Chapter 246 | Survival Guide for a Doomed Villain in the Academy Dungeon

After listening to their conversation, Allie stopped eating as well.

She set down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and looked up, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone: “Since it's so dangerous here now, why don't we just leave?”

Greg's expression stiffened.

Seriously? He had gone through all that trouble to build up the atmosphere, laying out the Demon King Cult's conspiracy, the crisis facing the Imperial Capital, and the secrets of the dungeon, only for her to conclude with “why don't we just leave?”

What was the point of all his build-up, then?

On second thought, however, Greg realized this was indeed very in character for Allie.

In her world, his safety was always the top priority. The Empire, the dungeon, the Demon King Cult—none of them mattered as much to her as a single strand of his hair.

Greg took a deep breath, adopting a posture of righteous determination: “If we leave, what will happen to the people of the Empire?”

Allie tilted her head, sizing him up with a scrutinizing gaze. Then, with a hint of confusion and worry in her voice, she asked: “Oh no. You really seem to have turned into an idiot young master. Did I flick your forehead too hard earlier?”

Hearing this response—which wasn't the first time he'd heard something like it—made the corner of Greg's mouth twitch: “...What is with that tone? And just what kind of image do you have of me in your head?”

“An idiot young master who was a handful as a child and hasn't gotten any better now that he's grown up,” Allie answered without a moment's hesitation.

Greg opened his mouth, only to find himself completely unable to refute her.

Damn it, does a scumbag not have the right to become a hero? Why does everyone look at me like this? What on earth did I do to make them view me this way?

Just as Greg was wondering how to convince Allie to conquer the dungeon with him without revealing his secrets, Wendy actually stepped forward.

“Lady Allie.” Wendy set down her teacup. “Please allow me to say a few words.”

Allie turned her gaze to her, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

Wendy sat up straight, meeting Allie's gaze directly. Her tone was calm and steady: “What the Bishop just said is by no means alarmist. I lived in the Imperial Capital for over a decade and have some understanding of the city's underground structure. If the Demon King Cult has indeed set their sights on the dungeon, the consequences of their success would be truly unthinkable. Not only would the citizens of the Imperial Capital suffer, but the entire Empire could be thrown into turmoil.”

She paused, then continued: “I know Lady Allie cares most about the Bishop's safety, but please think about it—if the Imperial Capital falls and the Empire collapses, the rest of the world will surely be plunged into danger as well. When that time comes, where would you even be able to hide with him?”

Allie's eyes flickered slightly, but she remained silent.

Wendy took a deep breath, her voice carrying a trace of pleading: “Lady Allie, I know this request is presumptuous, and I know I have no right to ask anything of you. But... please assist the Bishop and enter the dungeon together. This is the first time I have ever asked you for a favor—not for the order, not for myself, but for all the innocent people of the Empire.”

Greg also spoke up again: “That's right, Allie. Everything we're doing is for our own future!”

Allie fell silent for a moment.

Her gaze lingered on Wendy's face for a long time before shifting to Greg, and then back to Wendy.

She hadn't known Wendy for very long, but through their interactions over the past few months, she could tell Wendy was a composed and sensible person who never easily asked others for help.

Yet now, she was asking for help in a tone that was almost pleading.

She sighed, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness: “...With both of you putting it that way, how am I supposed to refuse?”

Wendy's eyes lit up with joy. “Then you agree?”

“Yes,” Allie nodded, emphasizing, “but if things look bad, I will immediately pull this idiot young master out of there.”

Wendy nodded hastily. “Of course. Safety always comes first.”

Seeing Allie finally relent, Greg was overjoyed. He quickly pulled a folded map from his breast pocket and spread it out on the table.

It was a finely drawn map, with red dots marking numerous locations.

This was the map of the Imperial Capital Labyrinth.

Although Greg had never actually been there, the map wasn't overly complex. The labyrinth was shaped like a clock face, and the only things to watch out for were a few troublesome traps and a couple of handy hidden routes.

That was why Greg had memorized it out of sheer curiosity while browsing the player community.

“This is a map of the Imperial Capital Labyrinth that I managed to get. Take it and scout the way first.” Greg slid the map toward Allie. “When the time comes, try your best to follow the routes on the map. I've already marked all the spots you need to watch out for in advance, so you definitely won't get lost.”

Beside them, when Wendy saw Greg produce this map, her shock was far greater than Allie's.

She understood the weight of this map all too well. The map of the labyrinth beneath the Imperial Capital was something only the royal family once had the authority to access. Even the labyrinth's designers had been silenced deep within its depths to preserve the secret.

As for the original map that should have been safely stored in the royal archives, it had long since been lost to time, forgotten in some unknown corner.

If the Demon King Cult possessed this map, they certainly wouldn't have to go around causing destruction to draw away the Imperial guards' attention now.

Yet, the Bishop was able to produce such a thing as if it were nothing...

The look Wendy directed at Greg filled with an even deeper layer of respect. He truly was the Bishop.

Greg didn't notice Wendy's respect-filled gaze at all. He was entirely focused on giving Allie instructions: “Take this map. Once you pass through the labyrinth, you can enter the dungeon to do some light exploring, but you must not go deep on your own. Remember, absolutely do not go deep.”

His tone grew serious: “I don't want anything happening to you because of a moment's carelessness. So... you must wait until we meet up before we head deeper together. Do you understand?”

Every dungeon was extremely dangerous. Even if Allie could rely on her level to crush the first few layers, there was still a chance of things going horribly wrong in an unfamiliar environment.