Translation: Rihn
Editor: Zioming<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Chapter 82 – The Zodiac Gates and Another Duel Request<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Author\u2019s Note: Happy new year, and so on. Please treat me well this year as well, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n **************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************<\/p>\n\n\n\n While we were relaxing, after dealing with the Tenri debacle, we decided to go on a tour of the Dragon Newts\u2019 Hidden Area, visiting all the Dragon\u2019s Gates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are 12 gates within the Hidden Area, leading to another set of 12 gates spread out all over the world. In other words, by using the Dragon\u2019s Gates, we\u2019ll be able to instantly travel to any part of the world. It\u2019s rather ironic, when you think about it, that the Dragon Newts chose to cut themselves off from the outside world, while at the same time having the perfect means for becoming the centre of a world-spanning transportation network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen, let\u2019s go in order! First up is the Gate of the Rat!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKyu~! Yay~!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Going along with Mio\u2019s declaration, we decided to go through the zodiac-named gates in clockwise order, hence we\u2019re currently at the Gate of the Rat. We plan to place a \u2018Portal\u2019 spell beyond each gate, so that we can reduce the future travel time to different parts of the world as much as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Personally, I enjoy the time spent travelling, so reducing it too much doesn\u2019t really sit right with me, but then again, it would feel like a waste not to make use of what\u2019s right in front of us, given that we\u2019re already here. As such, we\u2019ll just place the \u2018Portals\u2019 for now, and we can decide later whether we’ll actually use them or not. By the way, according to Alta, Lucia, as the head of the Chamber of Advanced Commerce, is already planning to open branch stores near the new transfer points. Looks like they will also span the world pretty soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJin-kun, will the ruins on the other side be like the ones in Narnka Kingdom…?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, it\u2019s probably the same style of ruins.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat if some destinations are buried in the ground, or even underwater…?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sakura raised a valid point. The Dragon’s Gate that we used to enter the Dragon Newts’ Hidden Area was hidden deep inside a cave, so we were able to use it without much trouble. However, there is no guarantee that the same will be the case for all the other Dragon’s Gates spread throughout the world. It\u2019s entirely possible for some of them to have been destroyed, damaged, buried underground, or even sunken underwater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s already been checked by Alta. Or, to be more precise, when I became the Dungeon Master, we were able to access all the information about the Hidden Area. At the time, we were also able to confirm that all the Dragon’s Gates were working correctly. Though there are indeed two of them that are currently underwater.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After roughly determining the positions of the Dragon’s Gates on the world map, we know that one of them is at the bottom of the ocean and one is in the middle of a lake. (ED: The gates are placed in two concentric circles around the dungeon core, so by knowing the positions of the core, the zodiac gates, and some of the outer gates, they were able to extrapolate the positions of the remaining ones)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, even if it\u2019s underwater, if we prepare, it\u2019s not like it\u2019s impossible for us to go. We already went through the trouble, so I think we should at least check them out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf possible, I would prefer for Jin-sama to stay behind…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRejected.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I dismissed Maria\u2019s proposal with a single word. Waiting in a safe place while even Dora goes would be way too uncool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, we don\u2019t need to worry about the transfer failing… Then, one more thing… What if someone is already at the destination…?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to the gates being underground or underwater, it would also be a problem if someone happened to see us use them. At a quick glance, they\u2019re just ordinary ruins, but they could just as well have become tourist attractions, or in the worst case scenario, be located in the middle of a city. Obviously, we\u2019ve already thought of that possibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNaturally, I\u2019d like you to make a new magic spell for us, in order to deal with that, Sakura. Let\u2019s see… How about one to make us invisible?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If we were invisible, it would decrease the chances of anyone noticing us when we transfer. Plus, let\u2019s have a smaller scouting party, like, just me and Dora (Maria will also follow), and then we can call the rest over afterwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see. Then, please wait a moment… …Huh? It seems that I can\u2019t make it…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEh, seriously?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The only magic spell that Sakura hasn\u2019t been able to make so far, was one to return us to our original world. And even then, it was a case of not having enough MP on hand, rather than it straight up not being possible to make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUmm, Jin-sama…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat is it, Maria?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere actually already is a magic spell to turn yourself invisible. It\u2019s a part of the \u2018Attribute-Less Magic\u2019 skill. I believe Jin-sama got it from an S-rank adventurer back in Kastal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c………Ah, you\u2019re right!