chapter02 · 044-ep44
Episode 44: Karin Ojou-sama's <Divine Artisan> Lesson in the Lower Layers
Honoka Kamishiro was a girl trapped in Black Shell, a rotten clan. While everyone debated what should happen to her, Karin's declaration—"Let's train <Divine Artisan> in the lower layers!"—sent chat into an uproar.
【Karin ojou-sama!?】
【What on earth are you suggesting!?】
【She's about to do something crazier than Black Shell lol】
【I mean, she'll be safe with ojou-sama, but still!?】
【How did we get here!?】
"Why, it's simple!" Karin declared.
"If the contract or whatever keeps Honoka-sama from leaving Black Shell, she'll need equipment to protect herself and resist their overwork. If she looks for another clan, equipment made with <Divine Artisan> will enhance her abilities, let her demonstrate her talent, and give her more options. In short, whatever happens, 'power' is essential. So we'll train Honoka-sama's <Divine Artisan> down here and make her some personal magic equipment while we're at it!"
【Karin ojou-sama's being logical for once lmao】
【Her IQ shoots up in emergencies...】
【That makes it sound like her IQ's low the rest of the time】
【But put that way, training Honoka-sama DOES seem useful...?】
【We online ojou-samas find a way to free Honoka-sama from Black Shell and locate a safe clan. Karin ojou-sama trains her and expands her options... Perfect division of labor!】
【IT'S STILL INSANE TO TRAIN A LEVEL 30 IN THE LOWER LAYERS!?】
【【Bad News】Honoka-sama escapes a sweatshop only to be instantly given an unreasonable demand by a monster】
【↑ Her life is a roller coaster...】
"That's amazing, Honoka! Karin ojou-sama is going to train your <Divine Artisan> herself! I'm jealous!" Nagisa cheered over the phone.
"I-I mean, I'm really grateful, but...!? Y-you really mean down HERE!?" Honoka asked, trembling as if she must have misheard.
"Why, of course!" Karin nodded. "We minors can't take dungeon drops outside, and <Divine Artisan> only works on materials from the lower layers onward. Moving everything we gather up to the middle or upper layers would be a waste of time. If we're going to train hard and fast, camping in the lower layers is best!"
She'd moved to the middle layers to make her picture frame only because she'd prioritized an Elegant stream and a polished finished product. Otherwise, staying below and crafting continuously would have been much more efficient.
"I'll protect you while defeating lower-layer monsters and passing you their materials. You just use <Divine Artisan> as much as you can right there! I'm sure that's the quickest way!"
"...!"
Honoka shivered. She hadn't misheard. But the person offering to train her was a streamer who'd cleared the lower layers without a scratch and torn apart a deep-layer monster barehanded. And that person was looking her straight in the eye, sincerely offering to help.
"I-I'll do my best...! Please teach me...!"
Honoka's feelings were nothing like they'd been when Black Shell forced her into the lower layers. Chat, meanwhile, fell into confusion all over again.
【Um, Attorney Mitsurugi? Is what ojou-sama's proposing okay...?】
【I thought minors could only use materials they crafted inside the dungeon for personal use. Is THIS allowed?】
【Crafting inside the dungeon is such a loophole to begin with that I don't understand anything anymore!】
【We amateurs can't tell! Attorney Mitsurugi, please explain!】
【@AttorneyMitsurugi: (I didn't see a thing)】
【You're WATCHING!】
【Come out here, desu no! (bang bang on office door)】
【She sent a ¥10,000 superchat and NOW she's pretending she isn't home lol】
【She really doesn't want to weigh in on a mess this complicated】
【That ¥10,000 superchat makes it impossible for her to pretend she didn't see it lmao】
¥10,000 @AttorneyMitsurugi
W-well, seriously speaking... Um, let's see. The ban on transfers applies to selling finished equipment, while sharing materials within the dungeon counts as dividing spoils among party members. As long as everyone involved agrees on the shares, outsiders have no legal grounds to dictate them... And Honoka-sama has been abandoned by Black Shell and can be said to have formed a temporary party with ojou-sama... Also, um, there aren't any rules covering crafting inside the dungeon in the first place... So... yes, it's fine, desu wa!
【I've never seen Attorney Mitsurugi hedge her words so much lol】
【Even crafting in a dungeon as a minor is a loophole only a specialist would know. Throw in this many exceptions and of course she can't answer instantly】
【But if it's not illegal, why NOT boost her as much as possible!?】
"Th-thank you, Attorney Mitsurugi-sama! Honoka-sama is eager, and we have your assurance that we're within the law... Now I must decide what kind of equipment suits her best!"
Karin stared at Honoka. Then—
"...Honoka-sama, you've developed several leg-strength skills, haven't you?"
"...! Huh!?"
Honoka's eyes widened.
"Y-yes! A few showed up while I was trying to keep up with my seniors carrying their bags... But how did you know about my leg skills AND my level!?"
"Hm? It depends on the person, but if I look closely, I can tell quite a lot from their mana flow... Ah, the people at Black Shell never even taught you that? What a dreadful clan!"
【Black Shell: 'Huh!?'】
【She can see skills as well as levels lol】
【This is one hundred percent an unfair accusation against Black Shell lmao】
【Even ojou-sama's perception is off the charts!?】
Karin had trained her ability to read an opponent to an absurd degree in pursuit of the ridiculous ideal of clearing dungeons in a dress without taking a hit. She'd casually revealed a glimpse of that skill. Now she continued.
