The summoning of tier guardians is generally divided into two types.
One is the kind that poofs into existence at a predetermined location after a set amount of time. The birth itself is no different from that of typical monsters; it’s a regeneration format.
The other type is a summoning format where you directly call forth the guardian after meeting given conditions, following a certain time period.
If the King of Thorns on the first floor was a typical summoner-type guardian, then the Minotaur on the second floor is a typical regeneration-type guardian.
This means that the guild knows exactly when and where the Minotaur will appear, and they support raids accordingly.
Naturally, other clans also align with that and send promising candidates that match the level, and in some cases, even accompany high-ranking adventurers.
To be recognized as having participated in the subjugation, as many participants as possible must earn at least one achievement, so direct combat participation is rare… but they can rescue you if things go sideways.
In that sense, the Minotaur has become less of a boss to be feared and more of a rare resource.
It has gone from glorious past and tragic fate to simply being prey.
A large and powerful beast, but also one that consumes a lot.
While it might be different in the depths or mid-layers, that’s just how it is for upper-tier guardians.
And so, the guild staff, who are pretty much the ones organizing the briefing, mechanically explain the strategy without enthusiasm, while the promising candidates from each clan half-listen, engaging in their own distractions.
“Wow, what a mess.”
“If they’re promising enough to be here, they must be receiving various support from their clans. Among that would be records of tier guardian subjugations.”
“True. No one wants to hear a story they’ve already heard.”
As I shrugged, Lydia nodded in agreement.
Yes. Here we are, trapped in a room that somewhat resembles the guild’s meeting room, listening to explanations on how to catch the Minotaur.
“…But Lydia, are we really going to fight like this?”
“No. To coordinate like that, we’d need to have fought together before. While everyone has experience fighting within their own clan or party, it’s impossible to match hands with others.”
“Sigh. I figured as much.”
“Yep. This briefing is held for self-made adventurers without special affiliations, newcomers lacking information, and to deflect responsibility on the guild’s part.”
“Deflecting responsibility…?”
“It’s like saying, ‘We provided this much information, so if you die uselessly, it’s either your fault for being weak or just bad luck, not the guild’s fault.’”
“Adults are complicated.”
“You can just think simply, Jonah. Fight like you usually do. But just be careful not to get caught in the attacks of other adventurers.”
“That’s easier said than done…”
My default style is all-out assault, whether it’s sneaking up to swipe weapons and behead, or just crashing in before proper combat even starts. But against the Minotaur’s durability, assassination is impossible, and stealth would only risk collateral damage from allied magic.
It’s not like someone’s trying to stomp me. Someone’s got to see me to dodge or shoot, and if they can’t see me, they might think there’s an empty space and fire a spell that hits me instead.
“Don’t think too hard about it. Just deal some damage like you did before. You’re not fighting alone here.”
“I know that in my head… but hmm. Well, I guess I’ll manage when the time comes.”
Nodding calmly, I let the guild staff’s voice wash over me. I’m not half-listening because I’m arrogant or stupid; it’s just that when I mentioned I was heading to hunt the Minotaur, Ellie seized me for a whole day to preach about the good ol’ days.
I didn’t want to gather strategy information like this.
On top of that, looking at the promising candidates from each clan crammed into the room, I thought…
“If we were to fight, I would win.”
No need for sneak attacks. Even in a one-on-one match, I feel like I’d probably come out on top.
I’m not sure if that’s unfounded confidence or if I really am stronger, or if it’s just because I’ve become accustomed to top-tier fighters like Elina and Lydia.
Nonetheless, one thing was clear: they all had their eyes on me.
Although a few were indifferent, most had been stealing glances my way for a while now.
Some simply showed goodwill based on appearances, others were resentful of having to be here, and there were those intrigued by a rookie they had yet to meet.
But the most noticeable were the almost hostile glares.
“Why is that pointy-eared girl glaring at me?”
“No idea. Did Jonah get pickpocketed by her or something?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Even if I did get robbed, there’s no way I’d have been caught.”
“…What’s with that pointless confidence?”
Puffing my chest out and making a ‘ahem’ sound, Lydia shook her head. No, this was something impressive.
How long did I quietly flirt with Lydia before the guild briefing was over?
All I needed to remember was to gather in the square by 1 PM tomorrow.
Before getting up, I raised both arms and twisted my waist this way and that.
“Ugh.”
