Mob Kousei No Ore Demo Boukensha Ni
Nareba Riajuu Ni Naremasuka: Chapter #168
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
Episode 168: Grim
Reaper Slayer (1)
"This
is the card for our trade."
The following morning.
I visited Yujin-san's house to
hand over the card I’d pulled from the gacha.
Of course, it wasn't me who
went this time either—it was Suzuka, transformed into me.
"Oh,
Dominion...! I never imagined you’d give us something this powerful! This is a lifesaver!"
Yujin-san beamed from ear to
ear as he looked at the card I handed him.
It seemed he had no complaints
about the trade.
Now that the value of cards
and items from before Angolmois no longer served as a benchmark, the standard
for trades had become whether both parties considered it satisfactory.
……Well, there’s a chance Yujin-san might
have some complaints once he learns about Garnet’s effect, but in this world,
information is a valuable asset in its own right.
Even
if information asymmetry creates a disparity in the value of goods between us,
I’m under no obligation to hand over information for free.
If
they don’t know Garnet’s effect and lack a way to use it, then such is Garnet’s
value to Yujin-san and the others here.
……That said, I have no intention of ripping
them off, either. Factoring in Renge’s Key Item, the value of Garnet to both
parties, and the rental fee for Hephaestus over the past few years, I judged
that Dominion was a fair price.
"With
this, enemies like the lot we faced recently won’t stand a chance. Appreciate
it."
Indeed, with Dominion—which
can summon the B-rank equipping card Dunamis—they should be able to repel
enemies of that caliber without issue.
…That is, as long as the enemies are of
that caliber.
Having successfully defended
the island and not letting a single enemy escape, the other side surely
heightened their vigilance.
If
they simply give up on this island, that would be great, but if they come back,
they’ll undoubtedly send an even more powerful force.
Will Dominion really be enough then?
No
matter how many Dunamis can be summoned by Dominion, a single Anti-Subordinate
Skill could take them all out in one fell swoop.
……Well, we'll cross that bridge when the
time comes. The Dominion is, after all, just a card to minimize my direct
involvement. Only when things escalate beyond the Dominion's capabilities will
I send aid—defeat them if I can, or if not, help the people here escape to
Tachikawa.
That, too, is part of the price.
That was my thinking.
And one more thing.
"And
thanks for putting the dungeon Bosses in their place. Took a load off our plate.”
During the Empire's recent
attack, the dungeon Bosses took a neutral stance, siding neither with the
Empire nor with Oragashima.
I don’t know if they simply
hated being used by humans, or if it was a statement that they 'have no
intention of getting involved in human conflicts', but what’s certain is that
they 'didn’t become our allies'.
I can’t say I don’t understand their
feelings, but such individuals are nothing but uncertainties.
So I gathered the dungeon
Bosses and made it clear: if they didn't cooperate during the next invasion, I
would 'have them replaced'.
I phrased it mildly, but the
implication was clear—they’d disappear.
Since I’d summoned all my cards
to intimidate them, all but a few belligerent Bosses—regardless of their true
feelings—nodded in agreement to cooperate with any defense efforts going
forward.
Of course, this wasn't free;
the promise was to pay Magic Stones corresponding to each dungeon Boss's rank for
every battle they fought.
Given the nature of the
Authority of Contract, compensation was essential. Still, as long as it could
be covered by the Irregular Encounter's Magic Stone, it might as well be free.
"Since
you're here, why not stick around for a meal?"
"Ah...
sorry. Actually, I have an important appointment after this."
Appointment. Of course, it was
about the summons from the Saintess yesterday.
She
said it could be whenever I had time, preferably soon, but when it comes from your
superior, that's just a polite way of saying "get here now."
Still, since I needed to
deliver the card to Oragashima as soon as possible, I came here just to hand it
over.
……Truth be told, I’d have
preferred to do more than just give the dungeon Bosses a stern warning; I
wanted to draw a clear line and limit cooperation to only those who would
willingly help even without a contract. But with my meeting with the Saintess
awaiting, I simply didn’t have the time to conquer each dungeon one by one and
eliminate the Bosses.
Since there were some dungeon
Bosses who had been getting along well with the residents of Oragashima, I
decided to use this to give them a single chance to prove themselves.
Upon hearing my reply,
Yujin-san looked disappointed.
“……I
see. Well, come by anytime. You’re always welcome.”
"Okay."
After exchanging a firm
handshake with Yujin-san, I used the Hamelin's Flute to send my cards back.
"Thank
you very much for honoring my invitation today."
Having successfully concluded
my trade with Yujin-san, I headed straight for the Star Mother Association’s
shelter.
Of course, this time I visited
in person.
I was greeted by Hathor and Sekhmet
as usual, who guided me to a room that looked like a hotel suite.
