They were waiting for me, just as they always did.
It wasn't as if I’d left specifically to find a labyrinth to conquer. At least, that’s what I told myself. Or rather, that’s what I hoped they thought. When I set out this morning, I hadn't expected to be handed a subjugation target so quickly.
Because of that, I wasn't technically "waiting" for a new labyrinth. However, I had disbanded the party before leaving. They might not have known the specifics, but they certainly knew something was up. It wouldn’t have been a stretch for them to guess that a new mission was on the horizon.
I knew it. They were already looking at me with that expectation.
"Ah... I was introduced to a labyrinth for subjugation. It seems there was an opening in the schedule."
"Please, leave the rest to us!" Roxanne declared, her chest swelling with determination.
Yeah, I figured she’d react like that.
"However, there are a few issues."
"Issues, Master?" Sherry asked, her tone shifting into information-gathering mode.
At least one person in this room likely believed that no "issue" could possibly be a real problem.
"First, the labyrinth is located within Selmer Territory. Conquering it will technically benefit the current Earl Selmer. Rutina, are you okay with that?"
They might not have realized the location if we simply used Warp, but I felt it was better to be upfront. Secrets have a way of coming out eventually, and I didn't want to sow any unnecessary seeds of suspicion. I was hiding enough as it was.
"No, it is fine," Rutina replied without hesitation. "Subjugating a labyrinth is a necessity. For the sake of the people living there, it must be cleared."
She accepted it more easily than I’d expected. I suppose that’s what they call a "noble's duty." Of course, she was still dancing right in the palm of Duke Harz’s hand.
"I see."
"Besides," she added, her eyes narrowing, "it is far better for us to clear it than for it to fall to someone under that man's influence."
I wondered who exactly she meant by "that man." Likely the person who had usurped her father's position. Ironically, as far as the world was concerned, I was currently the one under his influence.
"Well, looking at it that way, I suppose it makes sense."
"Yes."
"And there’s one more point. The labyrinth was originally slated for subjugation at the 50th floor, but it apparently grew to 51 floors. That means we’ll be aiming to clear the 51st."
I brought up what I considered the biggest problem.
"That is wonderful!" Roxanne chirped.
I knew it. To Roxanne, my "biggest problem" was a glowing endorsement. It wasn't a drawback; it was a selling point.
"Since we were planning to challenge the 51st floor anyway, it shouldn't be an issue," Sherry analyzed coldbloodedly. "The top floor isn't inherently more difficult just because it’s the last one. If the surrounding labyrinths have been cleared and the local difficulty has dropped even slightly, this might actually be the most efficient place for us to start."
She was right, of course. Even if I hadn't been offered the Yetzera Labyrinth, Roxanne would have eventually dragged us to the 51st floor of Akishima or somewhere else. There was no running from the 51st floor. I couldn't escape the Great Demon King.
"I’ll do it, desu!" Miria added.
"I believe we are ready," Vesta said.
Right, right. Of course you are.
"Regardless of the floor number, gaining experience in a full subjugation will be beneficial for the Council of Lords," Rutina noted. "Whether it is the 50th or the 51st is a trivial matter."
"I see."
Everyone was on board. I’d expected as much, but still.
"No, actually, the 51st floor is better," Rutina continued. "If we cleared the 50th, the Duke might act as if he did us a massive favor. But clearing the 51st—a floor he hasn't even mapped—is a testament to our own strength. It was a wise choice, Master."
That was a bit of a backhanded compliment, but she had a point. By clearing the 51st floor, we wouldn't have to act quite so indebted to Duke Harz.
"Is that so?"
"It is truly an impressive display of crisis management," she praised.
Was she actually praising me, though? I wondered what the Duke had been thinking when he offered me a 51-floor labyrinth. If he’d wanted me to owe him, he should have kept it to the 50th. Someone capable of clearing the 51st would find the 50th a breeze, so it wasn't much of a "gift" anymore. Perhaps he just thought it didn't matter—once you've broken the 50-floor barrier, the subjugation is a foregone conclusion.
I almost felt bad for Duke Harz. Almost.
"Well, setting that aside... are we all in agreement to challenge this labyrinth?"
"Yes! I'm looking forward to it!" Roxanne answered for the group.
