Smashing the Golem
"During this open class... I think the Sword Saint might show up."
[That fellow...? I thought he would find crowded places too bothersome to visit, yet you seem quite certain.]
"...Let's just say I have a strong feeling about it," I murmured, raising the Demon Blade.
Screeech!
I deflected the giant golem's fist as it flew right before my eyes. Leaping backward, I created some distance between us. Loosening my stance, I spoke.
"If the Sword Saint does come, would it be better not to reveal Reverse Heaven during this open class?"
[You have already displayed it so openly; would hiding it now make any difference?]
"......That is true. Still, there is no need to draw the Sword Saint's attention unnecessarily, is there? It would also be uncomfortable for you, Master."
At my reply, Sierra stroked her chin with a serious expression, lost in thought.
The reason I brought this up was because in the game, if a swordsman performed exceptionally well during the open class, they could gain the 'Attention of the Sword Saint' status. Even now, whenever the name of the Sword Saint was mentioned, a murderous aura flickered in her eyes. I had no desire to imagine how Sierra would react if she met the Sword Saint face-to-face.
[This Lady must ponder further on the matter of Reverse Heaven. More importantly, this creature seems remarkably sturdy... Do you have some sort of trick up your sleeve?]
"Hmm..."
The giant golem standing some distance away was designed to be easily defeated by mages. Because it possessed an absurd level of physical defense, defeating it without magic was an extremely 'bothersome' task even in the game.
Is taking the easy way out impossible?
Since there were no major events scheduled before the open class, I had decided to visit the Labyrinth for the first time in a while to level up and grab a hidden piece. I had already obtained one hidden piece while passing through the 12th floor, and now I was on the 22nd floor.
Perhaps because my level had already risen significantly, it wasn't increasing very fast despite the 'blindfold' I wore. Even after defeating a vast number of monsters, I had only gained about two levels. I was now level 37.
At this point, the 'experience penalty' that occurred when there was a large level discrepancy with the monsters was undoubtedly in effect. This floor was no longer suited to my current level. I needed to descend to at least the 30th floor, but from the 20th floor onward, the sheer scale of each floor expanded drastically, making exploration highly time-consuming.
Of course, since this was the Labyrinth, less than a day had passed in the outside world.
In any case... defeating this giant golem, which resided in a vast temple hidden on the 22nd floor, would yield a hidden piece. It wasn't a particularly useful item for a swordsman, but it felt like a waste to leave it behind. Relying on my blindfold, I had challenged it just for fun... but as expected, no weakness was showing up.
My Weakness Detection skill had already reached its maximum level. Despite that, weaknesses did not appear on every single enemy.
There's no way the maximum level is only this much.
If only the mechanism were clearly explained in writing, it would be easier, but the skill description was exactly as it had been in the game, making it difficult to understand the finer details.
First the Lich, and now this golem.
When weaknesses weren't visible, things became difficult to resolve easily. Well, trying to cut a golem with a sword was an abnormal act to begin with.
Maybe it's about time I went to acquire some new skills.
Focusing too much on Reverse Heaven seemed to have left me lacking in utility. It was simple logic that having a wider variety of skills allowed one to handle diverse situations more smoothly.
What skills were nearby again...?
Skills could not be learned naturally; one had to be taught by someone. Furthermore, since the skills in this world operated differently from the game, I needed to deduce how they would feel before attempting to acquire them.
Thump... Thump-thump... Thump-thump-thump...!!
The golem, which had been keeping its distance, slowly took a step forward. It quickly picked up speed, its massive, heavy body charging directly toward me.
"I do not have... any tricks. I will have to go about this in a simpler, more brute-force manner."
The golem was a 'monster' with a set health pool. No matter how high its defense was, it wasn't as if I couldn't inflict any damage at all.
If that was the case, I had no choice but to use the tedious method I had relied on in the game.
The Sage, residing in the deepest part of the Labyrinth, was watching a screen alongside Itea.
The screen displayed a cadet with his eyes covered in bandages, engaged in combat.
No one was around him, yet he kept murmuring to himself.
...To be precise, he was having a conversation.
"Judging by their conversation, it seems his master, who resides within the Demon Blade, is someone connected to the current generation's Sword Saint."
"Yes. However, since the current Sword Saint has held his title for several decades, it will be difficult to deduce their exact identity."
Itea agreed with the Sage's speculation.
The current Sword Saint, Chris, was exceptionally strong, ranking among the very best of the Sword Saints the Sage had observed throughout his long life. While his strength was undeniable, his incredibly eccentric personality was the real issue.
"And what is this 'Reverse Heaven'...? Truly, the more I learn, the more I feel as though I am wandering into a labyrinth of my own."
The Sage murmured, leaning back in his chair. He then turned his head to look at Itea and spoke again.
"I hear the Saintess cannot make it this time?"
"She is reportedly too busy with the recruitment for her knight order to attend. Instead, the Vice Commander of the Silver Wing Knights will be present."
"The Vice Commander, is it... A pity. I had hoped to speak with the Saintess if she visited."
After all, Zeto was somehow conversing with a soul.
According to his thorough research on Demon Blades, wielding one did not automatically grant the ability to converse with the soul sealed inside. At best, one could briefly speak during the sealing process.
If I could have spoken with the Saintess, I might have been able to guess how he obtained such an ability...
