Professor Jesel of Dungeon Studies submitted the dungeon created by Lucy on the very day he discussed it with her.
He never thought it would be rejected.
While it was true that the other professors were a bunch of old farts who offloaded all their botherso tasks onto the younger ones, they were also individuals enchanted by dungeons and had beco professors of Dungeon Studies for that very reason.
There was no way they would think to reject the marvelous dungeon created by Lucy. If they did, and insisted on bringing sothing else, then it would be ti to throw all their seniority back at them.
How could soone who didn't recognize the greatness of this dungeon teach the subject of Dungeon Studies?
A few days after submitting the dungeon, the head professor of Dungeon Studies summoned Jesel to his research lab.
Outwardly, it appeared to be a personal conversation, but Jesel didn't believe that for a mont.
How could soone so busy managing their family, their research, and their position as head professor have ti to sit down and drink tea leisurely?
It must be about the dungeon he submitted yesterday.
Convinced of this, Jesel assud the worst and packed various materials—anything he might need to push his point, regardless of what ca up.
Even as he arrived in front of the head professor's research lab, he reminded himself of his resolve to fight for his academic pride, but that resolve shattered the instant the lab door opened.
“Professor Jesel. You've co?”
“It’s been a while. Was the last ti at the last gathering?”
“Oh my. Look at that stiff expression.”
“I'm sorry for making you call here when you're busy.”
The head professor’s lab was not just occupied by him.
All the professors of Dungeon Studies, who rarely gathered due to their own research, were all there in one place.
“...Good evening, professors.”
Recalling the nightmares from past thesis reviews, Jesel broke into a cold sweat and quickly lowered his head.
“Is there any particular reason for you all to be here?”
“Ha ha. Do researchers in the sa field need a reason to gather?”
“We co together when there’s sothing to discuss, right?”
“Exactly.”
Seeing them continue to speak so naturally as if they had all conspired together, Jesel stamred.
What reason could there be for this group of people, who avoided going out even when asked by the dean, to gather here?
What’s going on? Even if the dean begged them to et, it wouldn’t usually gather this many!
“Hey! You lot! Don’t you think you’re making Professor Jesel uncomfortable?”
“Didn’t you initiate this?”
“You’re such a peculiar bunch.”
“Enough! We can't waste Professor Jesel's precious ti, so let's get right to the point. The reason we called you here is because of the dungeon you submitted for the final exam.”
The mont the head professor ntioned the final exam dungeon, Jesel beca even more confused about the situation.
If they were simply going to reject the dungeon, the head professor could just wave his hand and it would be done.
“Professor Jesel, you know there have been quite a few incidents at our academy recently, right?”
“The incident during the entrance exam. The kidnapping of the Third Prince. The apostle of the evil god attacking the streets.”
“And don’t forget. The fact that the Lady Alrn cleared the academy dungeon in just one day. Because of that, all those pesky rumors about how easy the dungeon was have been circulating.”
“Professor Margot, maintain your dignity.”
“Am I saying anything false? The head professor here gathered us because he’s displeased with how all these nuisances are talking about us!”
“Margot! Enough! I’m talking with Professor Jesel right now!”
“Oh, my. I apologize.”
As Margot offered a playful laugh and bowed his head, the head professor turned his attention back to Jesel.
“With so many incidents lately, the reputation of the Dungeon Studies departnt at Soul Academy has taken a hit. Do you understand this much?”
“Yes, I understand, but how does that relate to the final exam dungeon?”
“Your dungeon, the one Lady Alrn was in charge of designing, is remarkably high in quality. Anyone with knowledge of dungeons would undoubtedly be in awe.”
“Of course.”
The dungeon created by Lucy, which even Jesel had to admit was impressive, so what was there to say about its greatness?
“The plan is to spread the fa of that dungeon in order to restore our lost reputation.”
“...Huh?”
“After reviewing the structure of the dungeon, I found many compromises made due to the set resources. So tell the Lady not to worry about restrictions and to fully unleash her talent.”
She can put in whatever gimmicks she wants without any limitations?!
Rembering all the various gimmicks that had been discarded due to the constraints of reality during his discussions with Lucy, Jesel’s eyes sparkled as the head professor raised one corner of his mouth in a smile.
“It would also be nice to let her know that all students at the academy will be taking their final exam through that dungeon. We'll take care of the grades by class, so don't worry about that.”
After that, the head professor shared many ssages that should be conveyed to Lucy.
With that many things to say, wouldn’t it be easier to tell her directly? This thought crossed Jesel’s mind, but he kept it to himself.
It was clear, wasn’t it? He was probably worried about what kind of things he might hear when facing Lucy directly.
“I think that's about all I need to say.”
“Oh, and if you have any concerns about the dungeon creation process, be sure to go see Professor Margot.”
“Hey! How dare you say that when you’ve got all those researchers packed into your lab!”
“In a little while, one of them will be graduating and leaving!”
“It would also be nice to let them know that Professor Noruga invited them for tea.”
“Please. Don’t be ridiculous. Isn’t that a futile hope? She’s the only child of the Alrn family, so it’s not like she could beco a professor.”
“Enough!”
“Don’t bring reality into this!”
“What if that strange Lady Alrn is an exception?”
Watching the prominent professors in academia bicker over taking one person under their wing, Jesel let out a sigh as he bowed to the head professor and then fled from that place.
