Mob
Kousei No Ore Demo Boukensha Ni Nareba Riajuu Ni Naremasuka: Chapter #80
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
Episode 80:
Adventurer's Strength
For
the next three days, I continued to be bullied by everyone in the Adventurers'
Club in every way possible under the banner of 'assuming every possible
situation'.
On
the third day of the camp, we entered the 20+ floor area where D-rank monsters
appeared and practiced dealing with monster trains and traps created by other
adventurers using Stinky Bags to draw the monsters over.
As
one would expect, no one would be stupid enough to attack directly with their
cards, but traps and monster trains set up by other adventurers were a gray
area from a lawful standpoint, so it was impossible to say that there was no
chance for those.
The
reason that traps and monster trains set by adventurers in the dungeon are not
explicitly prohibited in the laws is that they are a common occurrence in the
space called the dungeon.
Regarding
monster trains, the guild could not say, "As a result of continually
running away from monsters, you form a monster train and cause trouble for
other adventurers, so you should just man up and die.".
As
for traps, it is considered one of the skills of an adventurer to use traps
against an enemy that is more in number and more powerful than themselves, and
as long as one wanders around a dungeon that is originally full of traps, if
they are caught in a trap set by another adventurer, it is because the one
caught was basically judged to be careless.
Still,
it is clear that the act of setting up a monster train or trap and leaving it
alone is a nuisance, and if evidence of such behavior is caught, the Guild may
issue a stern warning or, in the most severe cases, suspend the license.
Though......
it is rarely caught as a crime.
These
acts are only punished if the person is clearly targeting people with malicious
intent, which is generally overlooked. The only exception is the installation
of traps in F-rank dungeons, where there are essentially no traps, and the law obviously
forbids this.
Although
it is unlikely that many people would do this during a race that is constantly
being filmed, it still does not mean that it is completely impossible.
So,
I was made to deal with those adventurers who set up monster trains as well as
the non-lethal but vicious traps that Anna and Oribe had placed.
On
the fourth day of training, I trained to run away from other adventurers for
more than 50 meters within three minutes.
In
the race, the more you fight, the worse your disadvantage becomes. Not only
would your cards be drained, but your competitors would advance further and
further while you are fighting. Sometimes, others would challenge you right
after a battle to gain a better catch.
Therefore,
training to run away from other adventurers ...... especially those who attack
in a formation is a must.
During
the course of this training, Teacher joined us as a professional hunter. Of
course, it was a surprise, as he did not tell me. Naturally, there was no way I
could escape the first time, and I was beaten to a pulp. The reason I was
beaten one-sidedly was not only because of the difference in skill between my
Teacher and me, but also because I was forbidden to use Renge and Athena because
of the assumed difference in strength between me and the professional hunters.
On the other hand, Teacher was using his best members, including Aradia. There
was no way I could win.
That
night, I was made to camp alone, and the three of them took turns subjecting me
to noises and lights, harassing me so that I couldn't sleep.
Fifth
day. Today, the last day of the camp, with no sleep, to recap the whole camp so
far, I trudged from the fifteenth floor to the lowest floor, to the Boss. The
reason for starting from the fifteenth floor instead of the first floor was
because it was impossible to complete the entire journey in half a day.
Along
the way, there were monster trains, artificial monster houses using smelly
bags, attacks by Anna and Oribe, and even Teacher's pursuit.
I
managed to escape from them, at times battling them, and when I reached the
lowest floor, what awaited me was an attack during my battle with the Boss. As
expected, it was tough to deal with the Boss and Anna at the same time, and I
had no choice but to escape. And afterward, as a matter of course, Oribe set me
up for a duel as well.
However,
it was fortunate that I realized before the real thing that there was no merit
in a confrontation with the Boss. As long as no bonus would be given for being
the first to conquer the dungeon, it would be more advantageous to leave the
battle with the Boss to other adventurers, except for the last dungeon.
The
Succubus with the [Zero existence] skill is 150 stars, so I'm fine with third
place or better. I would have preferred to take first place if possible to be
sure of getting it, but depending on the case, it was also a good idea to give
up first place in the respective dungeons.
