Mob
Kousei No Ore Demo Boukensha Ni Nareba Riajuu Ni Naremasuka: Chapter #96
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
Episode 96: Gateway to Success (2)
"A gateway to success?”
When
Anna tilted her head, Teacher nodded.
“Actually... even pro-class adventurers don't dive the
C-rank dungeon very often."
"Really? I was sure that they were only going to
dive C-rank dungeons.......”
I
asked back, surprised.
Anna
and Oribe seemed to think the same way, and their eyes widened.
The
main difference between D-rank and C-rank dungeons is the loot.
Since
drop items are only available from the C-rank floor and above, it is impossible
to make more money in the D-rank dungeon than in the C-rank dungeon, no matter
how hard one tries.
Hence,
many adventurers aimed to become professionals who can dive into C-rank
dungeons.
...Or
so I thought.
"Well, the drop items are indeed very attractive......
but the C-rank dungeon is too much work even for professionals. If you think
about the mental burden, it's easier to dive a lot of D-rank dungeons.”
If
you have a specialized formation for D-rank, you can conquer it in just one
day....... Teacher said, and I nodded in understanding.
Even
I, an amateur, was able to conquer three (actually two, though......) D-rank
dungeons in twenty-four hours.
If
you are in the professional class, it should not be difficult to conquer a
D-rank dungeon in one day.
If
it takes a team more than three days to conquer a C-rank dungeon, it would be
less physically and mentally taxing to go into a D-rank dungeon.
It
would not have been surprising if there were professionals who discarded all
profits from defeating monsters, such as card drops and drop items, and focused
their earnings only on the reward for stepping through dungeons.
Especially
considering the Irregular Encounters, it was much less risky to focus on the
D-rank dungeons.
"Ho- hold up! What's the point of teaming up to go
pro if they're not even going to dive C-rank dungeons? That makes no sense!"
Anna
was right.
If
the main focus was the D-rank dungeon, there was no need to go through a lot of
trouble to become a pro.
On
the contrary, by becoming a professional, you are bound by various obligations.
So
why do people want to become professionals? .......
"There are roughly three reasons."
Teacher
answered, holding up three fingers.
"One is because of taxes. The amateur class is
subject to progressive taxation, but the professional class is subject to
separate taxation."
This
was a well-known fact, so I simply nodded my head.
Progressive
taxation is a system in which the higher the income, the higher the tax rate.
Separate taxation is a system in which each type of income is taxed separately,
and no matter how much the income increases, progressive taxation is never
applied.
The
tax on profits earned by professionals from the dungeon is exactly 20%,
consisting of a 10% income tax, a 5% inhabitant tax, and a 5% dungeon disaster
recovery tax.
While
amateur adventurers received a variety of preferential treatment in terms of
the extent to which they could claim expenses, the professional class was even
more privileged.
“But, the professional class has a quota for conquering
the dungeons.”
In
exchange, pro classes were given various obligations.
For
example, they are required to protect civilians in the case of Angolmore (this
is also true to a certain extent for amateurs, but is incomparably heavier for
professionals), and they have a quota for the dungeons they must conquer.
The
annual quota for the pro class is 10 D-ranks and 3 C-ranks.
Neither
of these would be a great burden for a pro class, but that assumed that they
were in perfect condition.
No
exemption from the quota is granted on account of injuries, Lost cards, or
other circumstances, and failure to meet the quota will result in immediate
demotion to three stars, so it can be said to be a fairly hefty quota.
"That quota is the second benefit of becoming a
professional,"
But
then Teacher said this.
"What do you mean?"
"The quota is not for any dungeon, but for dungeons
that have not been conquered for a certain period..."
Hearing
that much, it all clicked for us.
Oh, so it's a Guild quest!
Since
adventurers can choose which dungeons to conquer at will, there will inevitably
be a bias in the dungeons that people conquer as well.
Some
dungeons were so unpopular with adventurers that they were never conquered,
which could lead to Angolmore, so the Guild offered rewards in the form of
quests to encourage adventurers to conquer such dungeons.