Even as the Chairman of the Academy, he could not justify wasting the Saintess's time for a single, cryptic question. It seemed better to wait for a natural opportunity to converse briefly when she eventually visited.
The Sage decided to let it go, thinking, An opportunity will come eventually.
Beside him, Itea stared intently at the screen before speaking.
"This time, it seems it will be difficult even for Cadet Zeto."
"Indeed, it is a poor matchup. That golem was originally designed for mages to fight... He is wasting his efforts. But what can he do? It is not as if the golem comes with an instruction manual."
Zeto had already claimed the 'Whistle' hidden on the 12th floor.
He moved with incredible efficiency, thoroughly searching every corner of the floors. Yet, this time, it seemed he would not be taking the item.
In truth, there was no benefit in him taking it anyway.
The item to be obtained from the golem was the 'Orb' located in its core.
Just then, Zeto on the screen uttered a quiet remark.
— "I do not have... any tricks. I will have to go about this in a simpler, more brute-force manner."
Though they couldn't hear what his master was saying, it appeared Zeto had decided to change his approach.
For some reason, a strange sense of certainty could be felt in Zeto's voice as he spoke those words.
"...We have not received the signal that the orb has been taken yet, have we?"
Feeling a sudden wave of unease at Zeto's attitude, the Sage questioned Itea.
The deepest part of the Labyrinth was the only place unaffected by the Labyrinth's time magic. Since it was the residence of the Sage and Itea, this was only natural.
Consequently, the screen they were watching was not in real-time.
Since time flowed rapidly within the Labyrinth, the outcome must have already been decided.
With Zeto's defeat.
"Shall we fast-forward the footage a bit?" Itea asked, sensing the Sage's anxiety.
"Please do."
Following the Sage's command, Itea manipulated the screen.
She intended to view the events from thirty minutes later.
In Labyrinth time, this equated to skipping roughly an hour and a half.
Upon checking the situation thirty minutes later, the Sage was utterly dumbfounded.
Zeto was still visible on the screen.
And beneath his feet lay the battered remains of the golem.
With its limbs completely shattered, the golem was entirely unable to raise its body.
Clang!
Immediately, Zeto drove his reverse-gripped sword straight down into the golem's head.
"......"
Watching this scene, Itea covered her mouth with her hand.
Although Itea possessed a flawless human appearance, she was, in the end, a golem herself. Seeing a fellow golem brutally demolished seemed to strike her as rather cruel.
Though the intermediate process had been skipped, Zeto's actions made it immediately clear what had transpired.
He hadn't cut it; he had literally smashed it to pieces.
A sturdy golem crafted from special materials by the Sage, reduced to rubble by a single sword.
Furthermore, the Demon Blade did not appear to have a single chip on its edge.
"I know not what he intends to use it for... but the orb is his," said the Sage, watching Zeto calmly dismantle the golem without showing any signs of exhaustion.
"It seems there are many cadets in this year's freshman class who warrant close observation," Itea remarked, recovering her composure.
Just as she said, Zeto was not the only mysterious one.
Itea was currently referring to Eisel.
"...I told you, that was a mistake."
"Even if it was your mistake, Master, the fact remains that Cadet Eisel walked away with your weapon."
Following Itea's cold reply, the Sage cleared his throat.
Eisel Ludwig had taken the 'spear' (the Spear of the Thunder Emperor) that the Sage had left behind in the Labyrinth.
It was a fact Itea had only discovered after reviewing the footage all day once she realized it was missing.
It was a weapon the Sage had primarily wielded in the distant past. While its performance fell short of his legendary reputation, he had been quite fond of it.
"Still, since you no longer have any use for weapons, perhaps it is for the best."
The Sage nodded at Itea's words.
Since the 'restriction' imposed upon him by the Chief God, he was unable to engage in even light combat, so it didn't matter much.
Eisel Ludwig.
The Sage harbored a single concern regarding her.
Is she truly of the Ludwig clan?
The Sage knew of the Ludwig clan.
Due to their 'unique' constitution, the Ludwig clan lived in seclusion, never showing themselves to the world.
However, he recalled that the entire clan had been massacred before the war.
Yet, Eisel bore the surname Ludwig.
There was no way to verify if she truly belonged to the Ludwig clan, and since almost no one in the world even knew of their existence, the matter had passed without any major issues.
The people within the Academy likely assumed she was simply from some obscure noble family located somewhere on the continent.
The Sage quietly speculated.
If Eisel was indeed of the Ludwig clan, she would eventually bring a massive storm in her wake.
Itea handed something to the Sage.
"It is time for your medicine."
It was a memory-enhancing potion that Itea had recently prepared herself for the Sage.
The Sage stared blankly at Itea without a word.
Itea tilted her head, her face devoid of expression.
"......"
Eventually, he downed the medicine.
Rustle.
I quickly scanned a page of the book, brushed away the platinum-blonde hair draping over it, and turned the page.
The volume of information contained within the Academy's library was vast.
I sat in a corner of the library, searching for a curse.
I had thought I would find it quickly, but it was proving difficult.
A curse that would be felt near the heart...
The unidentified negative energy she had felt in Zeto's chest.
For now, a curse was the only thing that came to mind, but judging by the immense energy, it was no ordinary curse.
I had to find out exactly what curse was placed on Zeto.