Chapter 228: Loading Dock
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 228: Loading Dock
We pass through the vast wilderness beyond the Barrier and nearly reach the village.
It’s been a while since I’ve been out on a request. Well, technically, I didn't come out here just for the request.
Still, after being stuck in the city for so long, coming out past the Barrier and seeing the wonders of undeveloped nature is quite healing.
"Kieeeeeek—!!"
Ah, except for the monster bastards that pop up at every turn to block the path, of course.
Crunch! Splash—!
A monster resembling a werewolf is skewered and killed by a stone spike from Rio’s magic, while a pig-like creature about knee-high has its head crushed by the thug’s greatsword.
"Ah—we’re almost there. What a pain."
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
Look at Rio. I put so much effort into raising him, and now that his skills have improved a bit, he’s acting all high and mighty.
And I still can't get used to the warm consideration from that reformed thug.
By the way, these guys are fighting way too sloppily against these small fry.
"Hey, the thug should take the big one, and Rio, you take the four-legged pig. Are you guys even trying? Don't you know which matchups are better?"
"…Listen to the guy who’s been lounging around the whole way here."
Rio looks at me with disbelief.
Hey, I couldn't help it. Have you ever had to deal with a married woman whose libido is on fire?
Who knew Mrs. Yume, who hasn't even had training, would have such incredible stamina?
She claimed she had a low sex drive and had never even felt an orgasm, but once she caught fire, she pounced on me like she was going to devour me.
The request was scheduled for three days later, and during that time, we went at it day and night without stopping.
She’d come over in the morning before school to merge at the front door; she’d wait for me to return from Yggdrasil and merge at the front door again the moment she saw me; then merge in the living room, merge in the kitchen, merge while eating, and then come over at night after making sure her husband was asleep to merge again…
We really went at it like crazy.
But would I be like this over just one ordinary woman? When Mrs. Yume left, Setsuna would come over, and when Setsuna left, Mrs. Yume would return. The mother and daughter took turns sucking my semen dry without giving me a moment to recover, so of course I’m exhausted.
Thanks to that, I did nothing but sleep in the car on the way to the request area.
On top of that, wearing this shitty bracelet the whole way made it even harder.
"Seeing monsters roaming around even this close to the village, the situation must be serious enough that they can't spare any patrol personnel for the exterior."
As expected of God Sayoshi.
While Rio is busy blaming others, Masayoshi calmly analyzes the situation.
This request involves investigating a murderer in a village outside the Barrier.
I don't know where the Government went or why they’re putting out requests for things like this, but this was a quest that appeared in the game too.
Every night, a murderer appears and brutally kills the villagers, but no matter how much the agents stay on guard, they can't find the culprit.
The village is sealed off, so the killer is definitely inside, but they supposedly never managed to figure it out.
That’s the story, but you can just think of it simply as a game of Werewolf or Mafia.
In the game, Akito chooses someone to protect at night and roams the village during the day to gather information and root out the imposter bastard.
"It’s nothing difficult. You guys know our real goal anyway, right?"
At my words, Rio nods with a look of discomfort.
This request is just an excuse to get outside.
It’s time to use the access rights to the Loading Dock I got from the old man at the Barbat bathhouse.
I’m seriously so broke… Back when I hit the casino, I was happy thinking I could live like a king for the rest of my life, but now I’m at the point where I have to worry about bankruptcy… Damn Whitening Phenomenon.
In the game, it ends with just a few good items, but this is reality.
Everything inside the Loading Dock is an ancient artifact, so I’m going to sweep up everything down to the floorboards and pebbles.
Even if something is useless, once the word 'artifact' is attached to an object, another zero gets added to the price, so I should be able to make a decent profit.
Everyone else was busy, so I ended up coming with the Comedy Duo and the thug—a total dick-fest team—which is annoying, but as long as they pull their weight, we should be able to clear it out.
The village we arrived at is a place where quite important resources are gathered, so it boasted high defensive walls and strict security.
On top of that, barbed wire is wrapped around the outside of the walls, and the entrance is blocked by a massive iron gate, making it look like some kind of prison.
"Are you finally taking that off?"
"Yeah, I’ve built up enough stacks."
Approaching the man guarding the entrance, I take off the dog-like bracelet I’d been wearing the whole way and toss it to Rio.
A bracelet that inflicts pain on the wearer—why the hell do they even make stuff like this? Is it for torture?
Thanks to it, my mana barrier is in tatters. With this, I can fire off one big shot.
"Are you the mages who took the request?"
"Yes. Seo Yeon-woo from Yggdrasil, and these hangers-on. Here are the licenses and the request form."
I tried to make a joke, but perhaps because the village's situation is so dire, the man guarding the entrance doesn't react and silently compares the license I gave him with his own data.
"Yes, confirmed. Mage Seo Yeon-woo, I hope you can save our village."
It’s not that he’s ignoring me because I’m young; rather, his eyes are filled with fear.
Since it’s one person a day, roughly forty people must have died by now.
