Mob
Kousei No Ore Demo Boukensha Ni Nareba Riajuu Ni Naremasuka: Chapter #71
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
Episode 71: Rumor (Fact) that Greek Deities are Only
Weirdos (2)
A horse-drawn
carriage raced along an uneven road lined with the roots of trees in a tropical
forest.
The jet-black
carriage pulled by four headless horses had an ominous appearance reminiscent
of a hearse, with pale blue flames rising from its wheels.
Suddenly, a lone orc
appeared in front of the carriage.
The large, pig-headed
creature was looking around that he did not even notice the horse-drawn
carriage approaching at high speed, and then get slammed by the carriage. He
was sent tumbling to the ground, where he was crushed and then transformed into
a lump of meat.
I watched the pitiful
orc through the carriage window and was impressed.
"Wow, this thing is more comfortable than I thought
it would be. There is no vibration even on the uneven ground."
"That is true. The enemy cannot see us, and when we
bump into them, there isn't even a single tremor."
Yuki nodded.
By the way, the
reason why there was no vibration was because this carriage, Koshta Bawar, was
actually flying in the air, although it was only about ten centimeters high.
Though not enough to
jump over large pits or cliffs, it does not get affected by the terrain too
much and can avoid traps that can be activated by stepping on them.
I also appreciated
the fact that we did not have to fight unnecessary enemies because of the
[Invisibility] and [Presence blocking] skills.
The downside was that
it was not possible to cross bodies of water such as rivers and lakes, but then
one could simply take a detour or another way around.
I was only focusing
on the equipping skills, but the skills of this Koshta Bawar were also quite
good. As expected of Dullahan, which was considered a must-have for
professional adventurers.
"So, what do you think? How does the equipping
feel?"
"Yes, Master... There is a slight delay in physical
response, but it's not a problem."
The one who answered
my question was a jet-black female knight sitting in the driver's seat.
The armor she wore
had the flowing lines of a woman's, and her lustrous blond hair flowed out from
the helmet that covered the upper half of her face.
Although only the
lower half of her face was exposed, the contrast between her black armor and
white skin, coupled with her red lips that seemed to glow, made her look
strangely glamorous.
T, that's strange......
When Anna's Elf was
equipped with Dullahan, she looked like a neat and tidy lady knight, but when
Eliza was equipped with it, she had this haunting look and a hint of sex
appeal......
The atmosphere of
Eliza clad with Dullahan was completely that of a dark knight.
"...Well, I'm glad there's no problem. I was
thinking of switching over to Living Armor, which has no negative skills, if
the [Lack of agility] and [Clumsy] skills were too much of a hindrance."
The moment I said
that,
"Eeh~? That's awful, Master! Please use me properly! .....Please don't talk without
permission."
We were all wide-eyed
when we heard a sweet voice from Eliza that we had never heard before. But we
soon realized.
It was not Eliza, but
the Dullahan who equipped her.
"Forgive me, Master... That was Dullahan's
comment."
"Ah, yeah, I get it."
I smiled at Eliza,
who didn't want to be misunderstood and went out of her way to explain it like
that.
I smiled to myself,
thinking that this former ghouler who was now a vampire also had a feeling that
she didn't want her character to be destroyed.
The other members
seemed to feel the same way, as Renge, Yuki, and Mea also looked at her warmly.
"I think
Eliza-senpai uses my body better than I does, and if she continues to use it, I
think the unathletic and clumsy me can become a cool and attractive adult
woman! ......
Dullahan. Ah, I'm sorry!"
The fact that Eliza
seemed to be monologuing was somewhat comical, and we couldn't help but laugh,
even though we felt bad about it.
Perhaps that offended
her, because unusually, a faint aura of anger was coming from Eliza.
Then.......
"--Eliza-san, as a lady, you should not be so easily
ruffled by your emotions."
A woman in her late
twenties sitting next to Eliza said in a stern voice.
The beautiful woman
had auburn colored hair tied up in a chignon and was dressed in a maid's
uniform...... it was the maid master, Silky.
"I apologize."
Silky nodded to
Eliza, who bowed to her with a bow of apology.
"A lady should always be calm and graceful. I will
be responsible for making you a lady among ladies..... making you a master of
maids."