The
reward varied according to the difficulty level but was generally twice or more
than the reward for conquering the dungeon. Since you also get the normal
reward for clearing the dungeon, you can effectively get more than three times
the reward.
Therefore,
when a quest popped up once in a while, adventurers flocked to it.
This means, the quota is a benefit......
"The dungeons that are the subject of quotas, just
like regular quests, have a bounty of more than double the reward for clearing
them. In other words...”
“The quests offered to the amateur class are less than
that of the pros. ......That's kind of unfair.”
I've
always been unsuccessful in the drawing every time I applied for a quest......
When
I complained, Teacher laughed,
“Well, that's how much the Guild... the country, wants us
to conquer the C-rank dungeons. To be honest, I heard that the Self-Defense
Forces are occupied with thinning out the A-rank dungeon and stepping through
the B-rank dungeon.”
The
words of Teacher, who had an older sister who was a former JSDF officer, had a weight
to them.
In
order not to cause anxiety among the public, that kind of information doesn't
trickle down to the general populace......
“The third reason is that they can manage private
dungeons, like we did in this case."
Dungeons
that appear in places where outsiders are not wanted as much, like the one that
appeared in our high school, may hire adventurers to manage it and restrict
entry to ordinary adventurers.
Such
dungeons with restricted entry were referred to as private dungeons.
I've
heard that some super-rich people have purchased resort-type F-rank dungeons
along with the land and turned it into private dungeons.
“The average cost of managing a private dungeon is 1
million yen per month for an F-rank dungeon. It increases tenfold each time the
rank increases. Well, there are cases where it is free or there is an entry fee
just like this semi-secret one, but unless you're extremely wealthy, you'll
have to open it to the public to cover the costs."
Just by conquering an F-rank dungeon once every few
months, you can earn one million a month...... If it is an E-rank dungeon, that
alone will earn you a yearly income of 100 million yen. It is too good to be
true. Since only professionals are allowed to manage dungeons, it is a
privilege enough to be called a lucrative concession.
No wonder everyone aims to become a professional...
As I
was pondering this, Anna shrugged and said,
"Well~, managing a dungeon is all about connections.
It's not a job you can get just for being a professional. The purpose is to
connect promising adventurers, and those who want to make a living just
managing dungeons are not wanted."
That
was also true.
If
it was such a lucrative job, it was unlikely that they'd entrust it to a
complete stranger.
It
would likely be through some incredible connection, or conversely, it would be
more like a gift from the wealthy person to someone they want to have a
relationship with.
And
like, instead of letting the adventurers manage the dungeon, they can negotiate
for priority when the adventurer gets some rare card or magic item?
"Doesn't Jushichiya-san's family have a private
dungeon as well?"
“Um, there are a few that are owned by us, or rather by
Dungeon Mart. There is one E-rank special type and several F-rank dungeons for
employee recreation..."
Wow... As expected of the Jushichiya family.
Come to think of it, Dungeon Mart owns Fantasyland Japan.
That is a private dungeon too, right?
It
was at times like this that I remembered that this guy was indeed a rich young
lady.
She
usually just seemed like a girl with an otaku(nerdy) disposition and a little
bit out of her element.
"As expected of Jushichiya..."
“But I heard that the F-rank dungeons are managed for
free as a bonus for the management of Fantasyland Japan (FLJ).”
Anna
said so, but since Fantasyland Japan was a cross-space type dungeon, all they
had to do was defeat the Boss. The Boss was a C-rank monster, but it was much
easier than trying to break through a single E-rank dungeon.
It
might be a pain to defeat the Boss every day, but that was also an advantage,
depending on how you think about it. After all, you can get a reward for
stepping over the dungeon every day.
If I
could earn 100 million a year for that, I would even take on the management of
F-rank dungeons for free.
"Hmm..... I understand that there are many benefits
to becoming a pro, but what do you mean by this dungeon being a gateway to success?"
Anna
forced herself back on track when the conversation had gone completely south.
