How to Live Comfortably as an Abandoned Prince

Chapter 111. A True Exchange Meeting

The debate eventually ended with the Academy’s victory.

The Helsington Magic School students wore hollow expressions.

It was because they hadn’t expected to lose in this manner.

“These bastards, are they out of their minds…….”

But there was nothing they could do about the debate that had already ended.

In contrast, the Academy was a melting pot of enthusiasm.

“Whaaa! Prince Leon!”

“Keuk, you are cool!”

Leon’s followers were in a frenzy, shouting for Leon and hugging each other.

The appearance of the Helsington representative team entered the eyes of the followers who had been intoxicated by Leon’s victory for a good while.

The appearance of the representative team receiving finger-pointing from Helsington students.

Other students might not understand, but Leon’s followers understood them deeply in their hearts more than anyone.

If they met the Prince they usually admired as an opponent, they would inevitably be shaken.

“……We understand you. We would have been the same.”

Leon’s followers quietly approached the Helsington representative team and patted their shoulders.

Hot gazes were exchanged between the Helsington representative team and Leon’s followers.

It was a moment where deep friendship bloomed.

Radel, who was watching that scene from afar, nodded contentedly.

“A true exchange meeting is like this.”

“Anyone watching would think you hosted the exchange meeting.”

Inette could not adapt at all to the old-man-like behavior Radel occasionally showed.

Although they were able to bring victory because he sent Leon out to the debate as a result, thinking that he calculated all of that made her think he was indeed a snake-like guy.

“You said Leon would do well; did you predict it would turn out like this?”

“For a debate, someone who knows magic well is advantageous after all.”

That doesn’t seem like they won thanks to Leon’s magic knowledge.

Inette’s eyes narrowed, but Radel had a calm expression.

“Now all that’s left is the Dungeon conquest.”

At Radel’s words, Gusto nodded.

“I have already prepared it, Prince.”

“As expected of Gusto.”

Inette, who heard those words, was flustered.

Because she was also a member of the same Dungeon conquest team but hadn’t prepared anything separately.

“Was there something to prepare when conquering a Dungeon?”

“Of course. Surely it is not that you haven’t prepared yet?”

At Gusto’s words, Inette quickly feigned ignorance.

She hadn’t prepared anything, but she absolutely didn’t want to lose to an apprentice holy knight.

“Hmph, of course I did!”

“You are surprisingly fast for once.”

“Are you picking a fight with me right now?”

While the flared-up Inette was losing her temper at Gusto, Tunia approached Radel.

And then quietly whispered.

“It was as you said. He is a suspicious person.”

Tunia was tailing Obsidian, the supervising professor of Helsington’s first years, upon Radel’s request.

It wasn’t a difficult task for Tunia, who was originally a top-class assassin, but it was true that she thought the request to tail a professor from another school was out of the blue.

But not anymore.

“What is suspicious?”

When Radel asked, Tunia held out her hand.

“Advance payment.”

It was Tunia, whose economic sense had become thorough after quitting the assassin job.

Radel handed over the promised payment to Tunia without a word.

There was a reason he entrusted the job separately.

It was on the first day of the exchange meeting, when guiding the first-year group from Helsington.

Ding.

[Someone’s killing intent is felt.]

Radel realized early on that the person who sent that killing intent was Helsington’s supervising professor.

Could it be another assassin who infiltrated to kill him?

It was natural for Radel to have this suspicion.

Since Tunia was qualified for matters related to assassination, Radel immediately entrusted the request.

The purpose was to verify if he was an assassin targeting him, but the words that came from Tunia were unexpected content.

“To state the conclusion, he wasn’t an assassin.”

The professor’s gait and habits ingrained in his body were too sloppy to call him an assassin.

However, he was a person even more suspicious than that.

That he secretly left the accommodation last night and entered a Dungeon in the Academy.

That there were those who followed him among the Helsington first-year students.

Radel, who even heard that he was looking for something, asked Tunia.

“What was he looking for?”

Tunia recalled the shape of Obsidian’s mouth she saw in the darkness last night.

“I think he said…… must find the key.”

Key.

It was a familiar word to Radel to be a coincidence.

* * *

It was the second night of the exchange meeting.

Swoosh!

A flying golem flew over the head of Obsidian, who was hiding in the bushes.

Obsidian had just managed to slip out of the Helsington side’s accommodation.

He was held up until late at night having a fierce meeting with the Helsington students for the Dungeon conquest tomorrow.

Although he thought there was no way the first years who lost in the debate would sleep quietly, he didn’t know they would hold a meeting for this long.

Eventually, Obsidian, whose heart became urgent, could only end the meeting after offering a usable strategy.

‘Acting as a professor isn’t easy either.’

Obsidian, who carefully came out of the bushes avoiding the eyes of the flying golem, immediately headed to the meeting place.

“Who said you could be this late, Obsidian?”

When he arrived at the rendezvous point, a cold voice flew over.

It was his comrades who had arrived beforehand.

The executives of the Black Order.

Even Obsidian, who was leading Belphegor’s resurrection, could not directly infiltrate the Academy.

Entering briefly as a professor of Helsington taking advantage of the exchange meeting was the best he could do.

However, the executives here were different. They were those who succeeded in infiltrating the Academy early on.

It was a part where one could guess their skills.

“Something came up……. I am sorry.”