I didn't think it was healthy to force that level of enthusiasm on everyone, but it seemed I was the only one worried. Sherry looked like she was genuinely curious about the mechanics of a full subjugation, and Rutina was already mentally preparing. Even Miria and Vesta seemed to have been thoroughly "Roxanne-ified" by this point.
The odds were against me. Then again, my party didn't operate on a majority vote. We were a single-party dictatorship—a system of democratic centralism under the leadership principle. And the leader... was currently being overruled by his vanguard's enthusiasm.
"W-Well then. I did manage to get us registered for the 50th floor as well as the 51st. Should we perhaps start our conquest on the 50th just to be safe?"
"No. Going straight to the 51st should be more than sufficient," Roxanne replied.
Rejected. Instantly.
The terrifying dictatorship of Roxanne had spoken. My "just in case" preparations had been for nothing. I briefly considered just warping to the 50th without saying anything, but that would only cause trouble later if Gosler or the Duke mentioned our progress.
It’s better not to stack lies if you can help it. If one lie is exposed, the whole house of cards usually comes down.
"I wanted to see the monster combinations on the 50th, though..."
"Even if you did, the 51st will have its own unique combinations," Sherry pointed out, crushing my last defense. "There's no real necessity to prioritize the 50th."
"I see."
"At the very least, I don't believe we'll be in any immediate danger on the 51st floor of that particular labyrinth," Roxanne added.
"Hmph."
Labyrinths are dangerous, you know! That's the whole point!
"We should try the 51st first," Sherry said, hitting me with sound logic. "If it feels too difficult, we can always drop back to the 50th. We have that much leeway. There's no reason we must start from the bottom."
She was right. Starting from the 50th now just felt like being a coward. We were already fighting on the 51st floor in Quratar; there was no reason to think a new labyrinth would be impossible. If it turned out to be too much, I’d just pull the "I prepared the 50th floor just for this!" card.
"Wait, has the difficulty of that labyrinth not decreased?" Rutina asked.
If the surrounding areas had been cleared and the difficulty was down, starting from the 50th floor would be like building a roof over a roof. Or, as the old saying apparently went, building a roof under a roof—a total waste of effort.
Then again, if you have a beautiful, historic roof, building another roof over it to protect it from the elements actually makes sense. And if a roof is leaking, building a smaller roof under it to catch the water is a valid temporary fix.
What I'm trying to say is: what’s wrong with a little extra caution? It was a perfectly valid strategy!
"Well, since we’re taking this labyrinth off their hands, the Duke’s forces can concentrate on the faster-growing labyrinths," I explained.
"I see," Rutina said, her eyes lighting up. "So, if we clear it quickly, we minimize the 'favor' we receive. By finishing it before they finish their own projects, we'll be the ones decreasing the difficulty for them. We’ll be the ones selling the favor."
I wasn't sure if the math worked out exactly like that, but I wasn't going to argue with her logic.
"I'm not going to ask them to die to repay us, of course," Rutina added.
I wasn't worried about that. Wait—did she mean she would ask them to die if she thought they’d actually do it?
"That would be difficult, yes."
"Indeed. It would be different if they were people of love, justice, and conviction. But worldlings? It's impossible."
"..."
No comment. Even if they weren't "worldlings," it would still be impossible. I wasn't going to defend the Duke, but I wasn't going to agree with her either.
"In any case, the sooner we clear it, the better. We have Roxanne-san with us, so there is nothing to fear."
Rutina, please stop egging her on.
"Yes! Leave everything to me!"
See? Now she’s unstoppable.
"T-Then, I’m counting on you."
Left with no other choice, we warped to the Yetzera Labyrinth and began our trek. With Roxanne leading the way, we made aggressive progress.
Did it "feel too difficult"? Roxanne and the others wouldn't know the meaning of the phrase. The possibility of me using my "just in case" backup plan was zero. I, on the other hand, felt it was a bit difficult pretty much the entire time.
But that was about to change.
Brave, Lv 1. Effects: Massive HP, MP, Strength, Stamina, Intelligence, Spirit, Dexterity, and Agility Increases. Skill: Overdriving.
There it was. The moment I’d been waiting for.
Well, "waiting for" might be an exaggeration, but it felt like the natural progression. Once my Hero job hit level 50, the superior job had finally unlocked. I wasn't entirely sure why "Brave" was considered higher than "Hero"—maybe the naming conventions just worked that way, like how Sorcerer is above Mage. Even Adventurer is technically a step up from Explorer.