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <Attribute-Less Magic><\/p>\n\n\n\n Magic with effects not covered by the basic magic attributes. It was once treated as a sign of incompetence, and is rarely passed on. Notable spells include \u2018Energy Blast\u2019 and \u2018Invisibility\u2019. (ED: Previously translated as \u2018Non-Elemental Magic\u2019 and \u2018Spirit Bullet\u2019 respectively, but it\u2019s probably more like a hadouken-style, concentrated energy blast attack. On that topic, the magic in this novel is divided into 8 basic attributes: 6 elemental ones: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Ice and Lightning; and then Light and Dark; but there are also various specialised magic attributes, like Maria\u2019s \u2018Barrier Magic\u2019 and Tokoyo\u2019s \u2018Space Magic\u2019)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Attribute-Less Magic\u2019 is one of the unique skills I took from that one, cool-looking wizard guy (appearance omitted) during the Ramorie [fake Sakuya] incident. Obviously, \u2018Invisibility\u2019 is a spell for making yourself invisible. Sakura\u2019s special power, \u2018Magic Creation\u2019, can\u2019t create magic spells that already exist, and by chance, there already was one with exactly the same effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor Master, even the unique skills of S-rank adventurers aren\u2019t worth remembering…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt can\u2019t be helped! That time was like an S-rank adventurers\u2019 unique skills bargain sale…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The turmoil caused by the fake Sakuya attracted a lot of S-rank adventurers to gather from all over Kastal. There were so many unique skills that I took at that time, that, other than the ones that caught my eye, I didn\u2019t even have time to go through all of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the time being, I gave Sakura the \u2018Sorcery\u2019 skill, and Maria the \u2018Magic Sword\u2019 and \u2018Holy Sword\u2019 skills, but I never actually saw the two of them use these. As a side note, the skills I gave Maria occasionally level up for some reason, even though she pretty much stays by my side all day every day…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaster certainly got his hands on quite a number of unique skills back then. But, on the other hand, since we already have it, there\u2019s no need to trouble Sakura-sama with making a new magic spell this time, so it all worked out in the end.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYep, might as well give it a try. Sorry for wasting your time, Sakura.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, It\u2019s fine, please don\u2019t mind it… If you ever need more magic spells, please let me know anytime…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, I\u2019ll rely on you at that time\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes…!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n The attribute-less magic spell \u2018Invisibility [Transparency]\u2019 can apparently be cast on multiple people at once, so I decided to give it a try. After invoking it, the bodies of Dora, Maria and I became slightly see-through. To the other members, it looked as if we\u2019d disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Invisibility\u2019 will constantly consume MP while it\u2019s active, so, in theory, one can keep it going indefinitely, as long as they don\u2019t run out of MP. Well, on top of my ridiculously large MP pool, I also have the \u2018Automatic MP Recovery\u2019 skill, so it\u2019s not really a problem for me. (ED: \u2018MP pool size\u2019 is, in short, the maximum amount of MP, or Magic Points, that one can have stored up at any given time)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOoh, Master disappeared. With this he can peep in the baths all he wants!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTo begin with, If I were to peep, could anyone in the mansion even stop me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh right, no one would stop Master from peeping in the first place…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Basically, the people in the mansion are all my subordinates, so, If I were to actually try and peep, no one would have the ability to stop me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf possible, please don\u2019t just suddenly show up… Please let me sort my feelings first…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf Jin-sama wants to see me naked, please come and look at me anytime you like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKyu~? Kyu~! Master wants to look~? Dora doesn\u2019t mind~!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, if it\u2019s just looking, I don’t mind. Wait a little longer for the real thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Far from the main issue being that no one could resist, it\u2019s that no one would even want to resist…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, I wasn\u2019t going to peep to begin with. It was just a joke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat~, that\u2019s too bad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMio-chan, I don’t think that’s something for a former highschool student to be so disappointed about…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, I\u2019d probably just ask them up front to show me, rather than peek. …No, the situation of them not being aware that they\u2019re being watched is also quite…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s return to the main topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if it would instantly recover, I didn\u2019t want to waste MP on \u2018Invisibility\u2019 for no reason while we talked about such unimportant things, so I decided to go ahead with the transfer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen, we\u2019re off. If there are no problems, we\u2019ll immediately call you over, so stand by.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay~.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnderstood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n While invisible, Maria, Dora, and I stood atop the crest at the Gate of the Rat, and once Dora touched the sigil in the middle of it, the transfer device was activated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The scenery in front of us completely changed, as we were transferred to the Dragon’s Gate far north of the Dragon Newts’ Hidden Area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere doesn\u2019t seem to be anyone here.