chapter02 · 043-ep43
Episode 43: A Black Clan and a Power-Mad Ojou-sama
"Thank you. Really, thank you so much. My name is Honoka Kamishiro..."
Karin suggested they introduce themselves while the girl calmed down. The girl attacked by the enhanced variant—Honoka Kamishiro—bowed over and over, then began haltingly telling Karin about herself.
She was seventeen, a year older than Karin. She'd taken a leave of absence from high school and had been an explorer for roughly a year. Her clan was Black Shell, a fairly prominent mid-tier clan. And as Karin had pointed out, she was level thirty.
Chat, which had grown to 700,000 concurrents, flew by at the news that a minor and upper-layer-level explorer was in the lower layers.
【She really IS level 30...】
【That makes no sense on so many levels】
【But look, her gear IS upper-layer grade, and isn't that huge backpack the kind porters usually carry in the upper or middle layers?】
【My Side Effect is whispering to me... Yeah, that girl's mana looks level 30 all right】
【Side Effect bro!】
【Side Effect bro! You're the guy who accurately sensed the mana in ojou-sama's Gatling bullets through the screen!】
【Explorer eyewitness accounts confirmed your comment was right, desu wa!】
【Are you some famous detection-specialist explorer...?】
【Let me look into it】
【Hey, knock it off!】
【Side Effect bro's about to get identified lmao】
【But wait. Karin ojou-sama AND Side Effect bro say she's level 30, and she confirmed it herself. She's actually level 30...】
【And she's in the same Black Shell as the people who ran away...】
【Could this be an incident, not just an accident involving an enhanced variant...?】
As Honoka gradually calmed down, Karin found a moment to ask her,
"So how did you come to be here? Your level is nowhere near high enough for the lower layers, is it?"
"...Um, well..."
Honoka glanced up at the floating camera. Karin caught herself.
"Ah, of course. Perhaps I shouldn't ask about it while streaming."
The sudden events had thrown her, and she'd already broadcast Honoka's personal details. But maybe she ought to turn the camera off before delving further. Just as Karin was, for once, about to make a sensible decision—
Brrr, brrr.
A phone rang in Honoka's pocket.
【What's that, a call?】
【Black Shell, maybe?】
【Who could it be?】
Chat worried, but Honoka looked a little relieved. It seemed she knew the caller well. Karin encouraged her to answer with a "Go ahead, desu wa!" and—
"Honoka!? I was watching Karin ojou-sama's stream and suddenly you were dying in the lower layers! I thought my heart would jump out of my chest! Those people who ran away were the Black Shell seniors you told me about, right!? What the hell happened!?"
"W-w-wait, N-Nagisa-chan, your voice, your voice...!"
The girl's shouting carried even though the phone wasn't on speaker. Honoka tried to calm Nagisa down while explaining in a whisper, "Well, the thing is..." Then—
"...What!? Are you serious!? That clan's even more garbage than what you told me before! You skipped parts so I wouldn't worry about you, didn't you... Argh! This is no time to hesitate! Can you hand the phone to Karin ojou-sama!? Put it on speaker!"
"H-huh...!?"
"Hurry!"
Overwhelmed, Honoka handed Karin the phone. The caller appeared to be her friend, and she got straight to the point.
"I'm Nagisa Shirase, Honoka's former classmate. I'm really sorry to barge into your stream like this, Karin ojou-sama. ...But if you don't mind, could you let what I'm about to say go out on stream?"
"If you're comfortable with that, I certainly don't mind... What on earth has happened?"
"Thank you! Here's the thing... It's awful! The Black Shell people dragged Honoka into the lower layers against her will!"
【WHAT!?】
【I was laughing at how her friend called out of nowhere and demanded ojou-sama, but NOW I get why she was so worked up. Not funny anymore】
【I had a feeling, but it's really true!?】
【Surely she's exaggerating at least a bit...?】
【Even if she IS, a level 30 minor was brought into the lower layers. That's almost certainly enough to start a firestorm】
【I enhanced the audio from those Black Shell members fleeing the enhanced variant... Yeah, what they said all but confirms it → URL】
【Ugggggh...】
【Leaving a teammate behind in tears because of an irregularity is one thing. Dragging an unwilling level 30 minor into the lower layers and abandoning her to die is attempted murder!?】
【This is going to blow up】
【What the hell is going on...?】
Nagisa's accusation horrified the viewers.
