The Minotaur's head fell to the ground.
For me, it was a battle where I barely made it before my Sacred Domain and Latent Power Explosion ran out, but I wonder if it didn't seem that way to others.
"...Is that it? Wasn't he just buying time?"
"Who was the one who said Minotaurs have strong physical resistance?"
"It was strong, wasn't it? And he mixed in some special abilities at the end."
"Even so... Does anyone know his name? I've never seen his face before."
"A dangerous-looking cute boy... *heavy breathing*"
"Let's restrain him for now..."
The adventurers around me were murmuring. There was one strange person in there, but the reactions were generally similar.
Admiration for what I had done. And curiosity about the new face.
"...But what happens to our subjugation mission now?"
"The display was ruined because of him in the first place."
And a bit of resentment? Blame? There was that too. However.
Clink. Clink.
Lidia stood beside me, her armor making noise. At her appearance, everyone shut their mouths.
It made sense since everyone here had seen firsthand how sensitive Lidia was about any criticism toward me, and how strong she was.
Lidia, who casually ignored the surrounding gazes, reached her hand out to me.
"Yona. Are you okay?"
"Hmm. I'm still fine for now."
My Sacred Domain and Latent Power Explosion are still active. They'll probably wear off in 1-2 minutes though.
...And then I'll just collapse?
The adventurers around me are mostly favorable or shocked, but some are dissatisfied.
Not just emotional dissatisfaction, but dissatisfaction with stakes involved—the subjugation rewards.
Remembering from my previous life that while proof takes ages, incitement takes just a moment, I decided to strike first.
"Ahem. Everyone? Somehow I ended up handling this alone. So I should get most of the spoils, right? But don't worry! You couldn't even fulfill your contribution requirements anyway, right? Since it won't be recognized as a subjugation, you can just catch another one next time!"
"......"
"......"
"......"
A moment of silence fell. The atmosphere turned strangely sharp, and I realized.
Maybe it was because the battle had just ended and the excitement hadn't subsided yet. My tone was more aggressive than usual, which might have sounded strange.
To summarize what I said: "Losers~! Losers~! You can't even meet the contribution requirements but you want spoils? There are no spoils for incompetent adventurers like you, so why don't you just retry next time?" Something like that.
Lidia seemed to sense this too as she looked around and asked.
"Anyone have a problem?"
At this, a middle-aged adventurer raised his hand as if he'd been waiting.
From the looks of it, he's not directly participating in the subjugation but seems to be here as a guardian.
"I agree that you should take most of the spoils. However, our share shouldn't be completely nonexistent. Depending on how much you're willing to give, there may or may not be complaints."
A rare male adventurer. And one with a dignified impression that's quite handsome even from another man's perspective.
You know, like his hair that's mixed with white and looks grayish. Or his neatly trimmed beard.
It was a style that had steady demand on Earth, but what about in this gender-reversed world?
It's probably something like a MILF equivalent? Indeed, several women around were staring blankly at that man with flushed faces.
But Lidia looked at the bearded old man as if he were a roadside pebble. She nodded as if his point made sense.
"Hmm. I'll ask the person concerned. Yona?"
"Ah, yes. I should at least cover the cost of potions and scrolls used. And it's true that they helped draw aggro at the beginning..."
After thinking for a moment, I pointed to the horn lying far away.
"Would it be okay if we shared that one?"
"...Not bad."
The bearded old man nodded with satisfaction. However, was money ever his goal from the beginning? Even though the conversation was clearly over, he casually threw in another question.
"By the way, what's your name?"
"It's Yona."
"Which clan do you belong to?"
"I don't have a clan, but there is someone looking after me."
"Ah, you have Lady Lidia as your mentor. She's an excellent person."
"Ahem."
"But individual support and organizational support are different in nature. Above all, there are men's issues that are difficult to share with women. The 'Men's Days' clan I belong to consists only of men and..."
"Uh."
So it was a clan recruitment. But I have no intention of joining any clan. At least not now.
Especially if it's a sausage party.
Ugh... just thinking about it makes me shudder.
