Chapter 10: Prince Kurobuta swears to his fiancée

　Marie El Folktus.

　The daughter of Duke Folktus, the Chancellor of the Kingdom, and Brad’s fiancée.

　Being a prince's fiancée, her education and family background are beyond reproach, and she even possesses fragile good looks that have earned her the nickname "Fairy Princess" among the nobility and their children.

　But because of that perfection, Brad wasn't good with her.

　It was similar to his jealousy towards his excellent younger brother Alberto, because the more prominent Marie's perfection was, the more his own incompetence became apparent, and the louder the voices that said the engagement was disproportionate.

　And because Brad had a proud and arrogant personality, while Marie was calm and had weak emotional expression, it was hard to say that the relationship between the two was good. Being fiancés, they behaved as expected but before they noticed, they had a relationship like that of a fake couple.

Even in the "Final Quest" work, Marie did not appear directly, but when she appeared in the form of hearsay in the conversation between the hero and Alberto, it was revealed that she "gave up on Brat, who had fallen into darkness, and fled to another country". In fact, it’s easy to imagine that if the story went as it did in the game, it would happen.

　But that's just the case when it goes according to the game. In the first place, if brad does not fall into the darkness, she wouldn’t give up on me. With that in mind, Brad postponed the restoration of his relationship with Marie even after the memories of his previous life were restored.

　Is this punishment for that?

"Huh, you want you to break off our engagement!?"

　When Marie abruptly broke off the engagement, Brad let out a dumb voice.

　Since we couldn’t really talk on the roof, we moved to a room in the royal palace that was reserved for guests. Brad was facing Marie across a small round table.

　I thought that I would spend a relaxing and elegant time with my fiancée, so I had Rosie serve expensive tea from the south and enjoyed it while relaxing.

(This is a joke right?)

　I felt like I was dipped in cold water.

　Who would have thought that after meeting for the first time in a long while, I would be told to break the engagement at the very beginning? Originally we weren't very close to each other, so I felt uncomfortable when she said she wanted to talk in private, but I had no idea she wanted to talk about this.

　Marie nodded as if to answer Brad's inner questions.

　Marie isn't joking, and isn’t the type who jokes around in the first place. Apparently, she’s serious.

"Why ... why are you suddenly bringing this up?"

"I know it’s sudden, but do you really not know?"

　Marie doesn't move her fairy-like face and asks me indifferently.

"There's no reason for such a sudden breakup..."

　...... No, there were too many.

　Like this time, I neglected my fiancée Marie, acted arrogantly to the people around me at every turn, and lazily devoured sweets in my room without studying or training. Far from being a royal, I was disqualified as a human being, it's a miracle that I haven't had my engagement broken off till now.

　Looking at the cold sweating Brad, Marie takes a small breath in a dismay.

"Currently, your reputation is the worst. I've been preparing to be queen since I was a child. On the other hand, you have no awareness of being royalty and haven’t made any effort. You’ve abandoned your duties as part of the royal family, and I’ve run out of patience. "

　Marie's words were so true that I couldn't say anything back.

(But why at this timing ...?)

In the "Final Quest" work, it’s said that she abandoned Brad after he fell into darkness, so it should be that time that the engagement gets abandoned. If the engagement is abandoned at this timing, the story may be different from the game.

(No way, is it my influence ...?)

　I wonder if the world is changing as a result of Brad regaining his memories from his previous life and acting differently from the game.

(But since my memory came back, I've been changing for the better, It doesn’t make sense to ask to break the engagement at this time.)

　I couldn't guess what she was thinking.

　Or is it the pattern where she says that she wants to break off the engagement, but doesn’t actually do so in the end?

"... I've already spoken to His Majesty, so don't worry about that. He said " His folly was 100% to blame. I don't have the right to stop you anymore." That's why it's okay to break the engagement, right?"

　But Marie had completely filled in the outer moat and showed no signs of hesitation. If I don't say anything, she'll probably just go ahead and break off the engagement.

"Hey ... wait a minute. Aren’t you being a bit too hasty?"

"Oh, I'm surprised you stopped me. I thought you didn't care about me at all, and you seem to have forgotten about our appointment as well.”

　Brad clammed up at the sarcasm, but this was not the time to be dissuaded.

"... I'm sorry I forgot our appointment, but it’s not like I didn't care. As you can see from this figure, I'm finally reflecting on the fact that I can't go on like this and I'm in the process of trying to change. Marie...... I wanted you to see me as I grew physically and mentally and became cool, and I didn't want you to see me in a half-baked state. That's why I decided to postpone meeting like this. "

　Those words suddenly came out of his mouth, but they were Brad's true feelings.

　Brad wasn't good with Marie, but he never hated her. Rather, he had been fond of her since childhood, which is why he felt terribly inferior when compared to her and kept her away by treating her roughly.

　After regaining my memory, one of my great motivations was to become a man suitable for Marie. This time, thinking of meeting her after I had become a more perfect man turned out to be a bad thing, but I can assure you it wasn’t because I didn’t care about her..

　It wasn’t my intention to end my relationship with her in this way. I want to change her mind somehow.

　I'm not sure if my feelings were conveyed even a little, but Marie dropped her gaze.

"... Surely when I met you earlier, I didn't know who you were at first because your appearance had changed so much. I get the impression that your demeanor has become softer. I think you’re making an effort to change. "

"Then ...!"

　But Marie shakes her head.

