Chapter 9

Chapter 10 The Promised Day 1 At a weapons shop located near the Sazardon Labyrinth, a merchant entered. “Welcome, Mr. Tormon.” “Oh, hey, Viena! You’re as lovely as ever.” “Why, thank you.” “Tormon.” “Hey, Pops! It’s been a while.” “So you’ve decided to return.” “Yep, I just got back. I heard something really crazy. Apparently, the royal palace sent an insane amount of people to go take it down.” “Ah, that? Let’s move farther inside. Viena, watch the shop for me.” “Yes, sir.” “Hey, what do we need to do that for? Can we not talk about this out in the open?” “I just figured we could speak over here without holding anything back. Making fun of the knights at the front of the store could get us into trouble. Ba-ha-ha!” “Hey, what are you laughing for? These guys are trying to kill our king.” “What, have you not heard? The hunt, or whatever it was they called it, failed.” “Huh? It failed? But didn’t they just enter the labyrinth yesterday?” “Yup. And they failed yesterday.” “That’s crazy fast. Did they just give up and leave?” “They didn’t give up. They were wiped out.” “W-wiped out? Wait, hold on. I heard that close to fifty people went in.” “It was seventy-two, actually. There were eight parties of eight, then two teleporters, two sorcerers specializing in healing magic, and two people for general support. They also brought an observer and another person to act as the commander or something.” “Gods above! What in the world made them send so many…?” “Even now, ‘hunting parties,’ as they’re called, are occasionally being dispatched to the one hundredth floor to challenge the boss.” “Yeah, that’s true. Why a boss that never leaves its room needs to be killed, though, no one understands. If they have that much spare time, they should use it to take out brigands or the monsters on the roads.” “The only reason for it is to gain prestige for the knights. After all, in the case of the metal dragon, even if it was killed with sheer numbers, everyone present was able to call themselves a dragonslayer.” “But they couldn’t have all killed it; that’s impossible.” “Of course not. Each party had a maximum of eight people, after all. Normally, only those in the party that actually finished off the metal dragon would be called dragonslayers. For that reason, the knights wouldn’t share publicly which party actually defeated it. They would take turns fighting the metal dragon, and the ones that weren’t fighting would sit back and feast on some delicious food. They would all work at weakening the boss over a period of several days, and in the end, they’d get together and hack it to pieces. If they were ever tired or faring poorly, they could just run back out of the boss room. The end result was the metal dragon simply being tormented to death by dozens of people, but everyone there got to call themselves a dragonslayer, even if they didn’t have a direct hand in defeating it.” “That’s crazy! Most people would just leave and try again another day if they were unable to beat it.” “Prestige is extremely important to knights and nobles. The shame would be too great for them to walk away in defeat.” “But, man. Against those kinds of numbers, no matter how strong our Bull-Headed King is, that’s just unfair.” “The first eight people to enter the room were burned by the boss’s breath and died instantly.” “Huh? Wait, I don’t understand. Surely they were wearing equipment to increase magic defense and lessen elemental damage, right?” “They weren’t. And why, you ask? They didn’t know it had that kind of attack. They were convinced it would use the Warcry skill characteristic of minotaurs. For that reason, they brought equipment specialized for physical defense and only prepared for resisting status effects.” “Are you serious?! There’s no way. There’s no way they were that stupid. What a disgrace. Even kids know about how many skills His Majesty has.” “Yep, it’s common knowledge. But the higher-ups at the royal castle were somehow unaware. Hardly surprising at this point, right?” “Ba-ha-ha-ha! That’s too true. Even His Grace would’ve been hopeless if you just used four people to hold him down and then went all out with support magic.” “But that’s the thing. They didn’t do anything to hold him down. The commander didn’t send anyone to restrain the minotaur and instead stood right outside the boss room, giving orders to the next party.” “No way… That’ll get you killed for sure.” “That it did. The commander was killed first. The party closest to him was next. And why did that happen, you ask? Because they didn’t know the King of the Labyrinth could leave his boss room.” “…Huh? All it takes is a little common sense. If His Moojesty couldn’t leave the boss room, how do they think he got from the tenth floor to the hundredth?” “No matter how much of a half-wit a person is, they should be able to realize that. We lowly peasants can’t begin to imagine how the exalted nobility thinks, though. Anyway, at this point, two parties had been taken out, but the Sazardon King’s incredible performance was only just getting started.” “Ooooh, tell me what happened next.” “I don’t know how our king even found out about this place, but he went straight for the army’s camp and began to lay siege to it. He killed the teleporters first, then the sorcerers who specialized in recovery. He