"Hmm. To bring out your full potential, magic equipment that enhances your legs seems best. Ah, and I know just the place!"
"Huh...? HWEEEEEEEEH!?"
Karin picked Honoka up and raced down the rocky passage at tremendous speed. As if she could see the dungeon's entire layout, she headed straight for an enormous space that could easily have been mistaken for a boss room.
A forbidden zone within the dungeon, packed with countless monsters—a so-called monster house. In the dimness crawled a swarm of one ferocious lower-layer monster: bullet grasshoppers. A monster house containing only one species was known as a 'nest.'
""""KICHIKICHIKICHI!""""
"E-eaaaaaaaaaah!?"
Honoka shrieked at the swarm rattling its sharp teeth at her. Naturally. Bullet grasshoppers were speed specialists even among powerful lower-layer monsters. Their explosive acceleration outstripped even a minotaur's. Faced with a room teeming with them, even a lower-layer explorer would run immediately.
But there, in the middle of it—
"Let your <Divine Artisan> level-up and personal magic-equipment development training begin, Honoka-sama!"
""""GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH!?""""
"EAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!?"
Grasshopper and Honoka screams echoed around the great hall. The creatures launched themselves at bullet-like speed; Karin knocked every last one out of the air. She tossed the occasional <Grasshopper's Powerful Leg> and <Grasshopper Carapace> that dropped toward Honoka.
"Come now, Honoka-sama! The materials will keep coming to you, so don't worry about failure! Use <Divine Artisan> as much as you please! I won't let them lay a finger on you!"
"HWEEEEEEEEEEEEH!?"
Karin took the crafting tools she'd once used from her dress—or rather, the item box—and handed them to Honoka, urging the collapsed girl to get on with her 'self-study.'
【Isn't this completely unreasonable!?】
【'I won't let them lay a finger on you!' ← So reassuring...】
【Reminder: SHE dragged Honoka-sama into this hellscape】
【Is this that abusive-person trick where you're nice right after hurting someone?】
【Violent ojou-sama!】
【Training a level 30 in the lower layers is bad enough. Starting with a monster house is utterly deranged!?】
【Even Black Shell looks sane by comparison lmao】
"Do your best, Honoka! You'll definitely be safe with Karin ojou-sama!"
【Her friend is way too relaxed lol】
【Where's all that trust coming from?】
【Shibuya, obviously】
【Well, I AM confident Karin ojou-sama can protect her completely, but...】
【Still too much to demand of a level 30 girl!?】
【I have a crafting skill and there is NO WAY I'd be able to focus in that situation!?】
【Crafting next to lower-layer monsters and ojou-sama rampaging around? Forget magic equipment, I couldn't manage grade-school arts and crafts!?】
【Way too much for a struggling student who's hardly even used <Divine Artisan>!?】
Chat filled with understandable concerns.
"E-eek...!"
Just as the viewers feared, Honoka nearly collapsed on the spot. Of course she did: monsters far stronger than she was were rampaging only a few steps away. But—
(H-huh...?)
She realized something.
(It startled me at first... but I'm not as scared as I thought I'd be...?)
It wasn't only because Karin's overwhelming strength kept her safe. Honoka herself had developed a tolerance for fear without realizing it. The daily abuse and intimidation from veteran explorers who could travel the lower layers. The despair of being abandoned here alone, nearly killed by an enhanced variant. Compared with all that, watching Karin knock down bullet grasshoppers without the slightest sign of danger held nothing frightening at all.
(M-maybe I can do this...?)
Honoka took the tools in hands that weren't even trembling and picked up some materials from the growing pile. She had barely used <Divine Artisan> before; she couldn't expect to produce something immediately like Karin. Even with a talent for making things great enough to awaken the skill, creating magic equipment from the outset was a tall order.
So, just as Karin had said, Honoka activated <Divine Artisan> expecting to fail. She began working the materials, ready to try again and again.
But—
(...!? Wh-what is this...!?)
Her eyes widened.
(It's... so easy to work with...!? I never had a chance to use <Divine Artisan> before, so I didn't know, but is this what a unique crafting skill feels like!?)
Under her hands, the materials responded with a precision no beginner should have managed, as if the dense mana of the lower layers were helping her. Her first several attempts failed, wasting materials. But each time she tried, her work improved before her eyes, and even <Divine Artisan> seemed to be leveling up.
"...!? I-I made one...!?"
Less than an hour after training began, an impressive pair of boot-shaped magic equipment lay in Honoka's hands.
【Huh?】
【Wha—】
【Wait wait WAIT!?】
【She concentrated enough to make equipment in THIS situation, and finished it in an hour!?】
【Hold on!? Today's basically her first time using <Divine Artisan> properly, right!?】
【Is THAT what <Divine Artisan> does!?】
【Forget the skill, how was Honoka-sama even concentrating in there!?】
【What the hell am I looking at】
【H-hey, we might be about to get another 'ojou-sama'...】
【O J O U - S A M A M U L T I P L I C A T I O N B U G】
【That's a server-(world-)ending bug...】
Honoka's boots were still clumsily made, and their power was modest. But chat was stunned that she'd completed anything at all, so quickly, in such an unreasonable environment. And Karin—
"Just as I thought. You are nowhere near as weak as you believe, Honoka-sama!"
She smiled at Honoka, who'd risen magnificently to her unreasonable challenge. "Now, let's make more and improve those boots!" Karin said, harvesting grasshopper materials at an even faster pace.