No matter how much they investigate, there are no traces of the killer, and people are dying regardless of age, gender, status, or magic skill, so it seems he’s terrified that he might be next.
"Don't worry. I'll have this settled within the day… no, I'll have it settled right away."
"Yes, please. We’re counting on you."
Behind the man, who didn't seem particularly hopeful, the iron gate opens, and agents along with the village head walk out.
Since she’s leading from the center, anyone can tell she’s the one in charge, but more than that, the Comedy Duo’s mouths hang open at the sight of the sexy beauty whose outfit reveals her upper chest—she looks like the type who could suck the vital energy right out of a man just by her physiognomy.
Honestly, those guys don't care if it's human or not.
"You must be the agents who have come to save Sered Vill—"
"Wow~ you look exactly like your illustration!"
"Pardon? Illustration?"
I approach with open arms and a bright face.
"Can I give you a hug? I’m just so glad to see you."
"Ah, ahaha—I wondered what kind of person would be coming, and you’re quite energetic. Let me introduce myself. I am Leonor, the Rank 4 Agent in charge of Sered Vill—"
"I know, I know. I know you very well."
I cut the woman off, step forward, and pull her into a tight embrace.
As the woman stiffens in surprise, I whisper into her ear while holding her.
"I know exactly who you are, you monster bastard."
"What are you talking abou—"
BOOM—!
I take all the stacks I built up over two days by grinding down my mana barrier with the bracelet and cram them into Frey’s special Magnum before firing.
The maximum power attack I can currently produce.
Whether it’s a mana barrier or a monster’s sturdy body, it pierces through almost anything.
"Ku-hu-urgh…"
As the Magnum shot that tore through the monster’s stomach flies high into the sky, the gathered clouds scatter with a pop.
Of course, it’s too far away to actually hear the sound, but the sheer power is enough to make me hallucinate the sound just by looking at it.
"What the hell are you doing, you bastard!!"
The village agents simultaneously draw their sticks and flare their mana.
However, the woman, now with a hole in her stomach large enough for a thigh to pass through, spills a mouthful of blood onto my shoulder before her transformation breaks, returning her to her original, black, and grotesque monster form.
"My god…"
"Le-Leonor-san…?"
"Kieeeeeeeeeek!!"
While the agents are in shock, the monster struggles with its last bit of strength, but I hold it tight and don't let go.
Until just a while ago, I was hugging Mrs. Yume’s soft body, and now I’m hugging a hideous monster.
Feeling disgusted, I put strength into the arms holding it.
Snap.
After confirming the monster’s neck is broken and it’s gone limp, I hurl it onto the ground.
What was that about a Werewolf game? It’s not like the culprit changes randomly; there’s no way I, who cleared the game multiple times, wouldn't know.
Brushing the black blood off my shoulder, I look back at the man who was guarding the entrance earlier.
"I told you it’d be settled quickly, right?"
"Huh? Ye-Yes… Th-Thank you."
Damn… I was freaking cool just now.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been doing nothing but playing politics and fighting with my mouth lately, but I was really thirsty for a badass moment like this.
I explain the situation to the bewildered agents.
I can't say I knew because of a game, and if I say I solved it because I’m smart like those detective brats who bring death wherever they go, they’ll probably assign me more brain work, so I use the excuse that I had an informant inside from the start.
Of course, the identity of the informant is a secret.
"Then… Leonor-sama is already dead…"
"A doppelgang… ah… what was this called here?"
"Kagemusha."
"Ah, right. A Kagemusha can only mimic someone’s appearance if the target is alive. She’s probably still alive."
I could have just called it a doppelganger, but they just had to use terms like Kagemusha.
As I mention the monster’s name that Masayoshi told me and say the person in charge is likely alive, the agents are startled and then overjoyed.
In the game, her subordinates worried about her and she was quite popular.
Though, it felt like the reason for her popularity was more about her chest than her character.
In the game, Akito has sex with the person in charge before leaving, but unfortunately, I don't have time for that.
To think I’m putting sex on the back burner… I’ve really become a slave to money.
Whether in my past life or this one, nothing changes.
After a brief moment of joy, the agents talk amongst themselves and then approach me.
"You seem to know a lot about Kagemusha. Could you perhaps help us search for Leonor-sama?"
"A Kagemusha can't mimic someone if they get too far away from the target. She’ll be inside the village."
"Inside the village, you say?"
They’ve probably already turned the village upside down looking for the monster, so they likely have no idea where else to look.
And I’m busy. Find her yourselves.
"I don't mean to be rude, but…"
"You’ve looked everywhere? There’s still one place you haven't checked."
"… …"
"There’s a secret space in the chief’s office, isn't there? If you’ve searched everywhere else and haven't found her, isn't that the most likely spot?"
Bases or villages outside the Barrier always have a secret passage and a private bunker in the space used by the person in charge.
Whether it’s monsters or something else, if they’re on the verge of annihilation, the general protocol is for the person in charge to take all the data, enter the secret space, send out a distress signal, and wait.
Since the monster had been transformed into the person in charge, they probably never even thought to search there.