then destroyed all their barriers. The same barriers they were using to keep the basilisks out.” “Whoa.” “And then, I don’t know how he did this, either, but he called the basilisks to the camp.” “That’s amazing.” “Having lost their commander and being swarmed by basilisks, the knights fell into mass confusion, every one of them fleeing in terror. Some were killed by running into a room full of hydras, and others became prey for our Supreme Overlord.” “How shameful.” “And finally came our Bovine Sovereign’s greatest touch—only the count who was there as an observer was left unharmed. When evening came, Eador, the leader of the Adventurers Guild, sent a teleporter, a scout, and a sorcerer specializing in defense to discreetly check on the knights, and they ended up rescuing the count. He was half-crazed and raving, but the guild leader was able to question him and learn everything that happened.” “I-incredible. That’s our Two-Horned Emperor for ya! Man, I don’t know where that division came from, but those knights sound really pathetic.” “Oh, you haven’t heard that, either? It was the Fourth Division of the Imperial Guard. The entire division.” “What? The Imperial Guard? And they sent that many soldiers from a single division? So does that mean the Fourth Division is just gone now?” “Anyone can see it was an attempt to increase the authority of the second prince or, more accurately, the authority of the Duke of Riga. There were, of course, those of the opinion that if they were going to send a hunting party from the Imperial Guard, they should choose knights from all the divisions. The duke rejected this, saying that the Fourth Division had the most elite knights and that they worked best together. And you know how that turned out. The Duke of Riga lost a lot of face. After all, the Fourth Division was made up of second and third sons from noble families loyal to him. Dissatisfaction and grudges mounted within his faction. They’re all trying to push the blame on others in order to protect their own positions, but the entire country knows the truth of what happened.” “That we do! I’ll help to spread the word.” “Heh-heh-heh. Spread it far and wide. It seems that Eador guy is already planting the seeds.” “Hey, Pops.” “What’s up?” “We’ve been calling it the King of the Labyrinth as a joke…but that monster…” “Yeah?” “I mean, I get that it’s a monster, but…it’s really incredible.” “It really is.” “It was born on the tenth floor. Then, by some crazy miracle, it was able to leave its boss room. It defeated many strong enemies, and got stronger itself, and learned amazing techniques no minotaur has ever learned until now.” “That’s right.” “It challenged the boss of every floor as it worked its way down the labyrinth. In the end, it killed the metal dragon and became the new boss of the one hundredth floor. And despite its strength, it never initiates combat with humans. It kills humans who attack it, but if they run, it leaves them alone.” “It doesn’t fight people weaker than it is. Our Minotaur Monarch is truly admirable. It doesn’t want to kill. It wants to fight. It’s a warrior through and through.” “Yes, exactly! It’s a warrior. That and a very wealthy merchant.” “A merchant?” “There was something my teacher always told me. The merchants who work the hardest will find the most business. Just like His Royal Beefiness. He pushed himself harder than anybody, and now look at how far he’s come.” “I see what you mean. That monster is a role model for merchants everywhere.” “Exactly! It’s got to have an incredible amount of treasure. I’ll bet it’s as rich as anyone in the land. Hey, Pops.” “What?” “Let’s go drinking.” “It’s a little early for that, but sure.” “Let’s drink to the Monster King’s victory.” “Hmm, as much as I’d love to, that could get us into trouble.” “Okay then, let’s just drink to the prosperity of our king. We don’t have to say which king, though!” “Ha-ha-ha! You know, Tormon…” “What is it?” “Someday a hero will appear and take down the minotaur.” “Alone? That’s impossible.” “If our beloved minotaur has taught us anything, it’s that nothing is impossible. Someday, someone will show up and take it down in a one-on-one duel. You may not think so, but I would bet that our king is even looking forward to that day.” Viena poked her head into the room. “Sorry to disturb you, sir, but there’s a customer looking for a one-handed sword with a blessing that increases attack power. Could you please come help him?” “Got it—I’ll be right out. Sorry, Tormon, but please wait a moment.” “All right,” responded the merchant Tormon, and he lined up three chairs and lay himself down across them. The area around the Sazardon Labyrinth was experiencing a period of prosperity. Top-rank adventurers were gathering in droves, and mid-rank adventurers were following their lead. Micaene also attracted skilled merchants and craftsmen, which led to the very best goods being assembled there as well. This created benefits for beginner adventurers. There were now a vast number of adventurers of every level in Micaene, and the Sazardon Labyrinth had the capacity to accommodate them all. Items obtained from this labyrinth were also vastly superior in quality and quantity when compared to other labyrinths. There were many shops that bought items from adventurers and ones that