"I've been expecting it many times before, and each time I've been disillusioned by you. I can't trust you so easily, and I'm sure the nobles and people around you don't either. If you don't show us results, we won't be convinced. In order for your Highness to regain your lost honor, you will have to perform some heroic feats. For example, ......, winning the Sword Dance Festival, or something of that magnitude."

　--Sword dance festival.

　It is a battle tournament that decides the strongest of the school, which is held every year at the Royal Windstar Magic Academy where Brad is enrolled. The winner will be given a great honor along with the title of "Sword saint" by the King. It’s a tournament all the nobles attending the academy dream of winning.

　Certainly, if I can win such a prestigious tournament, I may be able to clear my name.

"But that's impossible, so let's just proceed with the annulment.

"You'll reconsider if I win?”

　But as soon as he heard that, Brad's eyes lit up.

　Winner of the sword dance festival.

　In the past, this was something that couldn’t be achieved even if the world turned over, even in a dream for the previous Brad. However, it was difficult, but achievable, for Brad, who regained the memories of his previous life.

"Huh? um...... I'm sorry to say this, but you've always been the lowest-ranked student in sword and magic classes, haven't you? I'm not sure if you can even qualify for the preliminaries, let alone win.”

"It's going to be difficult, but it's not decided that it can't be done."

　Brad laughed invincibly at Marie, who gave a decent view, then knelt down in one fluid motion in front of her.

　And gently takes Marie's delicate hand like a knight courting a princess,

"I swear to the sword god Balzak ... I will definitely win the sword dance festival, so please refrain from breaking this engagement at this time."

"Oh, huh, ...... what?”

　Not minding that Marie looked puzzled and flustered, Brad kissed the back of her white hand.

　It was an embarrassing act that Kurokawa Hayato of the previous life could never do, but he was accustomed to it as Brad, who had performed many rituals as part of the royal family.

　In addition, he lost nearly 20 kilograms, and the scene that would have once looked like a black pig begging for food was now like a scene from a hero’s tale.

　　Marie's cheeks flushed slightly, perhaps thanks to Brad's growth, but Brad stood up without noticing and with a little lingering emotion.

"Hmm ......, it seems that I have to become stronger no matter what!　I can't stay like this, I have to go training right away!"

　See you soon, Marie! Brad, who was in a rushing state like a gamer who forgets to eat and sleep to play his new game, turned his back on Marie as it was.

"Ah ... wait a minute!"

　Marie, who was in a daze, hurriedly called out to him, but Brad couldn't stop anymore.

　Brad one-sidedly ran out of the room.

　*

(... It’s become troublesome)

　As the carriage drove down the slope from the royal palace that stood tall on a small hill, Marie El Folktas sighed with a twisted expression on her beautiful face.

" Marie-sama, are you fine with this?"

　　Remilia, Marie's exclusive maid, asks with a mysterious look on her face. Marie paused for a few seconds then glanced at the maid.

"Of course, it's not okay. But Brad one-sidedly said that and went somewhere, so there was nothing I could do about it. Well, there's no way His Highness could win the Sword Dance Festival, so I guess it won't make a difference. "

"No, there’s that too but...... I'm just wondering if you shouldn’t have told Brad-sama the real reason you broke off the engagement.”

　When Remilia asked her straight, Marie opened her eyes wide. Then she stiffened for a while and left her mouth agape as if wanting to say something.

"..."

　Yes, the reason for the annulment of the engagement this time was not what I told Brad.

　It is true that Brad had abandoned his duties as a prince, but recently he seems to have converted and has a very good reputation. In particular, the measures that he’s promoting with his private funds are gaining support, especially from the poor and commoners, as they are considered to be "personal reforms. Although it’s necessary to wait and see, there’s no longer any reason to break off the engagement because of this.

　So although the real reason for breaking off the engagement was something else, Marie didn't tell Brad, but dared to  give him a false reason.

　Marie looked up at the cloudy sky from the carriage window with a melancholic look.

"... I think there are things in the world that are better left unknown, surprisingly more than you think."

　She muttered those words.

Chapter 11: Prince Kurobuta arrives at the labyrinth

(... Wow, that's amazing!)

　Brad breathed a sigh of admiration at the sight before him.

　After a full day of riding his dragon northward from the Kingdom of Pistel, Brad had finally caught sight of his destination, Sky Mountain.

　The dungeon, commonly known as the "Mountain Range in the Sky," was designed to imitate Everest,  and boasts an imposing majesty that seems to reach to the heavens. It had been a long time since he had been in the air, and he was suffering from air sickness, but the view of the ridges of Sky Mountain from the sky was so spectacular that his air sickness was blown away. 

　After enjoying the scenery for a while, brad soon ordered the ice dragon Gilgard to descend to the foot of the mountain.

"It’s go time!"

　He guided Gilgard to land in front of a large cave and jumped off its back.

　The cavern in front of him was the only entrance to the dungeon inside Sky Mountain.

In “Final Quest”, the Sky Mountain is a familiar dungeon to many players, as it’s a level 22 dungeon and is often used as a hunting ground from the middle of the game onward due to the appearance of certain monsters.

　Brad used it many times, that’s why he chose it as his hunting ground.

"... Please wait for me."

　When brad said that, Gilgard snorted.

　Looking at the entrance and the space behind it, the inside of the dungeon is too cramped for Gilgard. It would be wiser to have him wait outside obediently and call him with his dragon whistle when he was ready to leave.

