Can a Mob Highschooler be a Normie: Chapter 42

 

Mob Kousei No Ore Demo Boukensha Ni Nareba Riajuu Ni Naremasuka: Chapter #42

Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain

 

 

 

Episode 42: Holmes, Watson, and the Mob

　

 

 

　After school. I headed to the usual family restaurant, where I found the two members of the Adventurers' Club already there.

 

　It was still early in the evening and the restaurant was sparsely populated, but the sight of two beautiful girls, one a red-haired half-Japanese and the other in a gothic lolita punk Chuunibyou fashion, undeniably attracted the attention of the customers around them.

 

Every time I make my way to the seat where these girls are......, I feel slightly embarrassed.......

 

　With that in mind, I briefly exchanged greetings with them and took my seats, then Anna immediately started talking,

 

"Okay, let's start the strategy meeting... ah, but before that..."

 

　Anna started to go through her bag as if she had just remembered something, and pulled out a palm-sized crystal ornament.

 

"That is......?"

 

"It's a simple counterespionage tool. However, it's only effective for making it harder for sound to leak out into the surrounding area. It's sold on the market, and I'm sure you've seen it before, too"

 

"......Oh, come to think of it, I've seen them at karaoke places."

 

　I nodded my head in approval.

 

　Indeed, it was unlikely that the attackers or their associates would happen to be in this vicinity, but it was certainly better to be vigilant just in case.

 

　Anna, who had activated the magic tool of counterespionage, resumed the conversation.

 

"Now, the reason I asked you all to gather here today is none other than to say this. The attacker who also attacked Senpai the other day....., let's call him the 'Hound Master' because he uses only wolf and dog monsters,......, we need to find that 'Hound Master' and make a plan to catch him."

 

　Mm.....'Hound Master', huh? It's a perfect term to describe that attacker who uses werewolf cards. It's more fitting than 'The Newbie Hunter' I've been secretly calling him.

 

　As I was secretly being impressed, Oribe raised her hand.

 

"...... Wait a minute. Can I interrupt first?　I've heard most of the story from Anna, but I'd like to hear from Senpai who has actually met this Hound Master. From before you went into the dungeon until you woke up in the hospital. What were you thinking, what did you feel? Tell us everything."

 

"Ah, I get it. But, I mean .....Oribe is naturally mixed up in this, but are you willing to get involved?"

 

　Anna herself had confirmed her intentions in the hospital room, but isn't Oribe forcibly involved ......?　I asked her such a question, and she gave me a sullen look.

 

"What......, are you trying to exclude me from the group?"

 

"No, it's not that, but ...... it's just... too dangerous."

 

"If you're talking about danger, it's the same as normal dungeon exploration. Alright, let me hear your story first."

 

"Oh, okay......"

 

　I nodded and began to recount the series of events again.

 

　The explanation itself was smooth since I had already talked about it several times, but since Oribe would interject and ask me about my feelings and other questions in various sections, the story took a surprisingly long time to tell.

 

　Incidentally, the two questions she particularly probed me deeply were about 'the encounter with the gremlin' and 'how I felt when I actually had a conversation with the assailant'.

 

"...So, well, I was hospitalized for about two days, then rested at home for a day, and now I'm here."

 

"I see......"

 

　After hearing everything, Oribe folded her arms, closed her eyes, and fell silent.

 

　Anna then started talking, leaving her alone.

 

"The first thing I want to say before we start looking for the culprit is that I don't know if we can catch the culprit ourselves.

　In reality, unlike in a mystery novel, there is no set path to the culprit. The culprit is not necessarily one of the known characters, either......

　Even so, the information from Senpai who actually came in contact with the culprit and survived is definitely an important one. Let's begin by examining it closely from there."

 

"Okay."

 

　When I nodded, Anna held up her index finger and continued speaking,

 

"First of all, why has the culprit still not been caught?

　Usually, crimes in the dungeons are quickly identified by the licensed entry and exit controls in front of the gates and by the surveillance cameras.

　If it's a one-time or two-time crime, it may be dismissed as a coincidence, but if the number of victims increases, there will definitely be an investigation.

　Even if a license is forged, or a license obtained from another party is used, it will be discovered at some point, as long as it is captured on video by surveillance cameras.

　However, the fact that the culprit hasn't been caught yet means that he is either using a very clever trick to deceive them, or that he knows a mechanism of the dungeon that is unknown to the general public and is exploiting it...''