bought and processed those items. There were shops that sold to adventurers and others that offered meals, lodging, and other services. The Micaene Adventurers Guild was doing a great job of serving as mediator between these shops and the adventurers as well as providing various kinds of support. There were also many new adventurers who decided to get their start in Micaene as well as those who moved there to settle down permanently. They all had the ultimate goal of defeating the Labyrinth King. Doing so would make them a hero of the modern age. Nevertheless, such an event was likely still a long way off, so for now, the people of Baldemost could brag on their travels about the unique monster that couldn’t be found anywhere else. Come to think of it, Tormon hadn’t seen any starving kids with ragged clothing in the streets of Micaene recently. “That must also be thanks to our virtuous king,” Tormon muttered to himself as he dozed off to sleep. 2 “Pan’ja, calm down.” “Do I not seem calm?” “Not even a little bit. I think you’re too excited.” “Ha-ha.” Pan’ja Raban and Logan were both equipping their armor. Julius, the current head of House Mercurius, was also wearing armor. House Riga was set to attack at any moment. A battle with everything on the line was about to begin. Seventeen years had passed since the strange minotaur had appeared and Percival had lost his life. Panzel was now twenty-four years old and a knight. He should have been receiving a royal order from the palace to kill the minotaur at that very moment. House Riga was taking advantage of Panzel’s absence by sending soldiers to attack House Mercurius. At the same time, they also had soldiers surrounding the royal palace and were pressuring the king to abdicate the throne to the second-eldest prince. If they were able to fend off this attack, it would spell the end of House Riga, and there was nothing Pan’ja wished for more dearly than that. “A vassal has returned from the royal palace.” “Let him through.” Pan’ja had given up his position as chief vassal for his successor and was now respected as a wise and veteran presence in the family. Old age and poor health kept him bedridden, but this was a time of emergency, so he left the softness of his bed to return to the battlefield, taking command of the family’s soldiers. “I have returned from the royal palace.” “Did he receive the royal order?” “Yes. Sir Panzel ventured into the labyrinth along with an observer.” “Who is the observer?” “Evert Lowell.” A feeling of relief swept through the room. House Lowell was a noble family of counsel, and Evert was an honorable person. He held the important office of privy counselor and was a trusted adviser of the king. There was no way he was a supporter of House Riga. They had done all they could to prevent the observer from being someone in the pocket of the Duke of Riga. Everything should be fine if Evert was the observer. “Wasn’t there a teleport sorcerer with some connection to Lord Evert?” “Yes, sir. He is a vassal of House Lowell. He is waiting on the head of guild’s transport service in the labyrinth.” Teleport sorcerers could teleport only to places they had been to at least once before. For that reason, to be able to travel everywhere within the labyrinth, they had to be escorted to the one hundredth floor at least once. “What are the conditions for the hunt?” “Sir Panzel has been restricted from taking recovery items or food.” “Food?” It was expected that he wouldn’t be allowed to use recovery items. If Panzel was to be established as the twenty-fifth Defender of the Realm, the first to be awarded the position in a thousand years, his strength needed to be overwhelming. Pan’ja knew the Duke of Riga’s faction was responsible for that reasoning. Regardless, while not being able to use recovery items was a harsh condition, Panzel should be able to handle it. However, forbidding him from carrying food didn’t make any sense. There would be no time to eat during the duel with the minotaur anyway. “Garrest’s force is approaching!” This was no time to be lost in thought. The enemy was on the march. Riga had made two lapses in judgment. First, he was counting on Panzel not returning from his fight with the minotaur. Second, he was working under the assumption that the bedridden Pan’ja Raban would be unable to get up and fight. You’re going to regret underestimating us, Alkan, Duke of Riga. I’m going to destroy you. First your oldest son, Garrest, will die. Today is the day I pay you back for everything you’ve done. 3 Humans were approaching. They were clearly heading for this room. It had been a long time. It seemed as though this encounter would be worth the wait, though. Thinking that this human was very strong, the minotaur grabbed its favorite sword. It was one dropped by the metal dragon the fiftieth time the minotaur defeated it. It was a thick longsword with a black blade that widened a little as it got closer to the tip. The blade was single-edged, but the tip was double-edged. The sword was endowed with one of the five best blessings of any weapon the minotaur had obtained, but more importantly, it liked the length, weight, and how the grip felt in its hands. It looked crude at a glance, but the blade was capable of carrying out the user’s will to the fullest. When the minotaur swung