Chapter 134: Mid-Boss

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༺ Mid-Boss ༻

"Hey, I have a question."

"Ah, yes! Please ask!"

"Why is it so chaotic here?"

Before our plan officially started, I carefully surveyed the market and approached one of the busy employees.

"Oh, that's because there was an explosion…"

"An explosion?"

"Yes, there was a mishap with a magical device used to control slaves, resulting in an explosion. Fortunately, there were no casualties, so you can continue to enjoy your time here without any concerns."

Although the employee said this with a smile, I could see collapsed guards lying on the ground behind him. If the guests saw this scene, it would be quite troublesome. Judging by the slow response, it seemed that they were also caught off guard.

'It's about time to start the plan.'

With that thought, I sensed the right moment and spoke with a slightly stern expression.

"Alright, move aside."

"Pardon?"

"I came to check on the slave I left in the waiting room, and you're in charge of the upper floor."

As I spoke with an irritated tone, he wore a troubled expression and replied.

"M-My apologies, but… the slaves are not currently on the upper floor. They have been moved somewhere else."

"…Somewhere else?"

"Yes, as I mentioned earlier, there was an accident on the floor where the waiting room was located… So, we relocated the facilities on that floor to another level. Of course, the waiting room as well."

The employee then pointed to a distant place where people were lined up.

"Hence, if you wish to go to another floor, you'll need to use the floating elevator with the floating stone, rather than these stairs."

"…I've never been treated like this before."

As I glared at the employee with a cold gaze, he hesitated for a moment before whispering to me in a soft voice.

"Don't worry, there is a secret elevator reserved for VIPs like you, Lord Frey."

Saying this, the employee took out a map of the building from his pocket and pointed to a specific spot.

"If you go here, a waiting employee will recognize you, Lord Frey, and guide you. So please, let go of your anger."

"…Hmm."

"According to the information I received from the headquarters, there will be suitable compensation for all VIPs. Only for VIPs, not for regular members."

Listening to his rather pleasant words and a wink, I took out a gold coin from my pocket and said,

"Take it."

"You don't need to give me this… Hehe."

"Never mind, it's merely pocket change for me. Anyway, I'd like to borrow the map you're holding for a moment."

"The map? Oh, certainly!"

As he handed me the map with a slightly puzzled expression, he bowed and said,

"Then please, have a good day!"

"…Hmm."

Leaving the man with the single gold coin and a beaming smile, I headed towards the location he had guided me to.

"Damn it, what has caused them to restrict access?"

"Can we rely on this? If they accommodate such a large number of people…"

"It's fine. Surely, the slave market, which colludes with the royal family to bury the lives of nobles, wouldn't take our lives lightly?"

I passed by the nobles guarding the elevator with unwavering trust in the slave market.

"I'm going crazy, what's happening?"

"We were supposed to be monitoring the slaves, why do we have to get involved in this?"

"Hey, they're giving us a hefty extra allowance. Quit complaining and let's go."

I made my way through the busy guards who were desperately hiding their weapons from the public.

"…Lord Frey, greetings."

"Are you my guide?"

I spoke in a hushed voice upon finding the employee who had been waiting in the dimly lit area.

"Well, let's get started."

"Pardon?"

"Begin guiding me."

"…Understood."

The woman, who had briefly tilted her head in confusion, nodded silently as I said that and then began to guide me.

– The magical reinforcement of the cabinet is nearly complete. We'll probably be able to finish it on time.

– I have ordered the Royal Knights to prepare their weapons. They can intervene at any moment.

– Lord Frey, this is Dmir Khan. I will do my best to fulfill the mission you have entrusted me with.

Of course, the 'start' I mentioned had a double meaning.

"Here's the temporary waiting room."

"Thank you."

In the place I arrived at with the female employee's guidance, there was a room with an unassuming door.

It appeared that they had crammed the slaves into a regular room due to the severity of the situation.

"Well, have a good day… Huh?"

As I was thinking that, the female employee suddenly tilted her head.

"Uh, uhhhh…"

It turned out that strange moaning sounds were coming from the slave waiting room.