"----These
are the points on which we have learned from the mock race, and the basic
principles for the real race. Is there anything else you noticed?”
That
night.
After
finishing all the training, we had a review and strategy meeting for the real
race as a summary of the camp.
“I
have nothing else. Well, I think we did what we could do within the limited
time we had. The rest depends on Maro's effort."
"I don't
have anything in particular either. All that remains is for Senpai himself to
cope with the situation."
At
the words of both Teacher and Oribe, I bowed my head to everyone again.
“I'd
like to thank everyone again for the many days you've spent for me this time.
You've really helped me out."
"If you
want to thank us, just make sure you win the race, that's all you need to do. I'm
sure you'll be interviewed as the winner, and you'll be able to raise publicity
for you and the Adventurers' Club. That will benefit us all if you do."
“Yeah,
okay."
When
I nodded, Anna clapped her palms together.
"Now! Since this is the
end of the training camp, let's have a little recreational activity at the end
to wrap things up!"
"Recreational
activities... What do you mean?"
"Summer! Training camp! If it's the
ocean, it should be ...... fireworks!"
Anna
pulled out some fireworks from the tent with a big smile on her face.
Fireworks......?
We
looked up at the sun, which was still shining brightly above us even though it
was past nine o'clock at night.
“......
With all this light?”
When we
looked at Anna with eyes like we were looking at a poor child, she shook her
finger in a slightly annoyed manner and said,
“Tsk,
tsk! You think I don't think about that?”
"Oh
...... right, once we leave the dungeon, we can do it in front of the
convenience store. Well, why not?"
“Then
the cards won't be able to join in!”
“Then
we'll have to do it under this light after all.”
“So! That's where this comes in!"
She
de-carded a card and brought out a huge, old-fashioned shimenawa (sacred rope).
The
shimenawa was as thick as a full-grown man's arm and nearly 10 meters long,
making it the longest shimenawa I've ever seen.
Is it some
kind of magic item......? As
I was looking at it intently, Teacher seemed to notice something and clapped
his hands.
"Ah! Could it be, that is...... Amano-Iwato1
shimenawa?"
“As
expected of Kannadzuki-Senpai, you already knew about it.”
Anna smiled
proudly.
"Teacher,
what is the Amano-Iwato shimenawa?"
“It is one of
the magic items whose usage has been discovered only recently. It is one of the
so-called field modification magic items. I believe it can make the state of a specific
floor turn nighttime for an hour or so?"
My eyes
widened in shock at what my Teacher said.
"Field
modification magic items... aren't they ridiculously expensive?"
The field
modification magic items that can rewrite the environment of the floor to suit
your monster card are all priced at least a billion yen. The most expensive
types are those that can change the terrain, such as 'ocean' or 'mountain', or
those that can change the state like 'daytime'. And since there are so many
cards that show their abilities under conditions like 'rain' or 'nighttime',
there are no cheap field modification magic items.
To bring
such a thing out for the sake of fireworks,......, this person really is
somewhat out of touch.
“Fufufu,
this was bought by the Jushichiya family for research before its value was
discovered, so it wasn't really expensive at the time. I borrowed this from a
storage unit where it had been lying around for this training camp."
Ah, I see.
......The fact that the use of the item was only recently discovered means that
it had been sold at a bargain price as an item of unknown use for nearly 20
years. Right, there’s that.
Some
speculators who buy up magic items with unknown uses in this way, anticipating
that their value will increase once their use is discovered, but I heard that
most end up failing, as they end up holding on to the worthless junk for years,
only to find out it has no significant effect and goes for less than when they
bought it.
'Unknown
uses' means 'it has the potential to be more valuable in the future', and a
certain value is attached to the magic items for its unknown use. Conversely,
when its use is revealed, its value can decrease.
It is a
kind of gacha, so to speak.
However.....
“If
you want to see fireworks, we can just go to a nighttime dungeon. Going to the
trouble of turning a daytime ocean dungeon into night is a staggering
move."
