Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

At this moment, Luke was exactly the kind of person who was most likely to die.

Although Lefia has only been an adventurer for a few years, she is at least able to see through this.

After clearing up all the doubts about the "Seventh Squad," Lefia said with wide eyes:

"Even if I back down a hundred steps and let you, who are prepared to die, go ahead and die, I will at least not allow my other comrades to be implicated by your sense of justice."

Upon hearing this, Luke stopped what he was doing in surprise.

"I've always been puzzled as to why Nano, who isn't warlike at all, would level up to Lv.3—the answer is that she was forced to 'show off' with you."

The person who was deeply shaken by Lefia's reproachful gaze was not Luke, but Nano standing to the side.

Her golden-red hair trembled slightly as she moved along her slender shoulders.

Nano, who cherishes her childhood friend, must have desperately chased after Luke, who fought for those who suffer, and supported him all the way. Nano's "magic" must have saved Luke countless times, while also putting herself in danger countless times.

Otherwise, a defender mage, who is even more difficult to gain experience points than a forward, would never have been able to level up to Lv.3 so easily.

It must have been Nano who was sacrificing herself to protect Luke, somewhere he wasn't looking.

Although no one confirmed Lefia's words, the tightly closed lips of Mililia and Cole made the answer obvious.

Speechless, Luke turned to look at Nano, only to see Nano quickly lower her head and focus her gaze on the ground.

"Have you ever considered that other people might die because of you?"

"...! I... I can manage on my own! I don't need to rely on Nano and the others; I can go by myself!"

"Your proposal is non-negotiable, because it is absolutely impossible to defeat the dungeon by fighting alone."

After listening to Lefia's calm accusations, the boy almost gave up and offered a rebuttal. The one who could no longer hold back and shouted at the top of his lungs was actually Nano.

"Luke~ Please stop talking~! Senior Lefia is only saying that because she's worried about you! And I absolutely don't want to just watch you go off to become an adventurer all by yourself~!"

"...!"

"So calm down first, okay? Don't be impatient. As long as everyone works together... with Xiaomi and Cole, I believe your wish will definitely come true!"

It's easy to imagine that Nano and the other team members had already noticed Luke's anxiety and were very concerned about it.

Tears welled up in Nano's eyes as she tightly gripped the boy's clothes with her small hands.

Luke was speechless for a moment, then suddenly swung the hand away.

"Shut up! You just followed me here on your own! Clumsy as a mule, get lost! Don't let me lead you by the nose!"

Faced with this firm rejection, Nano clearly showed a hurt expression.

Mi Li, who had been standing by, was so angry that her eyebrows shot up, and Cole was also so upset that his brows furrowed.

Just as they were about to confront Luke, only Lefia superimposed Luke and Nano's figures with her past memories.

(...That person must have felt the same way at the time.)

She (Lefia) was planning to act recklessly, and the person she cherished (Philwis) wanted to stop her.

Unforgettable past and the regret that arose with loneliness transformed into blue and white smoke, eroding Lefia's heart.

"I advise you to heed your companions' advice, especially when you mistake childish willfulness for independent behavior."

"What!?"

That's why I've become so aggressive without even realizing it.

Before the bewildered Mi Li and the others could approach, Lefia uttered words that were so cold and authoritative that even she herself was somewhat surprised, rebuking Luke.

"Your current tantrum is truly pathetic. Because of your stubborn and impulsive arguments, you're unable to objectively examine yourself. Having done such a disgraceful thing, please stop using the word 'hero' all the time—"

Lefia was angry at her past self and blurted out her anger before she came to her senses.

"...!!"

I've never seen Luke blush so much since we met.

He stared directly into Rafia's eyes, his gaze now filled with nothing but negative emotions.

By the time you sense something is wrong, it's all too late; a conflict is inevitable.

In a situation where regret was futile, Lefia deeply regretted her outburst of temper.

Actually, there is another reason.

Rafia deliberately avoided thinking about it—that Luke's hair color was somewhat similar to that of a certain "white rabbit".

Although Luke wasn't entirely to blame, every time Lefia saw him, the image of her rival would flash through her mind, and she would feel a surge of anger. For Luke, it was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire. This unwarranted hostility only intensified Lefia's resentment.

That being said, isn't Luke much more handsome?

Comparing Luke to that white rabbit is far too rude, isn't it?

But how should I put it? That "childishness" is exactly the same. Although the white rabbit is an unparalleled do-gooder, some aspects are not entirely unrelatable. In short, when it comes to talking about those reckless "heroic wishes," it always reminds Lefia of the white-haired boy, so she still feels a surge of anger.

In short──

At this point, it is difficult to resolve the issue through communication.

Even if it's not impossible, it's very troublesome. Lefia couldn't help but think this at that moment.

Spending time on Luke alone wouldn't yield the desired results. At the very least, it wouldn't benefit the flustered and bewildered opponents like Nano.

To be more precise, Lefia might be able to help these students through verbal persuasion, but that shouldn't happen in the dungeon (here). The school classroom is the place for discussion and debate.

Lefia suppressed the urge to sigh and made a decision in her heart.

This is the underground city.

The only way to resolve this is through "adventurous methods".

"I understand. Luke, let's have a match."

"!"

"You and I will fight one-on-one. If you beat me, I will agree to take you to the 'lower levels'."