　Eventually, Gilgard spread his magnificent twin wings covered with blue scales and soared into the sky. When he was in the royal palace, He could only fly around the royal capital, so I'm sure he lacked exercise. It's a good opportunity, so he should fly around as much as he wants.

After Brad sees off his dragon, he finally steps into the first level of the dungeon.

(Oh, it's the same as Faique)

　And he was impressed by the sight inside the labyrinth.

The first level of the dungeon that appears in "Final Quest" is mostly maintained by human hands, with a majestic stone structure as if it were inside a temple, and this Sky Mountain seems to be the same.

　No monsters appear on this level, and a "stone statue of forgetfulness" is set up as a save point, playing the role of an oasis where players can take a rest.

　In fact, there was no monster, and there was a familiar stone statue in the center.

(Can I save ...?)

　Although I try touching the stone statue, it seems I can’t save like in the game.

　However, when I scooped up the water from the spring where the stone statue was placed and drank it, I felt a surge of strength.

　The water in the fountain seemed to have the same effect as in the game, restoring strength and magic

　In the dungeon where monsters appear, a high concentration of magical power is gathered. Therefore, I remember hearing in a class in the academy that the water that springs here also contains enormous magic power, and if you drink it, you can receive a recovery effect. That's the logic.

(Well, here we go.)

　I looked at the dungeon scene that I was familiar with from my previous life and regained my spirit.

　There's about a month until the sword dance festival. By then, I must be strong enough to beat the heroes of the academy and win the championship.

(But how strong should I get)

　The first candidate to win is his younger brother Alberto.

 It was revealed that Alberto won the sword dance festival even during the "Final Quest" work.

(But he was 15 when he won......)

　

 Alberto is 14 this year, which means that someone else, not Alberto, will win. Alberto's expected to compete this year, so that someone will automatically be stronger than Alberto.

　Brad has to be strong enough to beat that person--

(...... Well, what I have to do doesn't change)

　A person who defeats Alberto.

　He doesn't know who it is or how strong the person is, but what Brad does wouldn't change.

　Just get stronger.

　That's it.

　Well, there's no doubt that I have to be stronger than Alberto, so I should set him as the goal for the time being.

　Alberto's level is around 30. Besides, I want to reach a level where I can win stably without player skills.

(Speaking of level ...)

　Brad removes something like silver-rimmed round glasses from his backpack.

　This is commonly known as a "level scouter".

　It's a magic tool developed by the court wizard of the Kingdom of Pistel at the suggestion of Brad.

　As the name suggests, when you look at others through this, you can display their strength itself as a level. Of course, you don't always know the exact level like in the game, but it's definitely a good rough indicator.

　Brad puts on the level scouter and checks himself reflected in the fountain.

　Then saw the number 21 in ancient magic characters floating over me as a pale red light. This is the provisional level of the current Brad.

(It's a rush work, but it's well done)

　The court magician who developed it is a terribly strange woman, but she's definitely a genius at magic tool invention. With her improvements, it will eventually become more accurate, and more detailed stats will be quantified.

　By the way, this level scouter was born from Brad's appropriate proposal, but it's become a big topic in the magician community, "It's the invention of the century!", some seem to be saying that.

　It may be an innovative invention in this world where there was no indication of strength.

　It seems that she's already applied for a patent to the Federation of Wizards in her name and Brad's, and if the level scouter becomes widespread, Brad will also receive a huge rights fee. I'm not obsessed with money cause I'm a prince, but I'm grateful for what I get.

(Anyway, the goal is level 40)

　Raise my level by 20 in a month.

Have that as the current goal.

　According to the common sense of this world, it’s almost impossible to become so strong in a month, but I have no choice but to do something about it.

　Then, brad stepped into the second level where monsters appeared.

(Whoa, they’re here already ...)

　Soon after. He came face to face with a bipedal lizard-type monster equipped with a sword.

　It was a lizard man.

　Its subjugation level is 21. It’s a monster that’s easy to fight based on its monotonous physical attack, but it’s important to be vigilant because its fangs have paralytic poison. And only three appeared.

　Although he had reached the minimum level by training with Glace, it was only the minimum. If he had a party, it wouldn't be too difficult, but with Brad on his own, it was expected to be a tough fight.

　But when Brad saw the Lizardman, he smiled with a fearless smile.

　The lizardmen threaten brad with a vicious roar as if to say, "Oh... do you think you can deal with us?"

"Hmph, small fry like you are no match for this first prince of the Pistel Kingdom, Brad von Pistel.."

　Brad provokes monsters the monster with a pompous air.

　And in this tense atmosphere, the battle was finally about to begin...

"So... I'll run away!”

　The next moment.

　Brad turned around.

　He turned his back on the lizardman and started to run away without faking it.

　Even the lizardmen seemed taken aback by the man's all-out escape, who previously seemed to be ready to fight.

(Escape to win!)

　When the enemy was out of sight, Brad stopped and caught his breath.

　Lizardmen aren’t Brad's target monster. Leveling is not very efficient when you hunt them.

　Simply put, their experience points are bad.

　Therefore, there’s no reason to fight forcibly.

　The target will appear after the fifth level. Until then, I was going to take it easy, using as little energy as possible.

　And so it went.

　Whenever a monster appeared, Brad ran and ran, and it was half a day after entering the dungeon that he found his target.

Chapter 12: Prince Kurobuta Raises his Level

　Efficient leveling without waste.

　In a character development game with a level system, this is the first thing that the player should consider.

