Mob Kousei No Ore Demo Boukensha Ni
Nareba Riajuu Ni Naremasuka: Chapter #166
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
Translator(s) note: Wow, how long has it been? Thank you for your patience. We will upload the translation for ch 166-169 today!
Episode 166: Empires
Tend to Play the Villain in Various Works (2)
"Saito,
Saito..."
I rolled the name around in my
mouth.
Ah, I
remember now.
"The
Siren user from back then?"
If I remember correctly, he
was the opponent I fought in the second match of the Catfight Tournament.
…Even
though all this happened just at the beginning of this year, it somehow feels
like a distant memory.
"Hah!
If anything, you’re the Siren User now, aren’t you? Or should I say, a
Persephone User?"
At the man’s sarcastic remark,
I swept my gaze around and smiled wryly. He was undoubtedly right.
"So?
Who are you lot?"
"Haven’t
you heard the declaration of war?"
I glanced at Yujin-san, but he
just shook his head. Seeing that, Saito clicked his tongue in annoyance,
"Tch,
those guys really can’t do their jobs. Can’t they even deliver a declaration of
war? Typical brain-fucked scum whose minds have been fried by looting… Well,
whatever. We’re from the ‘Gladiator Empire’."
"Gladiator?
Empire?"
An
empire? That’s quite a bold claim. Judging by the name, is it a nation formed
by a group of Gladiators?
"So,
what’s the purpose of your visit, people of the Gladiator Empire?"
"That’s
bloody obvious. We’ve come to conquer this place."
Saito’s response was exactly
as expected.
“For
old time's sake, I’ll give you some advice. Surrender right now. The more you
resist, the worse off you’ll be after yielding. You hear me?”
But this line was somewhat
unexpected.
Seeing our strength and still taking this
attitude… Is he just being a sore loser? No, Suzuka’s [Deceit Detection] tells
me this isn’t just bravado.
Although most of the enemy
forces were C or D-rank, there were a few B-ranks among them.
Saito was one of those scarce
B-rank users, and this battle had cost him a valuable B-rank card.
Yet, he didn't seem
particularly upset... This was strange.
“...You
lost miserably, yet you’re acting pretty cocky. Don’t you think your position
back home will be in trouble since you suffered a crushing defeat and even lost
your valuable B-rank card?”
I tried prodding him like
that, but Saito just grinned with a smug look. ...Does losing a B-rank card not
sting at all?
"You
guys would never win. The best you can hope for is to defend like this."
Is he
talking about the one-way design of the stairs? Is he saying that we, on the
lower side, have no way to fight back against them on the upper side?
……No,
I get the feeling his confidence isn’t just about that. Maybe I should probe a
little further.
“Just
so you know, I’m originally from another area. If you think we can’t fight back
just because of the stairs, you’re making a huge mistake.”
"What?
Heh, so that’s how it is. I was wondering why the hell you'd be out here of all
places—but that explains it."
Saito looked surprised for a
moment, but his composed expression didn’t waver.
Ah, no
doubt about it.
I stated with absolute
certainty,
"————The
Authority of the Deity of Gate, hmm?"
"...Huh!?"
This time, Saito's expression
clearly changed.
Just as I thought. On the
route I took from Hachioji to this island, I didn’t see any signs that a nation
like that could have formed.
Of course, given that multiple
stairways exist depending on the area, it was possible they reached this island
via a different route than mine, but judging by this situation, I should assume
they teleported here from somewhere using the power of a Gate Deity.
In that case, well… indeed, a
counterattack would practically be impossible.
"We
have a Deity of Gate as Gatekeeper on our side, too. Pinpointing your base will
take time, but a counterattack isn’t impossible, you know?"
"…So
you knew about the Gatekeepers’ power. It seems your story about coming here
from somewhere else isn’t a lie after all."
Saito snorted at this, clearly
unimpressed, and glared at me,
"But
that’s not the only reason you can’t win. Sure, you’re powerful. You could
probably become a high-ranking fighter in the Empire in no time. But that’s all
you are. You—no, nobody—can beat that guy."
"...That
guy?"
"————Hideyuki
Hosoda. You’ve at least heard the name, haven’t you?"