"If we
go to the night dungeon, we won't be able to enjoy the ocean in the daytime! I want to have a memory of enjoying
the ocean with all the members of the Adventurers' Club and our cards! Memories are one of the few things
money can't buy!"
"...I
see."
Well, after
all, there is no other person who can be our club leader but Anna.
Looking at Anna's
blue eyes that had no shred of doubt in them, I was strangely convinced.
In the
darkness, lit only by the moonlight of the full moon and the lights of the
tent, colorful flowers of flame bloomed.
Watching
the hand-held fireworks changing their colors from red to blue to green with
time, I couldn't help but mutter to myself,
"It's so
beautiful〜."
"It
is......”
Oribe,
sitting next to me, nodded.
"Senpai,
do you know? I heard that fireworks these days actually don't get extinguished
in water.”
"Really?! Does that mean they are magic
items?"
"No,
it's chemistry. They contain a chemical that generates oxygen."
"Wow~,
that's some craftsmanship."
So the
fireworks we casually enjoy are the fruit of various people's efforts and
innovations.......
I was
looking at the flames of the fireworks in a daze......
“Maro,
you look kind of glum,” my Teacher said suddenly,
"Is
there something bothering you?"
"Ah,
no....."
For a
moment I hesitated whether or not to speak, but in the end, I decided to do so.
I thought
that maybe Teacher could help me to relieve this feeling of anxiety in my
heart.
“Actually,
I think I don't have any strength as an adventurer.”
"Strength
as an adventurer?"
“For example,
Oribe is good at strategizing, or rather, planning a strategy, and reading the opponent’s mind, right? Teacher has a high level of skill as
an adventurer. ......I don't have any of those things."
"I
see."
Oribe, who
had been listening to the conversation between me and my Teacher, looked
puzzled.
“I
think your Senpai's strength lies in your last-minute flash of ideas, or better
said, your strength in dealing with unexpected adversity.......”
"No, I
don't think that's what Maro is talking about. You're saying you don't have
much of an adventurer's distinctive features, right?"
"Yes,
that's it."
I nodded
strongly at my Teacher's words.
For instance,
if I were to define an adventurer's strength as three things: Linkage,
strategy, and card quality, I would say that I am mediocre at each of them, and
the only better aspect I have overall is the quality of the cards I have.
And that
was the only one of the three that could be compensated for with money.
“Hmmm...
I think there are four things that make an adventurer a good adventurer, not
three."
"Four?"
“Yep.
That other one, is card nurturing."
"........................"
“Although it
is kinda changing as of late, even now in MonColo, people don't raise their
cards. They use the cards they get a few times in matches and then resell them.
Just because a card has been used on TV by a pro, it adds value and fetches a
high price. And perhaps because gladiators are the most common adventurers in
the public eye, the ability to nurture or train the cards tends to be neglected
among amateurs because of the lack of immediate results. It's quicker to get
stronger cards than to spend months learning a skill. But.....”
"But?"
“I
believe that the ability to nurture cards is an important aspect, no less
important than the ability of Linking. Combat powers, inborn skills, and
acquired skills are only a small part of the cards, visible on the surface, but
there is a much greater power hidden deep within them. I especially think so
when I look at Maro's cards."
Teacher
looked deeply into my eyes as he said this.
“I
think Maro's strength as an adventurer is that you're really good at nurturing your
cards."
"Well,
that's.......”
I smiled
wryly and .......
“That's
a rather low-key strength, huh."
"But
it's a power befitting you, Senpai."
Oribe said
this with a slight chuckle.
As we were
enjoying the fireworks like that,
"Senpais,
Sayo, look, look!”
When we
turned to look, we saw Anna standing there with fireworks in her hands while
playing an anime song on her music player.
As we were
wondering what was up, Anna started to dance waving her hands in the air.
Anna was
performing a superb otaku dance with sharp movements, however......
“Hot! Hot!”
Naturally,
if you swing a firework around like that, most of the sparks will fall on you.
