Mob Kousei No Ore Demo Boukensha Ni
Nareba Riajuu Ni Naremasuka: Chapter #138
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
Translator(s) note: Apologies for the long wait (*_ _)人
We didn't forget, but y'know how life is. Anyway, enjoy~
Episode 138: Conflict
"Eh!? You're Kitagawa!?"
That
was Yujin's first reaction when I introduced myself as Utamaro Kitagawa.
"Ah! Now that I look closer, your
appearance has changed, but those cards are Kitagawa's! Wh-why do you look like
that...?"
"Well, a lot happened..."
After
that preface, when I told him about my encounter with Urashima Taro, Yujin let
out a sigh mixed with sympathy and admiration.
"I see... Urashima Taro, huh. Should I say
that sounds terrible, or should I be impressed you managed to defeat
him...?"
"Yujin-san, why are you here?"
"Oh, this is my hometown. When the
prophecy was announced, I came back home, you see. More importantly, how did
you get here? I thought your hometown
was Hachioji, wasn't it?1"
Tilting
my head at his "wasn't it?", I
explained the spatial isolation and the stairs.
"I see... so that's what was beyond the
stairs. We've been staying away from them, figuring it's best not to disturb a
sleeping god."
With
a serious expression, Yujin crossed his arms, and I asked him the question that
had been on my mind since arriving here,
"By the way, it seems the damage here is
minimal..."
“I don't know what it’s like elsewhere, but if
the damage is minimal here, it's probably just because there aren't many
dungeons.”
According
to Yujin, this entire area only had D-rank or lower dungeons. Specifically,
this island, with a population of around ten thousand, originally had only one
D-rank and a few E-rank or lower dungeons because it wasn't densely populated.
Yujin
said that when Angolmois began, he immediately used Transfer Magic Cards to
conquer and Calm all the island's dungeons, which he had already cleared to
their lowest floors. He then organized a vigilante force made up of islanders,
to whom he distributed D-rank cards, to seal off the dungeons. From then on,
they defended the island from monsters flying in from the mainland.
"A few C-rank monsters flew over from the
mainland, but luckily, no B-ranks came, so we managed to defend ourselves.
Still... a few new D-rank dungeons popped up during this Angolmois, and it took
time to locate and Calm them, so we ended up suffering a fair amount of
damage.”
Dungeons emit a unique energy
wave, so under normal circumstances, their locations could be pinpointed
easily. However, during Angolmois, the wave diffused across the entire surface,
thus locating them requires the use of Clairvoyance magic or similar skills. The
fact that it took time probably meant Yujin didn't have a card that could use Clairvoyance
magic.
"After the spatial isolation, the monsters
stopped coming, so now we're gradually sealing the new dungeons and
exterminating the monsters on the island."
"I see..."
It's pretty much an ideal scenario.
It
felt like they had independently managed to implement the Phase 1 Angolmois
response on their own, a task typically handled by the JSDF and the Guild.
What
made this possible were the miraculous circumstances of
this island: the initially low number of dungeons, a population just large
enough to form spatial isolation, the absence of newly
generated high-rank dungeons, and the presence of Yujin Sato, a three-star
adventurer with a strong affection for his hometown.
These factors aligned
perfectly, keeping the island's damage to a minimum. You could say that the
spatial isolation of Phase 4 worked in their favor.
...No, wait. Spatial isolation might have been
beneficial for rural areas from the start, because it prevents powerful
monsters from outside.
For areas with high-rank dungeons, it is an
inescapable hell... but if there are other places like this, there might be
more survivors in the countryside than I thought.
"...You’re amazing, Yujin-san."
Protecting
my hometown was something I hadn't been able to do.
The
man who accomplished that, Yujin Sato, was worthy of my genuine respect.
"I'd like to say 'I know, right?', but
honestly, I just got lucky. ...And we still have a lot of problems, you know."
Problems?
Just
as I was about to ask, I got a call from Reina on my Card Gear.
I excused myself to Yujin-san
and answered the call,
"Hello?"
『Ah,
Kitagawa-kun? Everyone's getting restless, so it'd be a great help if you could
give us instructions soon...』
"Ah—"
Right, they had come along to collect supplies.
But
with the original residents safe and sound, I could only foresee trouble.
Well, to be honest, even though it's called ‘collecting
supplies’, what we're doing is just looting.
Thinking of the future, I want to be as
friendly as possible with the people here.
