Moto Sekai Ichi'i No Sub-chara Ikusei Nikki Chapter 36-37

36　Baku-agebon-bar

　Cool, I'm feeling really excited this morning!

　Why? Because today we're finally capturing the Proline Dungeon.

　With my current mood, it almost seems like a lie that yesterday I was feeling down, and I'm currently planning to tell everyone the strategy while having breakfast.

　Eh, mood swings?　No, no, that's not the case.

　My motivation to aim for the top in the world is in full throttle this morning, and so is my appet.i.te. However, after thinking a bit, I'm sort of lazy and aside from being the top of the world I have no other motivation at all…… But I'm sure it'll be fine.

“I think we should dive into the Proline Dungeon today.”

“Understood…… But, even if we capture it on our own, I doubt the Blacksmiths Guild would accept it.”

“Eh?　Why? “

“A dungeon capture is something done by a lot of people. It is carried out regularly by the Adventurers Guild in the form of a 『Group Capture』. Therefore, even if you were to claim that an unknown team captured it alone……”

“They will think it's a lie? “

“Yes, Master.”

“Even if I show them the Mithril itself? “

“Right. Mithril seems to be gathered not only from the boss, but also from the monsters inside the Proline Dungeon.”

　Oh… Somehow, I'm no longer feeling that excited.

“Then, how about we clear it many times and collect a lot of mithril? “

“……That's a possibility. We could clear it many times.”

　Yukari then said “I'm sorry I forgot about that”, and continued to think.

　Silvia tilted her head and was also thinking. And Eko, since the story was a bit difficult for her to follow, she began to play with the houseplants' leaves swaying in the wind.

“With that, we might be able to trade with the Blacksmiths Guild without waiting for the group capture. However, since we ignored their rules, the Adventurers Guild will not remain silent.”

“Ohh, I see.”

　I don't know how often the group capture is conducted, but if we were to ignore the guild and capture it by ourselves, it will be seen as a challenge and crush the efforts of the guild, who had gathered a large number of adventurers, pretty much b.u.t.ting heads head on. There's no doubt they will hold a grudge against us.

“Then, wouldn't it be okay to just partic.i.p.ate in the Group Capture, and have Second-dono show his ability? “

　Silvia said, while a lot of question marks seemingly floated above her head. Her line of thought is quite good. However, there's one fatal flaw in that plan.

“That would be alright if only they allowed F ranked teams to partic.i.p.ate.”

“Hmm, I see……”

　Group capture raids of an uncaptured dungeon give a great opportunity for adventurers to increase their own fame. Probably a lot of fierce adventurers gather from all over the kingdom. There's no way they will allow a newly formed F ranked rookie team to partic.i.p.ate in there.

　That's why, capturing without permission will turn the Adventurers Guild into an enemy, and n.o.body will believe in you…… Ahh, they really closed all options.

“The best thing to do is to contribute to the Adventurers Guild as much as possible, in order for them to allow us to partic.i.p.ate in the group capture.”

　Yukari calmly stated. That was probably her plan from the beginning. Otherwise, she wouldn't have claimed that we should register as adventurers yesterday.

　But, how many months would that take?　As expected, that's not something that gets me motivated at all. Is it because I'm still thinking about this as a game?　Or is that the difference between the sense of time of the relatively long-lived elves and that of normal people?

“…………Oh.”

　At that moment, an idea came to my mind.

“Say, Yukari. In short, if the rank of the adventurers is high, they can partic.i.p.ate in the group capture?　Or rather, if we become A Rank, can they accept that we captured it alone? “

“Y-yes…… In theory, that might be the case. However, instead of aiming for A rank, it is more efficient to steadily contribute to the guild and earn the right to partic.i.p.ate in the group capture.”

“You might be right, but I just remembered a good way.”

“A good way? “

　Yeah, in Mobius era there was “a way” that was considered mostly useless―― it was nicknamed『Baku-agebon-bar』.

“Alright!　Let's go to the Proline Dungeon right away.”

　Ignoring the puzzled people, I started to walk away.

———————-

　Baku-agebon-bar.

　This was a way to raise your adventurer rank with explosive speed.

　However, in Mobius, the adventurer's rank was a t.i.tle without much meaning, therefore it was an element that was mostly discarded since it became known that the higher the player, the more of a waste of time it became. Nevertheless, thanks to the diversity of players, there were always some who tried to find the fastest way to do things, and they eventually found out “the fastest way” to raise the rank.

　And this fastest way should take at least six days. Yet, not many people wanted to spend six days raising their adventurer's rank in the era this was a game, so it mostly became forgotten information. I just happened to remember it since it was a.s.sociated with a “certain technique” that I used. Truly, knowledge is power, a power that'll become useful now.

　Well then.

　Six days to A rank. How the heck do you accomplish that?　You might be thinking along those lines, but the truth is, this is quite simple.

　There's an item that's automatically generated inside the dungeon called 『Magic Crystal』――You just need to collect it and deliver it to the Adventurers Guild.

　Among the 「Unlimited Deliverable Items」, the Magic Crystal was the item that earned 「Guild Contribution Points」 the most, therefore, if it could be collected in large quant.i.ties, this was the best method for raising the guild rank efficiently.

　In the Proline Dungeon, around 128 Magic Crystals are produced each day. And a.s.suming you deliver 83 per day, you can calculate that in six days, your acc.u.mulated Guild Contribution Points will be equivalent to Rank A. In other words, if about 500 Magic Crystals are delivered, you can earn Rank A at the guild.

