The Hidden Ending Strategy of a Veteran in a Dead Game

Chapter 22: Banquet and Duel

I instinctively took a step back.

Cayena had a fearsome reputation among players.

The Season 4 boss she awakened had been notoriously difficult to clear.

"Damn that Season Boss. I learned my lesson then."

The game Macrona Empire progressed in seasons: roughly Seasons 1–3 were early stages, 4–6 were midgame, and everything after was considered endgame.

"Season 4 was pure hell when I first played it."

Unlike the relatively manageable early seasons, the difficulty spiked dramatically in the midgame. The start of it all was the awakening of a demon sealed in the fallen eastern nation of Su.

Players had even tried to kill Cayena to prevent her from awakening the boss. She was so strong, though, that no one had ever succeeded.

There was a running joke that the developers had deliberately made her overpowered just to stop such exploits.

“You were the one in Aiselon, right, kid?”

Cayena’s attention shifted to me.

“Well, you’re not wrong, but I’m no kid.”

“Haha! If you’re shorter than me, you’re a kid!”

When Cayena reached out to ruffle my hair, I dodged to the side.

Her hand naturally followed.

Even when I twisted my body, it tracked me.

Despite retreating outright, she moved a step faster and managed to ruffle my hair.

“Hmm, feisty, aren’t you?”

“Please, Lady Cayena, refrain from doing that in front of the head of the family.”

Selman, the butler, admonished her, but Cayena just shrugged.

“What’s the big deal? We’re not exactly sticklers for formality, are we?”

Sigh. “Bear with her, Kellen. She’s not someone you can have a sensible conversation with,” Duarc said with resignation.

Even the head of the family had given up. That, in itself, was surprising. I hadn’t expected Duarc and Cayena to know each other.

"It’s not impossible, though."

Cayena was a wandering martial artist.

Her goal was to revive the fallen Su nation.

She traveled in search of relics symbolizing her homeland and artifacts that could unleash her full potential.

It was in pursuit of these items that the demon in Su had been awakened.

In any case, it was now confirmed: the martial arts instructor Nohr had mentioned was Cayena.

“Her demeanor may be carefree, but she’s a powerhouse on the verge of surpassing the 9th Rank. She won’t stay long due to her circumstances, but even a brief period of guidance will be invaluable.”

“Don’t worry, I plan to drop by now and then.”

“Sigh. Just... leave the knights alone. That’s all I ask.”

“You’ve trained them well, though.”

Judging by their casual exchange, they seemed to have known each other for quite some time.

From Cayena’s personality, it was likely she’d forced this kind of dynamic.

This wasn’t something I’d seen in the game’s lore, so it was interesting, but still...

"Something feels off."

It was hard to shake the feeling.

Cayena was known as a named NPC for several reasons:

She awakened the Season 4 boss, of course, but she also had the potential to reach Saint-level depending on the game’s ending route.

"Didn’t Cayena start hunting down Bayerle Family members after their betrayal of humanity?"

In the game, the Bayerle Family had become infamous for their role as antagonists.

Maybe there was an event or detail I wasn’t aware of?

Either way, I decided to be cautious. After all, I was a Bayerle myself.

“Begin your training after the banquet. There will be too many eyes on you until then, including some southern kingdom representatives.”

“Those kingdom folks are so petty! They put a bounty on me just because I took a few treasures. That was ages ago!”

“...You stole national treasures and dare complain? Perhaps I should notify them and send you their way.”

“All right, all right! I’ll wait until the banquet ends. Let’s leave it at that!”

Seemingly unable to win the argument, Cayena crossed her arms and made her declaration.

“Fine. Let’s go with that.”

Whatever. For now, I’d just learn from her.

While Cayena had targeted the Bayerle Family in the game, that wasn’t happening right now.

"If I can figure out the cause, I might even be able to prevent it."

Getting closer to her and turning her into an ally wouldn’t be a bad outcome, either.

It was important to stay focused.

"I can’t complete the betrayal ending alone."

I needed to defeat both the empire and the demons.

To do that, I required two things:

Key individuals who were essential for toppling the empire.

Characters who played pivotal roles in subjugating the demon realm.

When it came to combat power, Cayena...

"She’s a potential game-changer."

There weren’t many characters in the game with the potential to reach Saint-level.

* * *

The banquet celebrating the official sparring match lasted for four days.

Four whole days.

It might sound excessive to spend so much time eating and drinking, but compared to other families, this was brief.

“Why the long face? Four days is already short. Don’t you know some places hold them for a week, or even up to a fortnight?”

“People really take partying seriously, huh?”

“It’s not just about partying. Socializing is politics. Not that it suits me, of course.”

Even Nohr, who usually wore simple attire, was dressed formally for the occasion.

I, too, was dressed up.

As the de facto star of the event, I couldn’t show up in casual clothes.

That didn’t make it any less uncomfortable, though.

“I don’t understand why formalwear has to be so suffocating.”

“It’s a matter of etiquette. Still, it’s more comfortable than armor, so bear with it.”

“Fair point.”

“Oh, by the way, I’ve prepared a gift for you. It’ll take a bit of time to arrive, though.”

“Ooooh! What is it?”

“Ha! You fool. Gifts like this are meant to be seen in person. Be patient. Do you think I’d give you something trivial?”

“Of course not! I trust you completely. You’re the best, Instructor!”

I had been wondering why I hadn’t heard from him recently. Turns out he’d been arranging a gift.

If it wasn’t something available locally, that meant it was a rare item. I couldn’t help but feel excited.

As Nohr and I exchanged lighthearted banter, a group approached us.

Their faces were flushed, likely from drinking.

I recognized them—they were part of the retired soldiers’ gathering I’d seen yesterday.