If you want to uphold your own beliefs, then show them your strength.

She couldn't let a powerless resolve run rampant, but as long as there was a way to prove that she possessed the ability to match her inner conviction, she wouldn't stop her—that was what Lefia meant.

Luke, Nano, and the others were all taken aback.

"A private duel in the dungeon? Are you serious!?"

To engage in a duel in a dangerous area (dungeon) where monsters spawn endlessly would probably seem incredibly reckless to Luke and his friends.

After all, teachers in the "school district" are unlikely to teach such "disobedient behavior".

But the "feast of the outlaws" knows no time or place.

Moreover, most of the places where fellow adventurers give newcomers their "adventurer's baptism" are in the dungeon (here).

Although it's a bit of a stretch to say it, just treat it as a preview.

Lefia felt that she had completely transformed from a "student" into an "adventurer," and thus declared:

"My judgment is that it would be more dangerous for you to continue exploring the dungeon while you're filled with anger."

"...!"

"Rather than let you perish where I can't see you, it's better for you to explode right in front of me. That way, you'll only suffer minor physical injuries."

Although Lefia was unaware of it, she uttered a phrase that sounded like something a member of royalty would say.

And he issued an ultimatum to his junior, whose face was filled with anger.

"If I win, you must never use this as an excuse to disobey me again... Once I prove that I am stronger than you, you should be willing to obey, right, Luke?"

The boy clenched his fists in anger when someone quoted something he had said two days earlier.

"Then you'll regret it, senior..."

"No way. Let's get started then. After all, as you said, this is an underground city."

Lefia ignored Luke, who was trembling with anger and fighting spirit, and said to Nano and the others:

"Nano, you guys keep watch on the surroundings. If any monsters get close, take them down immediately."

"S-Senior...!"

"Don't worry, I won't hurt Luke... I'm sorry for getting you guys involved in this mess."

Seeing that Nano looked completely at a loss, Lefia gave instructions with a sense of apology.

Just as Nano was about to say something more, Mili quietly pulled her away, while Cole comforted her, "Let's just follow the instructions." Lefia silently thanked the two who trusted her so much after only meeting them for a short time, then stood in the center of the cave and looked at Luke.

"The person who lands a hit first wins, you agree?"

"Hmm... Don't think that just because you're a mage, I'll go easy on you."

"I'm a Level 4, my stats are higher than yours, so looking at the numbers alone, you're clearly at a disadvantage, aren't you?"

"So what?"

A mocking smile appeared on Luke's handsome face as he drew his longsword from his waist.

"Even if your level is higher than mine, how could I possibly lose to a mage at this distance?"

Luke displayed absolute confidence.

He gripped the weapon with both hands, lowered his center of gravity, and avoided giving any opening.

Lefia secretly acknowledged Luke's fighting spirit and courage, and drew her short sword from her waist, gripping her staff tightly with her other hand.

"Let's begin... If you can't defeat me, becoming a 'hero' is just a pipe dream."

This statement was the signal to start the war.

"Drink! Aa ...

Luke charged forward at a speed that was impossible to see.

The curtain was raised with a right-hand kasaya slash.

Lefia chose to dodge, having no intention of directly confronting the high-speed slash coming at her.

As the silver sword sliced ​​through space in an instant, Luke also launched a pursuit of Lefia, who jumped back.

"Ooh ooh!"

What followed was a series of attacks launched in one go.

The attack was swift and sharp; the sound of the longsword whistling past the elf's long ears was enough to send chills down one's spine. It was an excellent strike that proved the practitioner had undergone rigorous training, capable of easily inflicting a fatal wound on a second-tier adventurer (Lefia).

Although the boy named Luke Faul had made it clear beforehand, he was not so foolish as to underestimate adventurers of a higher level than himself, so he did not hold back in any of his attacks.

A longsword, imbued with murderous intent and clearly not a training weapon, constantly threatened Lefia.

"!"

Lefia, who incorporated defensive movements into her evasive maneuvers, began to counterattack.

She wielded her friend's keepsake, "Tears of Ash," to meet Luke's slash.

With a piercing sound and sparks, the short sword went off course, and Luke scoffed.

"With your last-minute, half-hearted swordsmanship!"

The sword dance's attacks became increasingly fierce.

Luke demonstrated a technique that Lefia could not imitate at all, a technique that could truly be called swordsmanship.

In his eyes, Raphia's swordsmanship was definitely very poor.

Lefia, who had only recently begun formally learning swordsmanship after training with Bert, was equally aware of this. Even though she called herself a "magic swordsman," she was at most a half-baked one.

In contrast, Luke is a true swordsman who should be at the forefront. Since enrolling in the "district," he has been honing his swordsmanship, and his close-combat skills completely surpass Lefia's. In fact, Luke firmly believes that even if his stats are inferior, he is convinced that he "can never lose to a mere mage in close combat," which is why he accepted this duel.

But—

"Luke's attacks... all missed!"

"Even though Luke has been in control of the fight the whole time!"

Cole and Miri forgot that they had to be on guard against the monster's attack and both cried out in alarm.

As the two described, despite Luke's constant attacks, his sword failed to strike Lefia. The elf, dodging and weaving with a series of quick movements—turning her head, sidestepping, and bending low—easily deflected the attacks with a flick of her right hand and a short sword.

"Luke...!"