Chapter 252: Dekans Public Reputation is Suffering Unknown Damage (1/2) |
Dekan pressed his dimples with both index fingers, controlled his expression well, then turned around with a sorrowful look.
"You guys accompany Elaine on her last journey. We'll go guard outside; no one knows when this prison will send a new Warden or Jailer."
Dekan patted Ryan's shoulder and said softly.
"Mm, sorry to trouble you."
Ryan nodded full of gratitude.
At the moment when everyone was immersed in the sad atmosphere of bidding farewell to Elaine.
Dekan also took Cornelia and Morion to retreat silently, leaving the camp.
Their goal was clear; there was no need to waste time on this layer anymore.
Together they headed towards the teleportation gate leading to the sixth layer.
Cornelia walked beside Dekan and said.
"Hm?"
Dekan looked at Cornelia somewhat puzzledly, then moved his gaze away, only looking ahead.
"I said, you are really gentle."
Cornelia got a little closer to Dekan again and whispered.
"Can't understand, can't understand."
Dekan just said while quickening his pace.
"Hehe."
Cornelia didn't say anything more to Dekan, just covered her mouth and laughed.
"Meow-u!"
At this time.
Cat Teacher finally jumped out of Dekan's clothes.
"Cat Teacher..."
Just as Cornelia prepared to catch it, it nimbly leaped onto Morion's head who was walking behind.
"Eh?"
Cornelia turned back somewhat blankly looking at Cat Teacher and Morion.
The relationship between these two, last time too.
Was inexplicably good.
"Cornelia! I'll come to find you later meow, you praise Dekan more meow! He's in a good mood!"
Cat Teacher waved its paw and shouted.
"Hm?"
Although Cornelia was confused, she quickly nodded and agreed:
"Okay."
Then she trotted to be side by side with Dekan, linked arms with him, and started murmuring beside him.
While Dekan wore a speechless and helpless expression, looking up from time to time, but having no way to deal with Cornelia.
Don't know why, Cornelia felt the current Dekan was very easy to get close to, and naturally stuck relatively close to him.
Seeming to have no scruples.
So along the way.
Cornelia kept praising him by Dekan's side.
...
In the Real World.
Due to Dekan's prominent reputation.
His Shadow World challenge also received great attention.
In the eyes of the outside world, after Dekan returned from the Randil Kingdom, he was exceptionally low-key and had made no moves for a long time.
It was like he had vanished from the Norton Kingdom.
This time, with great difficulty, Dekan entered a Tier 7 Shadow World, naturally attracting attention from all sides.
As well as people who were very interested in him and had camped in the Norton Royal Capital early on.
At the gate of Heavenlit Academy.
"Hello everyone, this is Ludwig, the official reporter of the Kingdom Federation. I will bring everyone a report about Pain... no, it's Calam... ah no! Cut it, cut it quickly! It's an interview about the prospective Special-Grade Card Maker Mr. Dekan challenging the Shadow World!"
A girl with light blue hair, wearing playful overalls, spoke somewhat rashly to the camera.
"We have arrived at Heavenlit Academy where Mr. Dekan is. Now we are about to head to the Broadcast Hall, but on the way, we will also randomly pick some students for interviews!"
After saying this sentence, she started leading her partner who was filming for her into the campus.
Soon, a student with a very special temperament attracted her attention.
He looked in his teens, but had a sense of desolation and vicissitude that shouldn't belong to a person of this age.
Clearly having the temperament of a rich young master, his face was written full of stories.
It was hard to imagine what this student had experienced.
"Okay, let's go interview that student first!"
The light blue-haired reporter girl Ludwig quickly trotted over, found this student, and handed the microphone to him.
"Hello student, may I ask if you know Dekan?"
"Dekan?!! No, I won't cause trouble for him! Don't come to bewitch me!"
The desolate student's eyes widened round, as if some keyword was triggered, holding his head somewhat painfully, and fled in panic.
"Eh?"
Ludwig looked at the figure of this student leaving, holding the microphone, stunned on the spot.
Subsequently, she spread her hands somewhat puzzledly to the camera.
"It seems Mr. Dekan's prestige in the school is also beyond our imagination. It seems the legend that his name can stop babies from crying at midnight is true."
Ludwig led her partner on the way to the Broadcast Hall again.