"...Would you tell me more, Nagisa-sama? Honoka-sama?"
Karin, too, sensed with her ojou-sama instincts that she couldn't let this go. Honoka hesitated, as if worried about causing trouble for Karin and Nagisa.
"..."
"Tell her everything, Honoka! You can't keep going like this. If nobody does anything, other kids might get treated the same way! We can't handle something like this alone—we need Karin ojou-sama's help... And I've already told everyone, so there's no going back!"
"...! Ah... um..."
Urged on by Nagisa, who knew her so well, Honoka began explaining with her friend's help.
According to Nagisa, Honoka had entered Black Shell on what's known as a minor's placement: a provisional clan membership for young explorers. It allowed minors, who couldn't sell dungeon materials, to learn the ropes relatively safely while earning a fairly high fixed wage.
Honoka had lost her father a few years ago. To support her mother, who'd collapsed from overwork, and her younger siblings, she'd taken leave from school and joined Black Shell to become an explorer through this program.
"...But even though the school helped me get in, I was no good at it... It's been a year and I'm only about level thirty... I've just been carrying bags in the upper layers the whole time..."
【The more I hear, the less sense it makes to bring her to the lower layers...】
【I was wondering who'd be clueless enough to choose Black Shell. Her SCHOOL recommended it? I'm speechless】
【What is going on with any of this...?】
"My... You have had a difficult time. How did you end up being brought to the lower layers, Honoka-sama?"
"I don't really know either... The thing is, I have this dud unique skill called <Divine Artisan>..."
【Huh】
【Honoka-sama has the same unique skill as Karin ojou-sama!?】
【Seriously!?】
【Wait. Don't tell me...】
【Oh... (I see)】
"Until now everyone in the clan made fun of it for being a dud... But suddenly the clan master started going on about how 'if you train <Divine Artisan>, you can do incredible things'... They made me go with my seniors to gather lower-layer materials..."
【This is because of Karin ojou-sama's exploits, isn't it!?】
【Don't call it Karin-sama's FAULT!?】
【Ah, so that's it】
【I expected the explorer world to do an about-face on <Divine Artisan>, but this is awful】
【Black Shell got its brains fried by the item box and what happened in Shibuya...】
【Yeah, I get why... Doesn't explain dumping a level 30 in the lower layers, though】
Some viewers saw the logic behind Honoka's account. Karin, meanwhile, cocked her head at what Honoka and chat were saying.
(They saw my accomplishments and reevaluated <Divine Artisan>? So strongly that they'd force Honoka-sama down here with members no stronger than those? Why?)
She could understand reconsidering a rare dud unique that hadn't been explored much. But this was taking that reevaluation too far. The gear she'd shown in Shibuya was among her proudest work, yet it still fell short of what the master craftspeople made in Dungeon Alive. Ordinary viewers might get excited, but surely a professional clan wouldn't lose its head over it.
Admittedly, a mid-tier clan might never have had a chance to see such items. But if they'd known what was possible beforehand, they wouldn't be quite so surprised—
(...Ah! Or could it be...!?)
Karin arrived at a shocking hypothesis.
(Could it be that the people of Black Shell... have never watched Dungeon Alive!?)
Yes. That had to be it. Judging by all their inelegant behavior, Black Shell was probably a delinquent clan that didn't take its work seriously. And if they hadn't watched Dungeon Alive, they'd have no idea what the top-tier people outside their world were capable of. Naturally they'd overvalue <Divine Artisan> after seeing mere Gatling guns and pile bunkers.
(But... I thought every explorer watched it...)
While Karin reeled from a revelation entirely beside the point, someone else was reeling for a much better reason. Nagisa had only heard Honoka's story in broad strokes until now.
"H-hold on, Honoka. 'The clan master suddenly started going on about it'? Don't tell me you don't know what Karin ojou-sama's been up to!?"
"Huh? You mean how she solo-cleared the lower layers without getting hit? The one you told me about on the phone, where a deep-layer irregularity showed up...?"
"...Huh..."
