Mob Kousei No Ore Demo Boukensha Ni
Nareba Riajuu Ni Naremasuka: Chapter #147
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
"Now
that we're all here, shall we begin?"
After
a round of joyful reunions, everyone settled into their seats. Anna spoke up,
"First,
let's share information with each other. Would it be alright if you, Senpai,
speak first? It seems you have a lot of important information. I've heard a
brief summary on my Card Gear, but I'd like to hear it from you directly."
"Got
it."
I
nodded and began recounting the events since I left the school, in order.
How
I'd been lured right into the Pied Piper of Hamelin's trap.
The
subsequent loss of Hamelin's Flute magic item and the distortion of the law of
causality caused by the price on using the Hope Diamond.
My
encounter with Urashima Taro. The skill release of Athena's [Juvenile] during
that encounter.
And
then, the battle with the Pied Piper of Hamelin...
"...Uwah,
what can I even say?"
The
three of them had been listening to my story in silence, but once the recount
of the battle with the Pied Piper of Hamelin was over and things had settled,
Anna murmured softly like that.
"Even
if it was to win, to take a blow from an Irregular Encounter with your bare
body..."
"You
really did well to come back."
Oribe
and Teacher both spoke in tones mixed with astonishment and admiration.
While
I had previously told them about the important matters on the journey—such as
Athena's Aegis becoming usable and the Hamelin's Flute magic item transforming
into Eliza's skill—I hadn't specifically mentioned how I defeated the two
Irregular Encounters.
Therefore,
details like how my body was sliced in half to make the enemy's trump card miss
was entirely new information to the three of them.
Though
all of them openly frowned at the reckless risk I'd taken, as fellow
adventurers, they seemed to understand that there was no other way. They didn't
subject me to a lecture.
"...So,
after the Pied Piper of Hamelin was defeated, he dropped a card, and Eliza-san
gained the Irregular Encounter's skill, is that correct?"
"Yeah."
"Um...
I'm sorry to ask this about your important card, Senpai, but is Eliza-san
alright? Are there any side effects from absorbing an Irregular
Encounter...?"
Anna
asked timidly, and I crossed my arms, groaning,
"That's
what I'm worried about too, but all I can do is believe in her now."
"I
see..."
Even
if the [Hamelin's Flute] skill had some unexpected trap hidden within it, there
was no option to give up on Eliza or stop using her.
So,
there was no other choice but to just accept it and believe she'd be fine.
At my answer, Anna crossed her arms with a
difficult expression and thought for a while.
"...Well,
if nothing happened for a month, she should be fine,"
She
said this with a sigh.
"I’m
sorry for interrupting. Please continue with your story."
"Okay."
I
nodded and began to tell about the rest of my journey:
About
the spatial isolation and the existence of the stairs. About the Gatekeepers
and domain monsters that had been freed from their 'trial and reward for
humanity' role. About the dangers of True Skills. About the islanders who had
been manipulated by a cursed card into fighting each other. And about the
occurrence of a time flow difference between each region...
So
far, I've only sent brief reports on these matters. Today, I will explain them
with as much detail as possible, including the circumstances that led to them.
When
I told the three that not only B-rank Gatekeepers but even C-rank ones like
Vampires obtained True Skill, and that the Vampire’s evolved skill turned
humans into monsters, everyone's eyes widened in shock.
And
when I spoke about how the conflict on the island had been orchestrated by a
cursed card and described the power Ose had shown at the time, even
Kotori-chan's face stiffened in terror.
Then,
when my story progressed to my encounter with the Saintess, and I got to the info
about how Angolmois was caused by the Star Mother Association――――
"...Ridiculous!
So this was a man-made disaster?! And the Second Angolmois too?!"
*BANG!*
Teacher slammed the table and stood up.
"Th-this...
human... did this...? You're kidding...?"
Oribe
stammered, her lips trembling.
In
stark contrast to the two of them, Anna sat silently, arms crossed, eyes
closed.
I
already told her beforehand via a Card Gear message, but looking at this, it
seems she hasn't told the two of them yet.
Thinking
like that, I said to Oribe,
"Whether
it was by human hands is questionable to say. After all, apparently, the
Saintess is a Nephilim... a half-monster, half-human."
"Still...
A disaster of this scale, to think it was through artificial means, I can’t
believe it... No, wait."
That
moment, Oribe's expression suddenly changed, as if she'd just thought of
something.