It’s not like there was a Demon King to fight. Well, except for the one in my house. My own little Minor Demon King.
"Next, we go this way!" Roxanne called out.
Actually, scratch that. I couldn't escape her, so she was definitely the Great Demon King. I didn't think a mere job change to Brave would be enough to win that fight.
Still, the stats were incredible. A massive list of "Massive Increases." Hero had been notoriously difficult to level, taking forever to reach 50. That alone spoke to how powerful a job it was, and Brave was its direct successor. I had high expectations.
"Ah... I have a few things I want to test. Roxanne, could you lead us to an area with fewer monsters for a bit?"
"Yes, Master. Understood."
"...Again?" Sherry muttered, giving me a look that said exactly what she was thinking.
Roxanne had agreed instantly, but Sherry was being cold. Was she the secret final boss? I was only doing this out of consideration for Roxanne’s pace!
Normally, I’d test a new job on a lower floor where it was safe and I could be precise. I wasn't saying we had to go all the way back to the 1st floor—that wouldn't be a test at all—but I’d prefer a little more breathing room. However, to keep Roxanne happy, I was testing it right here on the 51st floor. I really hoped they appreciated the risk I was taking for them.
"I was going to save that area for later because the monster density seemed low, but let’s head there now," Roxanne said, leading the way.
Wait. So she normally aimed for the high-density areas? I knew it, but hearing it confirmed still stung. It meant that even on the same floor, she was deliberately choosing the hardest path.
We fought a few battles.
"You've become significantly more powerful, Master," Sherry observed.
"I suppose so. But I'm not sure if this is something I can use for every fight yet."
"Oh? So you intend to keep it as a trump card?" Roxanne asked, having overheard us.
Was there an advantage to keeping it as a trump card? I suppose so. If you have a hidden ace, you can afford to be a bit more reckless. Roxanne probably figured that as long as I had a "trump card," she could keep pushing me as hard as she wanted.
"Standard skills are better for regular use," I argued. "Trump cards often require too much preparation to be reliable in a sudden emergency..."
"I see. Next, we go that way!"
She wasn't listening. She was absolutely not listening.
Anyway, the feel of Overdriving was excellent. First, compared to the Hero’s Overwhelming skill, the duration was much longer. I could easily fit two full magic attacks into a single activation. That made a huge difference; I didn't have to rush my timing, and the rhythm of the battle felt much more natural.
The power increase was also noticeably higher than Overwhelming. Our clear time dropped significantly. Even the 51st-floor monsters that Miria petrified could be turned to smoke with a single Overdriving-boosted strike. It made the cleanup so much easier.
As for the slow-motion effect, it was "softer" than Overwhelming. It might have actually been weaker, but that was a good thing. Making something stronger isn't always better. Overwhelming had a jarring quality—the world would snap between fast and slow so violently it almost made me motion sick. Overdriving was much more gentle. The monsters still moved slowly enough for me to track them easily, but the sensation was smooth.
Perhaps when the Hero level is low, the user needs that extreme slowing effect because they aren't used to combat. By the time you become a Brave, you’re a veteran. You only need a little help with the timing, so the excess power is diverted into raw damage and duration.
Overwhelming’s intensity was just too much. The fact that the superior skill toned it down spoke volumes. Overdriving was something I could see myself using regularly.
When I hit a monster with Durandal during Overdriving, the physical damage increase also boosted my MP absorption. That meant I could maintain the skill without draining my reserves. Regular use was definitely on the table.
I did have a nagging worry about overusing my skills—accumulation of fatigue, long-term strain, or some sudden backlash thirty years down the line. But you could say the same about healing magic. You can’t live your life worrying about every little thing. Overdriving was just another skill, and I had to trust that the system wouldn't give me something that would kill me later.
"Ah."
As we were testing the Brave job’s limits, we stumbled into a room with only two exits—an entrance and an exit. A waiting room.
"Amazing! To think the boss room was in a place like this. The monster density was so low I almost skipped it. As expected of Master!"
Wait, stop. This was not my doing. This was a total accident. If I hadn't asked for a low-density area, we would have skipped this entirely!