"It seems we can't look for students who look desolate this time; we have to find a student who definitely couldn't have been persecuted by Dekan for a normal interview."
Ludwig muttered to herself.
Not long after, Ludwig noticed two girls with outstanding temperaments walking side by side.
Among them, the glamorous blonde girl was the Princess of this Kingdom, and the other black-haired girl also had exceptionally outstanding temperament.
They seemed to be walking on the way to the Broadcast Hall.
Ludwig felt she must go interview them.
Soon she ran in front of Iris.
"Her Highness Iris! Can I interview you?"
"Mm, no problem!"
Iris agreed readily upon seeing the work ID on Ludwig's chest, then flicked her hair somewhat proudly looking at the camera, standing dashingly in front of the lens.
"Are you going to the Broadcast Hall to watch Dekan's Shadow World challenge?"
Ludwig asked.
"Of course! I am exactly going to see the performance of my close friend Dekan! He is carrying a card made by this Princess for him! By the way, he will represent the Norton Kingdom in the Hero Festival next! It had to be me personally inviting him to fight before he agreed. Of course, he has always given me face..."
Iris started talking non-stop standing in front of the camera.
Making Ludwig laugh somewhat awkwardly, taking the chance while Iris took a breath to quickly interrupt her:
"Ahahaha, Her Highness Iris, thank you for sharing! I will also participate in the Hero Festival as a staff member of the Kingdom Federation! Looking forward to our reunion then!"
Before Iris could speak again, Ludwig turned her gaze to the black-haired girl.
"Mi... Student Mi'e! I know you! You are also a member of the Beautiful Mind Squad! Clearly, you provided key help for Dekan in the Randil Kingdom, why didn't you participate in the Shadow World challenge with him?"
Mi'e first smiled preparing to answer, then seemingly realizing some problems, a trace of sternness flashed in her eyes staring at Ludwig.
However, this was only for an instant, not even perceived by anyone.
Mi'e answered with her usual smile:
PART 2
"I'm just a clerical worker making up the numbers. Last time in the Randil Kingdom, they carried me through the assessment; actually, it doesn't make much difference whether I'm there or not."
"Oh oh! I offended! I thought compared to Dekan and Cloix who are active in the open, you also provided a lot of help for them behind the scenes! Thank you, Miss Mi'e, see you at the Broadcast Hall later!"
Ludwig scratched the back of her head, laughing naively.
Soon she trotted with her team towards the Broadcast Hall.
Mi'e stared at Ludwig's retreating back for a while.
Then shook her head, continuing to walk leisurely towards the Broadcast Hall with Iris.
...
After Ludwig arrived at the Broadcast Hall, the segment being screened happened to be the scene of Dekan saving everyone and giving a passionate speech.
"Wow, looks like I'm so lucky, just happened to encounter the scene of Student Dekan accumulating merit by doing good deeds! Let's listen to what other students say."
Ludwig looked at the camera, with a sweet smile at the corner of her mouth, continuing to watch Dekan's performance.
Subsequently, Ludwig walked in the aisles, pointing the microphone around from time to time, collecting students' voices.
"He really... I'm super dead..."
"I watched him play five layers; this is the first time he's really accumulating merit by doing good deeds, but why does it always feel like his good deeds have such a heavy weird smell?"
"Ah Kan, you better do bad things; I'm scared watching you do good deeds..."
Ludwig: "..."
"Ahaha, it seems the students have a very good relationship with Dekan, presumably they must be joking, right right?"
Ludwig laughed awkwardly.
"Emmmm, let's interview the teachers; presumably they can give a more objective evaluation!"
Ludwig's voice immediately regained vitality.
Soon she found a dignified middle-aged man wearing the Knight Academy teacher's uniform.
She believed this teacher who looked like a Vice Dean must be very reliable.
"May I ask this teacher, how do you evaluate Dekan's performance in the Shadow World this time?"
"Pure passerby, hard to evaluate."
Professor Anno's pupils shrank when he saw the camera; he waved his hand and walked away hurriedly, as if afraid of being on camera.
Ludwig tilted her head somewhat puzzledly.
She asked the surrounding Knight Academy teachers again.
Their reactions after seeing the camera were roughly the same.