　And the reason why you only deliver 83 per day and not more isn't because of ‘want', but because of ‘can't'. The Magic Crystals don't grow all at the same time, but are generated little by little all the time, therefore some waiting time is needed. Therefore, the limit is around 85 per day no matter how hard you try, so long as you take your time to sleep.

　Then, where in the dungeons are those Magic Crystals? The answer is “Hidden Rooms”.

　In these hidden rooms, Magic Crystals can be found in large quant.i.ties. Therefore, as long as you can get into those hidden rooms, getting to A rank is a piece of cake.

　And the way to reach the hidden rooms is a secret technique called 「Explosion Jump」, which was the origin of the Baku-agebon-bar.

　And in addition, the Proline Dungeon has the most hidden rooms among the intermediate cla.s.s dungeons. Therefore, if you're collecting Magic Crystals, this is the place for you.

　This was also one of the reasons why I loved the Proline Dungeon, besides it being a large and beautiful cave. This large number of hidden elements can tickle anyone's gamer side. At that time, it was quite a pleasure to explore every corner making full use of various techniques like the explosion jump.

　Well, to summarize.

　We will acc.u.mulate Guild Contribution Points at the Adventurers' Guild in the next six days, while aiming for A Rank. In order to do so, we need to deliver 83 Magic Crystal per day. Therefore, we need to enter a hidden room with many of those crystals inside the Proline Dungeon. And now, how do we enter those rooms――?

————————-

“Exproshon jamp? “

　Explosion Jump, sometimes also called, “pitiful jump”. Why pitiful (hisan)? Simply because 《Fire (Hi) Attribute・Third (san) Form》 is abbreviated hisan.

　After Eko heard my explanation, she just tilted her head, seemingly not understanding.

“Yeah. After you jump, I'll shoot Wind Attribute Third Form at you Eko, then Silvia and I will each shoot Fire Attribute Third Form with the bow at your feet one after the other. All you have to do Eko, is to defend in this order Bishop s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p → Knight s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p → Gold s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p. All of them while facing down.”

　In the end, this is just a trick to fly higher than a normal jump. If it works well, you can get to a height of nearly 20 meters. This is a technique that can be performed by a single person if they have the Third Form, 《Bishop s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》, 《Knight s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》 and 《Gold s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》 all of those at Grade 9, but if the ranks are lower, two or more people are needed.

“Okay! “

　Eko answered energetically.

“Hey, is this really going to be okay?　Like, really okay? “

　Silvia then asked me with a worried look. Considering Eko's MGR, she should be alright…… But maybe we should do a rehearsal before doing it for real.

　I looked at my surroundings again.

　This is a really big dungeon, quite wide both vertically and horizontally, with rocky surfaces exposed all over the place and a slight gray glow. However, since the vertical hole has quite the height, and the horizontal caves are somewhat convoluted, the atmosphere is very eerie, as if it's not being illuminated by a strong light.

　The monsters in the area have already been wiped out. They are called 『Golems』 and are large monsters made out of rock that appear here in the Proline Dungeon, but they're not that big of a threat, and can be killed with one or two shots of 《Rook Archery》 at Grade 9. And since they give a nice amount of experience, this is good for ranking up skills.

　In addition, the topography of the Proline Dungeon has two main shapes, a main vertical shaft, similar to a tree trunk, and many small caves that extend horizontally, like branches and leaves, quite complicated.

　And what's more, there are hidden rooms in almost every place that require very difficult techniques to reach them. Even me, who was the world's top rank, does't remember all of them, and where they are located. Therefore, to avoid falling into the cave after the Explosion Jump, and successfully reaching the point chosen, it is necessary to practice carefully first.

“Alright, let's practice here.”

Cheat sheet Stats details

＜Status Details＞

HP　Hit Points MP　Magic Points SP　Stamina Points STR　Short range attack skill power, strength, physical power. DEX　Long range attack skill power, dexterity, hit rate. AGI　Quickness, avoidance rate. INT　Attack Magic skill power. LUK　Good luck, critical rate. VIT　Simple defense. MGR　Magic defense. Types of combat skills

Named after shogi pieces (The word in bold is the one being used in this translation). From easier to acquire to harder.

p.a.w.n/Soldier (Fuhyou) Lance(Kyousha) Knight (Keima) Silver General (Ginshou) Gold General (Kinshou) Bishop (Kakugyou) Rook (Hisha) Promoted Bishop/Dragon Horse(Ryuuma) Promoted Rook/Dragon King (Ryuuou). List of Swordsmans.h.i.+p skills

Swordsmans.h.i.+p

《Soldier Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                  Normal attack. 《Lance Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                    Piercing attack. 《Knight Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                   Precision attack. 《Silver Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                     Strong single-target attack. 《Gold Swordsmans.h.i.+p》                           Small-range attack to all directions. 《Bishop Swordsmans.h.i.+p》                       ??? 《Rook Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                      ??? 《Dragon Horse Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　    ??? 《Dragon King Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　       ??? List of s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p skills

s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p

《Soldier s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                  Normal defense. 《Lance s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                    Piercing deflection. 《Knight s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                   Defense + knockback. 《Silver s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                     ??? 《Gold s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》                           Ranged guided defense + knockback. 《Bishop s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》                       Reinforced defense (Temporarily boosts VIT and MGR) 《Rook s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                      ??? 《Dragon Horse s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　    ??? 《Dragon King s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　       ??? List of Archery skills