"Please take care of me, Sensei."
At the sight of this,
we looked at each other and thought, "Umm.'
Despite the fact that
they had just met, they had become quite good friends.
I introduced Eliza to
the maid master Silky in order to have her teach her various skills, but both
of them seemed to have some affinity and ended up becoming apprentice and
teacher.
However, I don't want
her to teach her the [Reprimand] skill......
As I was worrying
about Eliza...
"Ah, Eliza. The next turn is to the left. There are
quite a few enemy responses on the right."
"Understood."
Yuki, who was looking
at the map on my phone, said.
She had the biggest presence
detection range in my group, and I had left her in charge of guiding the way.
......Huu, my role in the group is vanishing again.
Although I do have an
important role, which was Linking, I'm not using it right now.
By the way, the
reason I'm not using Link right now is because I was concerned about the
newcomer, Silky, to avoid having a conversation with her.
I can easily Link
with Silky now, but Linking without earning a favorable impression can be
discomforting anf offesive to the cards....
".....Hmm? Hey, Eliza-san, it looks like we're approaching the
enemies."
Yuki, who had once
again dropped her gaze to my phone, raised her head and looked at Eliza
curiously.
"......Apologies, Master. It seems I have mistaken
the left for the right.'
""Eh?""
We were stunned by
this line, which we had never expected to hear from Eliza throughout our lives.
"...... It seems that it was because of Dullahan's
[Clumsy] skill. That's harsh, Eliza-senpai! Please
don't blame others!"
"No, it's definitely your fault."
When Renge tsked in
annoyance, everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
I never thought the
day would come when Eliza would make the mistake of mixing up right and left
.......[Clumsy] skill, so fearsome!
It was a good thing
we weren't in the middle of a battle, but I shuddered when I thought of her
getting the [Clumsy] skill activated on the verge of victory and defeat......
It might be better
not to use Dullahan in a competitive battle, at least until the [Clumsy] skill
is erased.
When I was thinking
about that...
"This means we need to get her to learn the [Maid]
skill as soon as possible......"
"Nn~? Hey,
hey auntie, why does Eliza's screw-up have anything to do with the [Maid]
skill?"
Silky's eyebrows
twitched for a moment at Mea's auntie remark, but she had nothing special to
say and answered the question,
"'My [Maid Master] skill also has the ability to
negate the failings of other [Maid skill] holders, Master."
However, perhaps
irritated after all, Silky blatantly ignored Mea in the form of answering to me
instead of Mea.
What was it that a
lady should not be easily disturbed by their emotions.....
"I- Is that so, I didn't see anything in the
application about that."
"Firstly, one card with the [Maid Master] skill would
not require calling in anyone else with the [Maid] skill, so I guess you didn't
notice this before. Second, it is difficult to notice a fault that has never occurred.
And those who possess [Maid Master] skill don't go out of their way to boast to
the master about their feat."
"I- I see......"
Certainly, it's
difficult to notice something that hasn't occurred. In addition, if the one who
counteracts the negative skill is the type of individual who does not boast of
their own achievement, it will be absolutely impossible to notice it.
I will report this
new information about the [Maid master] skill to the Guild later. I might get
some gratuities and social contribution points. It's not information I have to
hide.
"The enemies are close now. It will be tough to
defeat them with only Koshta Bawar, but what should we do, Master?"
Yuki's question,
"What should we do?" is probably about whether to fight or use her
[Lord of The Territory] skill to drive the enemies away.
Her current fighting
power was 1600, which was at the growth limit; this was a fighting power that
could chase away even D-rank monsters.
I thought for a
moment.
"Hmm, let's fight. I want to save up enough luck for
a card drop in case of an emergency."
"Understood. Then please leave it to me."
"Do you need to Link?"
"No, it's all right."
With that, Yuki
landed off the carriage with a flutter.
Advancing ahead of us at the speed of the wind, I could
hear her howling from ahead of us.
It appeared that she
has summoned her two subordinates, Shiro and Kuro.
A few dozen seconds
later, when the carriage caught up with them, the battle was already over and
they were picking up the magic stones that had fallen to the ground.