the weapon, it became one with the sword. The blade was lacking in sharpness, but if swung with proper technique, it possessed fearsome cutting ability. The minotaur had defeated the metal dragon multiple times with this sword and honed many techniques in the process. The humans who entered his chamber were only two in number. “It’s been a while, strange warrior. Though I doubt you remember me. Seventeen years ago, we met on the first floor of this labyrinth. You gave me a bracelet. It is thanks to that bracelet I was able to meet the people I serve today. We were able to cure my mother’s illness, and she lived out the rest of her days in happiness. For all of that, I thank you.” The minotaur did not understand the language of man. Once this human finished his ritualistic performance, though, he was going to come at it with incredible fighting spirit. That was what the minotaur understood, so it waited patiently for the knight to finish speaking. “I have received a royal order from the king to kill you. Today, I want to use my strength to repay my debt to you. I hope we can have a great battle. The person behind me is just an observer. He will not participate in the fight.” The black-haired, black-eyed knight drew his shining white sword and took one step forward. The man behind him stayed at the entrance. The minotaur then understood that its only opponent was the man in front of it. They faced each other with their swords in hand, and the minotaur realized this young human had a special strength. There was no doubt he was stronger than any swordsman it had encountered yet. The minotaur planned to use a lunging attack once they both entered striking distance, but the knight got the jump on it and struck first. This challenger was very skilled. The minotaur was impressed by how quickly he was able to predict how it would move. The knight held his long, beautiful white sword in both hands and slashed upward from right to left. From the minotaur’s point of view, the attack was coming from the left and moving up toward its torso. The minotaur lifted its sword with both hands from the right to repel the knight’s attack. Before its black blade met the knight’s white sword, though, a chill ran down its spine. The minotaur’s instinct told it the knight’s sword could not be blocked with normal force. It braced itself and its weapon for impact. The knight somehow made the swing look casual, but it had unbelievable weight behind it as it crashed into the minotaur’s sturdy sword. The knight then took advantage of the minotaur’s defensive reaction, all the weight behind his previous attack disappearing instantly as he raised his sword and swung in a brilliant arc for the minotaur’s neck. The move was natural and efficient, like he had planned it from the beginning. This skill! A surge of emotion welled up within the minotaur, coursing through its body and sending its thoughts racing. Him. Him. I was born to fight him. I became strong in order to kill him. The minotaur quickly raised its black blade to block the knight’s white sword, which was heading for the back of its neck on the left side. The fact that the man was in a position to aim for the minotaur’s neck also meant he was in range for the minotaur to strike at any part of his body. The minotaur thrust its sword down to the left, aiming for the knight’s right flank. He should have been too close to have any option other than to jump to the side to try to minimize damage from the minotaur’s attack. Instead, the knight made no effort to move, changing course with his sword in midair and aiming for the minotaur’s neck on the right. The minotaur released its grip with its left hand, bent its right elbow, and used the hilt to block the knight’s blade. This knocked the knight’s sword off course, and the minotaur was able to twist its neck to avoid his slash. The knight’s weapon ended up cutting off half of the minotaur’s right horn. The minotaur was surprised. His opponent had not even considered protecting himself, instead remaining totally cool and aiming for the minotaur’s neck. Just who is this human? The knight’s sword was still in the air from his previous attack, which gave the minotaur a chance to strike. It quickly drew its left hand back, then swung its sword in a clockwise circular motion. It was a beautiful, perfect circle. Ever since its intense battle to the death with that swordsman, the minotaur could not stop thinking about the beautiful circular arcs its victim had drawn with his sword. The minotaur wanted to be able to draw those circles, too. So it practiced. Horizontal circles. Vertical circles. Circles cutting with the tip of the sword. Circles cutting with the shaft of the sword. Circles to entrap its opponent. Circles to knock its opponent down. It then came to understand the beauty, the strength, the reliability of the circle. The attack the minotaur was using now was the strongest it had created in training. It swung its sword in a circle over the knight’s head, encompassing his entire body. Even if the human reacted to this move with a perfect stance, the minotaur’s attack had too much force for him to catch any blows or dodge. The minotaur had formed an arc inside of which it was completely safe. There was nothing the knight could do to defend himself. Just as I was unable