"......Hoso...da?"
The moment I heard that name,
for some reason, a pitch-black emotion suddenly welled up inside me.
An intense hatred and
murderous intent unlike anything I’d ever felt in my life…
What
the hell, is this...? Why do I feel such intense hostility toward someone I've
never even met...?
This
has happened before. It was, I’m pretty sure, when I was figuring out how to
deal with the evacuees at school. When I found out that those selfish evacuees
had driven Mom to the brink of a mental breakdown, the same dark, seething
emotion welled up inside me. I didn’t question it at the time… but looking back
now, it’s just plain weird. What on earth is happening to me?
Yujin-san's voice snapped me
back to the present.
For
now, I’ll have to put aside the strange things happening to me. Right—the Grim
Reaper Slayer. I’ve heard that name before.
He was
one of the so-called 'First-Gens'
who moved to America right after the adventurer system
was established there and became a professional adventurer. After returning to
Japan, he became the leading bounty hunter specializing in the extermination of
Irregular Encounters.
While most bounty hunters
essentially specialize in F-rank dungeons, I've heard that Hosoda even accepted
jobs of dealing with Grim Reapers that appeared in C-rank dungeons.
Rumor said he even killed an
A-rank-class Grim Reaper during the Second Angolmois.
That
was how he earned the nickname… the Grim Reaper Slayer.
"I
see. Now I get why y’all are so confident."
Yujin-san nodded as if
everything finally made sense, then he grinned and pointed at me with his
thumb,
“But
this Kitagawa here isn’t about to lose to the Grim Reaper Slayer, you know?
After all, he’s taken down the equivalent of an A-rank Irregular Encounter in
this very Angolmois.”
"What!?"
Saito’s eyes widened, and he
stared at me with a look of terror.
“No,
no way… are you one too?”
"...One
too? What do you mean?"
When I asked him that, Saito,
in turn, looked puzzled,
“You’re,
not?”
"What
do you mean? What are you talking about?"
"……………………"
But after that, Saito fell
silent and stopped answering any questions.
From the look on his face, I
could sense a strong determination not to say another word.
Seeing this, Yujin-san sighed
and said,
“Well,
I guess there’s no helping it. We'll get more out of him later. For now, let's
hear what the other prisoners have to say.”
“Right.”
I nodded, and with the help of
the islanders who could also detect lies, we began questioning
the prisoners.
From
this, we learned the following:
・The Gladiator Empire is a
nation formed by Gladiators. It's been about twenty years since its founding.
Originally, it was a group of Gladiators who gathered in a land completely
devoid of dungeons with the goal of surviving this Angolmois together, but it
gradually transformed into a dictatorship where the Gladiators ruled over the
original inhabitants.
・As
befits a gladiator nation, the Empire's leader is decided at an annual
tournament. The Grim Reaper Slayer is not the first champion, but the second,
who usurped the throne after killing the first. He has held the throne ever
since. Nowadays, no one even dares to challenge him. He wasn't originally a
founding member of the Empire, but apparently appeared out of nowhere from
another area.
・Since
the Grim Reaper Slayer rose to power, the Empire began invading areas where the
time dilation—the difference in the flow of time—is minimal. It seems the Grim
Reaper Slayer has formed a cooperative relationship with a Gate Deity
Gatekeeper found in another area (perhaps he reached the Empire using that
Gatekeeper’s power?).
・The
Empire enforces a strict caste system. While there are slaves, monsters are
granted equal rights to humans. Some monsters even own human slaves.
・In
the Empire, strength directly translates to social status. While the system
allows anyone—even a slave—to rise to the rank of champion by winning
tournaments across each level, a monster’s status is tied to that of their
contracted master. Thus, monsters will not contract with weak masters, and
since pre-Angolmois cards are rare, rising to the top is actually difficult.
・When
an invasion occurs, the more fiercely you resist, the lower your status will be
after being conquered. In particular, leaders and their families may be reduced
to ‘Permanent Slaves’—a status that bars them from even participating in the
tournaments meant to help people rise in rank. So just surrender already.
“That’s
about it.”