Anna yelped
out in pain, but she danced through to the end.
“...H-
how was it?”
“Oh,
oh.... it was amazing. But......"
“Anna,
wasn't it scalding hot ......?”
"Did you
get burned?"
We asked,
worried.
"It was
rather painful! Actually,
it hurt! But it was funny, wasn't it?"
"R-
right!"
Anna, you
even put your body on the line......
I can't help
but give her a look of respect mixed with astonishment.
"Come
on, Master, you're getting too excited."
The elf,
Tanya, chided Anna.
"Why
couldn't you have used lightsticks like you did at practice?'
"It's
only funny because it's fireworks! The
card's barrier will prevent burns and it's only hot for a moment, so it's okay,
it's okay!"
"Huft......."
...This was
the first time I'd ever heard such a conversation between Anna and Tanya......,
but I felt like they were kinda like sisters.
It was a little
surprising.
After that,
while I was enjoying the handheld fireworks with Anna and the others, I heard a
noisy voice coming from the edge of the water.
"--Take
this! Serpent King Flame Slayer Black Dragon
Blast!"
"Hyaaaah?!
Hey, Renge! Don't shoot rocket fireworks at people!"
Mea was
running away while screaming, and Renge chased after her with rocket fireworks.
At times like
this, Renge suddenly becomes childish... Sometimes she looks so grown up that
it's shocking... I thought as I watched her.
"Um...
Master, is it okay if we leave them alone?"
Yuki asked
me with a reserved tone.
"It's
fine. Mea is smiling too."
"Ah... I
see. Well, I guess it's fine to leave them alone then."
Saying
that, Yuki lit a mouse firework and threw it.
She had
been doing that for a while now.......
"Yuki,
do you like it?"
"Yes.
The movement is very interesting."
Humhum
...... I definitely thought it was pretty interesting the first time I tried it
too.
I looked
around to see what the others were doing and saw Suzuka playing with the
sparklers together with Eliza.
I walked
over to them, thinking, “Oh, this is an
unusual combination.”
"Ah,
here comes the master who abandoned me the other day."
Suzuka
noticed me and said resentfully.
Is this guy
still holding a grudge over what happened on the first day of the training
camp?
“I
told you it was because I wanted you to have the courage to jump into the
circle, didn't I?"
"I
suffered deep emotional scars as a result of that, okay? ......Do you know
how I felt when the quiz ended as soon as I had participated and it ended like
I was a joke?"
"Ah,
un,...... I'm honestly sorry about that."
I
bowed my head obediently.
But I think
your way of mingling was wrong for that one too. Your first comment was, “You can't even understand such a simple
problem? I figured it out right away."
Athena's
response, "It seems like a woman who
can't read the atmosphere has come. Shall we end it here?" was harsh,
though.
The
sight of Suzuka, left there all alone and shaking her shoulders, was indeed too
pitiful.
“B,
by the way, Eliza and Suzuka are an unusual pairing."
"Yes,
Master. Since becoming Hashihime, Suzuka's skills are irreplaceable and
excellent, so I was wondering if I could somehow learn them too."
Watching
this, Suzuka averted her gaze and muttered,
"If I'll
lose my job, I obviously won't teach you....."
"Why
not? Master should be pleased that the
entire party's strength will be improved."
The jealous
demon that was stared at by the red eyes without a single cloud in them
scrunched up her face.
Eliza had
no selfish desires, while Suzuka was a mass of desire to be exclusive.
"...I've
wanted to ask you for a while, why do you want to learn so many skills, Eliza? Whenever a new member joins the group,
the first thing you do is to ask if you can learn their skills."
"That's
.......”
Eliza was
unusually reticent in her response to my question,
“Because,
that's the first emotion, that sprouted inside me. When I was still a ghouler,
seeing the joy on Master's face, when I developed new skills, I certainly felt
happy, that's, how I felt."
Seeing
Eliza speak like that, as brokenly as she did when she was a ghouler, I felt
like I had been enlightened.
