Chapter 130: Pass the Trial?
ㅤUsing the t*ump card of projecting illusions with the Wand of Regret, I somehow managed to defeat the Warrior Guild’s Grandmaster, Togo Shoma.
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ㅤBut then, the one who took Arsh hostage was,
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ㅤ”That face, if I’m not mistaken…”
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ㅤThe medallion I received when I joined the Thief Guild.
ㅤThe face of the shrewd young man engraved on it.
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ㅤ（According to the Thief Grandmaster, Elminarsh, it was Endo Hayao, wasn’t it?）
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ㅤHe looks somewhat younger than the medallion depicts, maybe around high school age.
ㅤHis eyes are sunken and give off a sinister impression.
ㅤHe’s slouching and not very tall.
ㅤHis equipment looks plain but is actually made up of rare drop items. Regrettably, it seems our thinking is alike.
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ㅤBehind him stood a beautiful woman with long black hair.
ㅤShe’s wearing glasses, which are rare in this world, and has the appearance of a capable career woman.
ㅤHowever, her gaze is sharp and cold.
ㅤShe gives off the feeling that she doesn’t consider others as fellow human beings.
ㅤHer attire consists of a long hooded robe, typical of magicians, and a sash with decorations.
ㅤShe’s holding something that looks like tarot cards in her hand… Could she use those for magic?
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ㅤThe female magician gently places her hand on the explorer Schmos’s head.
ㅤSchmos is unable to move, his face on the verge of tears.
ㅤHe must be under some kind of spell.
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ㅤFor a Japanese person, the woman is quite tall. Tall enough to naturally place her hand on the head of the short Schmos.
ㅤShe’s slender, with a model-like figure.
ㅤEarlier I said she looked like a capable career woman, but she also has the air of a charismatic model with low blood pressure and an extremely bad mood.
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ㅤ（The Magician Grandmaster, Minazuki Luna… I wonder what she’s like.）
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ㅤAt any rate, all the Grandmasters seem to have bad personalities.
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ㅤ”Heh heh heh. Too bad for you. Taking down Shoma was surprising, but you’re too careless about guarding your rear. Well, against me, it doesn’t matter how vigilant you are.”
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ㅤ”I don’t quite understand the situation… but whatever. I’d like to tell you to drop your weapons and surrender… but with a Demon and a Magician as opponents, I suppose…
ㅤLet’s do this. You two fight each other, and I’ll let the survivor live.”
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ㅤ”Hyah hyah! That’s the real deal!”
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ㅤEndo laughs at Minazuki’s words.
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ㅤ”Hmm… I don’t want to speak ill of them since I’ve benefited from the blessings of the two Grandmasters… but…”
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ㅤTo put it mildly, they’re scum.
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ㅤGrunblin looks at me with questioning eyes, as if asking, “What should we do?”
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ㅤ（Taking advantage of an opening to rescue them… That’s too naive against these opponents.）
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ㅤAs a thief, I can’t beat Endo, and as a magician, I’ll lose to Minazuki.
ㅤMy t*ump card, the release of the vengeful spirits from the Wand of Regret, was already seen earlier.
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ㅤ”Minato! Don’t worry about me━━”
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ㅤ”Hold it, don’t move. You’ll get a scar on that pretty skin.”
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ㅤThe tip of the dagger in Endo’s hand touches Arsh’s throat, drawing a bead of red blood.
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ㅤ”It doesn’t matter! It’s fine if only I d*e!”
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ㅤ”Whoa!”
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ㅤArsh thrusts his neck towards the dagger, and Endo hurriedly pulls it back.
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ㅤ”━━Ether Shot!”
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ㅤ”D*mn it!”
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ㅤEndo dodges the Ether Shot I fire off instinctively.
ㅤHe leaps away, distancing himself from Arsh.
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ㅤMinazuki tightens her grip on the hand she placed on Schmos’s head.
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ㅤ”You fool. You’re not the only hostage. Did you want to see your friend’s head turn into a pomegranate?”
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ㅤ”Wait━━”
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ㅤArsh’s cry and Minazuki’s casting of magic are simultaneous.
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ㅤWhat Minazuki used was━━Ether Shot.
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ㅤShe slammed an Ether Shot into Schmos’s head at point-blank range.
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ㅤ（Sorry, Schmos.）
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ㅤThe moment I took advantage of Arsh’s outburst, I knew this would happen.
ㅤComparing the two hostages, I chose the path where at least one could be saved.
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ㅤThe powerful Ether Shot released from Minazuki’s hand strikes the head of Schmos, who wears a fearless smile━━but it doesn’t shatter it.
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ㅤ””…Huh?””
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ㅤWhile Minazuki and I are surprised, Schmos slips out of Minazuki’s grasp,
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ㅤ”This is the resentment of the Demon race accumulated over the years! Vanish, Grandmaster!”
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ㅤCountless purple, vine-like things erupt from Schmos’s body.
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ㅤ”Wha━━?”
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ㅤThe torrent of vines pierces Minazuki’s entire body as it stretches upwards, turning the Magician Grandmaster into a shrike’s offering.
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ㅤ”Gah…”
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ㅤMinazuki coughs up blood.
ㅤFor a while, she tries to heal herself with magic, but soon runs out of strength, her eyes rolling back in despair.
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ㅤOf course, we weren’t just leisurely watching this unfold.
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ㅤ”Gatling Turret!”
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ㅤ”Demon Lance!”
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ㅤ”Tch!”
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ㅤI stop Endo’s feet, and Grunblin unleashes a Demon Lance attack on the immobilized Endo.
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ㅤEndo holds daggers in both hands, taking a stance to deflect Grunblin’s attack.