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDoesn\u2019t look like it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n In case there were people here, we were talking via telepathy. Checking with the map, there don\u2019t seem to be any human-like creatures within a few kilometres around us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As such, I cancelled \u2018Invisibility\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Dragon’s Gate is surrounded by a snow-covered landscape, and even now there\u2019s snow falling heavily around us. Still, it makes sense that the north would be a snowy country. It\u2019s absurdly cold though…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnyway, it\u2019s pretty cold here, isn\u2019t it? Well, I guess it\u2019s only natural if it snows this much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJin-sama, please wear this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh, thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n While saying that, I put on the coat that Maria handed me. Yep, that\u2019s a lot better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKyu~, kyui~! Yay~, snow~!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Incidentally, Dora was frolicing about through the snow in high spirits. She doesn\u2019t look cold at all. Kids aren\u2019t really that bothered by the cold, huh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBe careful not to fall down!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKyu! Kyukyu!? Yes~! Uwah!?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n -pomf-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right as she said that, she fell head first into the snow. It seems that she fell because she looked this way when replying to me. …It\u2019s not my fault, right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKyui~, kyu~. Hehehe, I fell~.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDora-chan, are you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKyu! Un!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dora said as she stood up and started running around again. She looks really happy. Even more so, than when she returned to the Dragon Newts’ Hidden Area, her hometown. The Chieftain is really pitiful…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now then, it\u2019s about time I called the rest over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s snowing out here, so you might want to put on some warm clothes first.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes~.\u201d<\/em> x3<\/p>\n\n\n\n I urged them to dress warmly via telepathy, and once they were done changing, I called them over with \u2018Summon\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUgh, It\u2019s really cold! Master, warm me up~!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSure, will \u2018Fireball\u2019 do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I conjured up a ball of fire using \u2018Fire Magic\u2019 in front of Mio who was coming at me in a \u2018hug me\u2019 pose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll die!?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was just a joke. Upsy daisy…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEh~, now I\u2019m being carried!?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like that, I picked up Mio and held her in my arms. Looks like skinship is a great way to warm someone up. I feel much warmer already. Looking at Mio, she seems to be torn between various feelings, with both happy and sad mixed in there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m split between feeling sad that I\u2019m being treated totally like a child, and thinking that being held like this is actually not so bad…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being a previously 16-year-old, and currently an 8-years-old, so, in total, a 24-year-old girl comes with various complications it seems. Though in Mio\u2019s case, it\u2019s more like she\u2019s redoing her earlier years, so saying that she\u2019s 24 years old isn\u2019t quite right either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt really is cold… As Jin-kun had said, it was a good idea to put on some warm clothes before coming here… But it\u2019s still a little cold…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cActually, I\u2019ve always been really good with cold. I would have been fine in this weather even without warm clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sakura looked cold, just like Mio, while Sera on the other hand didn\u2019t seem to mind the cold at all. Is it due to her unusually-high muscle density?<\/p>\n\n\n\n A: That\u2019s right.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSakura-sama, would you like to wear my coat as well?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWould that be alright…?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, it\u2019s no problem at all. It seems a bit harsh on you, Sakura-sama, so please use it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you very much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPlease don\u2019t mention it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Borrowing Sera\u2019s coat, Sakura put it on, but all those extra layers only served to make her look all round and fluffy. It must be pretty hard to move like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJin-sama, I\u2019ve finished setting up a \u2018Portal\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh, thank you, Maria.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I received Maria\u2019s report. While I was bringing everyone over with \u2018Summon\u2019, I left the task of placing down a \u2018Portal\u2019 to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know we just got here, but the \u2018Portal\u2019 is already set up, so I think we should head back now. There aren\u2019t any people within a few kilometres from here, so I intend to put off exploring this place until later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKyu~. Dora wants to play more~.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry. We still have 10 more places to visit, so we can\u2019t spend too much time in any one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Excluding the Gate of the Goat, we plan to go through all the Dragon’s Gates today, so, naturally, the time we can spend at each place is rather limited. Also, we already decided that we are going to spend as little time as humanly possible at the Gate of the Monkey, since it leads to Eludia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKyu~. Kyu? Okay~. Can we come again?