I was fed up with those guys
acting all high and mighty despite having been handed their asses, but the
prisoners were all pretty loose-lipped. Maybe they were trying to scare us, but
they blabbed away about the Empire’s inner workings.
However, the moment the
conversation turned to the Empire’s actual military strength or the Grim Reaper
Slayer, they’d all clam up instantly, their faces twisted with fear.
From their reactions, it was
clear that the Grim Reaper Slayer was fiercely controlling the nation.
“Kitagawa,
can I have a word?”
After hearing the prisoners'
stories, Yujin-san called out to me.
“Well,
given the opportunity, I’d like to move forward with that card trade we
discussed…”
"Ah…"
Right,
there's that too. But…
“Uh,
but I didn’t bring any cards to trade right now.”
“Oh,
really? Well, take a look at our items first. Otherwise, you won’t be able to
decide what card to trade, right?”
I see,
that’s a good point.
With that, led by Yujin-san, I
headed to his house.
As expected—or perhaps
unsurprisingly—Yujin-san’s house was a Western-style mansion Mayoiga, complete
with its own magnificent private garden—a clear indication of his standing on
the island.
In front of the house stood
Reina-san, whose beauty remained unchanged since we parted, along with her
daughter, and… a beautiful blonde girl who looked radiant even from a distance.
“Hey!
I’ve brought Kitagawa along.”
Yujin-san wrapped an arm
around Reina-san’s shoulder and turned back to me with a grin,
“I’ve
already made the introductions to your clone, but let me properly introduce
them now. This is my wife, Reina, and my daughter, Yuina.”
“It’s
been a while, Kitagawa-kun.”
I wonder if I'm imagining
things, but Reina-san seemed calmer than before, with an enhanced air of
allure, as she greeted me with a smile.
“Yes,
it's been a while. Though for me, it feels like just a short time ago.”
As I replied, my gaze drifted
to the blonde beauty beside her, and she spoke first,
"Long
time no see, Onii-san."
"Ah,
uh... Ria-cha--, -san...? It’s been a while."
I didn’t know how to act
around her—she’d changed so much—and I found myself acting a bit awkwardly as I
said that.
Seven years had transformed
the girl who used to be younger than my own sister into a beautiful young woman
my own age.
Her soft, fluffy-looking
blonde hair and the sparkle in her emerald-green eyes remained the same, but
her once-childish features had matured into a beautiful, more grown-up look.
Her limbs had grown slender and long, and her eye level was now on par with
mine.
And
then there's her chest and butt――――!
I desperately tried to control
myself, fighting the urge to let my gaze drift toward her cleavage, which
rivaled even Ushikura-san's.
...Looking at someone I knew
from when they were a child in that way made even me feel a pang of guilt.
Facing such a me, she smiled
happily,
"Fufu,
you can call me by my first name with '-chan' like you used to. Or just ‘Ria’
is fine. It's been a long time, Renge-chan and Athena-chan."
“Ou. You've
grown quite a bit since I last saw you, in many ways."
“It’s
been some time. You look healthy, which is good... but you're starting to
resemble ‘that’ one."
The girls looked at
Victoria-chan with complex expressions.
True,
she might look a bit like Athena’s Nike, whom I haven’t summoned in ages… but
that’s beside the point.
“Ah,
then I'll go ahead and call you Ria. By the way, how's Victor-san? Is he doing
well?"
Victor-san and I have had some
timing issues. I didn’t even get to see him the last time I sent out my clone.
“My
father is at the evacuation center, trying to calm the islanders down. He had
been looking forward to seeing Onii-san, so he was really disappointed."
“I
see. Well, as long as he’s okay, that’s good. I’m sure there’ll be a chance to
meet another time."
As we were talking, I noticed
that Yuina-chan, Yujin-san’s daughter, had been silently staring at me from
Reina-san’s arms.
“Um,
you’re Yuina-chan, right? What’s wrong?”
“...Mama,
he’s weird.”
At my question, Yuina-chan
clung to her mother’s arm as if frightened.
Mm...
Having a small child scared of me kinda hurts.