At my words, the agents look delighted, as if they’re about to shout "Eureka!"
Rio, who had been watching blankly from behind, blinks and says,
"Uh… is it over? I didn't do anything."
"It’s a good thing to get credit without doing anything. Let’s go, we have our own work to do."
"Wait, we’ve been driving for two days straight. You’re saying we’re going without even resting?"
"What are you even doing?"
"… … No, I mean, I didn't do anything, but…"
This guy. If I carried him, he should be saying, "Oh, thank you, I will follow you with all my soul!" What’s with all the complaints?
Having finished the request the moment we arrived, we get back in the car and head toward the Loading Dock.
It wasn't far from the village, and even though we went off-road, we were lucky enough to arrive without encountering a single monster.
"Is this the right place?"
"Stop being so suspicious. That’s why Mio dumped you."
"That has nothing to do with Mio."
While I was busy talking my way through Akane’s organization, Rio confessed to Mio and got shot down hard.
He claims there was a subtle connection between them since the Deserted Island Exam, but when a guy says something like that, it’s usually just a delusion.
Ignoring the sulking Rio, I loiter around the nearby cliff and look for the entrance.
"Okay, found it."
I don't know what kind of magic the authority I received in Barbat is based on, but as I approach, I can clearly feel that this is the entrance.
Rumble—
When I place my hand on the empty cliffside, a loud sound of stone grinding against stone rings out, and an entrance large enough for three or four cargo trucks to enter opens up.
"It really was here."
"Masayoshi, did you not believe it either?"
"Believing and being surprised are two different things. If it was hidden this well, it’s likely a loading dock related to a military facility."
As expected, Masayoshi is smart.
The fact that there are ancient artifact-class weapons here makes me even more excited.
Ah, what if a really good weapon drops? Then I won't be able to sell it and will have to use it, which is a tough choice for someone as broke as me.
More importantly, I need to read the ancient language first.
As if to prove this is a game, the sign attached to the Loading Dock entrance lists the entry conditions and things to watch out for.
While not as extreme as the Zones that rewrite the laws of the world at will, ancient facilities protected by magic also have quite tricky conditions.
The Barbat bathhouse also required a certain level of mana or the Good Child perk received from a monster.
"Can you read that?"
"Of course. Just look at my face; I look like a handsome archaeologist, don't I?"
Do you know how much I struggled to learn this?
I still have to carry around a thick dictionary and look things up one by one, but I’ve been studying ever since I dropped into this world to raid the ancient facilities that Akito hadn't touched.
Click—
While I’m pulling out my dictionary to translate the plaque, Masayoshi takes a photo with his phone and shows me the screen.
"… …"
"It’s a translator app."
I know, you prick.
Are you really going to keep using modern science in a magic world? Aren't you a mage? Give me back my time and effort, you bastard.
The screen, which invalidated all my hard work in a single second, showed a clean translation.
It even kindly explained the adverbs and the double meanings used here.
Though dejected, I feel a bit better after reading the clear translation.
Fortunately, the condition isn't difficult.
If it had been a condition related to mana or magic, a tough fight would have been guaranteed, so I prefer these weird conditions.
"What does it say?"
"It says only virgins can enter."
"What kind of ridiculous joke… Really…? Is the translation not wrong?"
As Masayoshi shows him the phone screen, Rio looks flustered.
"No, why would there be a condition like that? The translation must be wrong!"
It’s not, though you wouldn't know because this is an eroge. There are plenty of conditions even more retarded than this.
Like having to enter while two people are merged, or having to be holding a dick to enter.
They’re all conditions designed for Akito’s happiness.
Rio, who was denying reality, looks around tentatively before speaking.
"A virgin… if it’s a virgin… who… can go in?"
"… …"
At Rio’s words, all three of us stare at him.
An awkward silence falls, and Rio suddenly looks startled and starts denying it.
"I-I’m not a virgin, okay? When I was little, with the noona next door—"
"Yes, yes. We get it~ In you go~"
I force the protesting Rio forward and shove him through the blue membrane.
He slips through without any resistance, and as I try to follow, I’m blocked by the membrane.
"We’re counting on you, Virgin."
"Uuugh… Hey, I’m not the only virgin here!"
Shouting, Rio looks at the thug.
But then, thinking the thug probably lived a debauched life, he immediately turns his head to look at Masayoshi.
Receiving his gaze, Masayoshi quietly approaches the membrane and places a hand on it to show he’s blocked.
"Unfortunately, I’m not a virgin either."
Look at this… look at this arrogant prick.
With his chin slightly tilted, a look of disdain toward Rio, and a relaxed posture with his arms crossed—anyone watching would think he’s done it hundreds of times.
He only lost his virginity during that perverted girl’s outdoor sex event when we went to the beach with Yukina’s group.
And that was only because I served it to him on a silver platter.
At the revelation that Masayoshi isn't a virgin, Rio’s face twists into a look of immense shock.
Man, his face was already ugly, but now it’s even worse.
We’re counting on you, Virgin. Time to pull your weight.