――――I
was considering making this place our base of operations.
My
current style of traveling with refugees, relying solely on cross-space cards,
was clearly not feasible.
Of
the basic necessities—clothing, food, and shelter—clothing and food could be
managed in various ways, but the same cannot be said for shelter.
I
had thought my only options were to either miraculously stumble upon an
otherworld cross-space card or to make the difficult selection about which
lives to save. But now, another option had emerged.
That is, settling in a safe area.
If we can substitute shelter—the biggest
issue—with temporary housing instead of relying on cross-space cards, I
wouldn't have to make the difficult selection.
For that to work, I need to stay on good terms
with the people here.
Looting is out of the question. Cancelling the
supply collection... would be a waste, so let's do it in the area I were in
yesterday. The B-rank monsters I eliminated haven't revived yet, so there
should be some time before they reappear on the surface... I think.
I’ll have Eliza teleport them and then have her
and Yuki act as escorts.
I
gave instructions to Eliza and Yuki via Link, then returned to my conversation
with Yujin-san.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Mm, it’s fine. So, Kitagawa, what are you
going to do now?"
"About that――――"
I told him about the refugees
I had taken in on my journey and that I was considering moving them here.
After listening, Yujin-san
crossed his arms and groaned with a difficult expression,
"Hmm, I'd like to welcome them, but it's a
bit difficult right now. Everyone's pretty sensitive to outsiders..."
Outsiders?
I tilted my head at the word.
Just then...
"Yujin-san! The Solomon Faction is
here!"
One
of the young men who had guided me here burst in.
"Speak of the devil! Sorry, Kitagawa,
we'll talk later!"
Yujin-san's
face hardened, and he rushed outside. I followed him.
Outside,
the vigilante force members who had guided me were glaring at a group of people
armed in various ways and accompanied by monster cards.
Looking
at the two groups, I felt a sense of unease at the stark difference in
atmosphere between the vigilante force and the newly arrived group.
It
wasn't about race; both were Japanese. Yet, their auras were so distinct that
even if they mingled, you could tell them apart instantly.
What's going on?
As
I wondered in confusion, someone stepped forward from the newly arrived group
and took the lead.
To
my surprise, it was a girl who looked to be in middle or high school.
With her long hair dyed a
pretty brown and her stylish branded clothes and accessories, she looked like a
magazine model, if not for the body armor she was wearing.
It was then that I finally
understood the reason for the difference in vibes between the two groups.
It may sound rude, but unlike
the somewhat unrefined people of the local vigilante force, these newcomers’
clothes and hairstyles were polished and sophisticated.
"Today, we're taking our girls back!"
The
girl in front barked in a rough tone that didn't match her kitten-like, cute
face.
Taking
that as a signal, the group behind her began to bark in unison.
"You prejudiced country bumpkins! We're
going to make you pay today!"
"That's right! Just because you lived here
first doesn't mean you can do whatever you want!"
Yujin-san
and the vigilantes countered,
"We keep telling you! It wasn't us! We've
said that many times!"
"Exactly! Don't make ridiculous
accusations!"
"You're the reason our town's a mess! This
is why outsiders are the worst!"
From there, a volley of
insults began.
Just as the escalating tension
threatened to reach a mutual animosity explosion,
――――A shower of light poured
from the sky, healing everything.
"Stop messing with us! We've had enough...
Eh!?"
"Wh-what is, this...?"
The [Rain of Amrita] healed
their body and mind, washed away not only their heightened anger and hatred but
also all their stress, including anxiety about the situation and the future.
Seeing that everyone had come
to their senses, I clapped my hands to get their attention.
"For now, why don't both sides tell me
what's going on?"
It seemed there was no one
with the guts to object to me, who was accompanied by cards that were clearly B-rank.
After
that, I invited both groups into Audrey's Mayoiga, offered them refreshments,
and then called Yujin and the girl who seemed to be their leader—Emi
Minamisawa—into a separate room to hear the full story.
Their
stories, in short, went like this:
After
the prophecy was announced, there was a boom in migration from densely
populated urban regions with many dungeons to less dungeon-ridden rural regions.
Naturally, a large number of migrants flocked to this area as well.
That
made sense. With an environment as favorable as this island's, it would be
strange if no one took notice of it.
Some
real estate companies even sold cardified prefabricated homes, so as long as
one buy or rent land, they could move in immediately with minimal foundation
work.
