Weekly chapters (2/2)
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Sorry for the wait.
Enjoy the chapter and stay safe.
Translator: Raizu
Editor: Shirayuki
Chapter 7 – Campfire
I swung at the goblin with my sword.
I felt it from when I did some practice swings, but it was heavy. I continued to do push-ups and dumbbells to kill time while I was a NEET, but swinging the sword was barely possible because I was using all my strength.
If I had the first initiative and managed to disorient the stray goblin with the magic gun, it would be easier to deal with it. But of course, it’s hard to use on faster monsters and humans.
I begged the sword maniac to teach me how to wield a sword.
Well, the magic gun practice is going pretty well.
It’s more like an experiment in manipulating magic power rather than practicing.
Leaving aside the detailed trial and error, there is one problem with the developed diffusion bullet. The MP consumption is intense.
Assuming that it splits into 8 pieces, if you put magical power equivalent to MP 1 into each one, MP consumption will be 8 as a whole. Thus, it’s not something that can be maintained for too long.
So, after trying various things, I came up with a method of sacrificing power and range in exchange for suppressing MP consumption to around 3.
The keypoint in the diffusion bullet is that “It can be used in close combat while still providing damage and stopping power without the need to aim”.
The main point is to be able to attack in close quarters, so the power of each shot can be lowered to accommodate.
Even so, in order to be efficient, an MP consumption of 3 was the bottom line.
As for the range, when converting magic into energy, it was possible to manipulate the magic power to make it more powerful instead of burning it out quickly, so I truncated it to ensure the minimum power.
Since it is a function I wanted for close combat, the range should be at a level that is serviceable
to be used for close combat.
Well, it’s an idea that was pulled from games where “Shotguns have high attack power but short range”.
And just like that, the plan to [create buckshot via magic power manipulation], was completed.
I’ve confirmed that if I hit all the bullets from close range, it can defeat a goblin in a single blow, so in the future it should be useful as a trump card in case of emergency.
I also practiced switching between magic guns and swords while exchanging them in a different space.
Or rather, since the sword can be stored in a different space, there was no need to be so particular about the sword belt.
Yet I couldn’t just let it go completely.
I could just strap the sword to my back at the beginning of battle, then just reach out for it.
I need this. Let’s just do it like that.
I can’t use the different spaces in public too much. Which is inevitable.
On this day as well, after destroying about three groups of goblins and returning to the city, there was an invitation message from Elliott saying, [Would you like to have dinner tonight?].
After two replies , I killed time until evening when we met at the guild.
[Hey, how is it going?]
Elliot greeted me cheerfully, but he seemed a little tired.
[What’s wrong, you look tired. Didn’t you return home today?]
[Nah, that’s a little while ago. After that, I went goblin hunting with a temporary party, but it was quite difficult.]
Looking at the woman behind him, she looked tired as well. Did they encounter a superior species or something?
[Let’s have something to eat for now. How about we go to this shop I know?]
[Oho, Yoyo-kun recommends it? Must be a nice place.]
Recently, I’ve been completely living as a goblin hunter and I’ve also explored various delicious (and cheap) restaurants near the north gate. It’s a bit of a downtown atmosphere, but I think Elliott and his slaves will enjoy it.
If you go west from the north gate for a few minutes, you will enter a shop with a signboard called “Solamachi Liquor Store”.
It calls itself a liquor store, but the food here is delicious.
I also highly praise it because it supports both rice and bread. It’s using everything that can be obtained from the slums and apparently, managed a way to cater more to the lower class.
While I’ve been there many times, the proprietor once talked to me and told me about his turbulent life without me even asking.
I’ve heard that foreigners often see Japanese people as nice guys, but I guess I’m just giving off the atmosphere where I won’t run away even if the talking goes for a long while.
I ended up hearing the story until the very end while enjoying the liquor.
It’s not entirely useless because I was able to get some information, such as what to watch out for in the slums.
It’s now one of my sources of valuable information.
[Old man, are there any seats available, preferably ones with a large table?]
[Ah, Yoyo. How unusual. Actually bringing friends today?]
[…]
[I thought he was someone who couldn’t make friends so I talked to him about various things. Hahaha.]
Was that the real reason why he talked to me for so long?
What a kind uncle. I think half of it was because you just like to talk.
Guided by the proprietor, we went to our seats.
Marie sat down to my right, probably because she thought it was strange to split 1:4.
Elliot, naturally, was in a nice spot sandwiched by Patch and Trisierra. Though it’s very natural for slaves to take the spot next to their master.