Archery

《Soldier Archery》　                  Normal range attack. 《Lance Archery》　                    Piercing range attack. 《Knight Archery》　                   Precise sniping range attack. 《Silver Archery》　                     Strong single-target range attack. 《Gold Archery》                           Weaker range attack with added knockback. 《Bishop Archery》                       Strong piercing range attack. 《Rook Archery》　                      Very strong single-target range attack with scaling % damage. 《Dragon Horse Archery》　    Powerful piercing range attack. 《Dragon King Archery》　       Powerful on-impact range attack. Types of Magic skills

They use the “Form” or “step” system of martial arts. From lower to higher.

First Form　      　      Regular attack Second Form　      　 Extended range attack Third Form　      　    Strong single target attack Fourth Form　      　  Strong extended range attack Fifth Form　      　      Extremely powerful extended range attack Their cast time becomes longer in this order First→Third→Second→Fourth→Fifth. Ranking of the skills

From lower to higher, then it changes to the “Dan” system of martial arts, which means Grade.

16th cla.s.s 15th cla.s.s 14th cla.s.s 13th cla.s.s 12h cla.s.s 11th cla.s.s 10th cla.s.s 9th cla.s.s 8th cla.s.s 7th cla.s.s 6th cla.s.s 5th cla.s.s 4th cla.s.s 3rd cla.s.s 2nd cla.s.s 1st cla.s.s Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 t.i.tle

     

　After deciding on a place that seemed okay, I moved Eko towards the wall and prepared 《Wind Attribute・Third Form》 while aiming at her feet.

“Let's begin. Jump! “

　After making sure Silvia was ready, I gave the command.

　Right after Eko jumped, I shot 《Wind Attribute・Third Form》 below her, then using 《Bishop s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》 she defended and was blown up about three meters. Immediately after that, Silvia used a combination of 《Fire Attribute・Third Form》 and 《Knight Archery》and shot it from her bow, then Eko defended with 《Knight s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》. The knockback effect became a vertical propulsion, and she went up twice as high as before. And finally, I finished with a combination of 《Fire Attribute・Third Form》 and 《Knight Archery》. Using 《Gold s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》, Eko then gained even more alt.i.tude in an instant. About 15 meters from the ground. This much should be enough.

“Kyaaaaahahahaー! “

　Eko then started to fall while laughing.

“H-hey, is that fine!? “

“……c.r.a.p, I forgot!! “

“Wh!? “

　Looking at the worried Yukari and the panicking Silvia, I finally became aware.

　I never thought about the landing!　In Mobius there was no problem losing some HP, but here is the real world. I can't let Eko get hurt!

“Eko!　Bishop! “

　I shouted so, making a moment's decision.

　Immediately after, Eko tightly held her s.h.i.+eld. I then made a water pool at the point where she would drop using 《Water Attribute・Third Form》.

　Dobbaaan!　The moment the s.h.i.+eld collided with the water, it splashed everywhere similar to a geyser.

“…………! “

　After she landed, Eko was just sitting on the ground looking shocked and surprised.

　Then, as she began to stand up, my face stiffened.

“Haa haa haa haa.”

　Eko slowly stood up, water dripping from her clothes, and looked towards me.  My breathing was rough.　Since I was anxious about her being injured, I rushed towards her.

“Second!　One more time!　Let's do it one more time! “

　Eko then said so with a face showing she really enjoyed that. Jumping around me, she began to beg to do it again.

　I'm glad she didn't get hurt…… I feel like I would've lost my mind if so. Silvia and Yukari were still a bit worried, but also quite relieved.

“Okay, next is the real deal.”

“Okay! “

　After saying so, I went towards the correct location.

——————————

“I got them all! “

“Nice, now come down.”

　There are about three main Magic Crystal production spots in the Proline Dungeon. All of them are hidden rooms obviously, locations you can't reach without the Hisan Jump. It might be possible to climb using ropes, but if you spend too much time on it the golems will resp.a.w.n. And even then, most of the people don't know the existence of the hidden rooms in the first place.

　Maybe because of that reason, Eko collected around 100 Magic Crystals from just three locations. The sources of these crystals were untouched. There was a huge amount of Magic Crystals that had never been taken by anyone. If it goes on like this, we'll be able to reach Rank A in six days with ease.

“Alright, let's go turn them in.”

　We went back to town while feeling excited.

——————————–

“Th-these are……!? “

　The guild receptionist had her eyes rounded in surprise.

“R…… Real……!　Magic Crystals, and this amount……! “

　She alternately looked at me and the Magic Crystals with a surprised expression and her mouth agape.

　Wow, this really feels nice.

“With this, our team should now be Rank C, right? “

　Back in the Adventurers Guild, one of the rules was that increasing your Guild Contribution Points will also increase your Rank. Therefore, it was possible to explosively increase your rank by bulk contributions without any issue, and achieve Rank A in a heartbeat…… but how about the real guild? If possible, I'd like that system to remain the same.

“……Ye-yeah, yes!　That is correct! “

　Nice, nice, this is good. Ranked up from F to C in a moment. To think it would really be this easy. I just hope they won't tell me something like “You can't get to Rank A by turning in Magic Crystals” later. (Did I just raise a flag?)