When Shiro and Kuro
saw me in the carriage, they quietly got down on one knee and bowed their
heads.
Their appearance was
that of ninjas in a Japanese historical drama, silently keeping their distance.
I was amazed at how
Yuki was able to train them so well......
Impressed, I called
up the status of Shiro and Kuro from Yuki's card to see how much they had
grown.
[Race] Lycanthrope (Kuro)
[Combat Power] 800 (MAX!)
[Inborn skills]
・When The Moon is
Full, It Follows
・Wolf Clothing
・Awakening of Instinct
[Acquired skills]
・Presence detection
・Lord of the pack
・Martial Arts
・Elementary Ninjutsu
(NEW!)
・Obedience (RENTAL!)
[Race] Lycanthrope (Shiro)
Combat ] 800 (MAX!)
[Inborn skills]
・When The Moon is
Full, It Follows
・Wolf Clothing
・Awakening of Instinct
[Acquired skills]
・Obedience → Loyalty (RENTAL!)
・Presence detection
・Martial Arts
・Eye for character:
The ability to see through a person's character to some extent. It is possible
to somehow perceive the target's combat power, superficial personality, and
emotions.
・Elementary Ninjutsu
(NEW!)
......Have you caught
it?
It wasn't about how
they have grown their combat power to the max, or that they have learned
[Elementary ninjutsu] skill as a result of continued ninjutsu lessons......
I want you to look at
the notations next to the skills of [Obedience] and [Loyalty].
--Yes, these two
individuals had the skills of [Obedience] and [Loyalty] instilled in them by
Yuki!
How terrifying.
This stuff was a kind
of brainwashing.
[Loyalty] skill has
the risk of disappearing if they continue to act in a way that disappoints the
lord, but this rented [Loyalty] skill has no such risk at all.
Because all you need
to do is reapply the [Loyalty] skill each time.
"Umm....."
As expected, this...
should I warn Yuki a word of caution?
No matter what, they
are still her kin, a part of her, but she treats them too much like tools.
In a way, it is more
like a master who can easily discard their cards.
But.......
"........................"
I hesitated whether
or not I should warn her about how to treat her subordinates, and in the end
decided not to say anything.
The way Yuki treated
her subordinates might seem like they were tools, but it was also true that it
was not wrong to use them because they were immortal beings.
In a sense, the way
the two subordinates were treated was like 'real shinobi/ninja'.
Also, in terms of
wolf packs, it would not be wrong to make the hierarchy something absolute and
force them to swear allegiance.
Additionally......
these two guys would disappear as soon as Yuki rank up.
According to Renge,
they won't disappear, they'll just 'return to the mother sea', but from our
point of view, it will still be a farewell.
Perhaps the best way
to cope with it is to treat them as tools, as Yuki did, and not to let our
emotions get the best of us.
While making excuses
to myself, I handed one pound cake each to Shiro and Kuro, and thanked them for
their hard work.
The next day, early
in the morning.
"Fuuuaa~............"
I had finished my
overnight dungeon raid and was walking in a deserted residential area just as
the sun was rising.
Looking at the yellow
sun, I was deeply moved.
Hmmm, I can now conquer a D-rank dungeon in less than 24
hours. ...... I've grown up, haven't I?
Or perhaps, rather than
my growth, I should say that my group's capabilities have improved.
This time, the
dungeon boss was a centaur and his herd of unicorns and bicorns.
The centaurs'
mobility and accurate sniping with bow and arrow, along with the multiple
support and interference of numerous unicorns and bicorns, made them a
formidable foe that would surely be a tough nut to crack just a few short while
ago. ......Eliza, equipped with Dullahan and Dáinsleif, and Renge, Yuki, and
Nike, were the only ones to take part in the fight. The enemies were unable to
do anything against the onslaught launched by them.
The C-rank monsters,
even though backed up by the dungeon, cannot possibly compete with these four
B-rank fighting force. Suzuka, who had been standing by my side just in case,
was watching with a yawn.
The D-rank dungeon
was no longer my group's match. Even if there were special gimmicks, I would be
able to complete the dungeon by myself.
However, when it came
to whether I could conquer the C-rank dungeon by myself, I had to immediately
answer that it was impossible.