"Oh, was it something else...? Sorry... I watched Karin ojou-sama's videos after you told me about them, but... I've been diving in the dungeon until late every day... I haven't had any time to check her new streams..."
"...!"
【No way!?】
【An explorer whose knowledge of Karin-sama is THAT out of date, in this day and age!?】
【Honoka-sama's been worked even harder than we thought. Nagisa-sama's speechless...】
【So are we!】
【The dungeon's so dim I didn't notice at first, but the bags under Honoka-sama's eyes are TERRIBLE!?】
【That's the face of someone too drained to even stare at Twiitter out of habit, let alone watch TV...】
【How hard were they working her...?】
【Being too busy to know about ojou-sama is just barely plausible. But if she still doesn't know NOW, they dragged her down here without even properly explaining why, right?】
【How forceful were those Black Shell bastards...?】
Nagisa and chat were stunned by Honoka's working conditions. Karin recovered from her unrelated shock and raised a question.
"Oh? Forgive me for going back a little, but Black Shell's core members are presumably adults, are they not? Why bring Honoka-sama into the lower layers at all? They could simply take the materials out and let her process them there."
【Oh, she's right】
【I've been watching ojou-sama craft in the dungeon so much that completely slipped my mind!】
【I used to joke that watching ojou-sama's streams would wreck my common sense, but it actually has...】
【We must be careful...】
【But seriously, she's right. What's going on?】
"I said that too... But they said, 'Even if it's the boss's order, why should we collect lower-layer materials for someone like you?' and 'Don't think a useless girl like you gets to become strong without doing any work,' and 'At least carry our bags'..."
【Ugggggggh...】
【Every time we dig, more pitch-black filth comes up!?】
【I can sort of see why they'd resent it... But they dragged a level 30 into the lower layers and then abandoned her for THAT...?】
【This is way beyond an exploitative workplace. I'm not laughing】
【Dragging a level 30 down here as a porter for THAT reason? Do you have zero intelligence?】
【Not to be mean, but a weak link like that is only going to put THEM in danger... Are they stupid?】
【You think people running a sweatshop are SMART? Get a grip!】
【↑ Can't argue with that】
【And now it's being exposed on a stream with 700k concurrents lmao】
【Burn the whole thing down without leaving a bone behind】
Chat flew by at the appalling account Honoka gave. Then it dug deeper.
【Why'd they keep someone they called useless on the payroll for a whole year...? Doesn't sound good for Honoka-sama OR Black Shell】
【Could be the subsidies? They say clans get a huge grant if they train a certain number of minors for two or three years】
【Oh, I hear about those. Some clans pretend to train kids just to milk the grants】
【Ugh, corruption】
【Dungeon Bureau! Police! Do your jobs!】
【And the SCHOOL recommended students to a trash clan like that? Isn't that just as bad?】
【That recommendation was the part that really killed me. Black Shell's reputation online is awful, but expecting a student to be on guard for this is unreasonable】
【When it's unverified internet rumors versus your school, which would most people trust?】
【Though there IS a certain person who trusted the internet and caused the Fist F●ck incident...】
【For all we know, a teacher's getting a kickback from those subsidies】
【Time to roast the school along with Black Shell】
"B-but it's my fault too..."
Whether or not Honoka realized how indignant everyone had become, her voice trembled as she continued.
"They let me in with a good salary, and I was useless... I couldn't even improve at crafting, even though it's supposed to suit me... I got scolded because I couldn't carry their bags right... I was really scared of going into the lower layers today, but in the end I decided to go because I thought I might finally be useful... And I just kept slowing them down on the way here. We probably ran into that enhanced variant because I was so slow..."
Her feelings overflowed, and tears came with her words.
"...Ever since I was little, I admired explorers and the police Anti-Dungeon Division... I thought an internship would let me pursue my dream while helping my mom after she collapsed... But maybe someone like me shouldn't have dreamed of it at all..."
"...! That's not true! You worked hard, Honoka! I told you your crafting skill wasn't improving because they never gave you decent materials to work with!"