　And the key to efficient leveling is finding the right enemy monsters for leveling.

　Of course, in order to raise your level, it’s necessary to gain experience points in battle.

　However, the experience points gained when defeated vary greatly depending on the race of the monster.

　Therefore, players search day and night for enemy monsters that can help level most efficiently by weighing the difficulty of subjugation against the acquired experience value.

The same happened in "Final Quest", and as a result of tens of thousands of players searching for it, the monster with the most experience point gain was discovered.

　This particular monster was extremely difficult to defeat, but it had a huge amount of experience value, over 100 times more than normal monsters.

　And it is--

"...... There you are."

　It was the golden snake-shaped monster that just appeared in front of Brad.

　--Orichalcum Snake.

　That is the name of this monster.

　Its height, when it raises its sickle-like head to threaten me, is as tall as a man's chest. It looks like a golden king cobra.?

Its level is 25-but the difficulty of defeating this monster called Orichalcum Snake cannot be measured by its level alone.

　Its body is just too hard.

　As its name suggests, its body surface is covered with the magical mineral Orichalcum, which is said to have the highest hardness in the world, so basically, both physical and magical attacks are almost nullified.

　It's not that you can't do damage, but it's so durable that it's almost impossible to shave one point of its 100 health points with a single attack. It's even been named by experts and adventurers as the "immortal snake " or  “undead snake” that can't be defeated.

　The only possibility of defeating it is to aim for a critical hit with a high level of physical attack power, but since it’s also very fast, you can’t even hit in the first place. Getting a critical hit was a Herculean task so you had to hope for a miracle.

　For that reason, when Brad asked around before visiting Sky Mountain, almost no one had ever subdued this monster.

　The only exception was Glace, who said, "Hmmm, I remember there was a hard snake... ☆ I killed it, but... ☆", but that was an exception because he was one of humanity's strongest monsters and used an extra skill to defeat the Orichalcon snake.

　Anyway, the monster in front of me, the Orichalcum Snake, is definitely not a monster that can be defeated with Brad’s current strength in the common sense of this world.

　But Brad was an out-of-the-box irregular being to this world, and he knew how to defeat this monster- with a skill.

　And I’ve learned that skill from Glace, and have already mastered it.

I can beat it as the current Brad.

(I have only one shot)

　However, there’s a high chance of failure.

　The Orichalcum Snake has a timid personality.

　Thanks to its overwhelming defensive power, it has almost no natural enemies, but if it notices the approach of other creatures, it will try to escape by itself.

　In fact, the Orichalcum Snake in front of him already noticed his approach and is wary. Given its agility, it would escape if not defeated by the first strike.

　I probably only have one chance.

"..."

　Brad gently touches his sword so as not to agitate it, and took an iai(Sword draw) stance.

　Then, he lets the magic flow out of his body and visualizes the skill he’s about to activate.

　　In this world, imagery is very important for activating magic and skills.

　The more concretely you can imagine the magic or skill you want to activate, the more effective the magic or skill will be.

"--" Penetrate Slash "!!!"

　Immediately after, Brad activated the skill.

　The effect of the skill is activated, and Brad's sword flashes at an ultra-high-speed that ordinary people cannot see, and attacks Orichalcum Snake.

　The slash that would normally be repelled by the Orichalcum armor, however, digs into the snake’s body.

　And with a--SPLAT!　The Orichalcum Snake's body, which had an ironclad defense, was split in half.

　The Orichalcum Snake, which was divided into two halves, writhed several times like a fish washed ashore, and then stopped moving. It seems to have died.

(Yes!)

　Brad involuntarily struck a guts pose.

　-"Penetrate Slash".

　This was the identity of the new skill taught by Glace.

　It's a swordsmanship skill that can penetrate the defenses of even the hardest objects and inflict damage. It was a skill that seemed to exist solely for the purpose of hunting orichalcum snakes.

　Suddenly, a faint light came out of the corpse of Orichalcum Snake, which rushed into brad's body.

　It's probably the experience from the Orichalcum Snake.

　Eventually, Brad's body emits a faint light, and he feels that something fundamental to him-something like his soul-has advanced to the next level.

　With the enormous amount of experience from the Orichalcum Snake, his level went up.

(... I just defeated one)

　To be honest, I couldn't believe it.

　No, considering the experience points required to level up and the experience points given by the Orichalcum Snake, leveling up is quite natural.

　However, it’s not so easy to accept that the level that I finally raised by training desperately with Glace every day could be raised by only defeating one monster.

　However, the level system was always such a thing originally.

Your level goes up according to the experience value obtained, regardless of the process, effort put in, or even hardship faced to obtain the experience. And you get stronger according to your level. That's it.

　Well, brad was able to subdue it because he knew how to due to the knowledge from his previous life, but without knowing, this monster called Orichalcum Snake wouldn’t have been defeated even if he took a lifetime. With that in mind, this enormous amount of experience is quite natural.

(Don't forget to collect the drops ...)

　 Brad cleanly strips the Orichalcum armor of the Orichalcum Snake and collects it in a bag.

　Orichalcum is a precious mineral that can only be found in a few labyrinths in the world. During the "Final Quest" work, it could be used to create equipment in the final stages, and it is bought and sold at an exorbitantly high price. It has similar value in this world, and there’s no doubt that it will bring a considerable amount if sold.

　The Orichalcum Snake gives such a huge amount of experience and also brings a huge amount of wealth on subjugation-it’s a "good" monster in a double sense.