"Please wait a moment, Lord Frey. I'll check… Aaagh!"

I incapacitated the employee who was trying to enter the room with a tense expression by striking her on the back of the head with the cane I held. Then, with a calm expression, I entered the room.

"Hello, Lord Frey."

"…Hello."

As I did, Dmir Khan and the Demon Army's Chief of Staff Lemerno, who were present in the waiting room, greeted me.

Lemerno, however, did not seem particularly pleased to see me.

"We've tried to enhance the slaves as per your instructions, but…"

While subtly observing Lemerno's still-wary gaze, Dmir Khan spoke politely and pointed to the slaves.

"Ugh, uhhhh…"

"My chest… it's burning…"

"Haah, haaah…"

When I looked at where he pointed, the powerful slaves I had personally selected were moaning.

"…It seems there won't be many slaves entering the final stage, as expected."

Dmir Khan was looking at the scene with an indifferent expression.

"Still, even if just one of them reaches the final stage… they will become as strong as the combat officers."

"That's right. These slaves were originally handpicked by you, Lord Frey, and they've received both enhancement magic and a berserk curse, so it's only natural."

Dmir Khan chimed in, echoing my equally indifferent words, and soon began speaking with an expression full of anticipation.

"Now, all that's left is to raid the slave market."

"…Right."

"With the Demon Army combat executives, rampaging slaves, and the remaining slaves, we can launch a joint attack… We can smuggle the slaves and take the nobles hostage."

Despite my sullen response, he continued speaking with an expectant voice, his eyes gleaming as he addressed me once again.

"Coming up with such an excellent plan, Lord Frey, you're truly amazing."

"This is a plan that even Lemerno could come up with."

"…That's high praise."

When I casually mentioned that to Dmir Khan, Lemerno, who was beside him, quietly replied.

She still had a somewhat dissatisfied expression on her face.

"Is there some dissatisfaction, perhaps?"

"Regarding this operation, I just feel like something is…"

As I casually asked Lemerno, she seemed to have been waiting for the opportunity to speak.

"Ahem, ahem."

"…Never mind."

As Dmir Khan coughed and looked at me with admiration, she lowered her head and fell silent.

"Aaaaaaaaah!!!"

"…Huh?"

At that moment, a scream began to echo among the slaves.

"It seems we finally have a success."

"…Hmm."

Turning my gaze towards the source, I saw a girl clutching her chest, trembling as she lay on the floor.

– Whoosh…

"…Oh?"

However, that was only for a moment, as smoke started to rise from her body.

"Ugh…"

In an instant, her appearance began to change.

"…Did you already predict this as well?"

"Who knows?"

As Dmir Khan stared blankly at the scene, he soon chuckled and spoke.

"Having Lord Frey in the Demon Army is nothing short of a blessing."

"You're giving me too much credit."

"Not really."

In response to my words, Dmir Khan wore a serious expression, and slowly rose to his feet.

"Ugh…"

Pointing at the transformed Miho, who now had reddened eyes, had grown taller, and had eight more tails, he spoke.

"I thought we'd just gain a few strong slaves… But who could have foreseen that we would end up recruiting a legendary creature from the Eastern Continent?"

As Dmir Khan said this, he then coldly looked at the other slaves stretched out behind Miho.

"With things as they are, the others seem inconsequential. How about we just put them in the sacrificial magic circle alongside the other slaves?"

"…We should make the most of them."

"Understood. In that case… I'll go gather the young boy and girl slaves at the same time the operation begins."

"Alright."

With that, Dmir Khan and Lemerno left the waiting room.

"Soon, the world will bow at your feet, Lord Frey."

He left, regretfully.

"...…"

Left alone in the waiting room with the transformed Miho and the temporarily unconscious slaves, I soon murmured and became lost in thought.

"…This is where the problem begins."

Miho, a fox demi-human from a remote valley village in the Eastern Continent.

This girl was neither a main heroine nor a sub-heroine, and wasn't even a supporting NPC… but she played a crucial role in this quest.

That's because she, whose name wasn't even revealed in the original work, is the branching point of this quest.