“If
the dungeon is a device for collecting misfortune, and the tale of
‘destruction’—the very beginning spoken of by the Pied Piper of Hamelin—is
true, then by deliberately cramming in a massive amount of misfortune all at
once, could that cause an overflow... could that trigger Angolmois?”
Hearing
Oribe's muttered words, which sounded almost like a soliloquy, I nodded
silently to myself.
That
conclusion matched the one I'd reached up to this point.
If
adventurers defeating monsters within the dungeon processes the misfortune it
has gathered, then humans being killed by monsters (or traps) would likely
place a heavy load on the dungeon as a misfortune collection device.
And
the load caused by a human's death within the dungeon is probably far more than
the misfortune processed when a human defeats a monster.
...The
victims of the Hound Master incident were likely sacrifices to accumulate
energy to awaken Angolmois.
The
reason they weren't killed directly might be due to some rule like “killing
humans by human hands doesn't count.”
That's
why their cards, their means of self-defense, were taken away, forcing them to
be killed by monsters.
"If
that incident was a setup by the Star Mother Association, then the Hound
Master's defeat must have been anticipated. And the card the Hound Master
dropped too... If that's the case, then the Self-Defense Forces' dysfunction...”
"……………………"
A
heavy silence fell at Oribe's mutter.
The
card dropped by the Hound Master: ‘The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats’. If
that card possessed properties similar to a cursed card, then materialization
outside the dungeon... well, that might be pushing it, but it wouldn't be
surprising if it could manipulate its owner.
If the
card taken by the state had been passed to the upper echelons of the
Self-Defense Forces (or even the minister), and someone within those ranks had
been manipulated by ‘The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats’... then gathering all
SDF personnel across Japan before Angolmois for ‘disposal’ would have been
easy.
After
all, even the SDF are just ordinary people without their cards...
It was
all a ploy to efficiently thin out the human race at Angolmois.
Thinking
of it that way, it all made sense.
Furthermore,
the incident where monsters flooded out from the Guild's transfer gate was
probably also...
“...What
exactly is the purpose of the Star Mother's Association? What purpose lies
behind causing such a massive slaughter?”
I
answered Teacher's question, which sounded like a monologue.
"According
to the Saintess, one is to grant monsters the same freedom as domain monsters. And
the other... is apparently for the salvation of the world.”
“The
salvation... of the world...?”
At
that, Teacher's face looked momentarily stunned, as if completely taken aback――――
"Are
you kidding me?! Of all things, the salvation of the world?! After wreaking
such havoc on it...!”
He
slammed his fist hard onto the table.
This
was the first time I'd ever seen Teacher display such raw anger.
Meanwhile,
Oribe's face had gone pale, her expression frozen in terror.
Following
the two’s reactions, I spoke of the existence of the ‘Great King of Angolmois’.
That
this world should have perished the very year the dungeon appeared. That the
‘Mother Sea’, the very essence of life on this planet, had prevented it by
giving birth to the dungeon, a device that absorbed misfortune. As the price, a
massive distortion of causality occurred, binding itself to ‘destruction’ and
giving birth to a single monster...
"…It
seems the true goal of the Star Mother Association is to defeat this 'Great
King of Angolmois' and save the 'Mother Sea'. They caused Angolmois to
efficiently cull humanity and weaken the 'Great King of Angolmois'..."
The
‘Mother Sea’ is this planet itself.
If
this planet perishes, all life perishes. So, if what the Saintess says is true,
then the actions of the Star Mother Society have a certain justification.
"…Senpai,
you were asked to join the Star Mother Association, right? What do you intend
to do?"
In
the heavy atmosphere, Anna asked quietly.
At
that, Teacher and Oribe snapped their heads toward me.
I
closed my eyes for a moment... then answered,
"I
intend to accept."
"Wha-!?"
Teacher
leapt up, kicking his chair aside with such force it nearly toppled.
"What
are you thinking?! Joining the very people who caused this… this
massacre?!"
Just
as Teacher, looking ready to pounce, was about to hurl more reproach at me, at
that moment...
"――――Shut
up. Be quiet."
Anna
snapped sharply.
"If
you can’t speak calmly, then please leave. You are being a nuisance."
"!"
Faced
with Anna's words, which carried an air of authority, Teacher clenched his
teeth and sat down quietly.
Anna
gave him a cold glance before turning to me with a smile.
"Can
you tell us why you chose to accept?"