[I’ll take a deep-fried slabgeter and a bowl of rice. What will you guys order?]
Elliot and the others look around restlessly as they decide on the menu.
There’s no menu on the table so they had to look around on the paper stuck on the wall.
Other stores have it, so I don’t think there’s a culture of having a written menu list on the table. I wonder if that area is rough because it’s a store for lower classes.
[So, what’s wrong? Why did you ask to meet today?]
[Well, they were the ones who asked me to arrange a meeting with you. I’m talking about forming a temporary party again next time.]
Not Elliot, but his slaves? It’s a little surprising.
I thought they didn’t really like me.
As I tilted my head, Marie wiped her face with a wet towel and let out a sigh. Are you an old man?
[The parties I’ve been to until today have been difficult… it was a couple of a man and a woman.]
[If they’re a couple, they wouldn’t bother Marie and the others, right? Shouldn’t it be peaceful?]
[It’s the other way around, especially the woman. They’re making fun of the master-slave party composition. Particularly us… Well, something along the lines of calling me and the others Ellie’s mistresses as well as other unclean or hateful comments.]
[…..what did they mean by unclean?]
Marie and Elliot looked at each other and laughed.
[See? You have this different kind of…values? That’s why it’s easy for us to talk with you. In the general public, it’s disgusting that many battle slaves are being used as mistresses and leading a sore life.]
[Sore life? Shouldn’t Elliot be a target for this kind of diss? But why did they make fun of the slaves instead….]
[ Well, Elliot might have been made a fool of, too. After all, sex slaves is a looked down status, so even in this case, the badmouthing will be directed at the slave]
[In short, that woman was being an illogical prick.]
[Puh, that kind of line, no wonder you’re a really unpopular guy.]
Marie smiled happily again.
I certainly wasn’t popular, so I can’t say anything back.
Peach and Trisierra also modestly covered their mouths with their fingers and laughed. For the time being, should we just get straight to the point?
[So, the main subject is a temporary party? Of course it’s fine. We’ve got quite a lot of armor and weapons so don’t be surprised.]
[Really?]
[Well, the armor is traveler’s clothes and the weapon is a cheap sword.]
[Sword? Weren’t you using a spear before?]
[I changed it. A spear is expensive and it’s hard to use it with a shield. I got advice from an acquaintance and decided to use a sword.]
[Oh, I see! Then, it’s the same as me and Marie.]
Come to think of it, they were both using swords.
If I learn swordsmanship from Elliot, I may be able to obtain his job, the『Flower Warrior』.
…but do I want to? Meh, I can also ask Marie to teach me.
[However, this time we are planning to stay overnight. Do you have any experience of doing so thus far?]
[Are you going on an expedition? I’ve camped alone before but… I don’t have any decent camping experience.]
[Is that so?]
[The previous camping trip was right after I became completely broke… I didn’t even have money to stay at the inn so I once slept under the shade of a tree near the gate while being frightened by monsters.]
[You used to live with that… I’m impressed.]
[That’s why it won’t be so bad to experience normal camping. I’ll help you with the heavy lifting, so I’d be thrilled if you could teach me.]
[Hahahaha, whatever you say. What do you two say?]
[…I don’t mind? Yoyo is stupid, but he doesn’t make fun of us.]
Patch seemed to agree.
[Alright. But don’t do anything strange to me. If you want to do it, please ask Marie-nee-san.]
[Alright then.]
Trisierra said OK. An overnight goblin tour has been decided.
Ah, but will I hear these guys noises rumbling next to me at night?
I wonder if I can even sleep.
[Do you have a tent?]
[No. But I plan to buy one soon.]
[In that case, I’ll lend you my spare one. All you have to do is bring your sleeping bag.]
[Thank you. …I would be happy if you could suppress the noises at night.]
[Hahahaha, I’ll do my best…]
[I won’t do anything strange! I’ll just sleep normally!]
Trisierra stood up. Even though she’s a “sexologist”, she’s such a naive girl.
I ate while listening to Elliot talk about when he was away from the city.
By the way, fried slabgeter and a bowl of rice is similar to a chicken rice bowl. It’s just that the meat is juicier than the chicken cutlets from Earth.
Well, I’ve been eating cheap katsudon chains all the time, so I can’t say I’m too proud.
That’s four copper coins, right? Would be too cheap.
================
The next day, I went to the mercenary guild with camping goods such as sleeping bags and fire starting tools.