(At this rate, I’ll be earning lots of experience and money!)

　Gamers are creatures that feel tremendous pleasure in leveling up and acquiring items, and Brad was already incredibly excited.

　He should have been tired of exploring the labyrinth for a long time, but his fatigue was blown away.

　But just as he was about to go in search of his next target.

"Okay, we’re going, brace yourselves nya!”

A girl's boisterous voice reached my ears from ahead.

　When I looked toward the voice, I saw a party of about five armed men.

(It doesn't look like usual adventurers )

　If you look closely, all members of the party have beast ears and tails.

　Considering the unique light armor with a lot of exposure, they must be cait sith, the cat people. There must be a number of settlements scattered in the forests around Sky Mountain. They should be from one of those settlements.

　When I use the level scouter to check, their levels are between 15 and 20.

　　Considering that this world is real and fighting monsters is directly related to real-life death,  you have to really be on the edge to explore this labyrinth.

.

(Funny, the cat people are supposed to be a conservative race that don’t willingly take risks, but what are they doing here ?)

　As brad slowly approached, the girl who seemed to be the leader, and also the owner of the voice, turned to me curiously.

　The girl was small and thin, with a cute cat-like face that had an air of cheekiness to it.

"Wait, huh...... Mina !?"

　Brad took a closer look at the girl's face, and then his eyes widened in astonishment.

   He was familiar with the girl's face.

　No, it's not just a familiar level. It was a face he had seen more times than his family and friends.

　To be specific, my memories of her were not from the memories of the 14 years I lived as Brad, but from the memories of my previous life as Kurokawa Hayato.

(Two unique curved swords at the waist ......there’s no doubt)

　She is the twin sword fighter, Mina Libert.

She was one of those who joined the hero’s party in final quest.

Chapter 13: Prince Kurobuta meets the hero’s companion

　The existence called a hero is accompanied by the presence of trusted companions.

　The royal road pattern of good old RPGs is to join forces with friends and at some point, fight against each other, but eventually deepen their bond and take down a huge evil such as the Demon King together.

Even in "Final Quest", the hero naturally had friends.

　There are a total of seven companion characters. These characters are replaced as the story progresses to form a final party of four, including the hero.

　One of the seven companions is Brad's younger brother Alberto, and another is the twin swordsman Mina Liebert of the cat people, cait sith, in front of me.

"Why do you know my name Nya ...?"

　Do I know you? asked Mina as she glares at Brad warily.

　If a man you meet for the first time suddenly calls your name, it’s natural to be wary. Moreover, from her point of view, Brad is a weirdo who seems to be alone in such a remote dungeon.

"Oh no, that's ..."

　Brad tries to say something in a hurry, but couldn't continue.

　Of course, she wouldn't believe it if I told her about the story of my previous life and the game "Final Quest", but then I couldn't explain how I knew her name.

"... You look like a noble nya, but are you some rich bonbon?"

　When Brad stammered, Mina asked him curiously.

　Brad felt he had to cover it up somehow, so he urgently invoked the skills he had acquired in his days as a businessman to answer.

"Oh, uh, that's right ... my name is Brad ... Fallen. In fact, His Majesty has granted me the rank of Viscount in the Kingdom of Pistel."

　Brad, who has a common name, deceives her with a pseudonym, but Mina nods without any doubt, "Is that so?"

　Probably because his outfit looked like a noble’s.

"But why does a noble bonbon no my name nya?"

"Oh, I'm sorry for surprising you. Previously, my dad was on a diplomatic mission to the cait sith village, and I accompanied him. I saw you at that time and remembered your name because you were such a pretty girl. I was hoping to meet again someday, but it's an honor to meet you in a place like this. "

　Brad spoke smoothly, and in an over-the-top foreign manner, took Mina's hand and kissed it.

　It's a story that's clearly faked, but it should seem convincing because of the talk skills he had in his previous life and his demeanor as Prince Brad.

　”I hope this is enough to cover it up," Brad thought as he looked at Mina.

"Oh, pretty girl!?　Meow!”

　Mina’s cheeks had turned bright red.

　The Cat People have a deep-rooted belief that women should be strong, and there are many strong-minded women who have an overbearing attitude toward men. On the other hand, because of such an attitude, they don’t have much immunity to men because men don’t approach them, and I remember there was a setting where they are rather easy to praise.

There was an episode in "Final Quest" where Mina was praised by the hero and became sloppy, but it seems to be worse than I imagined.

　Well, it seems the fact that Brad became thinner with his beautiful face finally started to show its power, and that Mina was younger than during the game so was less immune to men, also worked positively.

"Well ... if that's the case, it wouldn’t be strange to remember. I see, Nya ... was too cute. I see, that's it."

"That's right. You’re as usual ... No, it seems you've grown up to be even more beautiful than before. I couldn’t help but admire you."

　Mina tried to maintain her dignity as a woman of the cat race, but when Brad praises her further, she could no longer hide her embarrassment. "Ugh ......," she said, turning red and glared at him with tears in her eyes.

　Brad regretted that he had said too much and decided to change the topic.

"So are you guys here to explore? It's unusual for the cat race to be in the labyrinth."

"Kohon kohon huuh, it’s research Nya. Our purpose is to do a preliminary investigation"

　When Mina regained her composure and replied, Brad nodded and asked, "Preliminary investigation?”

"In a month's time, we’re planning to organize a large-scale strike force to conquer Sky Mountain ...... and take down the Cyclops nya. We're doing a survey for that."

