The Hero’s Party Members Treat Me Well for Some Reason

9 – Minotaur (2)

Come to think of it, it was a common-sense issue.

Instead of aiming for the obviously tough horns, it would be more efficient to target a vulnerable spot that is clearly visible.

Like the head or the heart. If that’s not possible, it would be normal to aim for the tendons in the arms and legs.

Of course, if the Minotaur’s horns were unexpectedly soft, it would be a different story… Unfortunately, the horns were as hard as ever.

But still, it’s just a difficult part that needs to be prioritized.

Of course, the girls wouldn’t just hold me accountable for pointing out the horns.

“In the end, it must be the curse problem in my body.”

There were really a lot of curses attached to my body.

Starting from the curse that makes people feel inexplicably hostile just by looking at me, to the curse that undermines trust in all my actions, and the curse that allows words and actions to be interpreted in a distorted manner.

‘The curse of the soul and the curse of distrust.’

There’s also the curse of distortion.

Although I don’t know exactly how these curses are applied, these three curses truly boasted a collaboration of madness.

First, the curse of the soul robs me of my impression, while the curses of distrust and distortion bring down my trust to rock bottom.

Thanks to them, my current state is being treated as a potential traitor in the party.

So, it’s not a matter of efficiency in attacking the horns.

It’s a problem before that.

I worry if there may be traps hidden in those words…

What if I attack the horns in an inefficient manner and the party members’ stamina decreases more than expected?

What if this leads to a situation where I have to face all the party members alone?

I’m making such absurd assumptions.

But because of that, I had to somehow persuade them here.

“Don’t do that, just follow my lead.”

I said to them again without giving up.

You idiots will all die if things escalate into violence.

“I’ll listen to what you have to say, Sir.”

Fortunately, the Saint stepped in midway and joined me, so I was able to persuade them once again.

“As I mentioned earlier, I know about that guy.”

I slowly began to recite information about the guy.

“The bastard’s name is Minotaur. He’s known for his strong power and resilience. Since he tends to create and live in his own territory, it’s often the case that he’s used as a barrier or guardian.”

It seems like someone did a good job of reading the guidebook in search of strategies.

“But the biggest problem with that guy is his violent outbursts. He has a skill that amplifies the magical power within his body, boosting all his stats except for resilience.”

Especially when he reaches a state of being nearly dead, it becomes difficult to fight against him.

Moreover, there are no clear signs that the skill is activated right before the outburst, so it had to be blocked when it could be.

“So, you’re saying that by cutting off those horns, we can prevent the violent outbursts in advance?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Hmm…”

I saw her bow her head and contemplate for a moment.

Seems like I made a more convincing argument than I thought, and she needs some time to think.

The magician, Lily, who was quietly listening from beside, asked me.

“Just a moment, where did you get this information? It didn’t appear in the spellbook that I have… “

As expected, she’s asking about the source of the information.

Fortunately, I had prepared an excuse.

“I saw it in an old book before I became a warrior.”

Although it was a rather flimsy excuse, there was no way to delve further into it. How would they know the stories from before I became a warrior?

Finally, they seemed to genuinely listen to my persuasion and showed signs of serious contemplation.

Whether they can trust me, and whether there is true efficiency in this plan, they are considering it.

In the case of Adel, who is the deputy of the party, she seemed to be stepping back to leave the judgment to the party members.

I decided to take one step further here.

“If you follow my plan, I will step forward and fight in this battle.”

In the end, they must be worried that I will betray them.

To preemptively block that premise, I will step forward and fight. It might be slightly risky, but at least it would be better than being suspected.

When I said this, their eyes widened.

They seemed to be surprised that I would go this far. Ulysses, in particular, was the only one who looked at me with a worried expression.

“Is there really no other way?”

“Yes, as far as I know.”

As I nodded, she finally nodded as if she had made up her mind.

Am I really that untrustworthy? I knew it, but I couldn’t hide my bitterness.

But now that one person agreed, it was easier to get the rest on board.

“Okay. Since Ulysses agreed, I’ll also agree.”

“I’m slightly nervous, but… if there’s no other way. Alright.”

I let out a sigh of relief inwardly. If it didn’t work out this time, I was just going to push forward recklessly. But at least they agreed before that.

Even reaching a consensus was so difficult. The future seemed bleak.

“Okay, let’s get into formation.”

That way, we began to align our positions.

Camilla and I in the front, Adel and Ulysses in the middle, and Lily in the rear.

When Camilla and I took the lead to attract the aggro, Adel would distract with her bow, and Lily would attack with offensive magic.

It was a simple yet efficient arrangement.

As we slowly completed our assault preparations, a system window appeared before us.

[QUEST!]

+

Finally, the party enters the main track of the story.

From now on, all of you will defeat the four kings and embark on a difficult journey to conquer the demon king.

This is a tutorial for that.

Defeat the Minotaur right in front of you.

Quest Reward: Choose one skill

+

“Oh?”

I exclaimed unintentionally.

I didn’t expect a quest to appear in a place like this.

Of course, it was good news for me.

Since I needed to defeat it anyway to move forward, the fact that it also gave a reward was a pleasant surprise. A small smile appeared on my face, something that hadn’t happened in a while.

It was at that moment when I was checking my status alone.

Thunk.

Suddenly, someone grabbed my hand from behind.

When I turned around, Yulys was looking at me with a worried expression.

“Be careful.”

It wasn’t his usual sarcastic voice, but one filled with genuine concern.

Once again, I could only nod my head in response.

“Hmm… why is he suddenly like this? Normally, he would laugh if I were in a dangerous situation,” I thought to myself.