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSure, it\u2019s a promise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not like I dislike snowy countries, and I would like to go sightseeing here in the future, so we\u2019ll definitely come back when we have the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n After that, we toured all the Dragon’s Gates for the rest of the day. Below is a list of all of them, along with their transfer destinations. I didn\u2019t really look into the details of the places I haven\u2019t been to, nor heard of before, though. I\u2019m the type to save that for later, after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gate of the Rat: ???, snowfield<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gate of the Ox: ???, forest<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gate of the Tiger: ???, lake<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gate of the Rabbit: Izumo, city<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gate of the Dragon: ???, desert<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gate of the Snake: Elf Village, forest<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gate of the Horse: Crimson Empire, forest<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gate of the Goat: Narnka Kingdom, bandit\u2019s hideout<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gate of the Monkey: Eludia Kingdom, meadow northeast of the royal capital<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gate of the Rooster: Sanokia Kingdom, forest<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gate of the Dog: ???, ocean<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gate of the Pig: ???, wasteland<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like the snowfield behind the Gate of the Rat, the forest behind the Gate of the Ox, the desert behind the Gate of the Dragon, and the wasteland behind the Gate of the Pig didn\u2019t have anyone living nearby. I could have investigated if there were any villages in the surrounding areas, but I decided to leave that to the Maids of the Chamber of Advanced Commerce instead. Apparently, they are already raring to go… <\/p>\n\n\n\n The outer gates connected via the Gate of the Tiger, and the Gate of the Dog were the two submerged ones. The latter was on the bottom of the ocean so naturally there was nothing around it, and as for the former, it was situated in the middle of a lake which looked to be some noble\u2019s summer retreat. Since it looked like trouble, I decided to put it off for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Gate of the Rabbit was connected to the capital city of a country known as Izumo. I briefly investigated some details about the place so I\u2019ll give you a short explanation. To sum it up, it\u2019s your template \u2018eastern country\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s roughly based on Japan during its Sengoku and Edo periods, with people living there wearing Japanese-style clothes, eating Japanese-style food, and living in Japanese-style houses. Their main weapons are the katana and the bow, and their blacksmithing is said to be superior to other countries\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s unlike the Kastal Queendom which only has Japanese-like elements awkwardly mixed into its culture, and the Dragon Newts’ Hidden Area which only uses Japanese-like names. Honestly, It\u2019s the first time I\u2019ve seen something so completely Japanese since coming to this world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why does a country like this even exist? In all likelihood a transferee or a reincarnator had a hand in this, since it would be hard to imagine for such an easily recognizable Japanese-style country to spontaneously sprout up in another world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a side note, the country is apparently also famous for being the favourite visit destination for the heroes of the past… Obviously, I understand how they would feel. Mio is also really excited about it. Naturally, I\u2019m also thinking about going to visit. No, we will go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, right now, the Dragon Newts’ Hidden Area takes priority. We\u2019ll go after we\u2019re done here. …Weren\u2019t we already going to the Crimson Empire?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s return to the topic of the Dragon’s Gates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Given the area of our past activities, the countries that we already knew of are all clustered in the southwestern direction. Eludia Kingdom aside, Sera\u2019s homeland, Sanokia Kingdom, is also connected to via a Dragon’s Gate. Still, it seems to be a country that heavily favours the nobles, so I don\u2019t really want to go there, and Sera hasn\u2019t shown any interest in it either, so I think we\u2019ll just pass on it as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s more interesting is that both of the places that we were planning to visit in the future, the Crimson Empire and the Elven Village, also have a Dragon’s Gate within their borders. Neither of the gates are particularly close to our actual destinations (the imperial capital, and the village proper), but it would certainly decrease our travel time by a lot if we were to use them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hmm, should we go by carriage and enjoy the scenery while we travel, or just use the shortcut that we already went through the trouble of making? …Well, for now the plan is to go by carriage while we still have time, and if we happen to run out, we\u2019ll use the gate then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy apologies. The matter with Akatsuki has become a bit troublesome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Chieftain, who greeted us back at the mansion, started with such a line. It\u2019s that stupid bug again…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow so?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHmm, the thing is that Akatsuki is from the same branch family as Hisui, and as soon as his family had learned that Hisui had been moved up to the position of the first chieftain candidate, they started demanding for his release.