"Why is everyone a pure passerby... It seems I just happened not to meet teachers familiar with Dekan... Then let's ask some topics unrelated to the Shadow World."
Soon Ludwig discovered a target again, that was Judith and Ice Snow Princess sitting conspicuously in the audience seats.
She trotted joyfully to Judith's side, introduced herself, and asked:
"Lord Judith! As an employee of the Happy Group, how do you view the romantic progress between Dekan and Cornelia?"
Ludwig believed this topic would interest quite a few people.
Because just now she saw on the screen, the interaction between Dekan and Cornelia caused quite a few students to howl like ghosts.
"Huh? Haven't they always been like that? But I never liked discussing people's relationships behind their backs, what 'destined match', what 'childhood sweethearts', I don't understand, I always hear Cat Teacher say it though; please go ask others about these questions."
Judith shook her head helplessly and answered.
"Uh... Is there a possibility that you are..."
"I am what?"
"Nothing nothing!"
Ludwig quickly turned her target to Ice Snow Princess again.
"Lord Ice Snow Princess! Do you ship the couple Dekan and Cornelia?"
"..."
Ice Snow Princess didn't speak.
Just like this, both sides were silent for several seconds.
"Lord Ice Snow Princess? Why are your eyes a bit red?"
"Hm? I, I'm still immersed in the situation of the fourth layer; I just feel Artis is too pitiful..."
"Then what about you, are you okay?"
Ludwig asked somewhat concernedly.
"I have no problem."
Ice Snow Princess turned her head away.
Seeming not to want Ludwig to see her face anymore.
Ludwig poked her own cheek somewhat puzzledly.
"Did I say something wrong..."
Ludwig muttered.
"But no problem, when I publish this interview, Student Dekan will definitely thank me!"
"Uh, then our interview today comes to a temporary end. I will stay in the Royal Capital, waiting for the end of the Shadow World, bringing everyone a firsthand interview with Dekan himself!"
...
Inside the Shadow World.
"Achoo!"
Dekan sniffled, his expression becoming somewhat confused.
"Did you catch a cold on the fifth layer just now?"
Cornelia looked at Dekan somewhat concernedly and asked.
"No, I just feel like someone is damaging my merit behind my back, but I'm probably overthinking it. Although I don't care about public opinion anymore, after finishing the fifth layer, presumably my public reputation must have improved a lot, which is quite nice too."
The three people and one cat finally arrived at the sixth layer now.
[Heretic Hell]
[In this prison layer, one cannot actively attack prisoners or other Jailers, otherwise 75% of owned Devil Points, or 100 Devil Points, whichever is larger, will be deducted each time.]
[When Devil Points are negative, one will be executed by the Warden.]
[Completing the challenge against the Warden can obtain desired specific supplies.]
[Can consume Devil Points to exchange for supplies, or sell supplies to exchange for Devil Points; Devil Points can be traded freely.]
[On the sixth layer of the prison, 600 Devil Points will be automatically deducted every day.]
[To go to the seventh layer, 6000 Devil Points must be paid, or possess the sixth layer Warden's permission.]
"Mm... pretty similar to the first and third layers, looks like a Warden who follows rules, but..."
Dekan also noticed that this layer didn't have a description for work.
It seemed this layer didn't have jobs to earn Devil Points, but required completing challenges against the Warden.
Presumably similar to the duel with Artis on the fourth layer, challenging under fair rules; once victorious, special supplies could be obtained.
"Hopefully the Warden of this layer isn't too hard to deal with."
Dekan prayed.
"Should be quite troublesome. Listening to the name of this layer, you know the Warden definitely has high status, and won't be as friendly as Artis; impossible to let you exploit familiarity like on the second layer again, right?"
Morion immediately poured a basin of cold water on Dekan.
"Shoo shoo shoo!"
While speaking, they walked out of the teleportation gate barrier range.
However, just walking out, they saw a demon wearing a dark green formal suit already waiting for them.
He wasn't quite similar to previous demons; one couldn't feel any threat from him.
Hair and beard were arranged in perfect order; after the hat covered his demon horns, he looked completely like a gentle and cultivated human scholar.
"Hello beautiful lady, welcome to my laboratory."
Taking off the hat, bowing elegantly to Dekan with a gentleman's courtesy,
"I am the Warden of this layer—Forbidden Fahir."