Luckily, this island had a
surplus of habitable land, as tens of thousands of people had lived here during
its peak.
Migrants
particularly gravitated towards the island's sparsely populated southern side.
In a flash, the island's population doubled, and―――― as expected, friction
immediately arose with the original residents.
From
not participating in local events, neglecting greetings, to buying out the
stock of the island’s stores... the list of minor grievances was endless. The
migrants' actions often showed a lack of consideration for the local residents.
While
not all migrants behaved this way, the majority viewed their stay as a
temporary escape from Angolmois, so they basically had no intention of fitting
in.
Furthermore, a series of
crimes like assault and burglary—which were previously rare (surprisingly, many
people on this island didn't lock their front doors when they were just going
out)—worsened local sentiment to its lowest point.
The perception that ‘outsiders
= criminals, troublemakers’ became widespread among the locals, and as a
result, even the decent migrants started to clash with the original residents.
Yujin-san’s
return was around this time. He formed a vigilante force for Angolmois countermeasures,
but this also had a negative effect.
The
migrants, perceiving the vigilante force as a threat against themselves, also
formed a vigilante force of their own. What was initially meant for dungeon
countermeasures began to genuinely take on the aspect of ‘anti-migrant force',
leading to incessant clashes between the two groups.
It
was a volatile situation, on the brink of explosion. Yet, ironically, it was
the very existence of Angolmois that prevented them from crossing the final
line.
Yujin-san's
Angolmois countermeasures—initiating to Calm all existing dungeons—were met
with a degree of understanding from the migrant side. Therefore, they agreed to
not mess with each other during normal times and to cooperate during Angolmois.
Specifically,
'cooperation' meant reporting any newly generated dungeons during Angolmois.
Since
Yujin-san had already Calmed the dungeons that were originally on the island,
if monsters began to overflow, it was highly likely that new dungeons had
emerged, unless a large number of monsters had come from the mainland.
Therefore, it was agreed that
when Angolmois began, the migrants would patrol the southern part of the
island, and Yujin-san's vigilante force would patrol the rest. If they
discovered any monsters, they were to contact Yujin-san immediately.
Knowing
that leaving a dungeon unattended would put them in danger as well, Yujin-san
and the other locals trusted the migrants on this matter.
...However,
that trust was betrayed.
Monsters
began to overflow from the migrant-controlled area.
Despite
the promise to report any monster sightings immediately, by the time the local
residents realized what was happening, D-rank monsters were already
overflowing.
This could only mean one
thing: the migrants had been slacking and hadn't been patrolling from the
start.
The migrants had simply holed
up once Angolmois began, making no effort to search for dungeons.
As
a result, the island suffered considerable damage from the D-ranks that
appeared in the migrant-controlled area.
...This was the account of
Yujin and the local residents.
The account of Minamisawa and
the migrants, however, was different.
Regarding the misunderstanding
that the vigilante force was targeting them, they claimed that this was because
some migrants had actually been harmed by the vigilantes.
Young girls were harassed, the
migrants were refused service at stores, graffiti was spray-painted on their
homes... and children who transferred to schools with predominantly local
residents often suffered bullying and extortion.
This girl, Minamisawa, had also
stopped going to school after just a week of moving here.
Yujin-san
looked embarrassed when this was mentioned, so it seemed likely that such
incidents did occur.
As
the harassment from the locals gradually escalated, the migrants also formed
their own vigilante force.
And
the central figure of that group was――
"Solomon? The DungeonTuber?"
At the unexpected name, I
couldn't help but asked back.
"Ah, Kitagawa, you met him at the MonColo
Race, didn't you? He moved here pretty soon after the prophecy was
announced."
"Solomon-san is awesome! He has a B-rank card
of Solomon's 72 Pillars!"
"...It's a C card + [Spiritual
Recurrence], though,"
Yujin-san muttered quietly,
frowning, while Minamisawa's eyes sparkled.
Hmm... I see. I've been wondering why, despite
a three-star like Yujin-san being here, the migrant faction is still on equal
footing with the locals. So, they also have a three-star on their side, and one
with a C card + [Spiritual Recurrence], no less.
If they had a Solomon's 72
Pillars with [Spiritual Recurrence], even if the master's ability was only at a
one-star class, they could still stand on equal ground with a three-star class.
Come to think of it, some C-rank cards with
[Zero Existence] skill were among the prizes in that race...
