Looking at it logically, it was a matter of common sense.
Rather than targeting the horns that obviously looked tough, it would be more efficient to aim for the clearly visible weak points.
Going for the head or heart. Or if those weren't options, targeting the tendons in the limbs would be the standard approach.
Of course, if the Minotaur's horns turned out to be unexpectedly soft, that would be different... but unfortunately, its horns were incredibly hard.
Despite this, the fact that they were supposedly the priority target was truly perplexing.
Of course, they weren't just nitpicking because I had pointed to the horns.
*It must be about the curses on my body.*
There were so many curses attached to me.
Starting with the curse that made people feel inexplicable aversion when looking at me, to the curse that destroyed trust in all my actions, and even the curse that caused my words and actions to be misinterpreted.
*The Curse of the Soul and the Curse of Distrust.*
And then the Curse of Distortion.
I didn't know exactly how these applied, but these three curses boasted a truly maddening collaboration.
First, the Curse of the Soul destroyed my impression on others, then the Curses of Distrust and Distortion dragged my credibility down to rock bottom.
Thanks to those, I was currently being treated as the party's potential traitor.
So it wasn't about debating whether targeting the horns was efficient.
It was the issue that came before that.
They were worried about whether there might be some trap hidden in my words... that was it.
What if they inefficiently attacked the horns and the party members' health dropped more than expected?
What if that created a situation where I could take on all the party members by myself?
They must be making such ridiculous assumptions.
But because of that, I needed to somehow convince them here.
"Please, just follow my advice this once."
I didn't give up and spoke to them once more.
*If it goes berserk, you'll all die, you idiots.*
"Let's hear what the Hero has to say."
Fortunately, the Saintess stepped in and supported my words, so I could try to persuade them once more.
"As I said earlier, I know about this creature."
I slowly began reciting information about the monster.
"The creature's name is Minotaur. It's characterized by strong power and high durability. Since they tend to establish territories, they're often used as gatekeepers like this."
I'm glad I read the setting guide thoroughly when looking for strategy tips.
"But above all, the biggest problem with this creature is its berserk mode. It's a skill that amplifies all its abilities except durability by boosting its mana all at once."
This is especially difficult to deal with because it uses this when near death.
Moreover, there are no particular signs before the skill activates, so it needs to be blocked when possible.
"So, Hero, you're saying that cutting off those horns can prevent this berserk mode in advance?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Hmm..."
She lowered her head for a moment, appearing to be in thought.
I must have made a convincing argument, so she needed time to think.
That's when the mage, Lily, who had been quietly listening beside us, asked me:
"Wait, where did you get this information? It's not even in the bestiary I have..."
As expected, she's questioning the source of my information.
Fortunately, I had prepared an excuse.
"I saw it in some ancient book before I became a Hero."
It was quite a flimsy excuse, but they couldn't really dig deeper. How would they know about my life before becoming a Hero?
Only then did they seem to genuinely consider my persuasion.
They were contemplating whether they could trust me and if this plan had definite efficiency.
Adel, the party's scout, seemed to be stepping back, perhaps intending to leave the judgment to the other party members.
I decided to take one step further.
"If you follow my plan, I'll take the lead in this battle."
They were probably worried about me backstabbing them.
To preemptively block that premise, I would take the lead in the fight. It might be a bit dangerous, but at least it would be better than being suspected.
When I said this, their eyes widened.
They had expressions that suggested they hadn't expected me to go this far. Only Yulice had a uniquely anxious expression as she looked at me.
"...Is there really no other way?"
"No, not that I know of."
When I nodded, she finally nodded as if she had made up her mind.
Am I really that untrustworthy...? I knew it, but I couldn't hide the bitterness.
Still, once one person agreed, the rest was easy.
"Alright. Since Yulice agrees, I'll agree too."
"I'm a bit uneasy, but... we don't have other options. Fine."
I inwardly sighed with relief. If this hadn't worked, I was planning to just push through forcefully, but they agreed before that.
It's so hard just to get everyone on the same page. The future looked nothing but bleak.
"Okay, let's form our battle formation."
So we began to determine our assault formation.
Camilla and I would be at the front, Adel and Yulice in the middle, and Lily at the rear.
Camilla and I would take the lead and draw aggro, while Adel would distract it with arrows, and Lily would attack the horns with offensive magic.
It was a simple yet efficient arrangement.
As we were finishing our preparations for the assault, a system window appeared before my eyes.
[QUEST!]
+
Finally, the party is getting on track with the main story.
From now on, you will begin the difficult journey of defeating the Four Heavenly Kings and slaying the Demon King.
This is the tutorial for that.
Defeat the Minotaur in front of you.
Quest Reward: Choice of one skill
+
*Oh?*
I couldn't help but be impressed.
I hadn't expected a quest to appear in a place like this.
This was obviously good news for me.
We had to defeat it to pass through anyway, and now there was even a reward. A small smile was forming on my face for the first time in a while.
As I was checking the status window by myself, I felt something.
With a soft touch, someone suddenly grabbed my hand from behind.
When I turned around, Yulice was looking at me with a worried expression.
"Be careful."
Her voice wasn't the usual sarcastic tone, but one that seemed genuinely concerned.
Once again, I could only tilt my head in confusion.
*Hmm...*
Why was she suddenly acting like this? Usually, she would laugh and say it was good if I found myself in a dangerous situation.
I didn't know what she was thinking, but I couldn't ignore her words of concern, so I nodded lightly.