The dungeons up to
the D-rank and the dungeons from the C-rank up were completely different.
After capturing the
Hound Master, my Teacher took me to the C-rank dungeon only once.
I was forced to
retreat after only twenty-three floors in there.
I could not even
reach the area after the 31st floor, where C-rank monsters appear.
In order to be
promoted to a four-star rating, I needed to go through the C-rank dungeon solo.
The wall between the
D-rank dungeon and the C-rank dungeon is the wall of power between me and my
master.
The thickness of the
wall was so great that it was enough to break my pride which was beginning to
make me think, "Maybe I've surpassed my Teacher," when I had acquired
the Perfect Link.
However, there was no
need to be impatient.
I am already growing
at a faster pace than most people, both in terms of the strength of my cards
and the ability of my Link.
Rather, what I lack
is experience and knowledge.
If I continue to
study steadily, there will surely come a day when I will be able to conquer a
C-rank dungeon all by myself.
However, by that
time, my Teacher would probably have progressed even further.
"......Nn?"
I noticed a familiar
girl walking with her dog from across the street.
She was a yankee-type
girl with brown skin, a provocative body line, and short blonde hair... she had
a hairstyle that looked a bit like a certain Android No. 181.
She is the number two
girl in my class, Ichijo-san.
She was wearing an
off-the-shoulder top and ripped jeans, and she had a slightly wobbly Shiba Inu
with her.
"Huh? Kitagawa, it's you. Good morning. You're
looking a bit out of place, but are you headed to the dungeon this early?"
"Good morning, Ichijo-san. I'm on my way back from
the dungeon. You're the one who's early."
I wonder if Ichijo-san lived around Takao...
That was what I first
thought of when I saw her. She answered with a yawn as she brushed her hair
back.
"Well yeah~,
I have to take a walk while the asphalt isn't too hot in the summer.
......After all, this kid is getting old."
Ichijo-san then
looked down quietly at the brown-furred Shiba Inu by her side.
The Shiba, although
old, seemed to be in good health, and I could tell at a glance that it was
being well taken care of. It seemed to trust Ichijo-san, and its tail was
wagging as if it was having fun.
I crouched down and
made eye contact with the Shiba Inu.
"This one is a well-behaved fellow. So different
from my stupid dog. What's its name?"
"Maro."
"Huh? What?"
"Yeah, it's Maro. That's his name."
"Eh, seriously?"
I looked up
involuntarily, and my eyes met those of Ichijo-san, who was grinning at me.
"His eyebrows look like those of a Heian aristocrat2,
don't they? That's why it's Maro3."
"Oh, oo~h... I see......"
Yeah, well, there can
be such coincidences like that. Yeah, yeah.
"Maro, chin-chin4."
"Woof!"
"Stop it!"
When I went off on
Ichijo-san, who was making him perform vulgar tricks just for fun, she laughed
and her large breasts bounced.
......Hmm, well, I can forgive her!
"Well, now that I think of it, Maro and Kitagawa are
the same age, you know? That's
hilarious."
"For real? Sixteen
years old, huh? That's quite a long life."
"Maybe it's because I sometimes give him dog potions
to keep him healthy. But, well, I guess it's about time..."
Ichijo-san looked a
little sad as she stroked Maro's (the dog's) face.
Her expression
suddenly started to look more like that of a girl's, and I felt strangely
confused for some reason.
"...You know. About Shishido, thank you."
Suddenly, Ichijo-san
muttered.
"Somehow, it's like you avenged him, or something
like that."
"Ah, no......"
I didn't know what to
say, but after a pause,
"Ichijo-san, were you dating Shishido?"
I was asking such a
stupid question for some reason.
......What the hell are you asking, me? Are you an idiot?
Stupid. If she really was, what do I say?
As I regretted asking
the worst possible question, Ichijo-san chuckled and answered,
"No way. I don't like the bossy type. I think my
type is a man who can do what he wants. Also, a guy who would not be able to
cheat on me even if he wanted to. If he has money, that's even better."
She's saying something similar to my mother.....
I'm sure the guy who
goes out with Ichijo-san is going to be a slave to her. Like my dad.