"Most professionals are satisfied when they become
professionals and stop there. There are a few who aim to go even higher, but
from there on out, they are stopped by the even thicker wall of a B-rank
dungeon, and most of them give up. The B-rank dungeon is even tougher than the
C-rank dungeon. The very few who can overcome this wall have only one thing in
common: their relentless pursuit of the hardest C-rank dungeons.
----Only those who
dare to challenge the difficult path are allowed to put their fingers on the
top of the five-star.”
......Five-star.
The de facto pinnacle for adventurers.
Adventurers
can be ranked up to the six-star, but because the conditions for attaining
six-star are virtually impossible, it is said that the actual rank is up to
five-star.
After
all, the requirement for promotion to six-star is the conquest of an A-rank
dungeon.
As
long as the A-rank dungeon had never been broken through, there was practically
no such thing as a six-star status.
The
conditions for promotion to five-star status itself were quite simple. You must
be a 4-star adventurer, and you must have a record of having conquered a B-rank
dungeon. These were all there was to it, but ...... this was extremely
difficult to achieve.
At
present, most five-star adventurers are recognized as teams, and there are only
a dozen or so genuine five-star individuals in the world who have conquered a
B-rank dungeon on their own.
Some
of these dozen or so had only been recognized by their countries, but it was
doubtful that they had actually conquered the dungeon, while some were the
result of their countries putting their prestige on the line to support them to
the utmost, and only a few were said to have conquered the B-rank dungeon as
pure individuals.
The
five-star ranks were said to spend more time in the dungeon throughout the
year, and some professor types even stayed on the surface for only one month
out of a year.
The
realm of the five-star was something that could only be reached by dedicating
one's life to it.
"Of course, if you simply challenge a highly
difficult C-rank dungeon, your mind will break down before your body does. You
need a carrot to keep you motivated. A good balance between the carrot and the
stick is important. And that's--"
"The semi-secret dungeon. I see, and that's why it's
a gateway to success .......”
Teacher
nodded at Anna's words, saying "Exactly."
...I
began to understand a little better.
Why
would anyone need a semi-secret dungeon?
Even
if it's less efficient compared to a normal secret dungeon, the Self-Defense
Forces could easily manage it and still make a profit.
In
fact, it would be easier to control the supply and demand of Carbuncle Garnet
and other items if they were kept under a monopoly.
So
why go to the trouble of sharing the pie with the private sector?
This
was the bait provided by the government to grow five stars.
And
we jumped right in, ready to take on the risk...
"I want to ask you all something. What kind of
adventurers are we going to be as a team?"
Teacher
looked around at everyone.
"We are successful enough in the eyes of the public
as it is. You could even say we're on top of our game.
There
is no need to push ourselves too hard; we can live a reasonably luxurious life
with only the reward of conquering the D-rank dungeons.
So,
will you greedily aim for even greater heights, even if it means taking risks?
Or
will you be satisfied with the status quo and live by only meeting the bare
minimum...?"
A
curtain of silence fell over the place.
Anna
and Oribe were both pondering, with serious expressions on their faces.
"What about you, Teacher...?"
I
asked.
What
kind of adventurer does Teacher, the only professional here and the core of the
team, aspire to be...?
“I ...... honestly don't have a goal as an adventurer.
For me, being an adventurer is a means to an end.
As
long as I achieve my goal, there is no reason to be an adventurer. Well, there
is no reason to quit right away either.
If I
had to say, I guess I would say that I just need to have enough money to live
day to day.
That's
why I wanted to ask you guys. I'll do what I can to help. I like being with
this group.”
Teacher's goal... is that it?
I
see, if being an adventurer is just a means to an end, then it is.
Teacher's goal... is that it?
Anna,
who had been lying face down in thought, looked up.
She
looked around at everyone's faces and said,
"I am naturally aiming for the top.
I'll
take this as a good opportunity to say this.
I
believe that the collapse of civilization by Angolmore will definitely happen
sooner or later, within ten years at the earliest.
At
that time, if Mars is terraformed in time, some people will be able to migrate
to Mars, but most people will be left behind on Earth.