Elliot and the others have yet to arrive.
Should I mess around with status for a bit then?
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊Personal data＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
Yoyo
Race: (Human)
Job:
☆ Interferer (９↑）
Magic Gunner (5↑)
MP: １８／１８（↑）
Parameters:
Attack: G
Defense: G
Agility: G+
Endurance: G
Magic: F -（↑）
Magic Resistance: G
Skills:
View Status II
Manipulate Status
Add Job I
Display Status
Hide Status
Weak Magic Attack
Supplementary information:
None
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
Oops, let’s change jobs before Elliott and the others come.
=======
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊Personal data＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
Yoyo
Race: (Human)
Job:
☆ Interferer (９）
Swordsman (2)
ＭＰ: １２／１２
Parameters:
Attack: G+
Defense: G
Agility: G+
Endurance: G
Magic: G
Magic Resistance: G
Skills:
View Status II
Manipulate Status
Add Job I
Display Status
Hide Status
Weak Slash
Supplementary information:
None
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
I was able to acquire『Swordsman』pretty quickly
Hopefully, it’s better than『Spearman』.
It has increased stats in attack and agility.
Very typical of swordsmen, I suppose. And I also gained the [Weak Slash] skill.
As anyone might guess, it increases the power of slashing attacks.
When I was looking at the status screen in the corner of the guild, I was suddenly tapped on the shoulder.
[Hey, nice to meet you today. What’s wrong? Did you see something strange?]
With his hand on my shoulder, Elliot stood in the empty space right beyond the status screen I was looking at.
It seems that other people can’t see the status screen.
I thought that should be the case, but I was able to confirm it in an unexpected way.
[Nothing. Are you ready?]
[All in good time. Marie seems to be a little distracted, preventing us from leaving at once while I’m just a little tired.]
Elliot let go of his shoulder and shrugged his shoulders. If you look closely, it doesn’t look like that, but it’s strange that he can somehow look like a good-looking guy with these simple gestures.
[Come to think of it, you don’t take a break after you come back. Isn’t it supposed to be a day off?]
[I agree. I’ll talk to you while we go. Let’s head out before Marie and the others get mad at us.]
Afterward, we joined Marie and the others in front of the guild, and departed from the north gate.
As I understand it, the reason Elliot and the others go on expeditions without taking a break is because it’s a goblin’s bonus time.
Goblins breed quickly at any time, but recently there seems to have been a lot of them appearing, drawing people’s attention for a bit.
However, the number of blood slime was also rising and they couldn’t afford to spread the number of warriors even thinner so the guards were asked to help.
Moreover, the number of individual mercenaries staying in Slurge was small, making things quite difficult.
It seems that the distribution of goblin magic stones has decreased due to the influence of other regions and, as a result, the price has risen and goblins have become somewhat delicious prey.
With the warriors can’t be spread out further, they’ll have no choice but to rely on the cooperation from the private sectors. This means that the subjugation rewards for the goblins should also rise.
The number of prey is large, the profit is large. For the mercenaries who happened to be in the vicinity of Slurge, it’s like the goblin’s bonus time had arrived.
I didn’t know it at all, but before I knew it, I was riding on that big wave too.
Elliott and the others got hold of that information quickly and immediately embarked on an expedition that stretched across the day and made a decent amount of money but, as I said before, the atmosphere at the party was so bad that they couldn’t continue.
So, after returning to the city once, they gave up and were about to leave on their own, until Marie remembered my existence.
I see.
It seems that the point is that there is no time to rest because it is time to work.
In particular, the motivation of the women who hold the wallets of the party is particularly high, and Elliot is forced to work without even having time to do that. Amen.
As I learned from the story, Elliott and his friends have slaves whose job is to take care of the house and it seems that this person is the head slave in charge of the house.
Elliot, you’re really waist deep into slavery, aren’t you.
While talking like that, he cuts off the heads of the goblins he encounters.
[But, Yoyo. It hasn’t been that long since you started with the sword, hasn’t it? You’re pretty good at it already!]
[Thanks.]
Marie praised me as if she was impressed when she saw that I was able to deal properly with the goblins on the front line.
[My teacher…not quite I guess, but I did have one such figure. And I guess wielding a sword seems to suit me better.]
[Hey, that’s good, isn’t it? I’ve gotten a little better at using my shield… hmmm.]
The master-like existence is, of course, the sword mania, the husband of the couple who talks in the morning.
For the time being, I’m just trying to imitate his movement, but even from Marie’s point of view, it seems to be moving. All right.