"Ugh, ugh…"

Among the numerous factors that drastically increased the difficulty of the already challenging Blacktail Fantasy 2, she is one of the so-called 'water gatekeepers', one of the mid-bosses.

"She seemed formidable in some way…"

The information about her, written in the prophecy, is as follows:

About the mid-boss of the third main quest [Slave Market Liberation Mission].

The first mid-boss that appears in the third main quest and one that proved to be a formidable challenge for many players, the so-called 'Nine-Tailed Fox'. It hails from a remote valley village on the Eastern Continent, where resident 'monsters' who firmly believe they are fox demi-humans live.

Driven by the desire to uncover the truth behind her tribe's short lifespan and to seek her own freedom, she ventures out into the world, only to be abducted by the slave market. There, she endures various forms of torture, abuse, and injustice, accumulating negative emotions.

As a result, on the day the slave market opens, she loses control of her pent-up emotions and goes on a rampage, absorbing the life force of 'all' living creatures in the market.

"…So you were the mid-boss after all."

The ancestor's comments about her were indeed very detailed.

I almost quit the game because of her. Ah, I should have quit back then. Anyway, this cursed fox is the hero's nemesis and exact counter. You can never beat her with ordinary methods.

According to my ancestor, Miho's ability as a mid-boss is to manipulate life force.

And my power source, the 'Hero's Power,' operates by burning life force.

In essence, she is the perfect counter to me.

That was why in the original timeline, multiple sacrifices were inevitable.

In other words, if the player wasn't on the false evil route, the game would take a dark turn following this quest, deviating from its previously sweet and bright atmosphere.

Even if you try to save her beforehand, the date she enters the market is completely random and unpredictable. Even if you manage to save her, she would go on a rampage with the intention of saving the other slaves, breaking into the slave market. If you try to kill her, you die. I thought I would go crazy trying to figure out the strategy.

The record of the ancestor, who had written down the chronicles of their strategy with as much passion as their own adventure, showed how deep their resentment had been.

…Then one day, I finally found the strategy.

The written account extended for several more pages before it finally reached its conclusion.

And it wasn't until I discovered the strategy that I came to realize.

The words, devoid of their usual friendly and humorous tone, exuded a serious atmosphere.

The true strategy of this cursed game.

According to my ancestor, finding Miho's strategy greatly contributed to discovering the 'false evil route.'

That crucial strategy for her is…

"You, you…"

"…Ah."

Lost in thought for a while, Miho, who had now fully revealed herself as a legendary creature, finally came to her senses and started to glare at me.

'Alright, it's time to act again.'

'It's about time I leave behind the peace, comfort, and happiness I've experienced until recently and face the hatred of the world once more.'

"What, what's this!?"

With that thought in mind, I wore a bewildered expression on my face.

Leaving the door slightly ajar, as if I had just entered.

"You… What is this form…?"

And so, I acted as though I hadn't grasped the situation yet.

"...."

Maintaining the act, Miho, who had been staring blankly at her transformed body, said,

"What-What is this!?"

She approached me with a cold expression.

"Ah, sit down!!"

"…Huh?"

Urgently, I exclaimed as she stood directly in front of me, she raised her hand with a blank expression.

"How dare you, a slave… look at me with such insolence…"

"Slave?"

Upon hearing my words, she began to glare at me with cold eyes.

Redirect Miho's rage towards you, not the slave market or the nobles, but solely at you.

"Yeah, that's right… You're a slave. I don't know what you've done, but…"

As I looked at her, I engraved into my mind the only way to control her, as written in the prophecy.

"…You still have the 'Curse of Obedience' on you, don't you?"

I finished with an arrogant tone.

– Whoosh!!

And in the next moment.

"…Kehak!!!"

With incredible speed, Miho reached out to seize my throat, and said,

"Say that again…"

Gazing down at me lying on the floor, her eyes devoid of warmth.

"…Who's the slave?"

She began to choke me.

-P.S. It's good to redirect her rage but don't let her drain your energy.

"…Ugh."

At the same time, the last piece of advice the ancestor had written in small letters began to weigh heavily on my mind.

You can read 505 episodes for $10. p.*atreon.com/Astrid02