The moment I saw the face of
the Saintess waiting there with a smile, I felt my spirits sink to the depths.
Just the thought of having to
drink tea with this worst mass murderer in history made my fingertips tremble.
Moreover, a conversation was
awaiting, one that the Saintess had gone out of her way to describe as
‘important’
It would have been strange if
I didn’t feel down.
"How
do you like this room?"
After exchanging greetings
while trying to appear as calm as possible and taking my seat, the Saintes
asked me such question.
How do
I like it...?
I swept my eyes around the
room.
It was a spacious, luxurious
room, no less impressive than any chamber in Fensalir. Even to my untrained
eye, I could tell it was filled with top-tier furnishings. The carpet under my foot
was plush and soft, and the chair I was sitting in was incredibly comfortable.
Yeah,
it’s a nice room, isn’t it? I couldn’t think of any other impression.
...No,
to be honest, I felt a slight sense of revulsion.
I don’t know what kind of rooms the
ordinary believers live in, but I doubt everyone lives in a room like this.
While a hellish scene unfolds outside, she
lives this luxurious life using the wealth she’s siphoned off from so many
people in front of Angolmois……
And to say I didn’t feel revulsion and
contempt would be a lie.
"It’s
a very nice room, isn’t it? Is this your private quarters, Saintess-sama?"
Hiding those inner thoughts, I
complimented the room. The Saintess chuckled softly, amused.
"No,
no, this is Kitagawa-san's room."
"Mine?"
"Yes."
As I furrowed my brow at those
unexpected words, the Saintess nodded nonchalantly
"
We can’t very well give a Five-Star executive a modest room. If those at the
top live in poverty, wouldn’t that sap the motivation of those below?"
Well,
not that I don’t see her point, but…
"
Similar rooms have been prepared not just in this shelter, but in every shelter
across the country, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a place to stay
wherever you go. You’ll even have a personal attendant."
…It’s
a waste of resources and manpower, considering I hardly ever stick around.
Despite my internal
commentary, I maintained a polite facade and bowed, saying,
"Thank
you for your thoughtfulness."
"By
the way, have you managed to reunite with your whole family?"
The Saintess asked me in a
casual tone, as if we were just making small talk—perhaps she didn't intend to
get to the main point just yet.
She was still speaking in the
tone of casual small talk.
...Wait,
is her real goal to find out how things are going for me?
While my mind raced with these
thoughts, I shook my head as I answered,
"No,
not yet with my father..."
"Oh?
And why might that be?"
"Well,
circumstances have arisen…"
While the Saintess tilted her
head in curiosity, I kept my response vague and decided to cut straight to the
chase,
"By
all means, what is the important thing you wished to discuss?”
When I asked, the Saintess
gave a small nod and began to speak, as if the previous conversation really had
been nothing more than light chit-chat,
"First,
regarding your position, Kitagawa-san. Have you heard about the Star Guides and
the Five-Star Generals?"
Ah, so
that's what this is about.
I nodded back.
"Yes,
well, more or less."
"I
see. In that case, this will be quick. Do you have any preferences, Kitagawa-san?"
"If
possible, I’d prefer to be a Five-Star General. I am not familiar with the
internal affairs, and I’m more suited to being out and about."
"
I understand. Then a Five Star General you shall be."
The Saintess nodded without
hesitation.
Had
she anticipated my answer? Or did it not matter to her either way?
"
Now, regarding the deck granted to a Five-Star General, do you have any
requests? We can’t guarantee everything will be exactly as you specify, but we
can accommodate the overall concept of the deck, and we can even provide one
top-tier card of your choice."
Even a
top-tier card...
The
Star Mother Association’s resources truly seemed abundant.
Suppressing the dread rising
within me, I spoke,
"About
that... May I receive magic items instead of cards?"
"Hmm,
magic items?"
"Yes.
Even if you provided me with a deck, my personal deck is nearly complete, so it
would just sit unused. Magic items would be more useful for expanding my combat
capabilities."
If the
Saintess hesitates at this, it would mean the Star Mother Association did
intend to slip a cursed card into my pocket...
"
I see. In that case, we’ll provide magic items of equivalent value."
But the Saintess nodded
readily.
Is she
not planning to manipulate me with a cursed card...? Or did she sense my
wariness and deliberately avoid it?
Either way, with the momentum
gained, I pressed further,
"Regarding
the magic items I'll be receiving... If possible, I'd like one with Absolute
Release. If that is too difficult, then please let me choose an A-rank
item."
"An
item capable of Absolute Release or an A-rank magic item, you say..."
At this, even the Saintess
seemed to fall deep in thought.
"I’m
terribly sorry, but even I don’t possess any Absolute Release magic item."
Not
even the Saintess has one...?