I
sighed softly and answered,
"Because
I have no other choice."
“...Is it, your father?”
Oribe
murmured softly. I nodded silently.
The
journey from Hachioji to here had made me acutely aware of how difficult it was
to reach a target destination in this new world.
How
long would it take to stumble upon Ikebukuro again from here...?
If
there were no other options, I'd have no choice but to move like I had done
before, but with the shortest, fastest route right in front of me, I couldn't
not take it.
"...You
don't really have to become their ally for real, right? Just pretend. Cut ties
once you've reunited with your father?"
Teacher,
seemingly remembering my situation and calming his anger, made the suggestion,
sounding hesitant.
Of
course, I'd thought of that too...
I
shook my head in response.
"If
I intended that from the start, Lie Detection or Mind-reading would absolutely
see through it. At least initially, I have to genuinely intend to become their
ally."
"…………"
Teacher
must have known this too before he spoke, because he fell silent with a
troubled expression.
And besides...
"Besides?"
I
wasn't speaking for anyone to hear, just a mutter almost confined to my own
mouth. But Anna, with her sharp ears, caught it and pressed me for an answer.
I
hesitated a little, but under the steady gaze of the three pairs of eyes fixed
on me, I gave in and replied,
"To
be honest, I'm... afraid of the Star Mother Association."
They're
the kind who wouldn't hesitate to commit global-scale massacres if it served
their purpose.
They
know the inner workings of Angolmois, and likely possess knowledge of card
powers we don't even know exist.
I should
assume they have the same powers I rely on as trump cards—[Breakthrough of
Limits], True Skills, and the like. And powers beyond that, too...
If I
foolishly refuse and make an enemy of them... just thinking about it sends a chill
down my spine.
Still,
if it were just me, I could stubbornly hold my ground. But...
I
glanced at the three of them and lowered my gaze.
"""……………………"""
Silence
fell over the room.
Time
passed without anyone speaking...
"I
suppose it's fine."
After
a while, Anna murmured it softly.
As
everyone's gaze focused on her, she continued, looking straight at me.
Her
gaze was almost gentle, you could say...
"Assuming
what the Star Mother Association says is true, then the threat called the Great
King of Angolmois exists. Even if we distance ourselves from the Star Mother
Association, wouldn't it be better to do so after dealing with that threat?
Maybe they'll destroy each other first.”
After
Anna said that, Oribe sighed once and spoke,
"Well,
you're right. Being their enemy certainly carries risks. There's the worry
you'd be used up and discarded, but nodding along might be the safer bet here.
And there's also the matter of Senpai's father and all.
...Still,
it's best not to mention that the Star Mother Association caused Angolmois. If
that gets out, it'll definitely cause trouble."
As
the two had spoken, all eyes inevitably turned to the remaining person.
Teacher
remained silent for a moment, a pained expression on his face, but he
eventually rose from his seat...
"I1'm... sorry. I need some time to calm down and think
this through. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this.”
With
that, he left the room.
Anna
stared fixedly at Teacher's retreating back, her face devoid of any
expression...
【Tips】Currently Known Estimated
Phase 4 and 5 Specifications
・Phase
4
A-rank
monsters pour forth, and spatial distortions isolate the surface into separate
areas.
To
reach another area, one must descend the ‘stairs’ appearing in each area.
Beyond
the stairs lie domains guarded by ‘Gatekeepers’. To pass through the ‘gate’ to
the next area, one must either defeat the Gatekeeper or obtain the right of
passage through negotiation.
Monsters
within the Gatekeeper's domain are freed from the ‘trial and reward for
humanity’ shackles imposed by the dungeon. Thus, they do not unconditionally
attack humans, but they do not drop cards when defeated (instead, they drop
rare items regardless of rank).
Each
area forms around densely populated locations. If an area's population falls
below a certain threshold (10,000 people), it merges with adjacent areas until
the threshold is met.
Consequently,
densely populated urban centers tend to have smaller areas (though even the
smallest area spans several kilometers in radius).
・Phase
5
The
flow of time warps, and Angolmois becomes permanent.
The
more dungeons there are and the deeper the dungeons in the area are, the ‘slower’
time flows there, creating a difference of thousands of times between areas
with few dungeons and densely populated urban centers.
Furthermore,
all monsters are freed from their role as ‘trial and reward for humanity’ and
cease dropping cards.
***
Notes:
1 He still uses 僕(boku) which is primarily used by boys.↩
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