Ch.428Debuting NPC. (3)

Why do the people of Aiti dislike and disparage magic? It was somewhat different from baseless hatred.

“Look, look at that!”

“That’s insane, absolutely insane. Can that really happen?”

“…I was worried because my child has enough magical power to be visible. Maybe I should send them to study abroad in Natie?”

Among the various parties appearing on the giant screen, two stood out: [Golden Beast] and [Magic Girls of Natie]. The two parties—one with my beautiful, sexy women and the other with my cute, adorable little sister—were firmly gripping the Aiti people’s perceptions just like players did in the game, and among them, Ira’s party was completely shattering those perceptions.

“Incredible! Unbelievable!! The mid-boss on the fifth floor of the dungeon, which was supposedly impenetrable by magic and spirit arts, has just now!! Right before our eyes, been completely defeated using only magic!! Truly amazing!! [Magic Girls of Natie]!!!”

The existence of dungeons had deeply penetrated their lives. And the special characteristics of floors 1 through 15 of those dungeons had created a justified hatred and contempt for magic among the people of Aiti.

To explain it easily using my past life’s story, when I came to Aiti at the beginning of ep.6 with a mage or spirit user character, upon receiving a quest, I’d hear lines like “You’re a mage?” The reason, I’d learn, was because of the [Mithril Golem] that appears in the early floors of this city’s dungeon.

For the NPCs in the game, the [Mithril Golem] was known to be an incredibly sturdy monster with high defense, as well as what they considered absolute magical defense. However, no matter how high the defense, it’s inevitable that enough firepower will break through it. So if a player was a mage, they could just level up or apply magic defense reduction debuffs and power through.

And since this method was also used by NPCs in the story, when users crushed Mithril Golems and progressed through the dungeon, the next quest would say something like:

“Aaah~!! It’s truly amazing!! I think I’m becoming a fan of the magic girls!! To destroy the [Mirror Mithril Golem] with magic when even the historical deans of Natie couldn’t defeat it!! Young and cute, yet so powerful?! This is truly extraordinary~!!”

The [Mirror Mithril Golem] placed every 5 floors is a monster with the ability to ‘nullify magic.’ So if you really want to descend through the dungeon, they recommend finding allies skilled in physical attacks. Of course, players don’t care about such talk and just charge to the 5th floor and easily crush the [Mirror Mithril Golem]. That’s because it doesn’t actually have ‘magic nullification’ ability, but just over 120% magic defense. So while defense reduction attempts by NPCs bounce off and completely disappear against its magic defense, debuffs and defense reduction used by players work properly. Why?

[Mirror Mithril Golem(Collapsed) : Level 360]

Because the monster’s level in the early floors far exceeded the NPCs’ levels, so the effects were applied doubly. But our kids…

“Hehe! That was nothing~”

[-Profession: Second Daughter of a Count- Level 673 Grace Mueller. Age 14.]

“Still, we need to be careful! This dungeon seems to have a terribly bad compatibility with mages.”

[-Profession: Academy Student- Name: Latina. Level: 569 Age: 15]

“Piyak, let’s take down the next floor together?”

[-Profession: Village Girl: Level 896 Name: Ira. Age: 14.]

“———~!”

[Supreme Fire Spirit Phoenix(Growing): Name: Piyaki Level: 2,688]

Even Ira’s two friends have now surpassed the current dean’s level. The fact that the [Mirror Mithril Golem], 200 levels below them—which people believe to be a mid-boss but is actually just a regular monster, not even a boss—is known only to me, a reincarnator at this point. So before entering Aiti, I had the children face monsters in the desert field to level them up. This means that even the high-ranking champions rumored to be difficult in this town are no match for those kids now.

The giant screen continues to broadcast Ira and her friends easily defeating the [Mirror Mithril Golem], known as the mid-boss of the 5th floor, and leisurely proceeding to the next floor. Finally, I sense Chikuyo, wearing a fox mask, following behind them, swishing her tail and glancing this way. Yes, yes. Just follow the kids and act as their guardian. I’ll keep watching too.

Not long after, the screen switches after showing Ira’s party finishing their first battle upon encountering the first monster on the 6th floor, and next shows [Golden Beast]—Rei and Miho’s party—already standing at the entrance to the 10th floor boss.

“Incredible!! This is amazing!! While other parties except the Magic Girls have just reached the 5th floor or are still on floors 2-3!! How did [Golden Beast] reach the 10th floor without getting lost even once?! As you all know, according to dungeon sports rules, the maximum daily progress is 10 floors! If Golden Beast defeats the 10th floor boss today! They’ll set a new record for the fastest dungeon clear~! I’m excited but also a bit disappointed that these two beautiful ladies’ conquest might end here today~?!”