[Is your job still a『Survivalist』?]
[No, Elliot. I’ve taken the opportunity to change it to『Swordsman』]
[You’re a『Swordsman』now!? Nice!]
[…Did you change your job? That means your level is low, right?]
Marie looked puzzled.
[Yeah. I think it should still be around 2.]
[2? But then…]
[Is it weird?]
[Your movement is too good. There is a slight gap between the image that can be perceived from the movement of the body…]
[Image? Gap?]
[I look at the person’s body and get a vague idea of how far they can move. But, there’s a gap in yours… it’s not a bad thing though…]
[Does that mean I have a knack for wielding swords?]
I wasn’t really convinced whether it’s a compliment or not. I wonder why.
[Hmm, maybe so. Well, that’s good.]
I’m curious, but okay. It’s a blunt sword, but it stabs normally, and if I swing it with its weight, it’s deadly enough. Goblins are short in stature, so horizontal slash will usually hit their vital point. Things will be different when fighting humans or other monsters it seems.
[Well, we’ve arrived at the edge of the Goblin Forest, so let’s set up a tent early today and get ready.]
There are several camping spots at the edge of the goblin-prone area called the Goblin Forest.
Many parties use it because the ground around it is leveled, and places to make fires and toilets are easily arranged.
The goblins rarely attack here as well because it’s too open for their liking. It has become a kind of simple safe zone.
I borrowed Elliot’s spare tent and set it up in a place a little farther away.
I would like to keep it farther away, but if it’s too far, I will be in trouble in an emergency.
Let’s endure the noises a little for the time being.
[Yoyo, Elly, and the remaining three will take turns standing guard at night. From sunset until midnight, it should be the men’s turn.]
Marie was in the commanding role.
Is that what a slave harem feels like?
It is said that as the number of women increases, the status of men declines.
But wisely, I nodded without saying anything.
From sunset to midnight. Does that mean I can sleep until sunrise?
It’s not as tough as I thought.
For dinner, we devoured the lunches we bought in town. Mine was the standard combination of rice balls and meat skewers.
[Then I’ll sleep too so please wake me up in the middle of the night. Be very careful of the night goblins, Yoyo.]
Marie dove into the tent, wrapped herself in a blanket in front of the bonfire and watched her surroundings.
This feels like camping. It’s a little like a school trip and it’s fun.
No, I don’t think the school trip on Earth was that much fun, but…well, let’s seal off the negative memories.
[What kind of creature are Night Goblins? I’ve never actually fought them before.]
[They generally have dark skin, and there are various types so I can’t sum it up well, but you can think of them as nocturnal goblins.]
Goblins undergo ecological changes immediately.
It is, of course, different from Darwinian evolution. It is close to a game-like “evolution” that changes into a different form than when it was born.
If using Earth’s terms, it would be “metamorphosis”.
No, it’s not some kind of hentai like SYOKUSYU or an uncle who wears a coat and shows off his junk on the way to school.
It’s that metamorphosis you learn in science, where a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. I don’t remember much either.
Goblins change their appearance from normal goblins to various goblins depending on their experience and qualities.
You could call it a monster version of the job system.
The night goblin is a goblin that often acts at night. Its color turns black as camouflage in the darkness of the night and it becomes nocturnal, attacking while its prey is asleep.
They equip whatever thing they can use as a weapon and some can even use magic. Weapons differ and some also use different magic. This type that can use magic is called “Night Goblin Mage”.
However, it doesn’t mean that it uses dark magic… It seems that there is a lot of normal fire magic so it stands out when used at night.
And it’s a pitiful guy who stands out and is targeted first.
[It’s black in color so it’s hard to spot. However, it’s ability to hide is low so you should be careful about the sound. If you hear the sound of scraping grass, be careful. Also, be wary of a surprise attack since there might be archers among them. You should keep your shield ready at all times.]
Following Elliot’s explanation, I stopped wrapping myself in a blanket and held the shield with my left hand.
Wouldn’t it be better to stay away from the bonfire and make sure they don’t know where you are right away?
[I’m tired of being too cautious, but well, it’s just the two of us so maybe I should concentrate a bit.]
Elliot also put his sword and shield in his hand and sat down to protect the entrance of the tent where the women were sleeping.
As expected, his actions are handsome. Let’s call it a handsome action and not the atmosphere. I muttered in my heart.
It’s better to be silent in order to concentrate, but that makes me sleepy, so I exchanged some small chats.
