Raised in Dungeon

The Academy's most popular tradition, the duel.

A duel will occur if both parties agree and set equal stakes. The student executive board served as both guarantor and supervisor, ensuring that official duels unfolded only under their watchful eyes.

Typically, the stakes of these duels rested on student points, making Praeterea's challenge on the first day unusual. The initial week saw the points frozen and rankings undetermined

Everyone was looking at Felicia, waiting for her decision. And Felicia's decision was,

"I refuse."

Some were surprised, while others remained unfazed. Among those taken aback, speculation arose that the discourse and disagreement might have been rooted in pride—an issue nobles typically embraced with enthusiasm. If a refusal followed, it was often attributed to fear or a perceived lack of confidence in victory, regardless of the actual reasons.

"Hah! Of course, you won't accept; you must be afraid," Hallie persisted, aiming to provoke.

On the other side, those less surprised discerned Felicia's rationale for declining the duel, which was.

"Why should I accept your challenge? What's in it for me?" Felicia questioned, highlighting the absence of a clear system for equal exchange or a defined stake in this particular duel.

"M-money. I can compensate you through this duel!" Hallie declared.

"Are you kidding me?" Felicia retorted with a hint of mockery. "You yourself claimed I entered solely with money. Now you're offering me more? Am I not already the affluent one?"

With no patience for further nonsense from Hallie, Felicia turned to Daphne and asserted, "There will be no duel here. You can go back."

'I know I am just a baronet, but I am your senior here. These noble is sure is annoying,' Daphne thought.

Daphne secured her ponytail and expressed disappointment, "Oh no no no... Too bad, my instinct led me to believe the duel would actually commence."

Meanwhile, Hallie struggled to accept the humiliation. Being not only dismissed by Felicia but also viewed as an overeager individual seeking recognition by the entire class was a blow to her pride. Despite embodying that very persona, she was reluctant to have everyone perceive her in such a light.

In short order, she devised a plan to provoke Felicia, and she found it.

"Your knight's name is Allen, isn't it?" Hallie remarked. "How could he gain entry to this academy through wealth? I'm certain his strength is nothing remarkable. You just saved some random other-worlder and fell for him, right?"

Felicia retorted, "Let me clarify, Allen is the most formidable individual in this academy. I wouldn't be surprised if he could attain the top rank in the first class."

"Pfft hahahaha, how could a commoner like him achieve that? He simply lacks the mana to create an amnis circle!" Hallie scoffed.

"It's a common misconception. Allen is a student in the fighter faculty," Felicia explained.

Hallie countered, "Still, it's peculiar. The prerequisite for advancing to the praeterea class is the ability to use basic amnis. So, regardless of the faculty, all students in praeterea's class should be able to control their mana!"

The utilization of amnis held significant importance in battles—blocking attacks with fire amnis, creating blind spots with soil amnis, disrupting vision with water amnis, and even dispelling fog with wind amnis. It wasn't a coincidence that the school mandated all students to, at the very least, master basic amnis to progress to the praeterea class.

Hallie, now feeling triumphant, declared loudly, "I knew it! That kid is just a useless freeloader here! Judging from your thoughts, no wonder he used you to get into this academy!"

Even Petronella, who had been idling nearby, couldn't escape the cacophony of Hallie's words. Exasperated, she thought, 'Geez, her nonsense is so loud. Why does this kind of thing always happen in the academy?' Petronella thought. 'Felicia Ayde Boldenville, then Allen. Both of them are abnormal students at this academy- youthful yet mature by the environment, both in mind and strength. There's no way such cheap techniques could provoke someone like them.'

However, right after Petronella's contemplation, Felicia unexpectedly responded, "H-huh?! Don't speak recklessly if you don't know anything!" she shouted emotionally. "Come! Let's start the duel! Allen is incredible! He can defeat your knight in an instant!" Succumbing to the bait, Felicia fell into Hallie's trap.

"Alright! Then this will be a battle between our knights!"

'Eh?' thought Petronella in confusion. 'Did I misjudge them? Maybe she's just a little girl like the others?'

"Aha aha ahahaha!" Daphne's laughter echoed in a high-pitched tone. "My instincts are never wrong. Let's initiate the official duel."

Felicia, brimming with resentment and annoyance, approached Allen. "Allen! Quickly display your true power! Just use your god blessing!"

"You kidding me," muttered Allen. 'Using the blessing is akin to revealing my information to others. If I have to face the powerful individuals in this academy, I should avoid utilizing the blessing or the rampage reig as much as possible.'

Daphne inquired, "What are you betting on?"

"I want, once she gets her points, all her points to be transferred to me!" Hallie declared. "Felicia's points for me, and Allen's points for Clarke."

Confusion rippled through the crowd. "Eh? Can you really do that?"

"Oh nonono, you can't do it."

"Huh?! Why is that?"

"Firstly, you can't risk all the points you have, so students are forbidden from going all in. The limit for awarding points in a duel is 80% points at most in a single bout. While there are exceptions for certain duel types, at least for now, going all in is prohibited. Furthermore, there's no guarantee that both participants will receive enought points when the point identification is completed. Such uncertainty is not allowed in a duel. That's why there are no duels before the point identification is complete."

Having explained this, Daphne released a long sigh and shook her head in disappointment. "No further response, huh... Geez, I anticipated it, but it seems like you guys don't even need an official duel to continue. Just have your own duel."

"Wait!" Felicia called out as she noticed Daphne starting to turn around.

"The stake is, I want Hallie not to bother us forever!"

Daphne sighed once more, "Didn't you hear? The stakes should be something more tangible. There's no way the student executive should keep an eye on Hallie just to ensure she doesn't talk to you."

"It's a real deal, but we just need a gimmick," " Felicia stated. "We're going to wager money to make this duel official. My demand remains the same—I want her to never speak to me again at the academy. With this many witnesses and the duel made official, breaking her vow would be deeply embarrassing for her," Felicia explained.

"Oh, I see... Understandable," Daphne acknowledged.

Hallie grinned deviously, "Alright, I agree too. I'll give you the money, and on top of that, I want your knight to be mine!"

"What?! Isn't that unfair?!" Sharik protested.

'I don't care about that weak knight,' Hallie thought. 'If I can separate him from Felicia, she'll be even more upset!'

"Alright, I agree," Felicia declared.

"Oi! Are you serious?! Giving Allen away?!" Geirhild shouted. Although Geirhild hadn't initially cared about their business, Felicia's statement about Allen being handed over made her reconsider since Allen was her friend.

"Of course, Allen won't lose anyway," Felicia reassured.

"How can you be so sure?!" Geirhild questioned.

Felicia smiled, her eyes radiant, "Because I believe in him." Felicia's confidence surprised Geirhild, and with those words, even Geirhild found herself believing in Felicia.

"Yeah, I'm not sure Allen can lose either. I feel sorry for the other party over there," Sharik commented. Unlike Geirhild, Sharik was more excited, and his voice carried across the crowd.

"Pity? For me?" Clarke retorted. Stepping forward, he discarded his outerwear and tossed it on the ground. "I'm a prodigious kid who's been in the dungeon since I was 10 years old." He brandished his sword, and continue "Not just the first floor, I've followed the expedition team to the second floor! And I'm currently a recognized gold-level dungeon explorer. There's no way I can lose to a commoner without an education, who came from out of nowhere in another world like him!"

"No, you will lose," Sharik said casually. "You know, we Samoyeds have always had a good sense to follow stronger people who are compatible with us. We choose our leaders and masters."

Sharik pointed at Clarke and stated loudly, "My instincts tell me you are weak, and so everyone here. At least, weaker than Allen."