Of course they can’t get lost. While Ira’s party has Chikuyo, a beautiful woman in her prime acting as guardian, she’s not there to help with dungeon conquest but to protect the three girls. However, Miho and Rei are conquering the dungeon by themselves, and Miho in particular is a beastkin with amazing specs and a player profession. She can smell and hear well, immediately detecting wrong paths as they advance.

And honestly, I could have gone in as a guardian myself, but Career Orwell said he wanted both parties to consist only of radiant women. More precisely, he wanted our entire group to maintain a “concept of having no men around.” And given how popular both parties are with men right now, that judgment was correct. He even mentioned that if I were to join either the Golden Beast or Magic Girl parties, I might unnecessarily draw resentment.

Well, our kids are pretty, after all.

As Miho and Rei encounter and battle the dungeon’s 10th floor boss, it’s quickly cleared shortly after. Honestly, watching a level 450 monster getting beaten up by two people over level 800 lacks any tension or excitement, so I could watch with ease.

And so, today Miho’s party finished first by clearing the 10th floor, while Ira’s party reached the 9th floor before hitting the time limit. The remaining parties either reached the 6th floor or ended at the entrance to the 5th floor boss room, with everyone returning from the dungeon.

For reference, returning is done using a “Dungeon Work” ‘equipment.’ It’s not a warp but more like an elevator device, reportedly created by the chairman from three generations ago while personally conquering the dungeon. In the game, you could just warp out after clearing, but reality is different.

As I sit comfortably next to the dungeon watching our kids return to people’s cheers, someone beside me taps my shoulder and speaks.

“Jack, which floor do we start from?”

“We start from the 25th floor. They said that’s the highest anyone from this town has reached. I told you yesterday too, but don’t push yourself too hard. Think of it as just leveling up at first, and when I take down an opponent, just strike once at their weak point to finish them off.”

Salt Non, who had been watching our kids’ activities with me, nods while carrying a high-performance spear on his back.

The spear he’s carrying was also procured by Chairman Tork Bigman. He said he had no talent for weapon crafting but arranged for a weapon with a level requirement of 350 through an artisan he knew.

In the game world, it would have been impossible for Salt Non, who’s only level 120, to equip it, but this being reality, he casually accepted and equipped the good spear with appreciation. Then, as our group returned to the waiting room after finishing a brief interview with the commentator amid people’s cheers, Salt Non and I got up and followed them to the waiting room.

“Ah, Oppa! Did I look good~?”

“Oh my! Our great magician~ You looked amazing~ Everyone’s going crazy about how cute Ira is~!”

“…Is your brother always like this?”

“…He seems like a different person from the one who was training us to death a few days ago.”

“Ah, Miss Grace. Latina, you worked hard too. How was it for both of you, manageable?”

“”Yes!!””

When Ira rushes to me and I lift her up with one arm while asking, the two girls answer with crisp voices, seemingly very disciplined, making me unconsciously give a bitter smile as I reach out to pat their heads. Hmm, did I push them too hard?

[You were quite harsh, yes.]

I guess I really was too harsh. Even Gor isn’t taking my side, and even Ira in my arms is pinching and stretching my cheek saying, “Oppa, you went too far.” I must have really done wrong. But still, it was for your safety, you know? And…

“I couldn’t bear to see Gor and Ira’s friends who came along get hurt. I’m sorry if I was too harsh, but I don’t regret it. Thanks to that, you defeated the mid-boss today that people in this city said magic users could never defeat. At this rate, you’ll be able to easily defeat the 15th floor boss tomorrow too. So, do your best tomorrow as well. Chikuyo, I’m counting on you to take care of the three.”

“Hmph~ Don’t worry. If they seem like they’re going to get too lost, I’ll even guide the way~”

Changing Aiti’s perception. Breaking the perception that outside mages, spirit users, and those who use magical power are weak, making Aiti take our side in the fight against the religious nation. It’s only a secondary goal, but there’s no harm in achieving it too. And those who can do it are…

“Yes! Just leave it to us!”

“I’ll make sure they never look down on spirit users again!”

“Tomorrow, Piyaki and I will blow up the 10th floor boss!”

…only these three cute girls among our group. After chatting with the three for a while and giving Rei and Miho a hug for their hard work when they returned, Salt Non and I moved on to do what we needed to do.