I had known
her since before she awakened to her ego, and I had thought I knew everything
about her, but I was being arrogant.
I had no
idea that Eliza had that in mind and that that was the origin of her wanting to
learn the skills.......
"...O,
kay."
Suzuka
mumbled.
"I'll
make an exception and teach you some skills, Eliza. ...Though I don't really
know how to teach you."
"Suzuka......”
"Thank
you, very much."
Eliza bowed
her head, making her blonde hair swish in a smooth motion.
The air was
somewhat damp, and we continued to play sparklers in silence for a while.
And then.
“Senpa-i! Please help us here a little!"
Anna called
me over, and I found that she was in the process of setting up a Niagara Falls.
We all
worked together to set up the super-sized Niagara Falls, which was 10 meters
wide in two layers.
When the
final long line of fuses was in place, Anna started the countdown with a
candlestick in one hand.
"５、４、３、２、１、Zero!"
The fuses
sparked intensely, igniting all the tubes in an instant.
At the same
time, the Niagara Falls began to rain down sparks with great vigor.
"""Oh~......!"""
The scale
of the fireworks was so large that it was hard to believe it had been done by
ourselves, and the crowd couldn't help but erupt in cheers.
First red,
then green, then blue, and so on, the color of the waterfall of sparks changed
from section to section.
As I gazed
at the brightly colored lights, I was suddenly struck with a strong sense of
nostalgia.
Come to think
of it, how many years has it been since I've had a fireworks display with
friends like this......?
When I was
in elementary school, my friends and I used to do it several times a year
during the summer, but since I entered junior high school, we haven't done it
at all.
Maybe
that's why, when I see the fireworks, I strangely recall the most enjoyable
days of my elementary school days.
In those
days, when there were still no boundaries between boys and girls, we would ride
our bicycles in mixed-sex groups to a forest several stations away and build a
secret base out of tree branches and cardboard.
It was a
conservation area where fireflies were raised, and when it got dark, a firefly
or two would sometimes wander into our secret base by the creek.
We were all
so absorbed in watching them that it got really late, and our parents
frequently scolded us.
I wonder what
Daisuke, the guy I considered my best friend back in those days, is doing now.
We've grown apart since we went to junior high school in different areas of the
city.
I haven't
heard from him since then, even though I've been going into MonColo.
Come to think
of it, there was Miyuki-chan, who I liked at the time. I remember when I went
to junior high school, she started going out with a senior who was a yankee
(delinquent) and had a bad reputation.
......Ah, I
see. Now I know why I didn't set off fireworks. It's because it reminds me of
the best days of my elementary school days.
Subconsciously,
I was afraid of letting my happy past disappear, and that's probably why I was
avoiding fireworks.
However, now,
that is----
"----What
do you think? Isn't it
beautiful? Don't you
think it was worth going to the trouble of turning day into night?”
Anna, who
was standing next to me, smiled at me while bowing her body and peeking at me
from below. A proud, childish smile, like an elementary school kid.
"Yeah,
it's beautiful......"
----That will
be the last time, though. I will no longer think back to elementary school as
the memory of the most enjoyable summer of my life.
Today, the
memory of the most enjoyable summer of my life has been painted over.
Next year,
I'm sure I'll remember today's fireworks when I see fireworks.
Thus, the
first training camp of the summer came to an end.
[Tips] Field
Modification Magic Items
This magic
item can change the dungeon's environment, which is normally supposed to remain
unchanged. Monsters in the dungeon are naturally designed to perform at their
best in that environment, so simply changing the rain to sunshine or the night
to day is enough to make it possible to gain a significant advantage in
battles.
Some items
even change the land into sea or desert into forest, which by itself can
annihilate all the monsters in the field.
The higher
the rank of the dungeon, the more demand for field modification items, so they
are all sold at very high prices.
***
Notes:
1 In the story of the sun goddess, Amaterasu, there was one told that she hid in a cave and deprived the world of light until a series of lively dances lured her from the cave (The cave's name is Amano-Iwato). In the process, she returned light to the world.↩
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