Chapter 134 - The Mid-Boss
"Hey, I've got a question."
"Ah, yes! What is it?"
"Why the hell is it such a mess in here?"
Before the plan kicked off in earnest, I scanned the bustling market with keen eyes and tossed the question at one of the frantically moving staff members.
"Ah, well, you see... there was an explosion."
"Explosion?"
"Yes. They say it was mishandling of the magic tools meant to subdue the slaves. Fortunately, no casualties, so please relax and enjoy your time."
The staffer smiled as he said it, but behind him, I spotted guards slumped unconscious in a heap.
If the guests see this, it'll be a real problem. Their delayed response suggests they're backed into a corner too.
Time to start the plan.
With that thought, I sensed the moment had come and hardened my expression slightly as I spoke.
"Fine, now get out of my way."
"Pardon?"
"I'm here to pick up the slave I left in the waiting room, and you're blocking the way to the upper floors."
Irritation laced my words, and the guy looked troubled as he replied.
"S-sorry, but... the slaves aren't on the upper floors right now. They're somewhere else."
"...Somewhere else?"
"Yes, as I mentioned, there was an accident on the floor with the waiting rooms... so we moved all the facilities there to other floors. Including the waiting rooms."
The staffer pointed to a long line of people far off.
"So, if you want to go to another floor, you'll need to use the elevator with the floating stones over there, not these stairs."
"...This is a first."
I glared at him coldly, and after glancing around nervously, he leaned in and whispered.
"Don't worry, sir. There's a secret elevator for VIPs like you, Frey."
He pulled a map of the building from his pocket and pointed to a spot.
"Head there, and the waiting staff will verify you and guide you. Please, forgive the inconvenience."
"...Hmph."
"Headquarters says there'll be proper compensation for all VIPs. Only VIPs, not regular members."
I stared at the winking bastard, then pulled a gold coin from my pocket.
"Take it."
"Oh, you don't have to... hehe."
"Shut up, it's pocket change to me. Mind if I borrow that map you're holding?"
"The map? Ah, sure!"
He handed it over with mild curiosity, then bowed.
"Have a good one!"
"...Hmph."
I left the grinning fool clutching his Misfortune Mark gold coin—one I'd collected every time it appeared—and headed to the spot he'd indicated.
"Damn it, what the hell happened to lock down access like this?"
"Can we trust this? Packing this many people..."
"It's fine. You think the Slave Market would risk noble lives?"
I slipped past nobles guarding the elevator, blindly trusting a market that would bury noble lives alongside the imperial family without hesitation.
"This is ridiculous. What a mess."
"We were supposed to watch slaves, not get dragged into this crap."
"Shut it, they promised fat bonuses. Just move."
I wove through guards heading somewhere in a hurry, hiding their armed weapons from the crowd.
"...Lord Frey, greetings."
"You're the guide?"
I spoke lowly to the staffer waiting in the shadows.
"Then let's begin."
"Pardon?"
"The guiding. You know, the guiding."
"...Understood."
She tilted her head briefly, then nodded quietly and led the way.
Of course, my "begin" had double meaning.
......
"This is the temporary waiting room."
"Thanks."
The female staffer led me to a plain door on an ordinary room. With the crisis so severe, they'd crammed the slaves into a basic space.
"Have a good—hmm?"
As I thought that, she tilted her head.
"Ugh... uuuugh..."
Wondering why, I heard strange groans leaking from the slave waiting room.
"Please wait a moment, Lord Frey. I'll check—gah!"
I clubbed the tense staffer over the head with her staff, knocking her out, then entered casually.
"Greetings, Lord Frey."
"...Hello."
Drimirkan and Demon King's staff officer Remerno greeted me from inside. Remerno didn't seem thrilled.
"As ordered, we enhanced the slaves, but..."
Drimirkan politely gestured to the slaves while glancing at Remerno's wary glare.
"Urgh... uuuugh..."
"My chest... it's burning..."
"Hah... haaaah..."
The powerful slaves I'd handpicked myself were groaning where he pointed.
"...As expected, few will reach the final stage."
Drimirkan observed calmly.
"Still, if even one does... they'll rival our combat executives in strength."
"Exactly. You selected them yourself, Lord Frey, and with rampage curses on top of enhancement magic, it's inevitable."
Drimirkan chimed in calmly, then lit up with anticipation.
"Now, all that's left is to raid the slave market."