[Elliot, you seem to be often partnering with various temporary parties, but aren’t you eventually going to eventually have your own full party once the number of the slaves increases?]
[Yeah, that’s the idea. But if I do that, we’ll end up on our own. It’s scary since we won’t be able to gather information as easily as we used to, and we won’t be able to interact with our peers. That’s why I think it’s fine as it is now.]
[I see… Elliot has a lot of things to worry about too…]
[Haha. I guess you’ll start to think about various things once you buy slaves or run a party.]
[…If that happens, I’ll consult with you, senpai.]
[Of course. But in the end, there are many things that you have to find the answer yourself. Good luck]
[Oh. That’s right. But, I don’t even have any plan on joining the mercenary group.]
[Couldn’t you go in somewhere and have the slave wait at home?]
[…That’s right. No, if possible, a party like Elliot’s would be ideal.]
[Huh? Why?]
[I just think it’s fatal as an organization member. I’m not good at coordinating and I’m confident that if there’s something I want, I’ll throw it all away immediately.]
[…you’re probably not suited for society either.]
[Yeah. I know I’m an eccentric.]
[An eccentric huh? That’s a funny way of saying it. I guess I’m also an eccentric…]
[How come?]
I have a feeling that Elliot will be able to live a relatively carefree life in an organization. Where did you step off?
[Why did Elliot want to create a slave harem?]
[Well, at first it was kind of vague. When I was kicked out of my parents’ house, I was given some money. Since I was young, I was also interested in sex. When I was talking to a man I worked with, I found out that I had more than enough money. With that in mind, it would be quicker to buy a sex slave for myself rather than donating money to a professional woman. That’s how I bought my first slave.]
[So that’s how you fall into the addiction to the goodness of slavery?]
[No, honestly, one or two slaves is enough for that. If you get tired of them, you can just sell them back and buy a new one if you want to change things up. However, when I went to the slave trader because I felt like it, I saw a child on sale at a bargain price and felt pity for it so I bought it… Before I knew it, the number had increased and I began to live with the support of these girls. I ended up living with them. That’s what it feels like. Even now, I still go to see the slave trader from time to time. It’s a strange story, but I wonder if it’s just a hobby.]
[You feel like you have to buy when you see one?]
[That’s right. There aren’t many slaves better than them. Maybe it’s a hobby where I’ll feel satisfied after confirming that kind of thing.]
[It’s a funny hobby.]
[Exactly. But it’s surprisingly fun to live with slaves. Now that I think about it, is it any different than a normal life with a wife? They became more and more important to me, and in the end I never sold them. ]
[Ah.]
[At first, I thought I’d sell them when I got tired of them, and someday, I would get married normally. I didn’t have that much attachment to slavery, and I really thought it was to sate my sexual desire. But when I think about it now, I realize that they healed my loneliness and helped me overcome many things together…support me in areas other than sexual matters.]
[There are many kinds of slaves, huh.]
[That’s right. There are no absolutes in relationships between people. Married couples, parents and children; there are as many relationships as there are out there. It’s just painful to try to live only with the illusion that we have to be like this because we’re a couple. The stereotype that they should be unhappy because they’re slaves doesn’t apply. We are masters and slaves, but I plan to make them happier than any married couple or parent and child.]
[It’s a good story.]
[Is that so? If I told the same thing to ordinary people, they’ll say that I’m pretending to be a good person even though I use slaves as I please or that I’m a loser who couldn’t have a normal family.]
[I see… But maybe it’s because I’ve considered myself a failure. I can’t divide like that.]
[Yeah, I think you’ll be fine like that. Somehow…]
Elliot laughed. The shadows illuminated by the flames of the bonfire sway. He seems to have thought of it in his own way. It’s life.
[Having slaves made me think about what I wanted to do and what I wanted to build, and I think I was finally able to find my own core. I was lucky to notice that. Doesn’t matter what anyone else says.]
[Right…]
When I was a child, I was asked to write an essay called “What is your dream?” Well, it’s a common one.
I wrote what I honestly thought; “Not getting scolded even if I’m lazing around at home”.
I remember being scolded to think seriously and forced to rewrite the essay until I settled on “Becoming a respectable office worker.”
Even then, the teacher still gave me a sour look.
I had no admiration for athletes and all I could think about was that being a politician would be tough so there was no other choice.
What would have happened if I had written “to create a slave harem”?
I just stared at the swaying flames, remembering the campfires on the school trip that weren’t fun.
Nega Translations 