　I see, that makes sense.

　The Cyclops is a giant monster that lives in the deepest part of this Sky Mountain and appears as a boss in "Final Quest".

　During the game, he threatened the neighboring cat-human settlements with force and often demanded sacrifices. Eventually, the hero will subdue it with Mina, but that subjugation is four years from now. It seems it’s still going wild for now.

"I see, I've heard rumors about the wrongdoings of the Cyclops, but ... will this be enough to take it down? Isn’t it tough?"

"Hmm? Do you know it well? The cyclops just settled here, and there shouldn't be any misdeeds known outside ...?"

　Brat breaks out in a cold sweat.

　It seems not much is known about the Cyclops yet. I guess it's best not to say too much cause I might fry my own foot.

"...... Don't underestimate the power of my kingdom's secret agents. I've already got a general idea of what's going on here. I've come to investigate it as well.”

"You came to investigate alone nya?"

　Although I proudly presented a reason for my lie, Mina looked at me suspiciously.

　Certainly, it’s unnatural for such a young aristocrat to investigate a labyrinth alone without an escort. Well, brad is a prince of a country and does such things, but that is still strange as an exception.

"Yes, I'm alone. I'm very good at it. It’s not about the number of people you have."

　Brad tells more lies, even though he feels like he's digging his own grave.

　　And immediately said  "More importantly," to avoid being confronted.

"What are the specific circumstances of your village and the cyclops right now?"

. "I don't know how much you know, but he's demanding regular sacrifices from us nya. if we don't sacrifice, he threatens to destroy the village. That's why we were reluctantly doing what he said, but recently he asked us to increase the number of sacrifices nya......his demands are escalating even further."

　Mina clenched her teeth in frustration.

"If it stays like this, the village will eventually be destroyed nya. Since that's the case, it's better to challenge it to a decisive battle while our strength is still strong. That's why, including this preliminary survey, we’re now preparing for subjugation. We’re doing it"

　Looking into Mina's determined eyes, Brad thinks calmly.

In the history of Final Quest, the Cyclops will be defeated four years after the heroes arrive here. And the heroes will not start to move until three years from now at the earliest.

　In other words, the subjugation that Mina and her team are planning for a month from now will definitely fail.

　In the story of Mina herself during the game, it was said that although she challenged it with a large-scale subjugation team in the past, they were destroyed. I guess that's what she meant by strike force. Many of them will probably die or suffer terrible damage.

(But ... I don't think they’ll listen even if I tell them to stop)

　The cat people, a conservative race to begin with, were willing to take the risk. They're already being hunted down, and they probably reluctantly sent out a strike force.

　But even if they wouldn't hear it, I couldn't keep quiet knowing they were in danger.

"I understand your feelings but you should give up on subduing it. The cyclops is really powerful. Even if you challenge it with a large number of people, you’ll only be beaten back."

　When Brad advised her, Mina glared at him with an unexpectedly grim face.

"... What do outsiders know!? Many of my friends have been eaten so far, and if we  leave it alone, will continue to be eaten from now on nya. I can’t just watch that happen!?"

"I understand but think calmly.  I've heard that the Cyclops is terribly strong and has monster-like power that’s beyond human comprehension. If you challenge it, not only will you not stand a chance, but you'll only cause more casualties."

　Brad tells her to remind her.

"Even so ... it's already decided in the village nya. We cat people love peace, but we're not stupid. If we're gradually weakened like this, we'll be killed."

　When Mina said this with a strong determination in her eyes, her friends nodded. It seems the decision to challenge the Cyclops was final.

　When Brad decided it would be difficult to persuade her, Mina turned her back, perhaps thinking the talk was over.

"... Well, that's what it is. You don't look very strong, so be careful not to encounter it  or its subordinates nya."

　Mina shrugs and begins to walk with her friends.

　Brad couldn't think of any words to hold them back and watched them leave.

(Maybe it's God telling me you can’t change historical facts so easily...)

　Brad breathes, feeling something like there’s a lump in his chest.

　Even so, Brad is trying to change history for his own life

　He can no longer see how the world will be transformed if he changes all the unnecessary parts. There is a good chance that people who were happy in the previous history will become unhappy. I knew that I had to avoid that as much as possible.

(What's should I do?)

　The cyclops is strong to begin with.

In "Final Quest", you can survive the battle with the Cyclopes at about level 25, but in reality, you can’t defeat it in that battle. After the battle, the Cyclops enters its second form and chases the heroes. This is where Glace, the Demon Slaying hero, appears to save the heroes and finish him off.

　Because Glace was not interested in the title, the honor of "Giant Slayer" was given to the hero, and the hero became famous all over the continent, but without Glace, the hero would have been defeated in the first place.

　Therefore, the actual strength of the cyclops is 25 or more, and even if Mina and her friends who are less than level 20 came together, they can’t defeat it as a matter of course. And even if the current Brad helped here, the result wouldn't change.

(But didn’t they say the subjugation was a month later?)

　The strength of the second form is unclear, but even with that in mind, it wouldn’t be impossible to subdue with a party full of four people of around level 30.

(If you're alone, it's probably more like ......40)

　While murmuring such a thing--

　Brad decides that leveling is the best thing to do, He started walking in the labyrinth in search of his next Orichalcum Snake.

Chapter 14: The determination of a certain cat tribe

　Time has passed since Brad began leveling in the labyrinth.