Wait... was it possible that monster density was lower around boss rooms? That seemed counter-intuitive. Usually, you’d want more guards around the boss. But then again, maybe it was a tactic to make intruders think they were in a dead-end area so they’d turn back.
Soldiers use deception, after all.
"Hmm. It’s possible they keep the monster count low near the boss to prevent intruders from accidentally finding the room," I mused.
"I see! What a fascinating possibility!" Roxanne exclaimed.
"No, I think that’s unlikely," Sherry cut in. "It was probably just a coincidence. To assume it will happen again just because it worked once is a classic gambler's fallacy."
Who taught Sherry about the gambler's fallacy?
"Well, since we don't know for sure, let’s just stick to our usual methods," I suggested.
Which meant Roxanne would go back to leading us through the thickest swarms of monsters. Oh well. At least I had Overdriving now.
"Should we head into the boss room? I suppose we could wait for the Duke’s forces to finish their primary target, which might lower the difficulty here..."
"No," Rutina snapped. "Just being introduced to this place by them was bad enough. I don't want them thinking for a single second that we succeeded because of their help."
I knew she’d say that. It wasn't Roxanne who shot me down this time, but Rutina. She really did hate being indebted to the Duke.
Come to think of it, the Duke’s plan was likely to have us clear this labyrinth, then offer the 50th floor to other nobles as a "safe" training ground. By conquering it, we were essentially becoming his tools for political networking. Rutina probably hated that her family’s former territory was being used as a pawn.
But there was no stopping now. We entered the boss room.
The battle itself was... normal. Just because it was the top floor didn't mean anything was fundamentally different. Miria’s petrification worked like a charm. It was a mundane, ordinary, perfectly average boss fight.
With my current power, there was almost no chance of failure. Overdriving was bordering on overkill. I was actually worried the fight would end so fast that Miria wouldn't have time to petrify the second boss. She managed it, though—she really was getting efficient.
Once the monsters were petrified, I finished them off with Durandal. They vanished into clouds of black smoke, leaving behind a small, round object.
"So this is a Guild Temple."
"Yes. Once installed, it functions as a temple for the guilds," Sherry explained. My Appraisal had already confirmed the name, but it was good to hear the details.
"I see."
"If you ever attain a title of nobility, you must install a Knight Guild," Rutina added. "And to manage a territory, you'll need Explorer and Adventurer Guilds as well. Since you may need several for different locations, they are quite valuable."
I was planning to use this "valuable" item for a very specific experiment.
"So, we’ll likely need to collect quite a few of these in the future?"
"Most likely, yes," Rutina confirmed.
Good. I’d gotten her to admit they weren't one-of-a-kind. If we could get more, I didn't have to feel bad about "wasting" this one.
We left the boss room, but we didn't go to the next floor. Since we’d cleared the 51st floor and the Guild Temple had dropped, the labyrinth was officially conquered. There were no more floors.
We were automatically transported to the labyrinth entrance.
"Do we need to give an explanation or something?" I asked.
"It would probably be for the best," Sherry replied.
"Rutina, could you handle it?"
"Y-Yes, Master."
I handed the baton to Rutina. As an Elf, her words carried far more weight with the local guards than mine would. As expected, they accepted the news of the subjugation without much fuss. It was a recurring pattern in Elven territories.
The next day, after finishing the formal report to the Duke, I handed the Guild Temple to Sherry. I’d waited twenty-four hours just to be sure there wasn't an emergency where I’d need to hand it over to the Duke’s men, but everything was quiet.
"I want you to try fusing this into my sword."
I handed her Durandal along with the Guild Temple.
"Wait, this is the Guild Temple from yesterday, isn't it?"
"Yeah. Think of it as a test."
Yes. A test. An experiment.
"Um..."
"It’s okay."
Even if it failed, it wasn't a catastrophe. Durandal might break or change, but I didn't think it would be lost forever. According to what I’d gathered, the Guild Temple fusion was like a toggle switch. If it "failed," it would likely just revert Durandal to its "beginner" state.
That would be a pain, but with Overdriving, I was powerful enough to manage even with a weaker weapon. I could always just conquer another labyrinth to toggle it back. Besides, I’d been able to use Durandal even when I was a level 1 Villager. It was logical to assume the sword was currently in its restricted, beginner-friendly state.
"Alright. Here I go," Sherry said.
She began the process of fusing the Guild Temple into Durandal.