With
that thought, I prompted them to continue.
"Yujin's side says we slacked off on our patrols,
but that's wrong. We did our patrols properly… at first."
"But you stopped halfway through, didn't
you? The rest of the world calls that slacking off."
"I've told you over and over! We were
attacked by you, so we had no choice but to call it quits!"
"Alright, alright, calm down. What do you
mean by that?"
I
asked, placating Minamisawa as she glared at Yujin-san like a kitten.
"Hmph! ...Several young women from our
side have gone missing. And they're all pretty ones!"
"And I already told you, we don't know
anything about that. They were probably attacked by monsters, right?"
"When they went missing, there were no
monsters outside yet! And even if there were, it's strange that a patrol team
with D-rank cards would get taken out without even having time to call for help
on their Card Gears! They were ambushed by other humans!"
"Ha! ...If you suspect an ambush, isn't it
more likely that it was someone from your own side?"
"What did you say!?"
......Hmm.
Ignoring the two who were on
the verge of grabbing each other, I quietly crossed my arms.
Having heard both sides, one
thing was clear: neither of them was lying.
Throughout
their accounts so far, neither of them had been caught lying by Suzuka's
[Deceit Detection].
This
meant that both were speaking from their true beliefs, including their current attitudes.
Are they simply convinced of their own version
of events, or has someone deceived them...?
"So, Kitagawa, what do you think?"
Perhaps realizing they weren't
getting anywhere, Yujin-san turned to me. Minamisawa also sent a suspicious
glance my way.
"...Who's this old man, anyway?"
"Old ma-..."
Ugh, 'old man', huh... Well, I should be in my
late twenties now, so to a girl her age, I'm probably an ‘old man’…
"Don't call him an old man. He's younger
than me,"
Yujin-san
interjected, perhaps pitying my visibly deflated spirits.
"Eh... No way, he’s too old-looking no
matter how I see him.”
"There's a reason for it, a good
reason."
When I told her about my
encounter with Urashima Taro, the girl's gaze immediately became sympathetic.
"Oh, I see... Well, don't worry about it
too much. You look pretty manly and cool, you know? You can definitely still
get a girlfriend your age."
"Well, thanks,"
With
a wry smile, I brushed off Minamisawa's flattery and answered Yujin-san's
question,
"First off, I have a card that can detect
lies."
As I pointed at Suzuka, who
was standing there smugly, with my thumb, the two of them made a surprised
expression.
"Oh yeah, Kitagawa, you do have a card
with [Deceit Detection], don't you?"
"So you know which one of us is
lying," Minamisawa said, looking at Yujin-san as if to provoke him.
I
nodded to Minamisawa. Then I said,
"Yeah... neither of you was lying."
At
that, Minamisawa narrowed her eyes and glared at me, while Yujin-san crossed
his arms thoughtfully.
"If the subject truly believes what
they're saying, [Deceit Detection] won't react. Is that right?"
"That's right."
"In other words, if someone fed a lie to
Minamisawa, the [Deceit Detection] wouldn't catch it. The weight of her
testimony isn't the same as mine, a leader."
In
response to Yujin-san's words, Minamisawa snorted and argued back,
"That goes both ways, doesn't it? If you
just blindly believed the reports coming up from below, there's no difference
in the weight of the testimony. Besides..."
Minamisawa
then looked at me with suspicion,
"You guys were already acquainted, right?
Then it's possible you're protecting your friend. A judge who isn't neutral
can't be trusted. And it's suspicious whether you even have a [Deceit
Detection] skill in the first place."
She
had a point. Since Yujin-san and I were already acquainted, it was hard to
claim neutrality as a judge. And it was difficult to prove that a person with a
[Deceit Detection] skill wasn't lying about it.
Well, I have a way to prove it, though.
I
took a card out of my Card Holder and released its cardification. A stone wall
with a circular face carved into it appeared before me.
"This is a magic item for lie-detection.
Does the name Mouth of Truth ring any bells?"
I asked the two, who were
startled by the sudden appearance of the stone wall.
"If I remember it right, that's a tourist
spot in Rome? The one that bites off the hands of people who lie... No
way!?"
Minamisawa looked at me with a
gasp.
I nodded in response.
"Even if you can't trust what I say, you
can trust a magic item, can’t you?"
"But... how do I know this is a real one...?"