"...Yes."
"With Demon Army executives, rampaging slaves, and the rest coordinating... we can extract the slaves and take nobles hostage."
Undeterred by my apathy, his eager voice continued, eyes sparkling.
"Such a brilliant plan, Lord Frey. You're incredible."
"Remerno could devise something like this."
"...You overpraise me."
Remerno replied quietly from the side, still looking dissatisfied.
"Something bothering you?"
"This operation... it feels off somehow."
She seemed ready to elaborate, but...
"Ahem."
"...No, nothing."
Drimirkan's admiring gaze and cough made her bow her head and stop.
"Fwaaaaaah!!!"
"...Oh?"
Screams erupted from the slaves.
"Success at last."
"...Hmph."
A girl clutched her chest, collapsing and trembling.
Shoooo...
"Oh ho?"
Smoke rose from her body briefly, then...
"Urghk..."
Her form shifted in an instant.
"...Did you predict even this, Lord Frey?"
"Who knows."
Drimirkan stared blankly, then chuckled dryly.
"Having you in the Demon Army is a blessing."
"Flattery."
"No, really."
Serious, he pointed to Miho—now rising slowly, eyes red, taller, with eight more tails.
"I thought we'd get some strong slaves... who knew we'd snag an East Continent spirit beast?"
He eyed the slumped slaves behind her coldly.
"Now the rest look worthless. Toss them into the sacrifice magic circle with the others?"
"...Maximize their use."
"Understood. Then I'll gather child slaves as the operation starts."
"Do it."
Drimirkan and Remerno left.
"Soon the world will kneel at your feet, Lord Frey."
With those regrettable words.
"........."
Left with transformed Miho and the unconscious slaves, I muttered thoughtfully.
"Here's where it gets tricky."
Miho, the fox beastkin from an East Continent mountain village. Not a main or sub heroine, not even a helper NPC... but crucial for this quest.
Because in the original, unnamed, she's this quest's turning point.
"Ugh... uuugh..."
One factor spiking Blacktail Fantasy 2's already brutal difficulty: the so-called "gatekeepers"—mid-bosses.
"No wonder she seemed strong..."
Regarding the mid-boss of the third main quest, [Slave Market Liberation Mission].
The first mid-boss in the third main quest, the so-called 'Gumiho' that frustrated countless players, hails from a remote East Continent mountain village she believes houses 'spirit beasts'—fox beastkin.
Seeking her clan's early deaths' cause and freedom, she ventures out, only to be kidnapped into the slave market for torture, abuse, and injustice, building negative emotions.
On market opening day, she loses control, rampages, and drains all life force in the market.
"So you were the mid-boss."
Ancestor's commentary filled pages.
Almost quit because of her. Should've back then.
Anyway, this damn fox is the hero's perfect counter. Can't win normally.
Per ancestor, rampaging Miho manipulates life force. My power source, Hero's Power, burns life force. Perfect counter.
Thus, original demands mass sacrifices. Non-Villain's Path routes darken post-quest.
Can't preempt; entry date random. Save her, she rampages to rescue others.
Kill her? You die. Lost my mind strategizing.
His records detailed her Strategy saga desperately.
...Then one day, I found the way.
Serious tone, stripped of humor:
The game's trueStrategy method.
Discovering Miho's Strategy led to Villain's Path.
That crucial method...
"Y-you...!"
"...Ah."
Lost in thought, fully transformed Miho woke, glaring.
Time to act again. Peaceful days end; time for hatred anew.
"Wh-what!?"
I feigned shock, door ajar like I'd just entered.
"You... what is that form...?"
Acting confused.
"......."
My performance landed; she stared at her changed body, then approached coldly.
"What the—sit!!"
"...Huh?"
As she reached me, I yelled desperately. She raised a blank hand.
"A sl-slave like you... staring at me with that insolence..."
"Slave?"
Her cold glare intensified.
"Y-yeah... you slave bitch. No idea what you've done, but..."
Recalling the prophecy's sole control method, I finished arrogantly.
"...You still have the Subjugation Curse, don't you?"
Shwoosh!!
"Kek!!!"
Miho's hand shot out at blinding speed, seizing my throat.
"Say it again..."
She glared coldly at me on the floor.
"...Who’s the slave?"
Strangling me.
Redirecting rage is good, but don't let her drain your essence.
"Ugh."
Ancestor's tiny postscript nagged at me intensely.