Not that all men in this gender-reversed world are gay or anything... but there's definitely a strange disconnect.
I nodded vaguely and hurriedly changed the subject.
"I-I'll think about that part later. Anyway, is everyone else okay with one horn?"
"Well, the Minotaur's horn is the most expensive part."
"Even split, we won't lose out."
"If it collapses after one mistake, that's just lack of skill. Back in my day..."
"Come on, someone might think you're hundreds of years old, senior."
The atmosphere was generally accepting. Just as I was about to sigh with relief...
"Ah."
Strength drained from my entire body. My legs began to tremble, and my vision started spinning.
The duration of my Latent Power Explosion had ended, and the backlash had arrived.
Fortunately, the Sacred Domain lasted a bit longer, so I was still hanging on with its effects... but it was certain that today's Sacred Domain would end before I fully recovered.
Trying not to show it, I leaned my head on Lidia's shoulder.
"Lady Lidia, Lady Lidia."
"Yes."
Lidia carried me on her back as if she knew everything. At this, the adventurers who had been noisy until now fell silent again.
"Come to think of it, he seemed to eat something before the battle..."
"Some kind of stimulant, perhaps. Well, no matter how great one's talent, it's impossible to overwhelm a layer guardian alone."
"Even so, the fact that he overwhelms other adventurers of the same rank remains unchanged."
Voices whispering softly. Good. According to plan. While I can't avoid drawing attention, this way I can hide about 30% of my true power.
In reality, I concealed the true nature of my Sacred Domain deployment, and I didn't reveal the existence of Basileus or the invisibility cloak.
Carried on Lidia's back, I waved my arms and spoke.
"Lady Lidia, Lady Lidia. Could you please process the Minotaur's materials now?"
"Hmm..."
Lidia let out a dissatisfied sigh. The way she glances at me suggests she wants something else.
Well, what Lidia wants at this timing is probably just one thing.
With a smirk, I lowered my voice. I imagined a fallen nobleman with no actual power but plenty of pride, manifesting that last lifeline in the form of dignity.
"Lady Lidia. My loyal knight. Would you collect the glory of victory for me, and for yourself?"
"As you command."
Only then did she snort with satisfaction and pull out a reasonably sized longsword. Easy.
The adventurers who witnessed this scene were shocked... but there's no need for that.
This is a kind of role-play. Just a simple game.
As I shook my head and hummed a tune, Lidia neatly cut up the Minotaur's corpse with her drawn dagger.
Normally, a dagger is the standard tool for such processing... but isn't it too inefficient to use a small dagger to dismantle this huge body?
Above all, someone of Lidia's caliber can demonstrate sufficient skill with a longsword.
At first, she seemed to stab the Minotaur's belly vertically, then she skillfully skinned it, and also collected the remaining thigh bones.
Then she picked up the head with only one horn left, and that was it.
He was once a hero, so such a miserable end leaves a bitter aftertaste.
Of course, that bitterness will return as gacha, so I can endure it just fine.
Unable to put everything into her spatial bag, Lidia tucked the severed head under her arm and finally extracted the magic stone.
Fwoosh.
The Minotaur's body turned to ash and scattered, then was absorbed into the Earth God's heart.
Strictly speaking, that heart is an illusion, and the ashes are absorbed into the labyrinth itself... but that's how it appears to the eye.
The god and champion. A hero who was sealed away rather than killed despite falling from grace. The two who were buried side by side in the same tomb after failing to find a cure until the very end.
There must have been twists and turns between the Earth God and Asterios that even I, as the author, don't know.
They didn't get their happy ending, and now their sacredness and greatness have been reduced to mere prey.
But if you ask whether their choices and achievements were meaningless, that's not the case.
I gave a slight bow toward the real remains buried deep in an invisible place, not the remnant image implemented in the labyrinth.
"May you rest peacefully in Mother Earth's embrace."
A small eulogy I muttered. In response, a small heat rose from deep within my body.
The familiar sensation of Authority being engraved.
...At the same time, my vision turned black.