"If you're skeptical, why don't you try
it?"
When I countered like that to
Minamisawa, who was arguing in a faint voice, she looked down and fell silent.
Confirming
her silence, I turned to Yujin-san and said,
"Yujin-san, I'll lend you... no, I'll give
you this magic item. In exchange..."
"Alright, I understand. We'll allow you
and your people to move here."
Yujin-san
spoke before I could even finish.
"Is that alright?"
I can offer more if this isn't enough, like
thinning out the island's monsters, discussions about trades with Hermes, and
even Artemis's Authority of Beasts...
I
thought like that to myself as I asked, but Yujin-san nodded firmly.
"Yes, this Lie-detection magic item alone
is more than enough. I was already in favor of you moving here anyway, I just
needed some reason to convince everyone else. With this, we can have a fair
trial. It's more than enough as a persuasive tool."
He added in a quiet mutter,
"Everyone is fed up with this endless argument
anyway..."
I
nodded in understanding.
"As for the settlement, there are a few
abandoned villages on the north and east sides of the island. Feel free to use
them. ...Well, they're abandoned villages, so it'll be a bit inconvenient to
get around, but..."
"That's more than enough, thank you so
much."
I
bowed my head in gratitude to Yujin-san, who looked somewhat apologetic.
As long as we have a safe place, everything
else will work out.
"That's a relief to hear. I'll show you
around later. And, Minamisawa."
"Wh-what is it?" she asked,
flustered.
Yujin-san
spoke with the serious expression befitting a faction leader,
"Tell your leader that I want to hold a
meeting. It's time we finally got to the bottom of this."
Her cheeks slightly reddened,
and her gaze wandered before she gave a small nod.
"...Okay."
Seeing her adorable,
age-appropriate reaction, Yujin-san and I looked at each other and chuckled
softly.
――――Little
did we know, that would be the last time we saw her looking so lively.
【Tips】Self-Defense Forces Report:
Specifications of Safe Zones and Pseudo-Safe Zones
This
report summarizes the known specifications regarding safe zones to date.
Knowledge of safe zones is essential for dungeon conquer, so everyone should
read it carefully.
・Safe zones have the effect of
completely blocking interference from monsters.
・Dungeon safe zones often
double as transfer points, but they are technically separate existence. There
are some Safe Zones within dungeons that do not allow for transfer/teleportation.
・If a card or master inside a
safe zone attacks an outside monster or provides support/healing to an ally
outside, the safe zone on every floor will disappear. It will not be restored
until the dungeon is conquered.
・ The safe zone will not
disappear even if cards remain inside while their master is outside, as long as
the cards inside do not take actions like attacking or providing support.
However, if the master takes a direct hit from an attack, the safe zone
disappears, as it may be considered a form of damage substitution support from
the card’s barrier.
・During a Large-Scale Dungeon
Disaster (hereafter referred to as Angolmois), the monster-blocking effect of
safe zones is lost. The safe zone itself does not disappear, and its
teleportation point functionality remains intact. Additionally, fighting inside
a safe zone during Angolmois will not cause it to disappear.
Next, we will summarize the
properties of pseudo-safe zones, which can be generated with certain skills.
・The properties of a pseudo-safe
zone are generally the same as a dungeon’s safe zone. However, they are not a
valid target for transfer-type skills or items.
(Addendum:
When used in a dungeon where the safe zone has disappeared,
transfer/teleportation becomes possible , leading us to conclude that safe
zones and transfer points are strictly separate existence.)
・The effective range varies by
skill but is generally smaller than a dungeon’s safe zone, with most being
spherical with a 100 meters radius.
・The 'monster blocking' effect
is not nullified even during Angolmois. However, it has been confirmed that the
'monster blocking' effect is nullified only when the zone is deployed in front
of a dungeon’s stairs.
(Does
the area near the stairs have a property that nullifies the 'monster blocking'
effect? Further verification is required.)
・A pseudo-safe zone can be
dispelled by a Pseudo-Safe Zone Creation skill (there is a risk of it being
dispelled by an enemy with the same skill).
・It can be activated even
within the 'interior' of a cross-space card.
・If the deployed cross-space is
larger than the safe zone's range, the portion that extends beyond the safe
zone's range will not receive the safe zone's effect.
・During Angolmois, creating a
pseudo-safe zone that overlaps with a dungeon's gate is possible if the dungeon
is in a Calmed state.
***
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