Even
if I win the right to move to Mars, I will stay on Earth.
And
I want to create my own force.”
Yo, your own force ......?
I
stared at Anna with my mouth hanging open at the unexpected words.
The
girl, who is younger than I am, talked about her dream with a very mature
expression.
"The Earth will be a world where monsters abound,
where the powerful and wealthy have fled to Mars, and where the existing social
system and order have been completely lost.
In such a world, the
only thing that matters would be the ability to defend oneself against the
monsters. In other words, the skill to use cards and Links.
Inevitably,
the few wealthy people, corporations, and adventurers who remain on Earth will
have power.
People
will gather around them and rely on them.
In
other words, there is plenty of room for us to build up our power, our force.
The
head of that force does not have to be me. I just want to build the force by
myself like my father did.
That
is my wish.
Unfortunately......
I don't seem to have great talent at Link as an adventurer.....
But
I believe I have the ability and sense necessary in other aspects to build
force, and I have studied for it.
I hope
you will all help me build my force.”
This girl is awesome in so many ways.......
To
be honest, I have to say that I respect Anna and fear her at the same time.
I
even had the feeling that I was looking at a different species of creature with
a similar appearance.
Was
it really normal for a high schooler to want to establish their own force?
It
was not just a fantasy or a chuunibyou dream. Anna had a solid vision and the ability
to carry it out.
This
Adventurers' Club must be part of that.
The
collapse of civilization by Angolmore....... She said something similar when
she invited me to join the Adventurers' Club back in the day. But to think she
was serious to this extent...
I
have known her for a few months now, and I have a vague idea of what kind of
person Anna Jushichiya is.
--She is a romantic realist, that's her nature.
She
had a penchant for light novels which led her to establish an Adventurers'
Club, and she even went to the trouble of changing the settings of the field
for fireworks during the training camps......
At
first glance, it may be hard to tell because of her basically romance-oriented
behavior, but deep down she is a cold-hearted realist.
Anna
Jushichiya is never one to be swayed by emotion when the time comes...
If
the time came when a member of the Adventurers' Club had to be sacrificed in
order to save the lives of all the others, she would choose the one who would
incur the least loss, even though it would be painful.
If
she insisted that the collapse of civilization by Angolmore is certain to
occur, then, though I hate to admit it, there must be a strong possibility that
it will happen.
At that time, what would I do ......?
As I
was pondering this, Oribe muttered,
"I am ...... not as strong-willed as Anna.
In
terms of future dreams, mine is to become a professional class gladiator, but
I'm not in any hurry for that either.......
I'd
be happy if I could get my pro license and make my debut by the time I graduate
from university.
Frankly,
I don't believe that civilization will collapse like Anna does. Humanity should
not be that stupid.
Even
if a third Angolmore were to happen, it would be much further away.
Until
then, we can slowly build up enough strength to survive Angolmore.
There
is a possibility that some solution will be found in the meantime.
Now
that the disappearance of a dungeon has been confirmed, there must be a way to
make the dungeon disappear.
Of
course, I'll accompany everyone if they aim to improve, but I honestly don't
feel the need to take the risk and rush to become stronger.”
......
If Anna is a romantic realist, Oribe is a realist romantic.
Despite
her chunibyou-like behavior, she usually thinks sensibly and realistically, but
inside she is a very compassionate and dreamy maiden.
She
loved fortune-telling and carried around lucky items, her eyes lit up when she
thought I was psychic, and her room was actually full of stuffed animals......
(Anna said).
Although
she obviously built walls around herself and seemed isolated in her class, she
is very caring towards those she managed to get close to.
This
was evident since she went out of her way to enter this high school with Anna
instead of continuing to a prestigious school for young ladies.
Her
isolation in class was probably her form of self-protection.
In
other words, the girl named Sayo Oribe is extremely timid when it comes to
losing someone close to her.
Therefore,
she does not easily take others into her heart, and once she does, she wants to
be with them all the time.
However,
this timidity distorted her normally clear thinking.