to do anything against the circle that swordsman created, now that you are in mine, you will be destroyed. Escape is impossible. I will slice open your stomach, your back, your legs. Believing the battle was nearly over, the minotaur watched as the knight withdrew his blade and took a half step back. The minotaur’s black sword swung for the challenger with perfect accuracy and certain death in mind, but the knight made no move to block, instead swinging his white sword in the exact same arc, with the same trajectory. The two blades rushed toward each other like lovers bound by fate as they sliced through the air. The minotaur tried to maintain the trajectory of its sword, but excess speed in the tip caused it to be knocked off course. The knight’s weapon traced his intended trajectory that would have blocked the minotaur’s sword, returning to his side. They both stepped back and gathered their breath. The whole exchange had occurred in the span of two breaths. Their back-and-forth was thrilling and pleased the minotaur to no end. Its excitement grew with each blow, and it was filled with such ecstasy that it thought its heart would burst. During their last exchange, the minotaur had discovered one of the knight’s weak points—his blade. The knight’s white sword was quite sharp. However, with a strong enough swing, the minotaur should have been able to break it. This human would not be defeated by simple technique. The minotaur decided it would put everything it had, all the destructive force it could muster, into its next blow. It then activated skills to double its attack power, raise its physical strength and defense, and double its critical rate. While the minotaur was activating its skills, the knight did the same. He has good sense. He must also be going all out with his next attack. But when our swords meet, yours will break, and you will die. The minotaur sucked in a large breath, held its sword high above its head, drew on every bit of its strength, traced a giant arc, and from the apex, swung down with all its might. The knight also traced a magnificent arc and met the minotaur’s sword head-on. The black and white swords clashed directly for the first time. Their impact was accompanied by an explosive sound, and sparks flew as both blades broke. The white sword shattered into bluish-silver fragments, and the black sword shattered into purplish-red fragments, all flying up into the air and shining as they fell to the ground. The minotaur thought it beautiful. This was the first time this strange monster, born underground and certain to die there, had ever seen stars. That was the skill known as Weapon Destruction. The minotaur could use this skill itself, so it knew it well. It could not believe the knight had trained in it enough to be capable of breaking its black sword, though. Had its opponent responded to that blow any other way, he would have suffered a lethal wound. The minotaur expected them both to step back and draw new swords. The knight, however, defied his expectations. Still barehanded, he spread his hands wide and grabbed the minotaur. Do you plan to match me in a contest of strength? After a moment of bewilderment, the minotaur met his challenge. Right hand met left, and left met right as they gripped each other’s fingers tightly. The knight had a large build for a human, but the minotaur was a full head taller. The minotaur leaned in, trying to crush the challenger from above with its weight. But he would not break. The knight’s arm strength rivaled the minotaur’s, and the minotaur could not move him at all. It was surprised. The knight was cleverly tightening his gauntlet-covered fingers into the minotaur’s in a way that prevented it from exercising its full strength. This meant it was not a simple contest of strength. The knight was employing a special technique of his. Even understanding that, this monster born as violence incarnate could not help but be infuriated. A challenge of strength? With a mere human? Don’t be absurd. You think you can hold back my power using some trick? The minotaur sucked in a quick breath, then immediately leaned forward as hard as it could. That was exactly the moment the knight had been waiting for. Once the minotaur leaned forward, he twisted his body, pushed with his legs, and sent the minotaur’s massive figure hurling through the air. To the minotaur, it felt as if it had been sent flying by its own strength. After it landed, the knight grabbed the minotaur’s right wrist with his right hand and twisted it behind its back. He then held down its back with his right knee and wrapped his left arm around the minotaur’s throat. Just like that, the knight began wringing the minotaur’s neck. This was bad. It would be killed if it could not escape its opponent’s hold. The minotaur kicked its feet to free itself but was having trouble moving. Its entire body was being hindered by the lock the knight had on its right hand behind its back. The minotaur grabbed the knight’s left hand in its own and tried ripping him off its neck but was unsuccessful. The man had impossible strength for a human. His arms were as tough as bronze, and the minotaur could not move them. Dammit. Is this also some kind of trick? In the brief moment we both took to activate our skills, I only focused on my sword, but