“We'll turn them all over to the guild. Deposit all the money. And please raise our individual and team rank.”

“Understood! “

“Thanks, Camelisan. We'll bring more tomorrow.”

“Un-understood.”

　Looking at her name tag over her chest, I called her by her name and gave her a wink.

　……It was a weird act, if I say so myself, and it really gave me gooseb.u.mps all over my body, but it seems like the effect this body had was outstanding, since Camelia saw me off while her cheeks were dyed in red. Although the Adventurers Guild has a notoriously bad reputation, it seems like I can establish a good relations.h.i.+p with the receptionists.

“Second-dono……”

“…………Master.”

　But, judging by the cold gazes from my companions, it seems there is a price to pay for that.

　Or rather, aren't Yukari's eyes just too scary? Was she that uncomfortable with my actions? Well, I guess so.

“Ho? “

　Eko, as usual, had a foolish look on her face. When I look at her, she gives off this kind and tender feeling with her mouth slightly opened, Eko is so cute I want to pinch her cheeks.

“……Well then. For the next five days, we will collect the crystals and defeat the golems to earn experience. After we become Rank A, we'll capture and clear the Proline Dungeon several times a day, and make Mithril Alloy. With that money, then we'll buy a house at the capitol. Let's go with this in mind.”

　I tried to move the talk in a different direction.

　But judging by their eyes, they still didn't give it up, yet Silvia and Yukari gave their opinion.

“Umu. I'm in favor of earning experience. Do you still want to prioritize Yukari's Blacksmithing skills? “

“No, Blacksmithing doesn't have to be a priority anymore. The experience distribution will be set evenly for all members.”

“So that means we'll all raise our skills again.”

　Silvia nodded while she had her arms still crossed. Judging by her face she had calmed down a little. Probably she's glad she can raise her skills and get stronger. I know that feeling, I was like that at the beginning. I feel like those were the times when I enjoyed the game the most.

“By the way, Silvia has her Magic Archery, Eko her s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p…… But what are you going to raise, Master? “

　Yukari suddenly asked what was on her mind.

　……Hmm, me, huh?

　That's right, I already raised Archery, Swordsmans.h.i.+p and Magic to a decent level―― it might be time to start with ‘that'.

　Turning my eyes to Yukari, I opened my mouth to answer.

“Starting tomorrow, I'll begin raising Summoning Magic.”

Thank you for reading.

Cheat sheet Stats details

＜Status Details＞

HP　Hit Points MP　Magic Points SP　Stamina Points STR　Short range attack skill power, strength, physical power. DEX　Long range attack skill power, dexterity, hit rate. AGI　Quickness, avoidance rate. INT　Attack Magic skill power. LUK　Good luck, critical rate. VIT　Simple defense. MGR　Magic defense. Types of combat skills

Named after shogi pieces (The word in bold is the one being used in this translation). From easier to acquire to harder.

p.a.w.n/Soldier (Fuhyou) Lance(Kyousha) Knight (Keima) Silver General (Ginshou) Gold General (Kinshou) Bishop (Kakugyou) Rook (Hisha) Promoted Bishop/Dragon Horse(Ryuuma) Promoted Rook/Dragon King (Ryuuou). List of Swordsmans.h.i.+p skills

Swordsmans.h.i.+p

《Soldier Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                  Normal attack. 《Lance Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                    Piercing attack. 《Knight Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                   Precision attack. 《Silver Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                     Strong single-target attack. 《Gold Swordsmans.h.i.+p》                           Small-range attack to all directions. 《Bishop Swordsmans.h.i.+p》                       ??? 《Rook Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                      ??? 《Dragon Horse Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　    ??? 《Dragon King Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　       ??? List of s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p skills

s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p

《Soldier s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                  Normal defense. 《Lance s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                    Piercing deflection. 《Knight s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                   Defense + knockback. 《Silver s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                     ??? 《Gold s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》                           Ranged guided defense + knockback. 《Bishop s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》                       Reinforced defense (Temporarily boosts VIT and MGR) 《Rook s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                      ??? 《Dragon Horse s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　    ??? 《Dragon King s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　       ??? List of Archery skills

Archery

《Soldier Archery》　                  Normal range attack. 《Lance Archery》　                    Piercing range attack. 《Knight Archery》　                   Precise sniping range attack. 《Silver Archery》　                     Strong single-target range attack. 《Gold Archery》                           Weaker range attack with added knockback. 《Bishop Archery》                       Strong piercing range attack. 《Rook Archery》　                      Very strong single-target range attack with scaling % damage. 《Dragon Horse Archery》　    Powerful piercing range attack. 《Dragon King Archery》　       Powerful on-impact range attack. Types of Magic skills

They use the “Form” or “step” system of martial arts. From lower to higher.

First Form　      　      Regular attack Second Form　      　 Extended range attack Third Form　      　    Strong single target attack Fourth Form　      　  Strong extended range attack Fifth Form　      　      Extremely powerful extended range attack Their cast time becomes longer in this order First→Third→Second→Fourth→Fifth. Ranking of the skills

From lower to higher, then it changes to the “Dan” system of martial arts, which means Grade.

