Mob Kousei No Ore Demo Boukensha Ni
Nareba Riajuu Ni Naremasuka: Chapter #131
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
Translator(s) note: Sorry for the wait. We went to take care of other things first, but now it's already the end of the week, huh :(
Episode 131: Gatekeeper
"Okay then, what do you want to ask
first?"
After we moved to a secluded
spot at the edge of the market, the Maenad asked.
"With a Magic Stone like yours, Big Bro, I
can answer anything and everything you want."
"Within what I know, of course," she
added with a smile. So I began,
"Hmm.
...You already know that the outside world is separated into different isolated
areas, don't you, Big Bro?"
"Yeah."
"Each
of those areas has a Gatekeeper to restrict travel to other areas. In exchange
for not being able to move freely, the Gatekeeper gets their own domain, and in
their domain, a certain amount of their shackles are removed. The same goes for
anyone the Gatekeeper allows to reside there, and since Hermes-sama is
the god of commerce, he welcomes anyone with the will to do business,
see?"
Gatekeepers
and domains...
"What
are these 'shackles'? What happens when they're removed?"
"Hmm,
well. The shackles are various restrictions placed on non-humans by the
dungeon. There are a lot of them, so I can't explain it all at once, but... at
any rate, everyone here has been freed from their role as a 'trial and reward
for humanity'."
"...Reward?"
An unpleasant feeling came
over me, and I asked for clarification. The Maenad answered without a care in
the world,
"Of
course, it's the card thing, you know? The reason we turn into cards when we're
defeated is because we're the reward for overcoming a trial. If we are released
from the role of a trial, then that reward part should naturally disappear too,
shouldn't it?"
In
other words, defeating the monsters here will not turn them into cards, huh?
"If you want to turn the folks here into
cards, you gotta get them to agree to become cards, see?"
"Huh?! So if they agree, I can actually turn
them into cards?!"
As I asked in surprise for
confirmation, the Maenad lightly nodded, saying, "Yep~."
"Originally, it was a privilege only for
the Chief Deity class, but here, even folks of my rank can choose whether or
not to become a card of our own free will."
Chief Deity class... does that mean A-rank? Is
that why A-rank drop rates are so rare?
"For example, what would it take for me to
turn you into a card?
The Maenad grinned.
"Oh? To be found worthy by a master like
Big Bro, I'm pretty good, huh~. But I just finally became free to do business. For
now, no matter how much you offer, I'm not really in the mood to become a
card."
"Is that so..."
I thought if I could get her
to join me, I'd be able to get all sorts of information in the future, but...
"My bad, Big Bro. But some of the others
might say yes if you asked. You'll have to provide the 'vessel' yourself,
though.“
“Vessel?"
"You know those plain white cards? The
ones you can put all kinds of things into. If you have one of those, you can
turn one of us into a card."
Ah, she mean the cardification magic item.
If I had a cardification magic
item, I could turn a monster into a card with their consent. Conversely,
without it, I couldn't turn them into a card...
This… isn't good. Right now, it's just this
domain, but if it expands to the entire world, we'll have a hard time to even
acquire monster cards.
"Hey now, are you done with your
questions? 'Cause I'm ready to get paid.
The Maenad said, fidgeting as
I stood there deep in thought with a stern expression.
"Ah, no. I still have some things I want
to ask. But you're right, I'll pay for what I've asked so far. How much is it?"
I said this while taking out
the Pied Piper of Hamelin Magic Stone, thinking she'd answer more readily if
she felt at ease. She smiled delightedly,
"As expected of Big Bro, you really
understand how things work! Let's see, for all the information so far... how
about three C-rank Magic Stones?"
"Got it. The internal energy is all you
need, right?"
"Yup,"
The Maenad said as she touched
the Magic Stone.
"Thanks for your business. ...By the way, it's
a good thing it was me, but if you did this with another monster, they might try
to trick you out of your payment, so you should be careful."
"Hmm..."
I see, that's definitely a possibility.
As a human, I can't observe
the Magic Stone's energy, so I wouldn't know if they took more than they
should.
Next time, it would be better to have one of my
cards handle the payment.
"Alright, then add that advice to the next
payment."
"I don't charge for advice like that. Even
though I might not look it, I operate on Sanpo
Yoshi1 principle, you know."
The Maenad said with a laugh,
puffing out her chest proudly.
Despite her small stature, her
chest was quite ample.
"...So, for my next
question, do you know how to get to other domains?"
"I’m
sure you’ve already guessed, but either you defeat the domain's Gatekeeper, or
if you get their permission, you should be able to proceed."
"What's
the difference between the two?"
"The
former is simple, see. If you defeat the Gatekeeper, there'll be no one to
block your way, so you can move on. But the next day, a new Gatekeeper should
be chosen, and the domain's atmosphere will also change depending on the
Gatekeeper. Unlike here, some places might attack intruders without question.
It all depends on the Gatekeeper's will.