“That’s the gist of it.”
Hearing the full story from the professor of Dungeon Studies, I couldn’t hold back the sigh escaping my lips.
When I saw the quest given by the perverted deity, I wondered what was going on, but it turned out there had been discussions in my absence.
Who would have thought the pride of a stagnant pool would be restored in this manner? I truly hadn’t imagined it.
“...You seem to be feeling unwell. I thought you would be pleased.”
Was this reaction unexpected? The professor of Dungeon Studies cautiously gauged my expression.
I understood her surprise. If it had been a few days ago, I would have cheered at the fact that I could create the dungeon I wanted without worrying about resources.
Political reasons?
Complaints from various students?
Why should I care?
What mattered to was creating a perfect dungeon!
In the past, I had certainly been pleased by the fact that I could get closer to the ideal I desired, and I would have done my utmost to draft the dungeon.
But now, I couldn’t do that.
Even knowing that I could incorporate all kinds of elents, I wasn’t able to rejoice.
It was all because of the quest given by that thoughtless perverted deity!
[Your Pride]
[Create a dungeon that no one at the academy can conquer!]
To , a dungeon was only completed when soone could conquer it.
How could a place that guaranteed failure the mont soone set foot inside be called a dungeon?
A dungeon that could not be conquered should be called a grave instead, I thought, and when I was creating the final exam dungeon, I designed it with the assumption that soone would succeed in conquering it.
Why do you think I asked my friends to please conquer the dungeon in front of them?
I believed that if no one succeeded in conquering it, the dungeon I created would remain unfinished, so I even went so far as to persuade them by saying I would do anything!
Yet, this damn perverted loser gave a quest to create a dungeon that no one could conquer!
How could a being like the deity, who should understand what his apostle wants, give such a quest?!
Why does he do sothing that invites scorn?!
If it’s not an urgent matter like the incident in nestail or the Burrow territory, then shouldn’t he think a little before giving quests?
[Reward: Increased Reputation. Unlocking three hidden conditions of the tutorial. Clue about the Seed of the Hero.]
[If you fail: Sothing humiliating that will beco a dark history.]
What’s even more frustrating is that there’s no need to succeed in this quest.
The rewards granted upon success are undoubtedly intriguing, but they aren’t essential to right now, and the punishnt for failure isn’t as extre as a ga over.
If the rewards for success were essential to right now,
If the condition of losing my life were tied to failure,
I would have willingly created a dungeon that no one could conquer.
I would have pushed myself to do so, using the excuse that the perverted deity forced to do it.
That wouldn’t be hard at all. With all the various torturous dungeons I had conquered in the past, I could easily make a grave for students by borrowing a few gimmicks.
But our filthy loser perverted deity didn’t attach such extre matters like usual.
Instead, he offered a quest in which I was given the choice of whether to do it or not, placing diocre rewards and punishnts.
Should I maintain my pride as a stagnant pool?
Or abandon my beliefs to avoid punishnt and receive rewards?
He’s presenting with a despicable dichotomy that makes want to curse!
When I pondered why this perverted deity would offer such a quest,
I figured out what he was aiming for.
He wanted to induce into receiving a punishnt because I couldn’t abandon the pride of a stagnant pool.
To present with ‘sothing humiliating that would beco a dark history.’
That punishnt would undoubtedly involve sothing filled with the perverted desires of this twisted deity.
If the perverted apostle saw it, he would lose himself and head towards the deity he serves.
And the crow goddess who resides there would also probably be bleeding from her nose and fainting.
So if I wanted to protect my dignity,
To prevent the twisted desires of that loser deity from being fulfilled,
I would have to create a dungeon that no one could conquer,
But I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Sigh. I couldn’t deform the first dungeon I ever created into a torturous one.
Though I didn't know what that pedophile deity had prepared for ,
I figured it would probably be on par with, if not worse than, wearing a bunny girl costu.
While it was true that Aramadi was a perverted idiot more interested in sexual walls than righteousness, he was still a deity.
There was no way he would make his competent apostle think about changing sides.
Unless I was absent, he would surely not do sothing like that. Right?
So, regardless of whether the quest succeeded or failed, I would just focus on creating the dungeon I wanted.
Resolving to think positively,
If soone is moved after seeing the end of the dungeon I created, I would be happy even if I received a punishnt.
And if no one could conquer the dungeon, it would be sad, but I could console myself with the reward.
Having ended my deliberation, I stood up after receiving the dungeon creation forms from the professor of Dungeon Studies.
“Lady Alrn, before you leave, I have to ask one thing.”
‘What is it?’
“What is it? Make it quick. My ti is valuable, unlike yours.”
“Is there a professor among the Dungeon Studies faculty that you would like to et?”
The mont I heard Jesel’s question, a chill ran down my spine.
Isn’t this that?
A proposal for slavery!
Is my dungeon so attractive that it has surpassed the reputation of Lucy Alrn?!
‘...No?’
“Is that a question? Do you think I’d want to et so old, slly, decrepit person?”
I appreciate the complint, but I’ll pass on the offer to beco a slave!
I may have briefly thought about wanting to beco a professor, but I don’t want to endure a life of servitude to achieve that!
“Hmm. If it’s not an old man, then...”
Seeing the light in the head professor’s eyes, I quickly escaped from the professor’s lab.
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