 

"Well, that's true. But it would be impossible for us amateurs to find out..."

 

"Yes, I think so too. For now, let's just keep this in mind: It's probably impossible to find out the culprit based on how they enter and exit the dungeons.''

 

　I nodded at Anna's words.

 

　Usually, in mystery novels, solving the mystery of a locked room often leads to the identification of the culprit.

 

　The only person who was able to enter the crime scene, which was supposed to be inaccessible, was definitely the culprit.

 

　On the other hand, in a sense, this incident seems to be similar to a closed-room murder in that the person who appeared to be the culprit is not caught despite checking the moment of entry and exit.

 

　Then, you may think that solving the mystery should provide a clue to the murderer ......, but in the first place, the dungeon does not constitute a locked room because there were many unknown mysteries inside.

 

　If this were simply a matter of forging a license or hacking surveillance cameras, it would be possible to trace it back that line, but since the police and the Guild had not been able to identify the culprit, it was probably not that simple.

 

　In other words, the culprit was likely to be utilizing some mechanism of the dungeon that was not generally understood, or some unknown magic item.

 

　At that point, we, who were just mere high school students, would be out of the loop.

 

　Of course, if we can get any clues, we will investigate from there, but at this point, I had to say that it was not realistic to pursue the culprit from this line.

 

"Next, whether the Hound Master has anything to do with the missing people in the F-rank dungeons...... I think it is safe to assume that they do.

　It is a very difficult situation to imagine so many adventurers with D-rank cards going missing in F-rank dungeons, no matter if they are one star. It would be a different story if irregular encounters appeared here and there, but I have never heard of such a large number of irregular encounters.

　If that is the case, then it is safe to assume that it was caused by an external factor, i.e., by human hands.

　Nevertheless, the fact that the perpetrator has also not been caught yet means that they have been coming and going by the same means as the Hound Master. I don't think... there are so many ways to sneak in and out of the dungeon."

 

　Ah..... that's right. My eyes were opened.

 

　Since the crime took place inside the dungeon, I unconsciously connected the frequent disappearances in the F-rank dungeons with the Hound Master, but was there a possibility that the crime was committed by someone else?

 

　When you think about it, the risks and rewards of attacking a one-star adventurer, who was just a hair short of an amateur, were quite different from attacking a three-star adventurer, who was just one step away from being a professional. If the former was like a roadside snatching, the latter was like a raid on a jewelry store. They were different level of crimes.

 

　However, if the methods of the crimes were consistent in a special way, it can be considered that the crimes were committed by the same criminal.

 

　If this was the case, then by following up on the many missing persons cases in the F-rank dungeons, tracking down my attacker was possible as well.

 

"Third. Regarding the inexplicable words and actions of the assailant.

　According to Senpai, the 'Hound Master' demanded all the cards and magic items, including the cards already named by Senpai, and then instructed him to leave by using the stairs instead of through the gate.

　Why did the attackers demand even the named cards and their soul cards, which are not transferable in ownership?

　If it was a normal card or magic item whose ownership could be transferred, we could understand why they would want it: for the purpose of selling it. However, the fact that they demanded even the soul card suggests that they wanted more than just to take away the Senpai's assets.

　Next, why did they tell Senpai to escape up the stairs instead of killing him right then and there? If they had no intention of killing him, they could have just let him escape through the normal way out. Taking away their means of self-defense and telling them to go to the upper floors where monsters roam is the same as telling them to die.

　Well, killing the victim on the spot would make it harder to keep information leading to them from leaking out.

　It's possible that it's simply due to sadism... but if that's not the case, there must be something in this contradiction that will lead to the identification of the culprit...''

 

　That.

 

　That was what I wondered the most when I was talking to the attackers.

 

　Why did they demand the soul card, which would have been meaningless even if they had taken it? And why did they tell me to go back upstairs?

 

　It was hard to think that it was a lie to make me give up the cards quietly. Because, in the end, it will end in death regardless of whether the cards were surrendered or not.

 

　Of course, there was a possibility that Anubis would take my last breath after the cards were handed over, but it seemed to me that Anubis 'didn't want me to kill me with his own hands'.

 

"Well~, that sure was long, but I guess that's all the information we have confirmed at this stage. The problem is, how can we use this information to identify the culprits...? Haaa....."