16th cla.s.s 15th cla.s.s 14th cla.s.s 13th cla.s.s 12h cla.s.s 11th cla.s.s 10th cla.s.s 9th cla.s.s 8th cla.s.s 7th cla.s.s 6th cla.s.s 5th cla.s.s 4th cla.s.s 3rd cla.s.s 2nd cla.s.s 1st cla.s.s Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 t.i.tle

     

37　It's Not About the First Impression.

　Five days pa.s.sed in the blink of an eye.

　While Eko gathered the Magic Crystals using the Baku-agebon-bar method, me and Silvia kept hunting golems without stopping until all of them were basically extinct. As a result of doing this continuously until the end of the day, we earned a significant amount of experience.

　Yukari, who had gotten the same amount of experience as us, had a face devoid of emotion as she said in a cold tone “you truly are crazy”, at the scene after we finished our hunt. Since the experience points are evenly distributed among the team members, the experience points can be shared with the two who didn't defeat any monster.

　By the way, while the three of us dived into the dungeon, I asked Yukari to do a certain job, since she would be idle. That was, to survey both the Blacksmiths and Adventurers Guilds. Since the more information we have, the better, and she even volunteered to collect that information. Well, since she was indeed a former a.s.sa.s.sin, collecting information of this degree should be child's play for her.

　There were two important pieces of information obtained. One is, the next Proline capture group will be formed in three days. And the other one is, the Blacksmiths Guild is plagued with a chronic lack of mithril.

　From this information, it became necessary to reconsider our future policy.

　Become A rank as it is, partic.i.p.ate in the group capture, prove the capture and have the Blacksmiths Guild trust us, and as planned originally, wholesale Mithril Alloy to them. Or, if the Blacksmiths Guild trusts us using the A Rank, not wait for the group capture and make an exclusive contract with the entire Blacksmiths Guild.

　With the former, we would hardly make any enemies, but it will take time to earn money. The latter is way more lucrative, but the Adventurers Guild will surely turn against us. Anti-monopoly law, you say?　There's no such a thing in the Castall Kingdom.

“Hmm……”

　While returning to the town of Badgordo from the Proline Dungeon, I was troubled with my arms folded as I was deep in thought. Should I prioritize peace? Or maybe money? Both have their pros and cons.

“Master. May I have one more day?”

　At that moment, Yukari spoke.

“Do you have an idea? “

“Yes. Since it seems like Master doesn't like to spend time uselessly. I might have a slightly different approach plan.”

“And that is? “

“Use the Merchants Guild.”

“……Uhmm.”

　I get what Yukari was trying to say. Instead of trading directly to the Blacksmiths Guild, we'll do business smoothly through the Merchants Guild.

“There's no way a merchant can let such a profitable deal pa.s.s. They will charge some fee, but I'm sure more money can be made that way. Luckily, we'll raise our adventurer's rank to A soon, so I doubt there will be a problem in terms of credibility.”

“But if that's the case, wouldn't we end up turning the Adventurers Guild into an enemy? “

“You don't have to worry about that. Just take part in the group capture that'll happen in three days, building some reputation with both the Adventurers and Blacksmiths guild. And behind the scenes, we'll seal a contract with the Merchants Guild.”

　Eh?　I don't really understand. How come we won't turn the Adventurers Guild into an enemy?

“If Master just wholesales Mithril Alloy to the Merchants Guild in order to make money, that is, after completing the clear, you'll most likely not be criticized too much. And even if the Adventurers Guild were to take some measures, the Merchants Guild will surely protect you.”

　I see, that's the difference between them and the Blacksmiths Guild. Certainly, they will do everything they can to protect the “goose that lays golden eggs”. In addition, if the Blacksmiths Guild becomes reliant on the large amount of Mithril Alloy sold through the Merchants Guild, then the two guilds can be counted as allies. Then the Adventurers Guild will criticize me, but won't do much aside from that.

　It's just, it will surely become a big deal. Most likely, the power balance in Badgordo will s.h.i.+ft dramatically. Well, not that I really care.

“Alright. Shall we go with that strategy?”

“Very well, please leave it to me. I'll try to get someone's agreement from the Merchants Guild by tomorrow.”

　After I gave the ‘Go' to the plan, Yukari answered proudly. She had an incredible sense of confidence. You can see her in high spirits, trying to make herself useful in aspects aside from battle.

　Yukari was really helpful in those fields. She has really compensated for the abilities that I was lacking since I focused only on this when it was a game. I can clearly see her now as a full-fledged companion.

“Thank you. Sorry to become so reliant on you, Yukari.”

　To my thanking words, Yukari just said “Not at all”, in her usual cold tone while quickly removing her gaze from me. But the tips of her ears are slightly red. She's still just as easy to understand.

——————————

　The next day.

　We delivered the Magic Crystals and became A rank really smoothly, then came again to the Proline Dungeon.

　This was to earn some experience while Yukari talks to the Merchant Guild.

　What's more, as a result of using all my experience points, even the surplus I had saved from before, one of my 【Summoning Magic】 skills, 《Spirit Summoning》 has almost reached Grade 4.

　【Summoning Magic】 is divided into two main parts. One is 《Monster Summoning》, and the other is 《Spirit Summoning》. The former is a skill mainly used for taming and making use of monsters, while the latter is a skill to control a 『Spirit』, of which only one can be possessed per character.

　Raising 《Spirit Summoning》‘s rank to Grade 4 unlocks the 《Spirit Possession》 skill. This is a very powerful buff skill that temporarily increases your status by having your summoned spirit possess your body.