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ㅤ（He can deflect that!?）
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ㅤ”Sharaaaaaah!”
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ㅤWith a spirited yell, Endo deflects Grunblin’s lance with his crossed daggers.
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ㅤGrunblin’s lance is flung high into the sky.
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ㅤ（To deflect something swung downwards upwards…）
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ㅤIt was a technique far too advanced to be called simply “deflecting.”
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ㅤBut,
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ㅤ”It’s over.”
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ㅤGrunblin creates another lance and pierces Endo’s exposed chest.
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ㅤ”Impos… sible…”
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ㅤGrunblin makes the lance disappear.
ㅤEndo, with a large hole in his chest, collapses with a thud and stops moving.
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ㅤ”So. What should I ask first?”
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ㅤThere’s so much that’s happened, I’m confused.
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ㅤFor now,
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ㅤ”I guess about Schmos’s true identity.”
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ㅤI turn my attention to Schmos, who has retracted the vines and returned to his usual explorer attire.
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ㅤSchmos gives a sly grin.
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ㅤIt’s not Schmos who answers my question, but Grunblin.
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ㅤ”Boroneal. So it was you.”
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ㅤ”It was perfect timing, wasn’t it, Grunblin?”
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ㅤSchmos’s body is enveloped in mist, and in the next instant, a thin, slouching man covered in rags appears.
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ㅤBoroneal… I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere.
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ㅤArsh speaks to me as I wear a puzzled expression.
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ㅤ”Boroneal the Schemer. One of the Four Heavenly Demon Generals.”
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ㅤ”Ah, Arsh mentioned him before.
ㅤWait a minute. What happened to the real Schmos!?”
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ㅤ”Don’t worry, Adventurer. The real Schmos━━that pitiful girl who convinced herself she was an explorer━━is taking a nap at her home in Hope Village.
ㅤIt was such a convenient delusion. I just 『disguised』 myself a little to accompany you.
ㅤShe might be waking up about now and making a fuss about who the 『Schmos』 that accompanied you was.”
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ㅤBoroneal laughs mischievously.
ㅤHis hood only reveals his mouth, but even that conveys a comical impression.
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ㅤ”Now that you mention it, it was strange that you could understand Ancient Demon Language.”
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ㅤ”I thought you were struggling because no one could read it, so I offered to help, but I should have kept quiet if you could read it.”
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ㅤ”There seems to be a lot I need to ask, but for now, we’re saved. Thank you.”
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ㅤ”You’re welcome. However, your gratitude might disappear once you know what I’ve done.”
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ㅤ”…What do you mean?”
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ㅤ”First, Oceanus and the Kraken. Those were my doing. I wanted the runaway Demon King to understand reality. I arranged it so you’d drift to the transfer gate to the Elminarsh System in Kielhen.”
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ㅤ”…Is that so?”
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ㅤArsh said that, sounding genuinely angry.
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ㅤ”What about the Sandworm incident that happened near Celesta?”
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ㅤ”That wasn’t me. Demon races who have reincarnated all over the world are currently running rampant as they please. That was just one of them.”
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ㅤ”Why did Grunblin chase after us?”
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ㅤWhen I asked,
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ㅤ”Who would go along with this man’s schemes? I genuinely intended to defeat the Demon King and seize her power.”
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ㅤGrunblin replies.
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ㅤ”How much of the history Elminarsh told you did Boroneal know?”
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ㅤ”I suspected that the Grandmasters were suspicious. I’m a rare intellectual among the Four Heavenly Demon Generals, you see. Just like the explorer Schmos, I’ve been rummaging through ancient Demon ruins and investigating the old layers of the Netherworld.
ㅤHowever, I never imagined that the Grandmasters would be this much scum.”
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ㅤ”Indeed. We, the Demon race, have now gained a just cause. A just cause to eradicate the humans along with our reincarnated brethren.”
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ㅤGrunblin says provocatively.
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ㅤ（This is bad…）
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ㅤAlthough I overcame Elminarsh’s trial, next up is a duo of the Four Heavenly Demon Generals.
ㅤWhat a boss rush.
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ㅤ（Still, the Grandmasters’ skills were incredible.）
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ㅤTogo’s battle techniques, Endo’s deflection, and Minazuki’s Ether Shot were all superhuman skills.
ㅤTogo repelled Grunblin’s Demon Lance with a sword wave, and Endo deflected it as if reflecting it with two daggers.
ㅤMinazuki wielded the Ether Shot, which I had been conceited about as my unique technique, with accuracy and power surpassing mine.
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ㅤ『Have you finished your introductions?』
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ㅤA gruff voice suddenly echoes.
ㅤI look up.
ㅤA black octahedron is floating there.
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ㅤ”Elminarsh. We passed the trial. No complaints, right?”
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ㅤ『What are you saying? I have plenty of complaints. Minato, if I were to grade your battle, it would be a 33.』
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ㅤ”Uh, out of 40?”
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ㅤ『Out of 100, of course! You barely survived by relying on t*ump cards and surprise attacks. There’s no reproducibility in those results.』
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ㅤ”Well, maybe so… but isn’t the result all that matters?”
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ㅤ『Unfortunately, the Elminarsh System prioritizes the process. Unless your abilities are statistically proven in a significant manner, I cannot acknowledge that you have cleared the trial.』
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ㅤAlong with Elminarsh’s words, three figures appear before us.
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ㅤSeeing them, Grunblin, Boroneal, and I involuntarily cry out in unison.
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ㅤ”””Gah!”””
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ㅤThe ones who appeared were━━the three Grandmasters we had just defeated.