My stiff joints cracked satisfyingly after sitting still for too long.
As I leisurely stretched, the surrounding gazes intensified. There weren’t any glaring idiots next to Lydia…
“Ts.”
Oh, wait. There was indeed one.
That girl had been glaring at me for a while. She came close to me and clicked her tongue.
“This guy is utterly uncouth.”
“Huh?”
The term “guy” isn’t particularly unpleasant for me, given my memories of Earth. However, in this world, it’s pretty derogatory and was clearly meant to belittle me, which irritates me.
I grabbed Lydia’s sleeve to soften her frown and turned to look at the pointy-eared girl.
Blonde hair, white skin, small chest, tall stature, neat appearance… a classic Elf Woman.
One peculiar thing is that everything she wore, from head to toe, looked extremely expensive.
The tiara on her head emanated an unusual mana, and the brooch on her chest felt divine, as if it were a relic.
Every earring on her long ears and every ring on her fingers were artifacts, and although I’m not sure about the performance of her clothing, it seemed to be on par with Morgana’s robe based solely on its material.
And the cherry on top was her weapon.
The whip slung at her waist was made from the leather and bones of an unidentifiable monster.
I couldn’t tell exactly what its abilities were, but it radiated an aura that could rival my Unicorn Dagger and even Lydia’s collection of renowned swords.
Yet, she herself didn’t seem that strong.
When considering her demeanor, movement, eye contact handling, the aura she contained, her muscular development, and so on… I concluded she’s barely at about 1.2 Lemons.
With Lemon and Apple still struggling on the first floor, she probably isn’t ready to move up to the second floor just yet.
Even if she’d somehow leveled up through grinding, there’s no way she could challenge a tier guardian.
But there she stood. She must have compensated for her lacking strength and skills with magical devices.
Or maybe she had the help of a muscular elf archer glaring at us from the back as a bodyguard.
In other words, she’s the spoiled daughter of a wealthy family.
Now that I had a rough idea of who she was, I decided to respond in kind.
By buttering her up a bit, I planned to sneakily execute ‘sound-eating footsteps’ along with ‘samurai quick fingers’ to relieve her of her precious belongings.
“What a shame to show such a hideous sight…”
“Lydia, I dare say it’s best for you to keep your distance from this lowborn. You never know when it might bite your lord’s hand.”
“…What? Lowborn? A viper?”
Lydia’s face froze in an icy scowl. Since her usual expression is typically calm, she must not have realized it, but I knew; she was about to explode.
In a hurry, I reached over Lydia’s sleeve, grabbing her hand desperately to prevent an outburst as I spoke.
“Isn’t it too rude to say something like that at our first meeting? Just because I stretched a bit?”
“Ha! Now it’s being shameless on top of being uncouth.”
“…”
What’s this? Did I accidentally rob this broad of everything she owned without knowing? It’s hard to imagine so much sincere contempt could stem from somewhere else.
I just stood there, stunned as she smirked and continued.
“Well, you did manage to charm that person for a moment, after all. It’s not like an ordinary lowborn would ever achieve that.”
“…That person?”
I tilted my head in confusion before she spoke with her usual haughty demeanor.
“The one you’ve been desperately hunting down and spreading rumors about recently.”
“…!”
It must be Eve. I mean, it’s evident she looks like an upper-class elf’s daughter, and the only person worthy of being referred to as ‘that person’ without a name is definitely Eve.
“That person has returned to her rightful place. She’s busy taking what she rightfully deserves, so there’s no way someone like you can cling on and hinder her.”
“Hmm. So you know where Eve is, huh?”
“Ha! There’s no room for you to interfere here. Leave Pangrave immediately, or I’ll ensure you have no place to stand.”
For reasons unexplained, she started insulting me by mentioning Eve and now telling me to leave Pangrave.
One thing was clear, though: she definitely has information about Eve that I’ve been waiting for.
With a bright smile, I spoke up.
“Who do you think you are to meddle between Eve and me, telling me what to do?”
“…How dare you!”
Just as she was about to erupt, I seized her by her hair and slammed her down onto the desk.
BAM!
Thanks to all the magical devices going off, I wasn’t injured, but she was left wide-eyed, trying to figure out what just happened to her.
In front her stunned face, I brandished my dagger and remarked.
“I think you’re confusing something. I’m not here to ask you anything right now.”
That was my declaration to find out the truth myself from here on out.