"Yes, I understand."
And so, the battle began.
"Charge!"
Camilla shouted concisely, and I shot forward quickly.
With a swish, the blade gleamed brilliantly as the holy sword displayed its sharp form.
From behind me, I could hear the Saintess reciting a prayer.
Simultaneously, I felt vitality within my body.
[Your strength temporarily increases due to the effect of Blessing!]
[Your agility temporarily increases due to the effect of Blessing!]
It was a holy power buff from someone as distinguished as a Saintess.
Feeling that vitality, I immediately infused mana into my blade.
[Using Aura Blade!]
In an instant, mana flowed out and transferred energy to the blade.
The blue-glowing blade was threatening in itself. Though I couldn't call it an aura yet... it clearly possessed considerable destructive power.
Only after I had shot forward and surrounded myself with mana did the creature notice me. Despite this, it still appeared confused.
This was the advantage of a surprise attack.
A strike that penetrated the gap in thought was difficult to respond to immediately, even if detected.
That's why the first strike is more effective than anything else.
So.
*As strongly as possible.*
I infused mana.
I increased the cutting power and packed in as much mass as possible.
Even though it was just a mid-boss, it was an opponent that required my full strength.
When I reached close proximity to it, I immediately swung my sword.
Slash!
A strike that cut down from top to bottom sliced through the creature's forearm.
The tough skin peeled away, instantly creating a deep laceration. White bone was visible through the wound where blood was gushing.
I had damaged the creature's bone with just one sword strike.
"Guooooo!!!"
The creature's painful scream was just a bonus.
A definite first attack.
But I clicked my tongue.
"Tsk."
I had originally intended to cut off the entire arm, but I guess I couldn't do that yet.
Well, it couldn't be helped. I was still just a novice Hero who hadn't even properly grown yet.
I should be satisfied with this much.
"Move aside!"
As I was savoring the moment, Camilla rushed in beside me.
In her right hand was a silver arming sword, and in her left was a kite shield as large as her upper body—the typical appearance of a knight.
Just as she came in from the side, the Minotaur raised its axe high.
A massive axe that could easily split a person in half.
The ominously gleaming axe was threatening in itself, but I wasn't particularly worried.
After all, Camilla was a character specialized in defense and counterattacks.
Clang!
With that thought, the creature's axe came down.
Sparks flew fiercely from the shield that met the axe. The shield trembled in the middle as if in a test of strength, giving a sense of precariousness.
But that was only momentary; soon Camilla deflected the axe to the side and stepped back.
"Tsk."
She clicked her tongue briefly.
I could see her right arm trembling slightly, though faintly.
It was the arm that had been holding the shield.
"Such monstrous strength with just one left arm. It's truly a monster."
Of course. How many times have I died to this thing?
It shouldn't be compared to ordinary mobs.
Still, it was manageable for now.
"So as long as we don't let it reach a near-death state, berserk mode won't activate?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Got it. Then focus attacks on the legs. Divert its attention."
I nodded slightly.
Although she was wary of me, she was someone who gave her all in battle once it started.
[Your defense temporarily increases due to the effect of Blessing!]
[Your reaction speed temporarily increases due to the effect of Blessing!]
Buffs were being consistently applied even during this.
My body felt slightly harder, and I felt like the creature's speed had slowed down a bit.
Even if it was just a little, that little bit was incredibly precious in battle.
"Lily, how many minutes until your magic is complete?"
"Give me 5 minutes!"
"Good. Then we proceed according to plan."
And so, the battle resumed.
"Guooooo!!"
Boom! Boom!
Somehow dodging and blocking the axe swings of the enraged creature, we waited for the magic from the mage positioned at the rear.
It was obvious that we couldn't cut off the creature's horns with just our attack power.
We had no choice but to hold out until the mage finished her incantation.
The attacks of the creature, angry to the tips of its hair, were extremely rough.
Clang!
"Ugh."
But it was manageable for now.
I predicted the creature's movements and the path of the axe to avoid attacks.
Attacks that couldn't be avoided were somehow deflected by holding up my sword at an angle.
Of course, due to my disastrous combat experience, there were inevitable gaps in my fighting.
Swoosh!
Fortunately, each time, an arrow flying from somewhere distracted the creature's attention, allowing me to remain intact.
"Ah, thank you."
"..."
It was obviously Adel's doing.
I lightly greeted her and then turned my head. I couldn't avoid her disapproving gaze, but it was better than getting my body sliced.
Continuing the battle in this way, the five minutes passed quickly.
"It's ready! Fall back!"
After a rather grueling five minutes, Lily shouted from behind.
At the same time, I felt an enormous amount of mana from that direction.
The mana of one recognized as the continent's greatest genius, who had consistently learned magic from the continent's greatest mages.
Naturally, both its quality and quantity far exceeded the average.
Eventually, the magic formed from that mana was fired at the creature.
A sharp wind that seemed capable of tearing apart everything in the world.
*Wind Cutter... probably not.*
It was likely a higher-level spell, but I, being ignorant about magic, couldn't tell. Well, it's not like a system window appeared.
Anyway, the magic that flew like that effortlessly cut off the creature's horn.
Crack!
As expected of the party's highest damage dealer.
Perhaps nerves were connected to the horn? The creature let out a painful scream.
"Guooooo!!!"
Hearing that voice, I readjusted my grip on my sword.
*Well, we've cut one.*
Now there was one left.