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Hisui was originally just the third chieftain candidate, the branch family that she\u2019s from didn\u2019t hold much sway, but now that both Dora and Tenri stepped down, and Hisui suddenly become the first chieftain candidate, the family\u2019s influence increased correspondingly, and so they started demanding for the release of their imprisoned family member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNaturally, I refused them. But then the branch family said \u2018If you don\u2019t accede to our demands, Hisui will also step down\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCan\u2019t you just choose new chieftain candidates?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So far the conversation has only been about these 3: Dora, Tenri, and Hisui; but is there some rule that prevents other Dragon Newts from becoming candidates?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s not possible.The chieftain candidates are limited to only three, two from the branch families and one from the main family. Therefore, I could not allow Hisui to step down as well, and had no choice but to accept their demands, and release Akatsuki.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, that means that Akatsuki is going to come and mess with us again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once he\u2019s released from prison, the chance of that stupid bug coming to pick a fight with us again is pretty high. …Correction, he most definitely will. Still, If he comes, I won\u2019t be able to guarantee his life this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wish it was just him picking a fight…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat does that mean…?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Chieftain muttered something disturbing, so I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOnce they got a taste of victory, the branch family and Akatsuki immediately tried to force a duel between you two. With the conditions that If you lose, you will have to release all the tamed Dragon Newts other than Shirayuki.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The reason why they didn\u2019t demand for Dora\u2019s release as well, was probably because she would get in Hisui\u2019s way of becoming the next chieftain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen, did you agree to that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCertainly not. The matter of Akatsuki\u2019s imprisonment was at my own discretion, so the right to revoke it was also mine. However, whether the duel will be accepted or not is not something I can decide on my own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If he had said that he agreed, then we would have just gone home. And, obviously, we would have taken all the tamed Dragon Newts with us without exception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNonetheless, the other side is very stubborn. They asked me to find some way to convince you to accept the duel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s no way I\u2019d accept, right? There\u2019s absolutely no merit in it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simply put, I can\u2019t imagine a future where meeting that stupid bug won\u2019t feel unpleasant. And since it\u2019s going to be unpleasant anyway, there\u2019s no reason to accept the duel in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs expected… Well, I\u2019ll say it just in case, but they said that if you accept the duel, they will agree to your demands, if you match theirs. Akatsuki aside, the branch family members aren\u2019t so stupid, that they would expect you to to agree to it for free.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n “If they were, they would be done for in more ways than one.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, what kind of morinic thing is this stupid bug even saying? Did he really think I would agree to a duel just because he told me to?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat might be so, but I would still appreciate it if you didn\u2019t actually say it. Also, if possible, It would be of great help if you were to actually accept the duel. If you want more treasure as a reward for victory, that can also be arranged.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think you misunderstood something. We only accepted those treasures because it was an appropriate reward at the time. Please don\u2019t go thinking that we\u2019ll do whatever you ask us to, if you just dangle some shiny things in front of us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI-Is that so… I\u2019m sorry for bringing it up…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It would be annoying if they thought that we would accept any request they make, if they just throw some treasure our way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI currently have no intention of accepting the duel. That\u2019s all I have to say on this matter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHmm…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After saying that to the Chieftain I walked away, having deemed any further discussion futile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSince it\u2019s the long awaited duel event, shouldn\u2019t you have gladly accepted it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the point of having a duel with someone who you know is going to make it unpleasant? Besides, what do you expect me to gain from a fight with a guy who got completely shut down with a single move by both Sera and Maria before?