　It's not an exaggeration to say this is an essential skill if you're aiming for the top in the world. That's why I have given priority to acquiring 《Spirit Possession》, and in the past six days I've only raised 《Spirit Summoning》.

　……Then, at lunch time.

　Just after 《Spirit Summoning》 reached Grade 4, I was able to learn 《Spirit Possession》. However, since I haven't yet acquired the essential piece, a spirit, I can neither use possession nor summoning.

　Since I have it, I'll use the Premium Spirit Ticket that came with the 『Limited edition premium avatar』 when I'll have to call for a spirit. Since it is said that a spirit with a strength of 25,000 or more is promised, this was an item that basically shouted “Look at my money!”.

　By the way, the spirit strength is a numerical representation of the power and rarity of a spirit. It was similar to the capsule toys (Gacha) value system, a spirit with an initial strength of 10,000 or more was uncommon, 20,000 or more was rare, 25,000 or more was super rare, and 30,000 or more was extremely rare. However, since the spirits grow and evolve as they develop, the final difference in spirit strength becomes insignificant.

　Well then. The question here is, when should I use the Spirit Summoning Ticket?

　I have one concern.

　At the time of Mobius, the spirits were only characters who spoke predeterminate phrases. But here is the real world. I have a feeling that the spirits might have a will of their own, probably.

　If so, that would increase the number of companions by one. Adding a new member with this timing, when we're still trying to figure things out, it kind of feels off.

　Then, when should be good to do it? I'm in no rush, but it'll be a problem if I do it too late. I'll just have to take some time to think about it, I suppose.

“Mmm. Second-dono, there's a message from Yukari.”

　While I was deep in thought, Silvia spoke to me. Eko was sleeping on her knees. That feels quite comfortable.

“Ohh, I didn't notice. Thanks.”

　I opened the chat section for Team communication.

　Ohh. The message from Yukari read, “I got to talk to them, but there seems to be one problem.” I wonder why? I have a bad feeling about it.

　After we finished our lunch break, we headed towards the Merchant Guild and joined Yukari.

Cheat sheet Stats details

＜Status Details＞

HP　Hit Points MP　Magic Points SP　Stamina Points STR　Short range attack skill power, strength, physical power. DEX　Long range attack skill power, dexterity, hit rate. AGI　Quickness, avoidance rate. INT　Attack Magic skill power. LUK　Good luck, critical rate. VIT　Simple defense. MGR　Magic defense. Types of combat skills

Named after shogi pieces (The word in bold is the one being used in this translation). From easier to acquire to harder.

p.a.w.n/Soldier (Fuhyou) Lance(Kyousha) Knight (Keima) Silver General (Ginshou) Gold General (Kinshou) Bishop (Kakugyou) Rook (Hisha) Promoted Bishop/Dragon Horse(Ryuuma) Promoted Rook/Dragon King (Ryuuou). List of Swordsmans.h.i.+p skills

Swordsmans.h.i.+p

《Soldier Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                  Normal attack. 《Lance Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                    Piercing attack. 《Knight Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                   Precision attack. 《Silver Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                     Strong single-target attack. 《Gold Swordsmans.h.i.+p》                           Small-range attack to all directions. 《Bishop Swordsmans.h.i.+p》                       ??? 《Rook Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                      ??? 《Dragon Horse Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　    ??? 《Dragon King Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　       ??? List of s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p skills

s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p

《Soldier s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                  Normal defense. 《Lance s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                    Piercing deflection. 《Knight s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                   Defense + knockback. 《Silver s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                     ??? 《Gold s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》                           Ranged guided defense + knockback. 《Bishop s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》                       Reinforced defense (Temporarily boosts VIT and MGR) 《Rook s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                      ??? 《Dragon Horse s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　    ??? 《Dragon King s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　       ??? List of Archery skills

Archery

《Soldier Archery》　                  Normal range attack. 《Lance Archery》　                    Piercing range attack. 《Knight Archery》　                   Precise sniping range attack. 《Silver Archery》　                     Strong single-target range attack. 《Gold Archery》                           Weaker range attack with added knockback. 《Bishop Archery》                       Strong piercing range attack. 《Rook Archery》　                      Very strong single-target range attack with scaling % damage. 《Dragon Horse Archery》　    Powerful piercing range attack. 《Dragon King Archery》　       Powerful on-impact range attack. Types of Magic skills

They use the “Form” or “step” system of martial arts. From lower to higher.

First Form　      　      Regular attack Second Form　      　 Extended range attack Third Form　      　    Strong single target attack Fourth Form　      　  Strong extended range attack Fifth Form　      　      Extremely powerful extended range attack Their cast time becomes longer in this order First→Third→Second→Fourth→Fifth. Ranking of the skills

From lower to higher, then it changes to the “Dan” system of martial arts, which means Grade.

16th cla.s.s 15th cla.s.s 14th cla.s.s 13th cla.s.s 12h cla.s.s 11th cla.s.s 10th cla.s.s 9th cla.s.s 8th cla.s.s 7th cla.s.s 6th cla.s.s 5th cla.s.s 4th cla.s.s 3rd cla.s.s 2nd cla.s.s 1st cla.s.s Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 t.i.tle

     

“Proof of power? “

“Yes……”

　Yukari explained to me the circ.u.mstances with an apologetic expression.

“I received a very pleasant response from the Merchants Guild, and also an attractive contract proposal. However, that's only if we can prove the strength of our team.”