The latter… well, I can't
really say since the conditions vary depending on the Gatekeeper, but if you
play your cards right, you might not have to fight. Depending on the
negotiation, you might even get a free pass without having to fight or
negotiate again from then on."
Hmm. So, the former is simple but requires
defeating the Gatekeeper every time I want to pass through. The latter is a bit
of a hassle at first, but I might be able to pass through without any effort
afterward.
"By the way, the Gatekeepers are buffed
just like the dungeon bosses, and their skill shackles are also removed, so be
careful."
Skill shackles... If she's talking about those 'True
Skills' like Renge's, then it could be a real pain.
If there's also stats boost similar to dungeon
bosses, it should be correct to assume that then their strength is one rank
higher.
"This domain's Gatekeeper is Hermes-sama, so there's a higher chance of things working out through
bargaining than with other Gatekeepers, don't you think? If you can negotiate,
I think it's more beneficial to settle it that way. You know about the
Authority of the Deity of Commerce, right, Big Bro?"
The
Authority
of the Deity of Commerce allowed for business transactions with commercial deities
from the present and the past.
It allowed one to procure
items acquired by other commercial deities, transcending distance and time.
The amazing thing about this
authority was its ability to place orders with commercial deities from the past.
Even if an item wasn't on the
current inventory list, an order can be sent to a commercial deity in the past,
and if that commercial deity procured it in their era, it will instantly be
reflected in the inventory list.
There seemed to be
limitations, such as trade being restricted to natural products or things made
by human hands, while magic items from dungeons cannot be traded. Still, the
ability to obtain items from before Angolmois would be a unique power in the
current world.
It was said that many commercial
deities, due to the nature of their authority, were more open to negotiation
even if they possessed [Pride of Deity].
The Hermes here might also
sell us items from before Angolmois, depending on the negotiation.
Considering it was a rare
chance to acquire items from before Angolmois, negotiating and making him a business
partner seemed like a better option than fighting him.
But I’m wondering...
"That, did Hermes told you to say
so?"
"Oh?!"
My sudden question startled
the Maenad, her eyes widened.
"...May I ask why you thought that?"
"Because your words and actions were
clearly trying to steer me away from fighting Hermes. I just couldn't tell if
it was your own idea or an instruction from Hermes."
The Maenad's explanation was
clearly an argument for why fighting Hermes was not a good idea
That, in itself, wasn't an
issue. The important thing was whether it was the Maenad's own will, born from
not wanting to lose this place, or a direct order from Hermes.
If it was the latter, it meant
the other party also wanted to negotiate, essentially making the negotiation
already halfway done.
As I looked at the Maenad with
anticipation, she nodded,
"I see... I guess I was a little too
obvious, huh? ...The answer is, both. It's my own will, and it's also
Hermes-sama's instruction."
"What do you mean?"
"Hermes-sama's command is to guide
opponents who seems strong and reasonable to choose negotiation over combat.
...If it's alright with Big Bro, I can guide you to Hermes-sama right now. What
do you say?"
My answer, of course, was
already decided.
Deep within the temple.
On a throne positioned against
a colossal gate adorned with intricate carvings, sat Hermes.
He was a refined, handsome man
dressed in a toga and holding a distinctive staff entwined by two snakes ―― a Caduceus2.
With beauties, seemingly
nymphs, attending him, he propped his chin on his hand, looking bored.
Though he exuded no apparent
dignity, the oppressive aura emanating from him far exceeded that of a typical
B-rank.
Ai flinched at the oppressive
aura, gripping the hem of my clothes tightly.
"O, well, well, if it isn't Athena. I see,
a human that you serve, huh. No wonder the Maenad went out of her way to guide him."
Hermes said as soon as he saw
us.
Athena simply scoffed, not
bothering to reply, and gently squeeze Ai's hand instead.
Hermes, being ignored by
Athena, shrugged theatrically before turning his gaze to me.
"So, child of man, what brings you
here?"
" I have two matters to discuss."
As I started that way,
Hermes's face soured.
"A mere child of man... Two, you say? How
greedy. Well, go on and speak your piece."
"First, I want permission to go beyond
that gate, to other domains."
"Denied. If you wish to pass, you'll have
to defeat me."
A sudden breakdown in
negotiation? Tension immediately filled the air between us.
"...Or so I'd like to say, but fighting
when there's no profit in it is indeed foolish. If you're willing to pay a
suitable price, I'll allow you to pass."
A sigh mixed in with Hermes's
words, and the tense air relaxed.
It seemed we had, for now,
avoided immediate fight.
"For a one-time pass, I'll take one B-rank
Magic Stone. If you wish to come and go freely, I'll take an A-rank Magic Stone."
Hmm... If it's tomorrow, I can pay for a free
pass with the Irregular Encounter Magic Stone, but if I can get to the other
side even once, I can probably go back and forth with Eliza's transfer skill.
For now, the one-time pass should be fine.
"I'll take the one-time option."
"Is that so. And your other matter?"
"I want you to sell me items from before
Angolmois. Continuously, if possible."