　It was as expected

　The Orichalcum Snakes are so good that my level increases as soon as they’re defeated, they even drop valuable items, and endlessly respawn in this labyrinth. It was only natural that Brad, a lifelong gamer in his previous life, would lose track of time and become immersed in the hunt.

　And although this world is very similar to the game "Final Quest", it’s not a game but a real reality.

　Levels are directly linked to your strength, and if you get a valuable item, it becomes your property. With that in mind, the addictiveness of Orichalcum snake hunting isn’t comparable to games. After all, the act of making my real self stronger and stronger comes with indescribable pleasure like that of becoming a millionaire.

　Brad was now in a constant state of adrenaline and hunted Orichalcum Snakes from morning till night.

　At first, I used the level scouter every time I hunted a few Orichalcum snakes, to check my level and immerse myself in the pleasure, but gradually I stopped doing so. As I continued to level, I entered a kind of zone state where I wanted to raise my level as much as possible, and not even the time to check my level was spared.

　Every day in the labyrinth was extremely simple.

　When my hunger reaches its limit, boil or roast the monsters to fill my stomach, when I reach the limit of drowsiness, sleep like dead, otherwise hunt and hunt Orichalcum snakes like crazy. That was it.

　And while spending such monotonous but irresistible days for gamers, I noticed that one month had passed.

　*

<Mina’s POV>

"We're almost at his stronghold nya!　Is everyone ready?"

　When Mina raised her voice from the front of the raiding party, the others nodded vigorously.

　Labyrinth Sky Mountain, 14th floor.

　A total of forty-eight cait sith warriors from the cat tribe formed a line and followed behind Mina. They were some of the best warriors of the Cat People who had gathered to defeat the Cyclops.

　After their one-month meticulous preparation period, today was the day of the decisive battle with the Cyclops, which would determine the fate of their race.

　Preliminary investigation revealed that the next level, level 15, was the Cyclops' stronghold, so the tension in the team was already tense. All of the members of the subjugation team are fierce warriors, but even so, they all seem to be nervous and fidgety.

　This is understandable, considering the tragedy of the day the Cyclops arrived in their village.

"..."

　--That day, he suddenly appeared.

　Without any warning, just like a natural disaster, the monocular giant Cyclops with a thousand monsters under his control, visited the village of Mina and the cat race.

　He unilaterally said, "From today, the king of this village is me, and if you want to survive, give me a sacrifice for the Demon King."

　Currently, the Demon King is in a dormant state.

　At the time of the previous war, he was defeated by the "seven heroes" including the "demon slayer" Glace Stresemann, and his power was greatly reduced.

　This is the reason why monsters under the Demon Lord's command are now hiding in various parts of the continent in order to awaken the Demon Lord. The Cyclops' demand for sacrifices is probably part of this, and he’s probably planning to use humans, who are a mass of highly pure magical power, as the foundation for awakening the Demon Lord.

　Of course, the Cat People didn't want to be a part of the Demon King's awakening, nor did they want to sacrifice their friends. So the village rejected Cyclops' request and chose to fight the monocular giant.

　At that time, it was a young man of the village who lead the fight with the cyclops, he was Mina’s father, who was famous for being the strongest warrior in the village.

　However, her father, who was so strong that he was called the hero of the cat people, was completely outmatched by Cyclops, who was one of the executives under "Four Demon Generals" of the Demon King's army.

Her father was instantly defeated by the overwhelming power of the Cyclops, and together with her mother, who was defending him, the giant easily took their lives.

　It happened in an instant.

　The overwhelming power of the cyclops wipes away her father and mother who protect each other like garbage. Even now, months later, Mina dreams of the tragedy of that day.

　And every time, she was struck by her powerlessness knowing she couldn't do anything about it.

(... I can never lose)

　But that ends today.

　For the sake of my father, mother, and the people of the village who sacrificed their lives, and for the sake of the future of the village, I will not let the Cyclops do what it wants anymore. We must defeat it today and end this nightmare.

Mina takes a deep breath and regains her spirit,

"You can't win if you don't relax your shoulders."

　It was Mina's three years older cousin Yugurd who called out to her.

　　After her parents died, Mina became the young leader of the village at the age of 15, and Yugurdo is a kind-hearted young man who assists Mina, who lacks strength, experience, and everything else.

"Don't worry. we've talked and prepared carefully to subdue him this day. The best of the Cat People are here. If we work together, we can win.." (Yugurd)

"Yeah ... that's right nya."

　Mina was always helped by him because he was so sensitive and caring.

　Encouraged by Yugurd’s smile, Mina manages to recover her smile.

　The worry hasn’t disappeared yet.

　But as Yugurd says, we’ve prepared as much as we can for this subjugation. And there are many reliable friends, including Yugurd with me. There is a gap in power between us and the Cyclops,  but there is a chance of winning.

(It's okay ... it's okay)

　Mina told herself and struck her cheeks.

　I’m in command of this subjugation team. If I’m anxious, my anxiety will spread to my friends. I must be resolute.

　Despite Mina's anxiety, the labyrinth capture went smoothly, and the subjugation team finally reached the 15th floor, which is the base of the cyclops.

"..."

　What appeared in their field of view was a solemn space that resembled a temple like that of the first floor.

　Most of the 15th level was made up of stones in ruins like this, and we already knew from our preliminary research that the Cyclops was using the depths of this space as its stronghold.

　The strike team was about to begin a careful search when...

"- What's going on nya!?"

　Shortly after. Meena's eyes widened at the sight before her.