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, not a single thing, I guess…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mio, who had been looking forward to the duel event, expressed her disappointment, but I ruthlessly cut it down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHonestly, it\u2019s becoming annoying. Sorry Mio, but I think we might have to just leave the Dragon Newts’ Hidden Area before noon tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYup, it\u2019s a shame I couldn\u2019t finish teaching my cooking classes, but I understand how Master feels so I won\u2019t complain. But what\u2019s that Akatsuki guy\u2019s deal though? He\u2019s really irritating, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mio was going to teach the Dragon Newts how to cook, so I feel bad for forcing her to quit, even though she just started today, but it\u2019s still not reason enough to stop me from leaving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf Jin-sama wishes, I will go and cut him down right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo need. But the next time he attacks us, there will be no need for mercy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. Understood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria was saying something dangerous again, so I stopped her lightly. With how irritating the things have become, \u2018lightly\u2019 is as far as I\u2019m willing to go right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDoes Master think Akatsuki and the rest of them will come to bother us again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, I think it\u2019s more than likely that they will, though I\u2019m still not sure whether they\u2019ll try to just force the duel, or he\u2019ll simply come and attack us instead. …Naturally I won\u2019t show mercy either way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If he goes against the rules and straight up attacks us again, I won\u2019t hesitate to kill him this time. …Now that I think about it, what even are the rules for duelling in the Dragon Newts\u2019 Hidden Area?<\/p>\n\n\n\n A: Simply speaking, killing your opponent during a duel is prohibited. If you kill them, whether intentionally or not, you lose by default. It isn\u2019t considered a crime in and of itself, but it is a permanent stain on one\u2019s honour.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n So, it\u2019s not a crime…<\/p>\n\n\n\n A: Usually, when duelling people in this world, one can designate a proxy to fight in their stead, but the rules of the Dragon Newts’ Hidden Area do not permit that.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n So, basically, the reason why that stupid bug kept challenging me to a duel was to ensure that I would be the one fighting him. I see, he\u2019s trying to go around Maria, who overwhelmed him, Sera, who erased his \u2018Dragon Magic\u2019, and Mio, who defeated the Abyssal Dragon. Looks like not only does he hate me enough to want to fight me at all cost, he somehow also judged me to be the weakest in our group. Perhaps, he misunderstood that the girls are the stronger ones in our party. Talk about a fatal lapse in judgement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Given all that, no wonder he’s been so annoying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI had a quick talk with Alta, and, depending on the situation, I might actually accept the duel. Sorry, Maria, but please don\u2019t kill him if he attacks us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnderstood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAren\u2019t you going to stop Jin-kun from accepting the duel, Maria-chan…? Don\u2019t you always ask him to stop doing dangerous things…?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf it\u2019s only that level of an opponent, it won\u2019t become dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria responded to Sakura\u2019s question plainly. It seems that the stupid bug didn\u2019t even make the list of potentially dangerous things. Talk about pathetic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCome to think of it, If Master accepts the duel, what are you going to demand as your reward?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSince Master already refused the treasure, you will have to make it something else, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh, I guess you\u2019re right. Well, if you think about it, what else is there of value in the Hidden Area other than the treasure… there\u2019s only the Dragon Newts themselves, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I answered Sera and Mio\u2019s questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy demand will be to allow me to take several of the tamed Dragon Newts other than Dora with us when we leave. There are a couple that caught my eye after all…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuh? Didn\u2019t you agree not to take any, in exchange for the free pass?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you really think we\u2019ll still have a use for the free pass after all this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c………\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mio silently shook her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although I was prepared for a certain degree of trouble, we\u2019ve already had 2 people, Tenri and Akatsuki, causing problems for us before, and now even the branch family that\u2019s behind the third candidate is getting hostile towards us, so they\u2019ll probably continue to be annoying in the future. If you think about it, the Chieftain\u2019s family is like the imperial family of this place, so by extension, that branch families are the Hidden Area\u2019s equivalent of nobility. In other words, I\u2019m being dragged into noble-related troubles again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s why it\u2019s only several people. If I were to ask for everyone we\u2019ve tamed, that would be over 90 people, so they will obviously be more inclined to agree if I ask for just a few of them. And, obviously, I won\u2019t take anyone who doesn\u2019t want to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, Master…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat is it, Mio?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mio was staring at me with frightened eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy is Master smiling while making such a scary face?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKyu~ Super scary~<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mio asked me while trembling. It seems I had a pretty frightening expression. Even Dora became slightly teary-eyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh, I just realised that Akatsuki is also a member of the branch family, which basically makes him yet another noble trying to cause problems for us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaster\u2019s hatred for noble-related troubles is really disturbing… I\u2019m begging you, please stop making that face. I\u2019ll do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mio took the familiar dogeza pose. …Yep, I\u2019ve somehow already gotten used to her doing that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, when I saw Mio\u2019s dogeza, I instantly felt a little more at ease. I\u2019m not really sure how I should feel about that though…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKyu~! Master\u2019s back~!