 

 

　Ans so we fell silent.

 

　We tried to organize the information, but there was a limit to what we, neither police nor detectives, could deduce based on our research.

 

　And just then.

 

"The missing people search quest....."

 

　Oribe, who had remained silent for a long time, muttered a few words.

 

To see the missing person search quest: ......"

 

　Oribe, who had remained silent for a long time, muttered a potty mouth.

 

'".....The criminal always target the victims when they are alone.

　Did they hide in the dungeon in advance and attack when their prey appears alone...or do they identify their prey beforehand and then proceed to commit the crime?

　Considering the efficiency, the latter is most likely to be the case. If we can sort out the victim's information, we should be able to narrow down the culprit to some extent."

 

"I see......"

 

　I was surprised by Oribe's unexpectedly sharp point of view,  but I agreed with her.

 

　It was true that in a dungeon where you never know when the prey will arrive, it was too inefficient to target those who just happen to come to explore alone.

 

　I had always conquered it solo, but it was common for ordinary adventurers to conquer it with two to four people.

 

　This was because it was said that a group of two or more would greatly improve the survival rate in the event of an unexpected encounter with an Irregular Encounter.

 

　Those who go solo are either very confident in their own abilities, want to monopolize the harvest even at the risk of taking risks, or are not good at teaming up with others in the first place.

 

　In my case, it was because Renge's personality was too ill-suited to team up with others at the beginning, and then I became aware of Renge's uniqueness, so I had no choice but to keep it under wraps.

 

　It was definitely not because I'm a loner.

 

"What's troubling is the lack of any information about the culprit, despite the fact that there are actual victims.

　Many people bring cameras and other equipment into the dungeon to prevent problems with other adventurers. The absence of any cameras among the missing people's belongings is unnatural, and it should be assumed that they were destroyed in some way. And ......"

 

　Then Oribe looked at me acutely and said,

 

"Senpai encountered a gremlin just before entering the lowest floor, and the machineries were destroyed. Is this a coincidence?"

 

"No......"

 

　I indeed encountered a gremlin just before entering the bottom floor, and suffered mechanical destruction. As a result, I was unable to preserve any video or audio that would lead to the culprit.

 

　Since my team had encountered another gremlin that day and obtained a card, I did not question at the time why a gremlin suddenly appeared at that time, but when I thought about it, the timing was a bit too good to be true.

 

　Besides, Suzuka's reaction to the second gremlin ....... Perhaps that was discomfort with the fact that it was another master's card.

 

　The fact that it dropped a magic stone made me assume it was a wild monster, but that could easily be faked if the monster carried a magic stone on it.

 

　If so, it meant that the criminal was using gremlins when they attacked their prey, destroying the machine so as not to leave any evidence of themselves.

 

"If the killer is using gremlins to erase evidence of themselves, they must be replenishing the gremlins at some point. We should first check to see if anyone in the guild is buying gremlins in bulk. Even if none of them are buying directly, we should be able to tell if the supply has been decreasing recently or if demand has been increasing."

 

"Shall we investigate along that line first?"

 

　I nodded at Oribe's words. Now we've managed to settle on a first course of action.

 

　Then Anna said in wonder,

 

"But if they go to such lengths to leave no evidence of themselves, why do they try to get the victims to flee up the stairs?　To make it look like the monsters in the dungeon did it?"

 

"Well, that actually can just be done by using a card of the same race as the monsters that appear in the dungeon to take care of them."

 

"Right......"

 

"Oribe, do you have something in mind?"

 

　I looked at Oribe, who had always been giving keen opinions.

 

"Hmm... I can predict half of the reason. If my prediction is correct, there should be something in the belongings of some of the victims. After examining the victims' belongings, I found that. If that's the case, I'm almost certain of it. But I don't know the other half. Maybe I won't know until I catch the culprit.''

 

"And what is that"

 

"I don't want to say anything until I have proof. I don't want to instill any preconceived notions. ...But there's also the other half of the reason that I don't even know, and I'm sure that's why Senpai was attacked."

 

"Me?"

 

　Why am I mentioned there?

 

"The Hound Master is basically targeting one-star adventurers. But Senpai is a three-star ....... Moreover, he also has the advantage card of a certain Zashikiwarashi, a competent and practically B-ranked card that has appeared in the MonColo. Furthermore, his cards are mostly named and there is no gain to be had by attacking him. The risk is high, the return is low, and Senpai should not be suitable as prey."

