish, what you just said is truly rude to Ms. Lucy.”

“Uh, rude?”

Lucy, who had been listening to their conversation without thinking much, asked in a bewildered manner.

Was Gish’s current concern something that could be rude to her?

“Anyway, Mr. Gish, take the students back. If I don’t come back within two days, go back to the Magic Tower and tell Professor Jafar.”

“… Understood.”

Gish made a displeased expression, but obediently followed Professor Fell’s words and got up from his seat.

While Gish was telling the lower-level magicians to prepare to return, Professor Fell looked at Lucy and opened his mouth.

“Have you been to the Illusionary World recently?”

“No.”

“Change comes more often to a young person than you think. It wouldn’t hurt to check it out when you go to the dungeon.”

Professor Pell said, taking out a few talismans from his pocket and handing them to him.

“It was good that you made them as spares. Keep them. You’ll need them when you go down.”

“Oh, I have them.”

But instead of accepting the talismans, Lucy raised one arm and showed Professor Pell a well-crafted bracelet.

An item with a protective spell just as powerful as the professor’s talismans.

“… Did you make them?”

“No. I’m really bad at magic. I just bought a few at the magic tool shop.”

“I bought them. They must have been expensive.”

“I’ve recently had some spare money. I brought everything I could prepare.”

“It’s good to have spare money.”

Professor Pell let out a small sigh, his voice somewhat filled with regret.

Knowing that Professor Pell was always tight on budget, Lucy quietly sympathized with his sigh.

“But your student… Avali?”

“Yes. Avali.”

“I don’t see any amulets on Miss Avali’s arm.”

“That’s okay. Avali is special.”

“Special?”

Professor Pell asked back after hearing Lucy’s words.

“Yes. You’ll soon find out, Professor.”

In the distance, Avali could be seen barely escaping from the hands of the girl magicians.

Avali, with an expression that said she had died and was back to life, approached Lucy.

“You’ve had a hard time, Avali.”

“How on earth did you survive among those demons, Master?”

“… My situation seems a little different from Avali’s.”

“Let’s go quickly. I’m sick of them now.”

“Oh, before we go, there’s something I want to ask Avali for her opinion.”

Lucy relayed Professor Pell’s suggestion to Avali.

Professor Pel felt a strange sense of discomfort at the sight.

… Lucy must be the leader of the group.

Cedral was an adventurer hired to guide the way.

Hans was an inexperienced swordsman who had come out of the village for the first time.

And Avali is Lucy’s disciple.

Based on the composition of the members, Lucy is clearly the leader.

However, Lucy was explaining the situation in detail to her disciple, Avali.

It was like a subordinate getting permission from his boss.

“… I would like the three of us to go.”

“But if the three of us solve everything, there will be no one to properly convey the story, right?”

“Oh, that’s true.”

After exchanging a few words that were difficult to understand, Avali looked up at Professor Pel and asked.

“Are you a high-ranking person in the Magic Tower?”

“… It’s ambiguous to say high, but you do have some say.”

“What do you think of our teacher?”

It was a question that sounded like an interrogation.

It was easy to feel offended, but for some reason, Professor Pel felt that Avali’s attitude was natural.

“Lucy is a hard worker. She’s also a model student…. She was a pretty good student by my standards.”

“I thought so, right?”

Avali smiled upon hearing her teacher’s praise.

“Let’s go together, Master. The Professor seems like a good person.”

“… Is my praise the standard?”

“Of course!”

Professor Pell felt a strange feeling again as he listened to the conversation between Avali and Lucy.

Lucy noticed his mood and made a strange expression as if making excuses.

“You will soon find out, Professor.”

“What do you mean?”

“… There is something like that.”

Upon hearing that answer, Professor Pell felt an instinctive sense of danger.

‘Why on earth do I feel dangerous here?”

He sighed again at the dullness of his senses.

“Professor, then we will go up first.”

In the meantime, Gish, who had finished preparing to lead the group, approached Professor Pell again and spoke to him.

“Please, Mr. Gish.”

“… Please come back safely. Please take good care of Lucy too.”

Gish returned the way he had brought the students.

“Let’s go too!”

The group, now reduced from four to five, began to descend into the dungeon.

And soon after, Professor Pell was able to confirm that there was absolutely nothing wrong with his senses.

Specifically, in the battle that occurred just before going down to the 4th floor.

“…… Miss Lucy.”

“I told you. You’re special.”

Special.

Could it end with just those words, special?

“Master! Professor! We’re done here! Let’s go again!”

“Understood, Avali! Let’s go, Professor Pell.”

Lucy’s eyes staring at Professor Pell, who was dumbfounded.

Professor Pell could quickly sense the emotions contained in those eyes.

A sense of camaraderie.

Today, one more comrade was added to the group that would have learned something that was better not to know.