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Somehow, it looks like I returned to normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSorry, I didn\u2019t even notice…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you sure you\u2019re okay, Jin-kun…?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, I guess it was bothering me more than I initially thought. That\u2019s why this duel will be their last chance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m uncomfortable enough to make a scary face without even realising it. Now that I\u2019m aware of it, I\u2019m not going to just let it slide like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLast chance? How so?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf anything unpleasant happens again after this duel, I won\u2019t show any mercy to the Dragon Newts’ Hidden Area any more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Until now, I was pretty lenient when dealing with that stupid bug because I decided that it wouldn\u2019t be good for Dora\u2019s education to kill people from her hometown in front of her. However, there are limits to everything. If I\u2019ll still have to tolerate that stupid bug after this, then I should effectively treat the entire Dragon Newts’ Hidden Area as enemies. And I for one have no intention of showing mercy to my enemies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt first, I was just going to take the three tamed Dragon Newts who Mio is teaching how to cook, in addition to two others out of the Hidden Area as part of my duel reward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat would be a big help. Outside of the Hidden Area, I would have access to proper facilities, and I could get the Maids to help out as well. …But, are you saying you\u2019re not going to stop there if they keep bothering you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, there\u2019s no way in hell I\u2019ll stop there. We\u2019ll have to reduce the number of people from Mio\u2019s side by one, but we\u2019ll be taking a much more lethal one instead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I told everyone the names of the people I was going to take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaster, that\u2019s one fiendish act.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, it\u2019s honestly shocking…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c……\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJin-sama, are you trying to destroy the Hidden Area? Well, if you told me to kill them all, I would still do it though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s not like I\u2019m actually trying to destroy it. I just want to make them understand who they\u2019ve made an enemy of.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt sure is unwise to make Master your enemy….\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So far, the only enemies of mine (that I know of) who are still alive, would be the Eludia\u2019s royal family, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIndeed, in the worst case scenario, the Dragon Newts’ Hidden Area may end up being destroyed. But that can be easily avoided if they just bend their rules a bit. Well, I\u2019d like to think that they would do it if things really were to get that far… Dora also doesn\u2019t want her hometown to be destroyed, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKyui, Kyuu~! Dora doesn’t feel attached, but also doesn\u2019t want it destroyed~!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also don\u2019t want to destroy Dora\u2019s former home, the Dragon Newts’ Hidden Area. As I mentioned before, if the Chieftain and the other influential people of the Hidden Area bend the rules a bit, they won\u2019t have any problems recovering. And while he values the rules, the Chieftain isn\u2019t so strict about adhering to them, so there should be plenty of leeway. Well, none of this will happen in the first place, if that stupid bug just doesn\u2019t get involved with us any more…<\/p>\n\n\n\n **************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************<\/p>\n\n\n\n Backstory – Attribute-Less Magic<\/p>\n\n\n\n A skill that enables the use of unusual, \u2018colourless\u2019 magic spells like \u2018Invisibility\u2019 and \u2018Energy Blast\u2019. Since it doesn\u2019t have any flashy spells like other attribute magic, it was treated as the magic of failures (\u2018Energy Blast\u2019 is slow, and has poor MP efficiency). Even more so if you were to learn \u2018Invisibility\u2019, since it gave you the ability to commit all sorts of crimes, so it automatically caused people to treat you like a criminal. A colourless skill that caused its users to be looked past by other people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Previous<\/a> <Table of Contents<\/a>> Next<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Translation: RihnEditor: Zioming ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Chapter 82 – The Zodiac Gates and Another Duel Request Author\u2019s Note: Happy new year, and so on. Please treat me well this year as well, and so on. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** While we were relaxing, after dealing with the Tenri debacle, we decided to go on a tour of the Dragon Newts\u2019… Read More »Blessing from the Goddess and Transfer to Another World! ~No Thanks, I Don\u2019t Need a Special Ability~ Chapter 82<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":5,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-110","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nonametranslations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nonametranslations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nonametranslations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nonametranslations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nonametranslations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/nonametranslations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":257,"href":"https:\/\/nonametranslations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/110\/revisions\/257"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nonametranslations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nonametranslations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}