Seeing his daughter’s
behavior, Yujin-san nodded as if he understood,
"Ah,
I see. Kitagawa used a clone on his previous visit. She's probably confused
because you are suddenly talking after always being like a doll. Not to mention
that your age has changed too."
"Ah,
makes sense."
I seemed different from when
she last saw me, so she was being cautious as a child would.
“Anyway,
should we have a look at the items now?”
“Yes.”
At Yujin-san's prompting, we
moved to an open spot in the garden.
There, a small patio table and
chairs had been set up.
Once we were seated, Yujin-san
pulled out a binder.
“This
is a list of magic items we’ve accumulated over the past seven years. The higher-ranked
items are at the front, and the ones with unknown details are at the back.”
“Wow,
this is quite a lot.”
“Yeah,
that’s because monsters stopped dropping cards and started leaving rare drops
instead. Plus, there were those Gold Disappointment Boxes from Carbuncles.”
“…From
Carbuncles? Did a secret dungeon appear?”
Hearing this for the first
time, I couldn’t help but raise my head.
“Yeah,
a few years back. Though it was a pretty lame one—only spawned one Carbuncle a
day.”
Even so, that amounts to 365 per year.
It’s a number not to be sneezed at.
“Did
you keep the Carbuncle Garnets?"
“Huh?
Yeah, just in case. They're worthless now, but it feels like a waste to just
throw them away or sell them for next to nothing.”
Perfect.
I’m glad he kept them.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
“I'll
buy all the Garnets here. How many do you have in total?”
“Oh?
Roughly a thousand or so… Is there actually some hidden use for them?”
“I’ll
leave that to your imagination. Just to be clear, I don’t think they’ll be of
any use to you.”
“Hmm,
is that so…?”
Ignoring Yujin-san and the
others as they seemed deep in thought, I scanned through the list.
Whoa?
There's a Black Card magic item? Hmm, I could never have too many of those, but
if I choose this, I’d have to offer several B-rank cards or a top-tier one in
exchange. And honestly, I don’t really need a Black Card badly enough to go
that far right now, so I’ll pass.
Other
than that... Ooh, there's one Soul Revival Pill. And about three Vouivre
Diamonds.
I’ll
pick them up for now, but my real target is the group of items with unknown
details.
I checked each of the
cardified items one by one.
『Hmm!? Oi, Utamaro!』
Renge reacted when I got to a massive
gate-shaped magic item.
『A Key Item!?』
『Yeah!』
Of all
places, I actually hit the jackpot here… Now that’s a pleasant surprise.
Lately, I’ve been getting Key Items one after another—it definitely feels like
my luck is running hot.
But
seven gates, huh...
『Does anyone have any idea
about these gates?』
『Hmm… I think I sense the
presence of the Underworld?』
『Yes.』
It
was Mea and Prima who answered my question. Mea is Hecate, Prima is
Persephone—cards deeply connected to the Underworld.
"...Yujin-san,
is it okay if I take this one right here and now?”
“Yeah,
sure. It’s fine to take it home with you if there’s something you want.”
“Is
that really okay?”
“Yeah,
after all, you lent us Hephaestus for seven years, Kitagawa.”
"Thank
you."
I bowed my head in gratitude
for the trust Yujin-san and the others had placed in me, then had Renge absorb
the Seven Gates.
This would be the third Key
Item she had absorbed...
『W-well, how is it?』
『...No, still not working.』
Seriously?
Even three isn’t enough...
Then, Athena spoke as if a
sudden thought had occurred to her,
『…Could it be that there are
two destinations for Renge’s Spiritual Recurrence?』
『Two? Hmm, that’s a possibility.』
If Renge had two destinations
for her Spiritual Recurrence, that would mean we’d need two sets of Key Items.
...Or perhaps even more.
『Two? Hmm...?』
However, as for Renge, that
hypothesis didn’t seem to sit quite right with her.
『Does it not feel quite right?』
『No… now that it’s mentioned,
it’s kind of like there are two destinations, but maybe not…?』
Hmm...
『In any case, it seems we still
need to gather Key Items.』
With that, the conversation
ended, and I proceeded to check the remaining items.
【Afterword from Hyakkin-san (Author)】
Chapter
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