"I'll assign the Maenad there as an
exclusive agent in charge of you. If there's anything you want, tell her. I'm
not so free as to deal with a human child one-on-one, you see. Transactions
will be conducted through her. Is that all?"
"Yes."
"Then, be off with you. I am busy."
Hermes shooed us away with a
wave of his hand, then pulled the beauty beside him closer and buried his face
in her chest.
"That guy's a terrible example for
children,"
Renge said, now that we had
passed through the gate safely.
"Exactly! How dare he show such things to
my Ai!"
Athena fumed, hugging Ai
tightly.
Mm, true, true, that Hermes is a bad example,
detrimental for education.
"Okay then, this is as far as I go,"
The Maenad said as we
descended the stairs beyond the gate, just as light began to stream in from
ahead.
"If I go any further, I'll probably end up
attacking you lot."
"Oh."
Right. the Maenad's freedom from the ‘trial and
reward’ shackle is limited to the Gatekeeper's domain, so if she takes even one
step outside, she can revert to being a regular monster.
We had been talking so
casually that I had almost forgotten she was a monster and not a card.
"So,"
The Maenad said, extending her
hand.
She was asking for the toll
for the gate.
With a wry smile, I was about
to hand the Magic Stone over to her――then, with a start, passed it to Yuki
instead, who was standing next to me.
Uh oh, that was close. I forgot that I
shouldn't carelessly hand a Magic Stone to a monster.
Seeing this, the Maenad put
her hand on the Magic Stone while grinning,
"If you had given it to me carelessly
again, I would've taken it all. Well then, see ya! Take care!"
The Maenad waved cheerfully
until the very end, then left.
We watched her go, then continued
onward.
And what lay beyond the stairs
was――
"...Snow?"
It was a world of silver.
The piled-up snow reached my
knees, half-burying the collapsed houses.
This amount of snowfall was
unimaginable for Tokyo, so this was definitely not the vicinity of Hachioji.
A closer look at the
tragically destroyed townscape gave off a foreign, exotic feel.
Is this... a foreign country?
I was stunned, having assumed
we would simply emerge in an adjacent region, when...
"――――Aaaah...!"
My cards' ears picked up a
faint scream.
"Eliza! Dress!"
At my call, Eliza, now
equipped with Dress, shot forward like an arrow towards the direction of the
scream.
I jumped onto the back of
Yuki, who had transformed into a giant wolf, and followed, sharing Eliza's
vision.
Eliza's eyes, as she ran,
blowing snow away with the wind pressure, caught sight of the source of the
scream and the attacking monsters.
The source was a small, blonde
girl held by a Dullahan.
Behind them, several Centaurs
were closing in.
One of the Centaurs, slightly
away from the group, drew his bowstring taut. His target was the small, blonde
girl. The Dullahan, desperate to escape, didn't notice. The girl's eyes widened
in terror.
The Centaur released his arrow----
at that moment,
"?!"
The arrow was caught mid-air,
right in front of the girl.
The maximum range of the
Short-range Transfer Magic was 200 meters. Eliza, who just barely managed to
get the girl within that range, had instantly appeared.
Without hesitation, Eliza
began eliminating the Centaurs.
"Papa!"
"?!"
By the time the Dullahan,
alerted by the girl's cry, turned around after noticing that something was
wrong, the Centaurs were already lying on the ground, transforming into Magic Stones
and cards.
We arrived a moment later.
The Dullahan tensed up for a
second, but seeing me, he must have realized that Eliza and the others were my
cards. He visibly relaxed and slumped to the ground.
He took off his helmet,
revealing the face of a middle-aged man with short, blonde hair.
I'd suspected it, but this
Dullahan was indeed a human in armor.
As he clearly looked foreign, I
spoke to him timidly,
"Are you okay? May
I help you3? ... is not quite
right."
Uh, how do you say 'Are you okay?' in English
again?
Are you okay? Eh,
is he even from an English-speaking country?
As I was getting nervous, having
forgotten that my Card Gear had a translation function, the man saw my
flustered state and let out a small laugh.
"It's okay, I can speak Japanese. Thank
you, you really saved us."
His face immediately became
serious again.
"I'm sorry, but there are still other
people being attacked! Could you please help them?"
He pleaded for our help.
Monsters who are given
permission to live within a Gatekeeper's domain are freed from the 'trial and
reward for humanity' shackle imposed on them by the dungeon.
Because of this, they no
longer unconditionally attack humans, but they also no longer drop as cards.
It is still possible to turn them into cards through negotiation, but a cardification magic item is needed as a vessel, and the cardification is automatically revoked the moment the contract's conditions are broken (or the intent to uphold them is lost).
***
Notes:
1 三方良し (Sanpo Yoshi), literally ‘three-way satisfaction,’ which advocated benefits to the seller, to the buyer, and to the local community.↩
2 Herald’s wand/staff. In Greek mythology, Hermes also has one. ↩
3 This is already in English originally ↩
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