“Sir Nohr, there you are. May we have a word with you?”

“Discussing the infiltration strategy for the Behelrom operation, you say the underground route was correct? Ha, it’s such a mess.”

"The underground route was correct! Do you even know how many died scaling the walls with grappling hooks back then?"

"What’s your take, Sir Nohr? There’s no point in us arguing when the expert is right here, haha!"

Ah, just a group of old-timers reminiscing about their military days.

I had plenty to contribute too, but since my stories happened back on Earth, I couldn’t exactly share them.

“Good grief. These old men never leave me alone. I’ll be back. You enjoy yourself in the meantime.”

Nohr moved reluctantly, but it was all an act.

He’d spent over 20 years on the battlefield. Even in this relatively peaceful era, he was the type to passionately train future warriors. He was probably more excited than he let on.

"Well, he’s right in the end."

As the seasons progress, the entire continent will eventually be swept up in war.

I drained the drink in my hand and headed for the terrace.

If I loitered around too much, I’d end up getting caught by someone, forced to endure hours of dull conversations.

The first day had been exhausting—I was dragged around nonstop, barely having time to eat.

"Politics isn’t easy."

I could feel the probing gazes of those who praised me publicly.

Since I’d rarely been active outside the family, there wasn’t much information on me.

Everyone was busy trying to figure me out: my personality, goals, whether my use of fists was for show or something more meaningful.

Several people approached me cautiously, offering support or sponsorship.

I’d received many gifts to celebrate my sparring victory, and even more letters.

There were so many piled up that I planned to go through them all after the banquet.

Gifts were nice, but some people were downright irritating.

"Like the ones who tried to test my character."

I understood it was because of the notoriety surrounding the Aiselon massacre, but that wasn’t even my doing!

It had been Cayena’s work, though we’d agreed with the head of the family to pin it on me.

Duarc seemed to owe Cayena a debt, as he covered up the incident for her.

"Even without that, it’s better to keep it hidden."

Cayena was a wanted criminal in the southern kingdoms, with bounties on her head.

I’d anticipated that back alley events in Aiselon might attract criminals, demon worshippers, or other shady figures—but I never expected Cayena to show up.

That had never happened in the game.

"Perhaps it’s because the main story hasn’t started yet."

Season 1 hadn’t even begun. I had no idea what things were like before the game’s timeline.

"Too many variables."

Even with my knowledge of the game, the timeline discrepancies meant many things were changing.

Baikal was a good example, as was Cayena.

If I hadn’t intervened, Baikal would’ve obtained Big Worm, and Cayena wouldn’t have stayed with the Bayerle Family—she would’ve headed elsewhere.

This kind of deviation would likely keep happening.

I’d need to use my knowledge carefully to avoid disrupting the larger narrative.

The skills I needed would have to be earned, whether by grinding or hunting monsters that dropped them.

The truly essential items and abilities, though…

"I’ll need to acquire them without disrupting the flow."

There was one item I could acquire nearby.

The Bayerle Family governed 57 territories.

While nominally under their rule, each had its own lord who swore fealty to the family, effectively acting as vassals.

One of those territories, Hilstern, held something useful.

"The Iron Boots, if I recall correctly."

Wearing them granted Gold Elemental effects, along with a few bonuses and a special skill.

That’s how the Macrona Empire worked: Characters had a limited number of personal skills, so item-based skills were used to fill gaps.

This item was essential. To complete the Martuga skill tree—based on the harmony of the five elements—I needed all five attributes: Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, and Earth.

Fire wasn’t an issue; Burst Core already contained it.

The others, however, were more complicated.

Learning specialized techniques or training to acquire elements was possible, but using items was faster.

The problem, as always, was money.

Traveling to Hilstern required funds, as did preparing the equipment to enter the cave where the Iron Boots were hidden.

One particular item, sold only in that region, was also needed—and it wasn’t cheap.

"Maybe I should’ve asked for money instead of access to the Yellow Spear Unit."

No, using the Yellow Spear Unit was necessary. Without it, I couldn’t leave the estate.

What’s the best way to...

Thud!

Lost in thought, I heard a loud noise from below.

Looking out from the terrace, I saw an open space near the banquet hall.

Being part of the Wolf’s Cradle, the banquet hall was surrounded by training grounds and open areas like this one.

Two men stood there.

One of them, after removing his glove, threw it at the other’s face and pointed dramatically.

“I, Bexter of the Sillon Family, challenge you to a duel!”

“How dare you throw a glove at my face? I’ll take this as an insult to my honor!”

“Honor? Don’t make me laugh. You, who broke your oath and violated our contract, have no right to speak of honor!”

“That contract was a fraud! Coercing my daughter into stealing the seal to forge an agreement is meaningless!”

“Silence! A fool who can’t even manage their seal deserves no better!”

“Very well! I accept your challenge. Are you prepared to face the Seven-Star Sword of Himen?”

“Ha! I am the Fifth Star of Sillon. Your blade won’t even touch me!”

Even listening to this was exhausting.

"These guys never stop brawling."

Perhaps because they were from territories under the Bayerle Family’s influence, everyone seemed hot-tempered and quick to resort to violence.

Some sought revenge or picked fights during gatherings, which was at least understandable.

Others, however, instigated fights just to catch the family’s attention, hoping to be accepted as retainers.

Most were troublemakers, though.

These two were no different.

Their talk of contracts and honor was just a pretext; their real goal was to show off. Hence the ostentatious nicknames.

"If you want attention, fight where people can see you, idiots."

Fighting in a secluded corner, with only the guards watching? What fools.

If it were me, I’d gather an audience and turn it into a spectacle...

"Wait."

That’s it! I’ve figured out how to make money.