did he prepare all these skills to be used in quick succession? The minotaur tried its best to endure, but the knight’s muscles were abnormally tough and resisted any attempt it made to free itself. Eventually, a dull crack sounded, echoing throughout the room. That was it. Its neck was broken. The strength of the minotaur’s entire body vanished. It was still barely alive, and had it been given just a little time, it probably could have used a regeneration skill to cure all its injuries. The knight did not give it that time. Its head was likely to be cut off at any moment. This would be the minotaur’s final battle. It had no regrets. This human had proved he was an extraordinarily skilled fighter with his strength, skill with a sword, and barehanded technique. The minotaur was grateful to have been able to experience such a battle. It did not understand the language of man, so it did not know the name of the goddess who had given it her blessing or the contents of the promise she had made him. It understood fully, though, that its wish had been granted and that it never would have had this opportunity without having been given a second life. The minotaur let out a long and deep groan. It was a prayer of thanks from the minotaur to the earth goddess Bora as its life came to an end. 4 When Panzel heard the minotaur’s neck break, he knew his gamble had paid off. The moment he’d become aware that he would likely receive a royal order to take down the minotaur, he began preparing. He’d requested the help of the guild leader and performed a thorough investigation into the minotaur’s history and capabilities, its body structure and characteristics, and more. After all that research, Panzel had decided the best strategy would be to use a barehanded fighting style. The minotaur’s skeletal structure, muscles, and joints were surprisingly similar to humans’. As a result, joint-locking techniques one wouldn’t use on most monsters would prove surprisingly effective against the minotaur. He also figured the minotaur would not have much, if any, experience dealing with that kind of attack. This minotaur had achieved mastery of the sword. Panzel wouldn’t have lost in a sword fight, but given that the minotaur’s body was incredibly thick, he had no idea how much damage it would actually take to kill it. The minotaur also had the stamina to fight the metal dragon for days on end. He couldn’t see a way to defeat his opponent in a sword fight and was also unlikely to outlast it. For that reason, he’d broke the minotaur’s sword, engaged it in hand-to-hand combat, then used a joint-locking technique to enable himself to break the beast’s neck. Fighting the minotaur without a weapon seemed like an absurd plan, but through this method, Panzel had seen his path to victory. One of the preeminent martial artists of the Jan’Majar Temple occasionally visited the Baldemost Kingdom on business, so Panzel had discreetly invited him to their estate and requested special training. Under his tutelage, Panzel learned techniques that allowed him to increase his strength exponentially in a very short period of time. He also worked on his weapon-breaking skill while training under Logan. Now he had succeeded in snapping the minotaur’s neck. It was still alive but was definitely on the verge of death. All he had to do was cut off the minotaur’s head, and it would die. When he tried to draw a sword out of his Treasury, though, it happened. He felt a sharp pain in his side. The noble who had accompanied him as an observer had stabbed a dagger through a gap in his armor. The searing pain from the stab wound told him the dagger must have been poisoned. “Evert… Why?” At that moment, the minotaur’s body spasmed. Its regeneration skill had begun healing its damage. The minotaur grabbed Evert’s leg with surprising speed. He had just removed the dagger from Panzel’s side and was attempting to step back when the minotaur slammed him face-first onto the stone floor. As he slowly got to his feet, Panzel saw that Evert had been stabbed in the chest by the poisoned dagger. “I’m sorry, Panzel.” He remained on his knees without trying to run, as if he had accepted that he was going to die or perhaps as atonement for betraying his partner’s trust. “It was a trap. From the beginning, all of it. Even the promise that you would be made Defender of the Realm if you defeated the minotaur.” “I understood that I was not expected to win,” responded Panzel. “Even still, you accepted the job. You had no choice but to accept it. Being named Defender of the Realm would have given you an influential voice with which to support your master during this difficult time. Refusal was not an option because it was a direct order from the king, but if you didn’t want to do it, your master would not have consented.” “So I was supposed to die here. You were named the observer to stab me with the poisoned dagger on the small chance I actually won. Lord Evert, I never would have thought you were a dog for the Duke of Riga.” “Panzel, you’re too good for this country. Your master is too good for this country. I can’t say I’m comfortable with Riga’s tyranny, but if the eldest prince ascends to the throne, the political purge of Riga’s faction will be unavoidable. That will break the country. Our kingdom is currently too wealthy, too