Oribe
seemed to believe that Angolmore will not happen soon and that if humanity
unites and cooperates, we can find some solution within that time ...... but I
have to say that this was probably mixed with an unconscious desire for 'the
same daily life as today will continue tomorrow'.
My
own thoughts were close to Oribe's, but if I had to say which is more
realistic, I would say Anna's......
Suddenly,
I noticed that everyone was looking my way.
They
were waiting for my answer.
"I..."
I
became an adventurer ...... simply because I wanted to rise through the school
caste.
I
wanted to be up in the caste and get the girl of my dreams to fall in love with
me. That was all.
I
had thought of the cards as convenient tools, and even though I knew they had
feelings and could speak, I hadn't recognized them as people.
However...
after meeting Renge and the others, battling the Pied Piper of Hamelin, and
going through the Student Tournament, my thoughts began to change.
I
learned that each card has their own will, their own feelings, and their own
soul.
And
I was fascinated by their brilliance.
I
wanted to go on more adventures with them.
Ah... I see. In that sense, I am the same as Teacher.
For
me, being an adventurer was just a means to have adventures with these guys.
In a
sense, being an adventurer is an end in itself.
So
each time I achieved a goal, my goal moved again.
At
first, it was enough to make it in the school caste, but after reaching the
upper caste, I aimed for a three-star level, and once that was achieved, I
aimed to become a professional.
I
thought there was no way I could become a professional in high school, so it
was a good goal for the time being.
I
didn't have to think about it, I just had to keep diving into the dungeon with
Renge and the others.
However,
when Anna and the others entered the school, we decided to form a team, and
with the addition of the four-star Teacher, my goal was unexpectedly achieved
early.
Technically,
I'm not a pro yet, but if you're on a pro-class team, it's the same thing.
And
so I lost my goal again.
Unable
to find a goal beyond the professional level, I was left in a state of limbo,
but then events like the MonCoro race and the school dungeon came along at just
the right time, so I didn't have to think about my next goal.
If
we broke through the dungeon now, I would have lost my direction yet again.
Or I
might have made a big mistake before that.
Teacher
must have seen through my lack of footing.
That
was why he had brought up the topic of the future at this time.
I
think the time may have come for me to finally set a goal as an adventurer.
But
I couldn't think of anything right away.
It
might not be a bad idea to go along with Anna and help her build force.
Whether
the collapse of civilization occurs or not, it will be necessary to prepare for
the third Angolmore.
It
was... just a matter of whether to take the risk and go for the shortest route,
or whether to play it safe and slowly build up strength.
But that's just going along with Anna Jushichiya's goal,
not Utamaro Kitagawa Utamaro's.
It
would be different if her goal is my goal, but if it is not, there will come a
time when I will not be able to keep up with her.
Anna's
'flow' would be too rapid for someone who simply drifted along.
Even
if I were to follow the same path, I would need a goal of my own.
What is my goal as an adventurer?
What do I want to accomplish as an adventurer?
“...Well, I'm not asking you to answer right away. The
same goes for everyone else. You can think long and hard about it before we
step through this dungeon."
Seeing
that I was unable to give an answer, Teacher ended the talk.
[TIPS] Private Dungeons
Among
the dungeons that appear on private property, those that are not open to
general adventurers, and are entrusted with the management of professionals,
are called private dungeons.
Compared
to dungeons that are open to the public, private dungeons, which are more
likely to lead to Angolmore, are subject to more strict national standards, and
even F-rank dungeons must have a four-star level or higher qualification for
management, and the fees are extremely high.
For
this reason, most private dungeons are either F-rank dungeons or,
alternatively, semi-secret dungeons of C-rank or higher, and many of them are
owned by corporations rather than individuals.
Managing
a private dungeon is a very lucrative job for an adventurer, but whether or not
one gets the job depends on one's connections.
Even
though they are private dungeons, the installation of gates is mandatory to
guard against Angolmore, and if it is discovered that the dungeon has not been
conquered for a certain period, the private dungeon status is immediately
canceled and the manager's adventurer's license is forfeited.
***
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