“Didn't we get A Rank for that very reason? “

“Allow me to continue the explanation from there.”

　While Yukari and I were talking in the waiting room, a middle-aged bald man broke into the conversation.

“I am the Merchants Guild's guildmaster, my name is s.h.i.+n Sei. You are Second-sama, right? It is my pleasure to meet you.”

　The man calling himself s.h.i.+n Sei greeted me with quite the polite manner, but no matter how you look at him, he looks like a person of a not so respectable occupation. His height was of nearly 1.90 meters, and he gave an extremely intimidating feeling.

　I just gave my greetings and shook his hand. But my eyes never left this guildmaster. That's because I felt like he'll stab me the moment I show a gap.

“Well then. I'm grateful I got to hear such a fascinating story this time. We at the Merchants Guild are very much looking forward to it.”

　The guildmaster said with a smile plastered on his face.

“But…… while this might be rude, and I apologize for it, the truth is we can't trust it too much, even if it came from A Rank adventurers. You say you can get a lot of Mithril Alloy from there, right?　Anyone who heard that would think of it as a lie.”

　――Then, his eyes narrowed as he continued, almost as if he was glaring.

　The atmosphere changed completely.

　I noticed Silvia putting her hand on my shoulder. And Eko was shaking a little while pulling my clothes from behind. The two of them were visibly scared. Certainly, I would be scared too. That is, if this was not the world of Mobius.

“It's just, there's one thing. There's something I'm curious about. How did you get that Dark Elf girl? She's a professional at this…… even across all my guild, she'd rank among the first cla.s.s.”

　Without being fazed by the guildmasters intimidation, Yukari simply moved her gaze towards me. Her calm eyes appeared to say “this much is just child's play”.

“That got my expectations up a little. Therefore, I'd like you to prove your ability. That is, that you're not just bluffing about capturing the Proline Dungeon. If so, we will happily believe you. But if it turns out to be a lie…… you shouldn't expect mercy.”

　It was a cold voice accompanied by a glare that made it feel as if the room's temperature fell a few degrees.

　It might have a good enough effect to threaten the general public…… Unfortunately, it doesn't work on me at all. Why? Because I can ‘win'. In terms of the world ranking, this old man is just a small fry that wouldn't reach even the 10,000th place. That's the reason, simple as that.

“About that proof of power, what should I do?　Do you want me to capture the dungeon now?　If so, then it will take about three hours.”

　I answered as calmly as possible.

　What is required is proof that I can go and clear the Proline Dungeon many times. Then, I just need to create an atmosphere that says “it can be easily done”.

　However, after the old man heard my words, the atmosphere got tenser, and his eyes glared sharper, to the point where some people might faint after looking at him. Did I say something wrong?　d.a.m.n, if so, then I suppose I failed.

　……Hmmm, looking closely, it's really smooth and s.h.i.+ny.  He might have something against people with proper hair.

“――Ahahaha!　Impressive calmness. Great!　Just like Yukari-san said.”

　The next moment, the guildmaster laughed loudly as he said so.

“Hey, were you testing us!? “

　Silvia then turned a gaze full of criticism towards Yukari. In response, Yukari bowed her head, not to Silvia but to me.

“I am really sorry, Master. But it was a necessary action.”

“Yes. It was me who was the one who came up with it. It was really necessary to ascertain if it was possible to provide a stable supply of Mithril Alloy.”

　I see. Does that mean that I'm good by his judgement?

“Uuuuuuuー……”

　Oops, before that, it seems Eko was quite scared and wants to cry.

　……I feel a bit sorry, but let's have this old man apologize to her.

“What was that about ascertaining!　Apologize to Eko!　Look at her! Poor Eko! “

　I'll just place the blame on him.

“Ahh!　I'm sorry!　I'm sorry! “

　……Contrary to his appearance, he was quick to apologize. He is lowering his head so much while apologizing that his head is even below Eko's.

　Anyways, with this, the deal with the Merchants Guild should be settled.

　――Or so it seemed, but there was another problem remaining.

“But, you see, I still need you to prove your power……”

　While being led by the s.h.i.+ny-headed s.h.i.+n-san, we were guided to the back of the Merchants Guild, to the drawing room.

　In there, he spoke those words with an apologetic expression.

“Is that in order to trust me? “

“No, that's not the reason. If there's nothing wrong with my eyes, I can tell you are ‘the real deal'. But.”

“Ahh, does that mean there's someone aside from you, s.h.i.+n-san, who doesn't believe me?”

“That is so.”

“Specifically? “

“I'd like you to show it at least to some of our staff, and to the people we will be trading with.

“How many would that be? “

“Probably, about 200 people.”

“……Wow.”

　That's a problem.

　How should I prove my ability to such a large number of people?

“Hmm, Silvia has the magic bow, and Eko has her s.h.i.+eld, should they do some kind of performance……?”

　The four of us plus 1 began to think, narrowing down possibilities.

　And so, the discussion about what to do started.

　s.h.i.+n-san was very sympathetic and allowed us to consult with him. He's a pretty good guy.

　And so, fifteen minutes pa.s.sed in the blink of an eye. Yet, there was still no sign of a good plan.

“By the way, what kind of special skills do you have, Second-sama? “

“Archery, Swordsmans.h.i.+p, Magic and Summoning Magic. I can also use Magic Archery and Magic Swordsmans.h.i.+p.”