 

"I see, that's true......."

 

　I had also thought of it before. The actual risk and benefit differ from the one-star to the three-stars.

 

　In particular, I'm an oddball who named most of my main cards, and I'm sure the culprit knew this through MonColoo, Twitter, and so on.

 

　Did they attack...... without knowing me?　No, that's impossible. Because .......

 

"...The Hound Master is clearly taking measures against Senpai in the attack. Vampires are the ones who are almost invulnerable in the night field, and the Hound Master used silver equipment to counter that. They had also prepared several B-rank cards. They had even gone so far as to use disposable C-rank cards for reconnaissance of fighting strength. This means that the Hound Master was attacking for 'something' that only Senpai players have."

 

"Something that only I have..."

 

　The first thing that came to my mind at that moment was my Zashikiwarashi, who was not normal in many ways.

 

　Renge was clearly not an ordinary card. The fact that she can even interfere with the drop rate of monster cards deviated from the capabilities of a normal Zashikiwarashi. No, in fact, there were times when I was made to think ...... that she could even interfere with the 'master's destiny'.

 

　In the sense of abnormality, I sometimes feel it in Suzuka, but that of Renge was more profound than Suzuka's.

 

　If they attacked me because of this uniqueness, it made sense that the enemy even demanded my soul cards.

 

"Was targeting the one-star adventurers the main agenda and attacking Senpai was the 'exception' one? Or is there two purposes and both are the main agenda? We don't know that, but at least there must be some meaning in the fact that they attacked Senpai. Or, if there are other 'exceptions' who have been attacked like Senpai, by investigating them, we might be able to find out the culprit's purpose..."

 

　But that would be difficult, I thought to myself. The same thought may be in Anna's mind, as her expression was bitter.

 

　Unlike the F-rank dungeons where 'not returning people' were rare, they were not uncommon in the D-rank dungeon which was the main battleground of the three-stars.

 

　If the victims are numerous, we might be able to tell, but if it is few, we would not be able to tell initially.

 

　In that sense, I could see that the victims in the F-rank dungeons could be a perfect coverup.

 

　I said with a sigh,

 

"...For now, let's start looking into the victims and see if there's anyone in the Guild who buys gremlins in large quantities or who keeps buying them on an ongoing basis."

 

"Leave the gremlins to me. The Guild probably won't be able to help you if you just ask, so I'll use my connections to find out.''

 

　Anna tapped her chest confidently.

 

　I certainly don't think the Guild will give us information about the buyers if we go to them. Or rather, if they would tell us, I would be afraid instead. It means my information will be easily passed on too.

 

　However, as a commoner..., I can't help but feel a little cold at the thought that a large company could find out that information, but I guess I should say that I'm grateful for it. now

 

"I guess we'll take the missing people's investigation then."

 

"How about we take the quest for now?　We can legally search the victim's belongings."

 

　I shook my head apologetically at Anna's words.

 

"No, it's a little hard to enter the labyrinth right now ....... I've had my main force destroyed after all."

 

　Even with my current strength, there would be no problem if I would go normally in an F-rank dungeon, but thinking that the Hound Master could still possibly aim at me, I was reluctant to enter the dungeon now.

 

　I want to at least get my team back to full strength first.

 

"Ah...now that I think about it, that's right.... Honestly, what is Senpai's fighting strength like now? What about your finances?'

 

"For my strength, there are one C-rank card and two D-rank cards. As for my money......."

 

　I answered with a slight daze about the amount of money I had on hand.

 

"I see... there's a C-rank card that can be used as a fighting force.

　If that's the case, could you wait a little while before selling the cards and magic items?

　I have an idea. Please don't buy Renge-chan and Eliza-chan's resurrection cards for now."

 

"Yeah?　Okay, then."

 

"For now, as long as you have the strength to fight the enemies in an F-rank dungeon, you'll be fine. You can accept the quest and search for the missing people."

 

"You say it's okay... But what if we get attacked by the Hound Master?"

 

"Use this then."

 

　After saying that, Anna handed me and Oribe exclusive-looking badges and two magic cards.

 

　The badge was designed in the shape of a card and had a blue gemstone-like object stuck in the center.

 

　The card, on the other hand, was.......

