Several days after the tea party hosted by Li came to an end, a new development occurred at the academy.

“Ah—listen up—”

The male instructor with the distinctive drawn-out tone, Lord Paavo Barman, opened his mouth from the podium.

His usual sleepy-looking expression remained unchanged, making it impossible for Li to tell whether this was good news or bad news.

“Starting seven days from now, dungeon training will begin for you all—”

‘Dungeon!’

To Li, that word was irresistibly alluring.

Risking one’s life to fight monsters, using wit to overcome puzzles and traps.

At the lowest level awaited a powerful enemy and victory would yield treasure.

That dungeon.

How many nights had Li spent indulging in fantasies?

Even if only for a brief moment.

To escape harsh reality, Li had adventured through fantasy worlds in her imagination.

And the most frequently appearing element in those fantasies was the dungeon.

Something that had once existed only as a product of imagination could now be experienced in reality.

There was no way Li’s excitement wouldn’t skyrocket.

With a sharp snort of enthusiasm, Li listened intently to the instructor’s words.

“Ah—there are twenty-five students in this class, right? Then you’ll form four parties of six each—”

Party.

A term that perfectly embodied fantasy.

Li’s excitement continued to climb.

Because of that, she failed to notice the ominous implication behind the instructor’s words.

“Lord Barman! Why is there one person left out?”

Lady Alberta raised her hand smoothly and asked.

“That would be because—Li Earlychar Karasebed Quewa will be solo—”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

Lady Alberta sprang to her feet without thinking.

“Well, it goes without saying, her ability is on a completely different level. If she joined a party, that group wouldn’t be learning anything—”

“But still! Sending Lady Li alone into a dungeon is far too dangerous!”

“Ability-wise, there’s no problem. Though she’s still a beginner, one of us instructors will probably accompany her.”

“…How could this be…”

Lady Alberta slumped forward in dejection.

“And besides, dungeon training involves fighting monsters. There’ll be coordination with familiars too. If Omniversal Archive Heaven’s Library is there, the other familiars will just shrink back.”

Faced with the instructor’s relentless logic, Lady Alberta could only grit her teeth and fall silent.

“Then! I can clear it solo too!”

With the force of a dramatic sound effect written into the background, the Saint sharply pointed at the instructor.

“My familiar is a fourth-rank angel! A Curio-tetes of the highest middle tier!”

This angel was also commonly known as a Dominion.

An angel who carried a scepter, conveyed divine will to humans and commanded lower-ranked angels.

Its defining trait was the ability to summon lower angels.

Though there was a limit to how many angels could be summoned, there was no doubt it was an extremely powerful familiar.

“What are you saying, Saint! Your safety is vital to our kingdom! We cannot expose you to danger!”

With the Crown Prince barging in, the room descended further into chaos.

“That’s right! I’ll protect you myself!”

The red-haired boy gave the Saint a thumbs-up.

“Hey! Don’t say unnecessary things!”

Amid the noisy lecture hall filled with shouting, Li alone curled the corner of her lips upward.

“If it’s just a little, I could get serious—”

“Li Earlychar Karasebed Quewa. Don’t start thinking suspicious thoughts—”

The instructor shut her down instantly.

With eyes wide open in disbelief, Li fell into despair, thinking, Why!