Just as I was about to hang my
head in disappointment, thinking they must be that rare…
"However,
when it comes to A-rank magic items, depending on the item, it may be possible."
"Really!?"
I snapped my head up. The
Saintess offered a gentle smile and nodded in return,
"Yes.
That said, while B-rank and below is one thing, A-rank magic items are precious
even to us. So… for A-rank items, I can offer up to three; for B-rank and
below, up to ten per A-rank slot. Would that be acceptable?"
Three
A-rank items! And for B-rank and below, ten per A-rank slot!
As always, the Star Mother Association is
so generous it’s almost scary…
“Yes,
I'll accept that."
There was no reason to refuse.
I nodded.
"…Ah,
if I may ask, what if the item comes from a Disappointment Box and its details
are unknown?”
…While drop items are one thing, if an
item comes from a Disappointment Box, there’s room to negotiate its rank.
I asked, hoping that even if
an item would technically be A-rank, there might be leeway to secure it within
the B-rank slot, but...
“Ah,
regarding that, even if the effects are unknown, we can still determine the
item’s 'rank1', so how about we treat even
items with unknown details according to their appropriate rank?”
Guess
I can’t have it that easy, after all...
Still,
the Star Mother Association has a way to gauge an item's rank, huh... Is it
some A-rank Authority? Or maybe they can measure it based on the sheer
magnitude of the pure power a magic item holds?
“…As
for the items I’ll be receiving, may I verify them with my own eyes first?”
“Of
course, that's no problem at all.”
Good.
This way, I can tell if they’re Key Items or not.
Depending
on what I choose, the Association might be able to narrow down the Spiritual
Recurrence destination in my hold, but that can't be helped.
...But
this is more generous than I expected.
Should
I try asking for one more thing, even if it's a long shot?
She
said she didn't possess a magic item with Absolute Release, but maybe they
could arrange to get me someone who holds a card with that ability, even just
once.
If
it’s a personnel they send, there’s no risk of me being manipulated by a cursed
card.
"..................."
...Nah,
better not.
Even
if I borrow the Star Mother Association's power to break Izayoi Shoji's
Absolute Barrier and reunite with my dad, it'd be disastrous if they just used
their own Absolute Barrier to imprison him.
That
would mean I’d have no choice but to do whatever the Star Mother Association
says.
In a
way, it might be safer than staying at Izayoi Shoji… but that would only last
as long as I’m of use to them.
Nevertheless,
there's one thing I need to ask,
"Do
you possess any knowledge regarding the magic item capable of Absolute Release?"
"I
myself don't know the effects of every single skill or magic item in existence..."
"…………"
She answered without actually
answering the question.
It's
probably a countermeasure against Deceit Detection, but that very way of
answering tells me the Saintess does know something about the Absolute Release
magic item.
Why is
the Saintess refusing to give me information about the Absolute Release magic item…?
I can think of a few reasons, but the most
likely candidate is the Authority of Contract.
Absolute
Release could even nullify the Authority of Contract.
If the
Saintess is trying to bind me with the Authority of Contract, she definitely
wouldn't want me having a means that can unilaterally void that contract.
What
in the world does she intend to make me do by binding me with that
Authority...?
The thought bothered me immensely,
but either way, it wasn't like I had the power to refuse.
I shook my head slightly to
clear my thoughts, then nodded back at the Saintess,
"I
understand. Thank you for your kindness."
"Very
well. I’ll have the list prepared right away."
With that, the Saintess
operated her Card Gear. She must have sent a message to her underlings.
"Now
then, while we await the list, shall we discuss the second matter?"
The
second matter... I knew it. That wasn't the only reason she called me here. Well,
there’s no such thing as a free lunch; she wasn't just going to give me all
these 'carrots' and call it a day. And she did say 'first' earlier, after all.
I straightened my posture and
steeled myself. This part was the actual business.
"Do
you recall why we invited you to join us, Kitagawa-san?"
As if
I could ever forget.
"You
wish for my cooperation in defeating the Great King of Angolmois … correct?"
"Yes,
precisely."
The Saintess nodded with
satisfaction.
"I
believe it’s time we discuss the specifics of that cooperation. We’d like you,
Kitagawa-san, to help us weaken the Great King of Angolmois."
Help
weaken him? ...Wait, could she mean—!?
A chill ran down my spine.
The Saintess had stated that
the Star Mother Association had brought Angolmois to reduce the distortion in
the law of causality and weaken the Great King of Angolmois.
That it was to cull the human
population—which should have died out—and bring things closer to how they were
meant to be.
If
she’s asking for my help, that means...
Seeing my face, which must
have gone deathly pale, the Saintess tilted her head in puzzlement for a moment
before breaking into a wry smile,
"Ah,
please rest assured—I’m not asking you to kill surviving humans,
Kitagawa-san."