Obsidian apologized meekly.

Since it was a matter that would lead directly to death if his identity was revealed, it was understandable that such a reaction came out.

“We don’t need that kind of apology.”

“Why didn’t you contact us sooner when you arrived yesterday?”

The executives of the Black Order interrogated Obsidian.

Although it was a group that moved so secretly that they didn't know what each other was doing, avoiding actions that would cause harm to brothers was etiquette.

They were in a state of discomfort, worried that Obsidian would stir up the Academy when he had entered without prior contact.

“Do not act rashly, Obsidian.”

“Keep in mind that our identities could be exposed because of your complacent behavior.”

“If you lack skill, take care of yourself.”

Detestable bastards.

Obsidian cursed the executives inwardly.

Looking down on people while being fellow executives.

This was why he didn’t want to contact them.

Even if his subordinates suggested getting their help, there was a reason Obsidian hadn’t contacted the comrades within the Academy.

Because with their personalities, it was obvious they would only criticize rather than help.

But the situation was urgent, so it couldn’t be helped.

“What is the reason you called us now?”

“If it is a trivial reason, I won’t leave you be.”

As expected, the executives shouted at Obsidian who dared to call them out.

Devil worshipers basically had nasty personalities.

Obsidian realized anew that he had a good personality within the Black Order.

Here, the person with the good personality had no choice but to endure.

It was absolutely not because his skills were inferior to theirs…….

He suppressed his temper and opened his mouth.

“There seems to be an existence interfering with us.”

At Obsidian’s words, the other executives showed interest.

“Is that true?”

“Someone is targeting the Black Order?”

Obsidian nodded at their reaction.

No matter how strong the individualism of the Black Order was, it was natural to take interest in such a grave matter.

“Yes. An existence interfering with Belphegor-nim’s resurrection…….”

“What, Belphegor-nim?”

“I thought it was something else.”

However, the executives immediately lost interest after hearing Obsidian’s words.

There were those here who were not pleased with Belphegor resurrecting first.

Because the Archdevils they each served were different.

Obsidian hardened his face at the changed atmosphere.

He only clearly felt the fact that there was no one among them who truly wanted Belphegor’s resurrection.

With cooperation failing like this, he wondered if that was why they still lived in hiding while being called heretics.

‘Rather than asking for these bastards’ cooperation, I’ll manage on my own somehow!’

It was the moment Obsidian made a firm resolution.

* * *

The last day of the exchange meeting.

The first years of the Academy and Helsington were gathered in front of the Dungeon.

Finally, the Dungeon conquest, the most important event of the friendly competition, was scheduled to begin.

For this competition, the professors selected two Dungeons among the Dungeons in the Academy that were at a level for first years to conquer together.

They were Dungeons where the conquest time barely differed.

Of course, which Dungeon Boss appeared where was a secret until this morning.

For a fair match, the professors did not inform the students of the Dungeon’s information.

“The Dungeon Bosses are a Flame Golem and an Ice Golem.”

However, there were people everywhere who did not follow principles.

Obsidian lowered his voice and leaked information to the Helsington Dungeon conquest team.

Helsington’s first years answered with serious expressions.

“Then we must go to the place where the Ice Golem is. Since that conquest team has the Princess with the Flame Ability.”

“Right. We must choose the Ice Golem to be advantageous.”

For this moment, Obsidian had slightly folded the corner of the paper put in the drawing box.

To Obsidian, who sold his soul to devils, this much didn’t even prick his conscience.

Surely the Academy side would also use some trick.

Even if it was a friendly competition, there was no way they wouldn’t use shortcuts.

Conquering a Dungeon with the pure skills of magic school first years was a difficult task.

The Helsington Dungeon conquest team had hidden plenty of potions and scrolls in preparation for this time.

“We will decide the order of drawing lots.”

The representative of the Helsington Dungeon conquest team swallowed hard.

They had to draw first unconditionally to enter the Dungeon where the Ice Golem appeared according to the trick Obsidian prepared.

‘Are they not even nervous?’

On the other hand, their opponents, the Academy Dungeon conquest team, looked like they had no thoughts.

“What did you say you prepared?”

“I ate regularly and went to bed. It is a natural preparation. Only then can I bring out the best condition.”

“You acted as if you prepared tremendously to me!”

Arguing among themselves about incomprehensible topics seemed more important than conquering the Dungeon.

Even Radel, the representative of the Academy team, yielded the order.

The eyes of the Helsington Dungeon conquest team representative widened.

“You want us to draw first?”

“Yeah. It doesn’t really matter.”

It doesn’t matter?

At Radel’s answer, the Helsington representative ground his teeth inwardly.

Although they received the concession, he felt rather ignored, so his mood wasn’t very good.

‘That cocky attitude ends now too!’

The Helsington representative confidently drew the lot Obsidian had marked.

When he opened the note, as expected, Ice Golem was written.

The Helsington Dungeon conquest team could not hide the corners of their mouths going up.

“We got the Flame Golem. Let’s both do our best.”

However, Radel’s expression after drawing the Flame Golem was calm.

It was an attitude that it didn’t matter which Dungeon Boss came out.

That attitude made the Helsington Dungeon conquest team even more pissed off.

“Let’s break that composed expression!”

“Right, let’s show them who laughs while coming out of the Dungeon.”

The Helsington Dungeon conquest team burned with the desire to win.