 

"The badge is an identification of our Adventurers' Club. It incorporates a defensive magic item used in MonColo and another magic item that allows the badges to communicate with each other. No machinery is used, so you can rest assured that it will not be destroyed, even by gremlins. It can also be used as a precaution against traffic accidents, so please carry it with you at all times if possible. The magic cards are [Transfer] and [Emergency Evacuation].

 

　[Emergency Evacuation]...... the real thing?

 

　The [Emergency Evacuation] was a magic card that allowed you to instantly transfer to a safe zone from anywhere on the field. From there, you can use the [Transfer] card to return.

 

　If I had had these cards at that time, I might have been able to escape without losing Renge and the others.

 

　The reason I didn't have one of these cards was simply because they were so damn expensive.

 

　The price is 'at least' 100 million yen.

 

　The reason for the high price was that the rate of appearance in the disappointment box was low, and professional adventurers flocked to buy them because they were a lifeline in case of emergencies.

 

　They were rarely sold by the Guild and required connections to obtain.

 

　In addition to the [Transfer] cards, each of these three items..... were worth a lot of money.

 

　My hands were shaking involuntarily. Oribe also had a stiff look on her face when I saw it.

 

"I asked my dad to borrow them just in case. If we run into the Hound Master, let's use these to escape."

 

　Anna said it lightly, but I was covered in cold sweat as I said,

 

"No, no, I can't afford to receive such expensive items...I can't even afford to buy it."

 

　Oribe nodded her head repeatedly at my words. The small animal-like movements were a little cute.

 

"No, don't worry about it. It's the leader's role to take care of the safety of the club members. Especially since this time I was the first to suggest that we look for the culprit. We should at least have a good-luck charm ready."

 

Uooooohh......!

 

　I couldn't help but tremble at the younger girl's strong sense of responsibility.

 

Seriously. Was it normal for someone to give something worth over a hundred million yen as a good-luck charm just because they are the head?

 

　Even though she was relying on her parents, surely there must have been some kind of condition.

 

　And she did it so generously, without any air of entitlement.

 

　It was as if this was a natural duty as a leader of a club.

 

　Even after all this time, I realized once again that this girl was the daughter of one of the largest companies of Japan.

 

　If I had been in her shoes, I would have demanded one or two conditions of exchange.

 

　She had a different sense of generosity than a commoner like me.

 

"From now on, always carry this set with you when you are working as part of the Adventurers' Club. So feel free to use them if you think it is dangerous...Ah, but please refrain from stealing them.”

 

"Oh, that, of course."

 

　I and Oribe nodded strongly.

 

　This was Anna's thoughtfulness, and I will hold it carefully as a sign of trust.

 

"This should make the investigation in the dungeon no problem at all. While the gremlins are being investigated by my contacts, we'll be steadily searching for information on the victims."

 

"Which quest should we start with?"

 

"I think we should start with the most recent one. The dungeon is not a place where decay would occur, but the older the case, the more likely that monsters would have devoured them."

 

"According to the quest request, the most recent victim was......."

 

　Anna, who operated her phone and checked her quest email, looked up and said,

 

'...... Shoko Sato-san. Let's start looking into this person."

 

 

 

 

[Tips] Safe Zones and Teleportation-type Magic Cards

 

　The area in front of the dungeon entrance gate and in front of the stairs at each floor is a safe zone where monsters cannot enter. Even if you are attacked by a monster, the monster's pursuit will stop if you run to the safe zone. However, if you attack from the safe zone, the safe zones on all floors will disappear temporarily. The safe zone will not be restored until the boss is defeated, so attacking from the safe zone is absolutely prohibited.

 

　Unfortunately, most of the A-rank dungeons where the boss has never been defeated have had their safe zones disappear before this rule is discovered.

 

　In addition, teleportation-type magic items are basically designed so that they cannot be used anywhere other than the safe zone in front of the stairs. One of the few exceptions is the [Emergency Evacuation] magic card, which can be used to transfer to the safe zone from anywhere in the floors.

 

　The price of this card is extremely high because it serves as a talisman in times of desperation and because the supply is low in relation to the demand. The current market price is at least 100 million yen.

 

　Naturally, when the safe zone disappears, the card cannot be used because it loses its place of destination.

 

　This is one of the factors that make A-rank dungeons impregnable.

 

 

***

 

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