big. It will not hold if a significant portion of its nobles are forcibly removed.” “If the lords could reconcile their differences, none of that would need to happen.” “Even if the purge is carried out, the northern campaign would not end well. Surely you know the strength of the northern knights. It will only bring misery to the people. We can’t allow the kingdom to go in that direction.” Evert made a pained expression and continued. “At this moment, Riga’s soldiers are heading for your lord’s estate.” “I know, but even if it comes to battle, they won’t lose. My lord has already assembled the troops. We outnumber Riga’s army and would beat them on spirit alone. I’m sure you know that as well as anyone.” “I am certainly familiar with House Mercurius’s wisdom and bravery. However, you’ll find their bravery lacking at the moment.” “During the invasion of the southern barbarians, my lord distinguished himself as a great warrior. During the rebellion of House Shen, he rushed to the mausoleum and protected the royal graveyard from harm. He also led a small force to snuff out the bandits who were wreaking havoc on the highways. Can you really look at all that and say that he lacks bravery?” “I won’t deny any of that. But Mercurius’s bravery comes from you. If you are with him, he is capable of showing valor equal to yours. With you out of the picture, though, he will not find it. The previous chief vassal will rise from his bed and take command for a time, but that won’t last long. Once his energy is spent, the battle will be over. Your lord will die. But the house will remain. If you and your lord die, the eldest prince will have to commit suicide. His Majesty will abdicate, and the second prince will ascend to the throne. Panzel, it appears my time is up… I’m sorry.” Evert died after he finished speaking, and his body disappeared. Panzel kneeled in front of his dropped items and said a silent prayer. Evert had come here knowing he would die, which meant no one would come to retrieve them. If Panzel wanted to leave the labyrinth, he had no choice but to ascend the one hundred floors on foot. He was unfamiliar with this labyrinth, so finding his way through its corridors while dealing with vicious monsters would be a struggle. Panzel had spare weapons but no recovery items. He had water but no food. Such were the conditions for the hunt. The effects of the poison were being suppressed by Panzel’s powerful resistance, but it would eventually kill him. Even if he had not been poisoned, he would not have had the stamina to make it out of the labyrinth without food. If he came across adventurers on the way up, he would be able to borrow potions and food from them. Right now, though, the harvest festival was in full swing. It was highly unlikely he would meet anyone else in the labyrinth. He had no way of reaching the entrance. He had no hope of making it in time for the battle. Despite all that, Panzel was confident in what he needed to do. “Strange warrior. I must apologize to you. Something I need to do has arisen. I will return someday to resolve this.” The minotaur understood it had lost to this human. Had there been no interference, the knight would have severed its head from its neck. It needed to give a reward to the victor. The minotaur rose, reached into its Bag, and gave the human the best reward it could manage: a one-handed sword and one shortsword. It laid them down in front of the one who had bested it. After some hesitation, Panzel picked up the two blades. Had he been able to appraise the abilities of the swords then and there, he would have been astonished. The one-handed sword was a drop from the minotaur’s one hundredth victory against the metal dragon. It was called Bora’s Sword. This weapon was imbued with some incredible blessings. Attack Power ×3 Critical-Hit Rate up 20% Movement Speed up 80% Attack Speed up 80% Health Leech up 10% Mana Regen up 20% Basic Stats up 60% Automatic Damage Recovery These blessings worked even outside of labyrinths. The sword was a treasure worthy of being called a divine weapon. The shortsword was called Kaldan’s Dagger and also had elite blessings that worked outside of labyrinths. Removes all Status Ailments Cures Poison Grants Holy Element Doubles Intellect Grants Access to Floor Map Panzel took the one-handed sword in his right hand and the shortsword in his left, bowed to the minotaur, and left the room. 5 Twenty-eight years passed. The number of people visiting the minotaur increased for a time, then eventually decreased. Now a new challenger was standing in front of the minotaur. It was a young knight with black hair and black eyes. In his right hand, he held the one-handed sword the minotaur had given the man who’d beaten it twenty-eight years earlier. In his left hand, he’d equipped a shield furnished with a powerful blessing. The minotaur could not see it from where it was standing, but using its Search skill, it could sense the knight had that shortsword strapped to the inside of his shield and was wearing the bracelet from all those years ago on his left hand. It could sense particularly strong blessings from the bracelet and the charm on his neck. Above all, this knight had amazing skill and presence of mind. The minotaur’s body trembled with the anticipation of a worthy challenge.