I didn’t know what he was thinking, but I couldn’t ignore his words of worry, so I lightly nodded my head.

“Yes, I understand.”

And so, the battle began.

“Charge!”

Camilla shouted concisely, and I swiftly moved forward.

Swoosh – The sword blade shone brilliantly as Holy Sword exhibited its sharp aura.

I could hear the sound of the saint reciting a prayer from behind me.

At the same time, I felt the vitality coursing through my body.

The effects of the blessing temporarily increase your strength!

The effects of the blessing temporarily increase your agility!

It was a divine power buff worthy of a saint.

Feeling the vitality, I immediately infused magic into my sword.

“I use Rora Blade!”

In an instant, magic rushed out and transferred energy to the sword.

The azure blade itself could be considered threatening. It might not be called an aura yet, but it definitely had considerable destructive power.

I shot forward, and only then did the opponent realize my presence. Despite that, they were still bewildered.

This was the advantage of a surprise attack.

An attack that had infiltrated the gaps in their thoughts, making it difficult for them to respond immediately, even if they realized it.

So the first strike was more effective than anything else.

Therefore,

“If possible, be strong.”

I infused magic.

Increased the cutting power and maximized the mass.

Even though it was a mid-boss, this opponent required all-out effort.

When I reached the opponent’s vicinity, I immediately swung the sword.

Shuck!

The strike from top to bottom severed the opponent’s forearm.

Tough skin was peeled away, and a deep wound instantly appeared. White bones were visible through the cracks in the oozing blood.

With a single swing, I had damaged the opponent’s bones.

-Grooooah!!!

The opponent screamed in agony, and that was a bonus.

The first attack had certainly hit its mark.

However, I just clicked my tongue.

“Tsk.”

Originally, I had intended to sever the arm itself, but I couldn’t do that just yet.

Well, it was a bit disappointing, but it couldn’t be helped. I was still nothing more than a novice hero who hadn’t even properly grown yet.

I should be satisfied with this for now.

“Get out of the way!”

As I continued to savor my meal alone, Camilla suddenly burst into my presence.

In her right hand, she held a silvery Aiming Sword, while her left hand gripped her Kite Shield, a classic knight’s appearance.

The moment she entered my side, the Minotaur raised its massive axe high.

A colossal axe that looked like it could easily split a person in half.

The menacing gleam of the axe was threatening on its own, but I wasn’t particularly worried.

After all, Camilla was a character specialized in defense and counterattacks.

Clang!

Just as I had that thought, the axe descended.

Sparks flew fiercely upon the shield meeting the axe, creating a precarious struggle in the middle as if they were locked in a contest of strength.

But it didn’t last long. Camilla quickly pushed the axe aside and stepped back.

“Tsk.”

She clicked her tongue briefly.

Though faint, her trembling right arm became visible.

It was the arm that had been holding the shield.

“To think such strength with just one left arm. You’re a real monster.”

Well, how dead was I against this thing?

It wasn’t even worth comparing to the run-of-the-mill mobs.

Nevertheless, it was still manageable for now.

“As long as I don’t put you into a state of emptiness, your frenzy won’t trigger, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Got it. Then focus your attacks on the legs. It’ll scatter its focus.”

I nodded subtly.

Despite her reservations about me, she gave her all in battle once we were engaged.

[Defense temporarily increased due to the Blessing effect!]

[Reaction speed temporarily increased due to the Blessing effect!]

Even in the midst of this, the buffs kept coming.

My body felt a bit sturdier, and it seemed like the creature’s speed had slightly decreased.

Every little bit counted, and it was precious in combat.

“Lily, how much longer until the spell is ready?”

“Just give me 5 more minutes!”

“Okay. Then let’s proceed according to the plan.”

And so, the battle began again.

-Gooohhh!!

Clang! Clang!

Dodging and blocking the furious swings of the enraged foe, I waited for the magician positioned behind me to finish his incantation.

It was clear that our attack power alone would not be enough to sever the enemy’s horns.

We had no choice but to hold out until the magician completed his spell.

The enemy’s attacks, fueled by anger, were incredibly violent.

Clang!

“Ugh.”

For now, I managed to withstand them.

Predicting the enemy’s movements, I avoided his axe swings and deflected the attacks by holding my sword diagonally.

Of course, due to my extensive combat experience, there were occasional gaps in my defense during the fight.

Swoosh!

Fortunately, every time that happened, an arrow flying from somewhere else would distract the enemy, allowing me to remain unscathed.

“Ah, thank you.”

“······.”

Naturally, it was Adele’s doing.

After lightly greeting her, I turned my head. I couldn’t avoid the disapproving glances, but it was better than losing a limb.

Continuing the battle in this manner, five minutes flew by in no time.

“That’s enough. Retreat!”

After a rather difficult five minutes, Rilley shouted from behind.

At the same time, a tremendous amount of magical power could be felt from that direction.

The magical power of a genius recognized as the best in the continent, who had continuously learned magic from the best magicians in the continent.

Both its quality and quantity would surely surpass the average.

And finally, the magic formed from the concentration of that magical power was aimed at the enemy.

A sharp, cutting wind that seemed to tear everything apart.

‘It’s probably not Windcutter.’

It seemed like a higher-level magic than that, but as someone who is ignorant about magic, I couldn’t be sure. It’s not like a system window popped up either.

Anyway, the magic that flew away effortlessly cut off its horn.

Swoosh!

Indeed, it was the party’s most powerful attack.

Whether the nerves were connected to the horn or not, the creature let out a painful scream.

-Guoooooooo!!!

I tightened my grip on the sword, listening to that voice.

‘One down, one to go.’

Now, only one remained.