【Oh no】
【That extreme self-blame... The sweatshop's crushed her self-esteem...】
【Any minors watching, seriously watch out for this when you start working. It sounds impossible, but being worked to the bone in a place like that can wreck your ability to think straight】
【The higher salary is standard when a clan recruits minors to train them early. She doesn't have to feel indebted】
【Especially if they're getting subsidies!】
【I don't know if Honoka-sama has talent, but it certainly won't bloom THERE】
【She needs to quit, now】
【Money's a problem, but she needs to stay alive first!】
Chat, naturally, chorused that she should leave. Karin, who'd been listening quietly, felt the same way.
"..."
The girl hanging her head looked just like Karin had until recently: alone for over a year on her stream, unable to reach what she admired or get any results. Defeated. And as a Dungeon Alive fan striving to be Elegant, Karin couldn't let this pass.
"Honoka-sama."
She fired bone shards to kill an impudent monster that approached, then gently took Honoka's hand.
"I'm afraid I don't understand the complicated parts... But that place isn't worthy of the dream you want to realize, is it? A year without success is no reason to give up on yourself. You should move to another clan at once—to a place that will cherish what you aspire to."
"...! The truth is, I've thought maybe I should do that..."
Honoka answered Karin's earnest gaze.
"But what clan would hire a useless girl who's still level thirty after a year...? And if I leave Black Shell before three years are up, my contract says I have to pay a huge penalty, including the cost of the gear they gave me at the start..."
【What? A PENALTY???】
【That's illegal】
【It just gets more exploitative the more we hear... At this point it's a criminal organization】
【To be fair, ordinary sweatshops break the law for profit too, so they're kind of criminal organizations...】
【My company is a criminal organization...?】
【Ojou-samas at sweatshops, please go to the labor standards office】
【Charging a penalty AND making her pay for the supplied gear are both illegal, right?】
【To a MINOR... That's seriously out of bounds???】
¥10,000 @AttorneyMitsurugi
If it's true, it's so thoroughly illegal that I'd refuse outright if Black Shell asked me to represent them, desu wa (the penalty AND their other conduct).
【Attorney Mitsurugi!】
【It's so pitch-black that lawyer ojou-sama sent a superchat to say so lol】
【Still, even if the penalty's illegal, the internship system has pretty firm rules, and if there's a formal contract, quitting would take work, right?】
【Assuming Black Shell doesn't get burned to ash in the meantime, yes】
【And even with <Divine Artisan> being reevaluated, who's to say a clan will immediately hire a level 30 who's been stuck for a year?】
【It's already spreading everywhere on Twiitter and the boards, so she'll probably get help...】
【But if there's corruption behind it, who knows how stubborn those shameless Black Shell people will be? And even if another clan takes Honoka-sama because she's gone viral, how do you tell if they're decent?】
【It's getting complicated, desu no!】
【Burning Black Shell is a given, but Honoka-sama's future won't be easy to sort out】
"Hmm... This is becoming rather complicated..."
Karin furrowed her brow. As chat pointed out, changing clans involved all sorts of difficult issues. She had suggested leaving, but no good answer to the problems that surfaced came to mind. She could settle things quickly if punching everyone in the clan would do it, but sadly, there were occasional problems in this world that fists couldn't solve.
(Hmm. I feel bad asking Mafuyu for help again so soon, but I'll have to consult her about that. Yet I can't dump everything on her now that I've heard this... Is there something I can do for Honoka-sama here and now?)
Karin thought for a moment. Then—
"...First things first: 'power.'"
She murmured her conclusion.
"Yes, that's it! Whether Honoka-sama stays with Black Shell or seeks another clan, having 'power' can only help! Power is what she needs most right now! With power, there is nothing to fear, desu wa!"
【Karin ojou-sama!?】
【What happened!? Was the serious atmosphere too much and your brain went pop!?】
【This muscle-brained ojou-sama just said something crazy out of nowhere】
【Business as usual】
As the viewers tried to make sense of it, Karin smiled at Honoka as if she'd had a brilliant idea.
"So, Honoka-sama! For your future, let's train your <Divine Artisan> right here in the lower layers! Together!"
"...Hweh?"
At a suggestion so outrageously unreasonable it would make even a black clan go pale, Honoka froze, her mouth hanging open.
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*This turned out longer and heavier than I expected, so I'll update tomorrow morning too as a palate cleanser.
The gloriously fragrant sight of Black Shell going up in flames will have to wait until later.