"……Is,
that so?"
At those words, I couldn’t
help but let my relief show, with no pretense of hiding it.
"What
I’d like to ask of you, Kitagawa-san, is mainly to deal with the Great King of
Angolmois’s minions… the Irregular Encounters."
“The
Irregular Encounters?”
To my echo, the Saintess
nodded and continued,
“The
Great King of Angolmois possesses all the abilities of Irregular Encounters, as
well as the ability to summon them. However, if a full-spec Irregular Encounter
is defeated within Angolmois, not only will it not revive for a while, but its
ability will also be stripped from the Great King of Angolmois's arsenal. Thus,
by defeating Irregular Encounters, we can weaken the Great King of Angolmois."
Possesses
the abilities of all Irregular Encounters, as well as the ability to summon
them...
I was speechless.
That
explains why they’d go so far as to unleash Angolmois just to weaken him. ...Or
rather, this is how strong he is even after being weakened?
――――Even going this far, it is barely enough. ...I have to admit
that even that is an optimistic hope.2
The Saintess’s words from when
she recruited me came flooding back to me.
I get
it now… I was wondering why they’d treat someone like me so generously—so it’s
because they needed all the help they could get.
...I
see. If that's the case, it’s not all that different from what I’ve been doing
anyway,
I thought like that. But just
then, the Saintess’s eyes narrowed sharply.
That alone was enough to make
her aura turn cold and dark. I stiffened, startled.
"—!"
I gasped.
I
never expected that topic to come up here...!
Aware that I was leaning forward
slightly in my seat, I asked,
"... Is that like ‘The Wolf and the Seven
Young Goats’?"
The
Saintess gave a nod.
"Irregular Encounters,
too, sometimes leave behind a card of themselves when they acknowledge their
opponent. …Though, the humans they choose are invariably limited to a specific
kind."
A specific kind?
The
mysterious card left behind by the Pied Piper of Hamelin flashed through my
mind.
Feeling
a cold sweat slowly break out on my back, I urged her to continue,
"...And that is?"
"People who resonate with
their cause... In other words, those harboring a
desire for destruction3—those who wish for the world's end."
A desire for destruction...?
I was somewhat perplexed by
this unforeseen answer.
Well,
I suppose it’s true that it could be said that I was likely picked by a Grim
Reaper... but that description didn’t really fit me.
Ignoring
my deep thought, the Saintess went on,
"Those who resonate with
the ideology of the Irregular Encounters and have obtained such a card... we
call them 'Grim Tellers'."
"Grim
Tellers..."
I rolled the words around in
my mouth. Then I asked, hesitating as I wondered if I should even be asking
this,
If
my assumption was correct, the purpose of the Hound Master incident should have
been to sneak the ‘Wolf and the Seven Young Goats’ card into the upper echelons
of the government to hinder the Self-Defense Forces’ activities during the
Angolmois.
Given
that the outcome of the incident worked out quite conveniently for the Star
Mother Association, I had assumed that the Star Mother Association and the
Hound Master—a Grim Teller—were working together…
When
I voiced my thought, the Saintess showed no sign of anger; rather, she nodded
as if she saw my train of thought.
"It's only natural you
would think so, Kitagawa-san. In fact, up until the arrival of Angolmois, we
did maintain a cooperative relationship to some extent."
It was as I’d suspected.
Rather
than feeling dismay or anger, I found myself feeling a sense of acceptance.
I
even had the thought, “Yeah, that sounds just like the Star Mother
Association.”
"In regard to alleviating the distortion of the law of causality, even if only slightly, our goals aligned with those of the Irregular Encounters by awakening Angolmois. However, our ultimate objectives from that point onward are diametrically opposed. Now, they are nothing but troublesome enemies."
"...I see."
On
one side, there's the Star Mother Association, advocating for ‘salvation of the
Mother Sea’, and on the other, the Grim Reapers aiming for the ‘eradication of
the Mother Sea’. They were fundamentally incompatible.
“What I’d like to ask of you,
Kitagawa-san, is to deal with someone among the Grim Tellers who wields an
especially powerful Irregular Encounter…”
With
murderous intent burning in her crimson eyes, the Saintess stated,
"————Hideyuki Hosoda. I
want you to take care of the man known as the 'Grim Reaper Slayer’.”
***
Notes:
1 The raw use the word 格(kaku) which can be translated as status or rank↩
3 A desire for destruction, written as 破滅願望 (hametsu ganbou) in the raw. Weblio.jp gave us this explanation: This term means feeling like nothing matters and wishing for things to be destroyed. In particular, it often refers to passively wishing for one's own destruction, while active ones are sometimes called destructive desires. ↩
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