　Immediately after entering the 15th level, there was a vast dome-shaped space. It was reminiscent of a Colosseum in Mungar, the empire of warriors, and a huge number of monsters were waiting for us.

　Goblins, Kobolds, Ogres-there were hundreds of monster swarms, centered around intelligent subhuman monsters.

"Why are there so many monsters? Aren't they supposed to be out?”

　Many of the Cyclops' subordinates today were supposed to visit the cat people's village to pick up the sacrifices, and the security of this stronghold was supposed to be thin. That's why I had purposely set today as the day to take him down, but I couldn't understand why there were so many monsters.

Moreover, the monsters weren't just there. They were armed and seemed to know that Meena and her team were coming.

　Just when Meena and her team were overwhelmed and confused by the swarm of monsters.

"--Gahahahahaha, you're here! It's late and I'm tired of waiting!"

　From the depths of the swarming monsters, a familiar, booming voice filled the labyrinth.

　On a throne-like seat, there was a monocular giant monster with a height of more than 10 meters, which boasts a huge body that Mina and her friends can look up at even when sitting down.

With a pale corpse-like body-color, claws on its huge limbs, jagged and sharp fangs, a single horn protruding from the top of its bald head, all told us that it was not a human being, but a being belonging to the darkness.

"Thanks for the hard work... Did you think that you could outsmart me by dragging yourselves so far into the mountains to defeat me?"

　- a devil.

　Such words came out of its mouth. The monocular giant, Cyclops, gave off an extraordinary sense of intimidation.

　　The mere sight of the huge monster was enough to make the team shrivel up, but Mina stepped in front of the subjugation party and spoke up bravely.

"How nya… how did you know we would be coming here today to defeat you?　I'm pretty sure we didn't tell anyone we were moving today!"

　Only some people with key positions in other countries who interact with the villagers know about today's subjugation. I don't think the cyclops has any ties to humans in the first place, so I couldn't understand how the information was leaked.

　The cyclops laughed with his nose, glaring at the embarrassed Mina.

"Hmph, how stupid. I can see through all the shallow thinking of you stupid cats. You should have just sacrificed yourselves and become the foundation of the Demon Lord. But you decided to turn your fangs against this me, one of the four demon generals, what numbskulls,  I’ll have you open your eyes with some pain. "

"Ku ... why"

　Mina clenches her teeth, but calms down.

　(I don't know how the information was leaked, but it's already leaked, and it's pointless to think about it.)

　The only thing to consider now is how to overcome this situation. As the head of this subjugation team, Mina has to figure out how to overcome the desperate situation of being surrounded by the Cyclops and hundreds of monsters.

　But no matter how much I think about it, I can't find such a method. It was because there was no other way that we set the date for today since there were supposed to be fewer monsters.

"Ku, if it was just the cyclopes ... maybe it could be done."

　When Mina grumbled regretfully, the Cyclopes burst out laughing.

"Idiot ... what would have happened with this cyclops alone? Are you trying to make me laugh to death? If so, you're quite the tactician. I didn't know that the small and powerless cat people had such a sense of humor, Gahahahahaha! "

　The monsters under his control were also urged by the cyclopes to laugh, and an eerie laugh echoes throughout the labyrinth.

　“Not good!” Mina says noticing that the subjugation team is completely frozen by the atmosphere while being in the enemy’s land.

"... What's so weird nya!? If 　If you were enough alone, you wouldn't be waiting with so many minions!　You have such a big figure, but you didn't have the confidence to win by yourself, did you?”

　Mina taunts him, but the Cyclops shrugs in a relaxed, composed manner, without getting upset.

"... Even if you're strong, you should always prepare for irregulars. I don't feel like losing to you little cats, but if you should bring one of the " seven heroes ", even for this me, there’s a possibility of being defeated. I just kept that in mind. "

　Mina gulps in terror.

　She was reminded that the terrifying part of this monster is not just its mighty power but also its rationality.

(I can't find a way to win ...)

　There was no chance to attack it.

　Even though Cyclops alone was at the level of whether or not there was a chance to win, the Cyclops wasn’t arrogant in its strength and kept hundreds of subordinates at hand. If a large number of monsters attack, there would be no chance of winning for the subjugation team.

　As Mina clenched her teeth, wondering if all was lost...

"But......that's fine, today I’ll deal with you alone."

　The cyclops said as though he just thought of it, and wears an eerie smile.

　When Mina’s gaze turns suspicious about what he was saying, the Cyclops moves his gaze to her side in response.

　　There was a ghastly eyeball - probably some kind of monster - floating in the air, looking around gloomily.

"Today, he is watching this place through the Evil Eye. It would be good entertainment for me to play with you."

　The cyclops slowly rises from the throne, and the labyrinth shakes violently with just that movement, causing an earthquake.

　As the Cyclops snapped his jaws, and the hundreds of monsters under his command fell back in unison to make way for him.

　It seems that he really intends to fight alone.

(... Whatever the case thank goodness)

　　I don't know why the Cyclops suddenly showed such naivety. However, after creating such an overwhelming advantage, he dared to fight alone. I can only be grateful.

　When Mina put her hand on her sword and glanced behind her, her friends nodded powerfully as if they understood, and took up their weapons, ready for battle.

　A few seconds that felt infinite pass.

　The cyclops and the subjugation team glared at each other--

"--Come on, small fry”

　The ridicule of Cyclops signaled the start of the decisive battle that held the fate of the cat-human race.