"Shishido was, how should I put it... he, was a
former childhood friend."
"Former?"
I wonder if there is such a thing as former childhood friends.......
I asked while tilting
my head.
"I think I was in the fifth grade of elementary
school~ We lived near each other until then, but he transferred to another
school. So he used to live here.
Aunt and Uncle got
divorced. Uncle got involved in religion, and Aunt takes Shishido away.
Then, I don't know
what happened, but he had to go to Uncle's place again, and he transferred to
my junior high school in the second year of junior high school. But Uncle had
already married someone else at that point. He had a complicated family
situation...... that made me go 'Haa' about it."
"I see……"
A father who had
lived apart from him for years and a new mother, huh? Such environment... not
surprising that an adolescent boy would be a bit aggressive. It seemed like
Shishido was going through a lot.
"By the way, the reason why Shishido was pestering
Kitagawa so much was simply because he was jealous of you. That guy was in love
with Kaede after all."
"Really!?"
A shocking fact
revealed posthumously! .......Or
not really. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who likes
Shinomiya-san.
"So, Shishido wanted to be in the same group as
Kaede, but it didn't end up that way. And then, Kitagawa and Kaede became friends,
right? And so, he acted like that."
"I see..."
"Well, his entire approach was so counterproductive
to Kaede that it made me laugh. Kaede hates people who try to pull other
people's leg to get to the top. It's like he was running on a wheel. You know,
it's kind of cute when you think about it that way, isn't it? Like a hamster."
A hamster? ....... I
had to chuckle at the grinning Ichijo-san.
"That guy, he also recognized Kitagawa you know. If
not, he wouldn't have decided to be an adventurer. It was obvious that he was
very conscious of you. Basically,
he doesn't tolerate people of lower rank on top of him."
I also remembered
Minamiyama.
The reason I
originally wanted to become an adventurer was because I was jealous of and
admired Minamiyama, who was also a mob character but had made it into the top
caste group by becoming an adventurer.
I see... taking the same path as an opponent because you
recognized them, huh?
Ichijo-san stood up
and stretched.
"Well, something like that. Sorry to bother you
despite the heat. I wanted Kitagawa to know about him. It's kind of......
lonely to leave it like that, isn't it?"
『......She's quite a
nice, compassionate woman. She resembles Mama-san a little bit.』
Renge, who had been
quietly watching over the situation until then, whispered to me.
True...... she looked a little like my mom.
Then Ichijo-san
clapped her hands as if she remembered something,
"Ah, that's right. I just had something I wanted to
ask Kitagawa."
"Me?"
"Yeah. .....Does Kitagawa do card rentals for your
unused cards?"
"Renting cards?"
I widened my eyes at
the unexpected question.
"You know, they say that university adventurers'
clubs rent cards to new members. Kitagawa was also trying to start an
adventurer's club, right? I
was wondering if you also do that kind of thing."
"No, I don't do that at the moment, but......"
"Can you do that for me? For now, I can deposit 500,000 yen as collateral. I
thought, the rental fee would be about 50,000 a month?"
Ichijo-san's face
looked serious as she said this.
To be honest, I have
plenty of D-rank cards collecting dust, so there is no problem with renting
them out......
"Do you mean you want to be an adventurer? After all that happened?"
"Kitagawa caught the culprit, no? Then, on the contrary, it's safe. And no copycats or
other problems have arisen."
"Yes, but... I am wondering what your motive
is."
A childhood friend of
the deceased Shishido wanted to be an adventurer... it raised a bit of a
concern.
I'm worried that she
might have a crazy idea.
"Ah~, uh~"
When I asked her,
Ichijo-san blushed and wriggled as if troubled.
This was an unusual
attitude for her.
After a while, she
ruffled her hair wildly and then poked me lightly in the chest with her fist.
"... I admire you. Don't make me say it again, it's
embarrassing."
--That's right, she
said it with her face still red.
***
Notes:
1 Android 18 is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball created by Akira Toriyama (RIP).↩
2 The Heian aristocrat have rounded shaped eyebrows ↩
3 Maro-sama seems to be a famous Heian aristocrat. Didn’t really find anything on the history. ↩
4 Cough, cough, it means pen*s↩
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