“I can only use Fire Attribute, but Second-dono can use all magic attributes. And every one of his skills are top notch! “

“…………T-that is incredible.”

　s.h.i.+n-san was so surprised, his eyes were as round as his head. Silvia had a satisfied expression, almost as if she was boasting about herself.

“Master, have you already raised Summoning Magic? “

“Yeah. I got Spirit Summoning to Grade 4 today.”

　When I answered Yukari's question, I heard the sound of something dropping. That was the sound of the pen sliding from s.h.i.+n-san's hand.

“G-GRADE FOUR, YOU SAY!? “

　s.h.i.+n-san shouted with an incredible volume. It felt as if the whole room shook due to his loud voice. Looks like that had a great impact. His appearance was more of not believing than surprised.

“Hiiiiiiiii.”

　Eko hid behind my back.

“Hey!　You did it again!! “

“Whoaa, I'm sorry! “

　When I yelled after he scared Eko again, s.h.i.+n-san apologized again using his ultrlow bowing posture. That desperate att.i.tude was by no means an act. He really is different from how he looks like…… I'm sure he has a hard time with first impressions.

“H-however, that might be just the way! “

　s.h.i.+n-san said so when he got up after asking Eko for forgiveness.

“The way? “

“Yeah!　Second-sama. A spirit summoning, a spirit summoning! “

　I see!　He means to use 《Spirit Summoning》 in front of many people?

　Certainly, the higher the spirit's strength, and the higher the rank of 《Spirit Summoning》, the more spectacular the summoning effect will be.

　Especially, the ‘first summon' is much more amazing. Each spirit has its own special summoning effect. This would be perfect for a show of ability.

“If your Spirit Summoning is Grade 4, then everyone will most likely be convinced of your ability, Second-sama.”

　Is Grade 4 recognized as a high rank in this world?

　If that's the case…… then this might be a surprisingly good plan. And since I can summon a high-ranking spirit with the Premium Spirit Ticket, the effect will surely be flashy.

“Understood. Let's go with that.”

　Nodding to s.h.i.+n-san's proposal, we then discussed the plan.

　Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought something like that would happen……

Thank you for reading.

Cheat sheet Stats details

＜Status Details＞

HP　Hit Points MP　Magic Points SP　Stamina Points STR　Short range attack skill power, strength, physical power. DEX　Long range attack skill power, dexterity, hit rate. AGI　Quickness, avoidance rate. INT　Attack Magic skill power. LUK　Good luck, critical rate. VIT　Simple defense. MGR　Magic defense. Types of combat skills

Named after shogi pieces (The word in bold is the one being used in this translation). From easier to acquire to harder.

p.a.w.n/Soldier (Fuhyou) Lance(Kyousha) Knight (Keima) Silver General (Ginshou) Gold General (Kinshou) Bishop (Kakugyou) Rook (Hisha) Promoted Bishop/Dragon Horse(Ryuuma) Promoted Rook/Dragon King (Ryuuou). List of Swordsmans.h.i.+p skills

Swordsmans.h.i.+p

《Soldier Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                  Normal attack. 《Lance Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                    Piercing attack. 《Knight Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                   Precision attack. 《Silver Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                     Strong single-target attack. 《Gold Swordsmans.h.i.+p》                           Small-range attack to all directions. 《Bishop Swordsmans.h.i.+p》                       ??? 《Rook Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　                      ??? 《Dragon Horse Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　    ??? 《Dragon King Swordsmans.h.i.+p》　       ??? List of s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p skills

s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p

《Soldier s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                  Normal defense. 《Lance s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                    Piercing deflection. 《Knight s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                   Defense + knockback. 《Silver s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                     ??? 《Gold s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》                           Ranged guided defense + knockback. 《Bishop s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》                       Reinforced defense (Temporarily boosts VIT and MGR) 《Rook s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　                      ??? 《Dragon Horse s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　    ??? 《Dragon King s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p》　       ??? List of Archery skills

Archery

《Soldier Archery》　                  Normal range attack. 《Lance Archery》　                    Piercing range attack. 《Knight Archery》　                   Precise sniping range attack. 《Silver Archery》　                     Strong single-target range attack. 《Gold Archery》                           Weaker range attack with added knockback. 《Bishop Archery》                       Strong piercing range attack. 《Rook Archery》　                      Very strong single-target range attack with scaling % damage. 《Dragon Horse Archery》　    Powerful piercing range attack. 《Dragon King Archery》　       Powerful on-impact range attack. Types of Magic skills

They use the “Form” or “step” system of martial arts. From lower to higher.

First Form　      　      Regular attack Second Form　      　 Extended range attack Third Form　      　    Strong single target attack Fourth Form　      　  Strong extended range attack Fifth Form　      　      Extremely powerful extended range attack Their cast time becomes longer in this order First→Third→Second→Fourth→Fifth. Ranking of the skills

From lower to higher, then it changes to the “Dan” system of martial arts, which means Grade.

16th cla.s.s 15th cla.s.s 14th cla.s.s 13th cla.s.s 12h cla.s.s 11th cla.s.s 10th cla.s.s 9th cla.s.s 8th cla.s.s 7th cla.s.s 6th cla.s.s 5th cla.s.s 4th cla.s.s 3rd cla.s.s 2nd cla.s.s 1st cla.s.s Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 t.i.tle