Kays Translations

Chapter 84: Grandmaster’s Plan

◇ [Adventurer Guild Grandmaster Legolas's Perspective]

“And once, she used the skills of the person she was about to kill!”

Kukukuku. That seems like quite a convenient skill.

I instructed the guild staff member to bring Mimura to this office.

"Um, I'm sorry... It's all because of my inexperience..."

As soon as the woman from another world entered the room, she bowed her head and apologized. It seems she thinks she's here for questioning about the deceased from the other world.

"That doesn't matter."

"Doesn't matter?"

"I won't beat around the bush. Mimura, I like you. Will you like to join hands?"

Conveying the fact of killing her companions and coercing compliance is easy.

However, such methods only work on the weak. They won't work on someone who will eventually become powerful, like this woman.

Using such methods on her would only expose vulnerabilities.

"I don't quite understand what you're saying... Why would you be fond of someone like me, who seems to fail at everything?"

I explained the contents of the reports I had received to Mimura. Instead of being surprised, she had a faint smile as he listened to my story.

"...I see. I didn't expect to be under suspicion so early on," 

"Let's cut to the chase. Mimura, I'm the Grandmaster, the highest authority in the Adventurer's Guild. I believe your ability is remarkable. You can steal other people's skills, right? I'm sure you'll become the strongest adventurer without a doubt in the future. But for that, you need a collaborator. Someone with the power to cover everything up. I think the Guildmaster would be the ideal choice, don't you agree?"

"...Your offer is quite enticing."

Mimura's ability to "steal other people's skills" is not particularly useful on its own in combat. To become stronger, she needs to acquire many outstanding skills. Currently, Mimura is the weakest, even compared to the average adventurer.

So, what should someone like her do to safely acquire the skills of others? The most important thing is to ensure that her ability to steal skills remains a secret. If others find out, they will become wary, and there's a risk of being killed on sight.

In this regard, the newcomers from another world are convenient. Few people know the skills they possess. Even if she steals a skill and uses it, no one will suspect her. That's why Mimura likely targeted three newcomers so quickly.

However, it will gradually become more challenging. The more outstanding the skill, the more widely known it becomes.

So, Mimura desires something: someone who can prove her innocence. The Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild is the ideal candidate.

"I'm the highest authority in the Adventurer's Guild. There is no one more suitable to prove your innocence. Moreover, I'll provide you with opportunities to steal skills."

How about it? It's an excellent deal, isn't it? I'll prepare the conditions she desires even though I hold her weakness in my hands. Have I made her overly cautious with my words?

But that's fine. Someone who blindly jumps at such an opportunity is not worth partnering with.

"What do you want me to do then?"

Well, even if she’s cautious, she only has one choice.

"There are three tasks. First, steal a certain skill. According to our investigation, this skill is called 'Invincibility.' It makes the user immune to any attack. The owner is either the 'Sword Saint' or his sister, the 'Princess.'"

"If I can acquire that skill, I'd rather ask you for it."

“Second, kill the Sword Saint. If he dies, the human race will surrender to the elves. If you want to be ruler of Melkid, I can make you ruler.

Mimura smirked.

"The Sword Saint. He's the one who explained everything to us in the castle, right? I believe his name was Arthur."

"That man is the strongest among the humans. Not only does he possess overwhelming attack power, but he also has the Invincibility skill. You can't win against him in a direct fight. To defeat him, you need to steal the Invincibility skill."

"Understood. What's the third task?"

"The third task is to conquer the Shirakami Dungeon, the most challenging dungeon in this world. No matter how strong you become, it will take you several years to conquer its deepest parts. So, finish the first two tasks before you tackle this one."

After thinking for a moment, Mimura spoke.

"These conditions are acceptable. They suit me well. Besides, clearing the most challenging dungeon is a common trope in stories."

"Then sign this. It's a contract made with contract magic. Let me make this clear: if you violate the contract or breach it in any way, you'll die. As an otherworldly person, you should be able to read the contract, right? Review it carefully."

I handed Mimura the contract.

Even if she reads it thoroughly, it doesn't matter. This self-centered woman won't refuse.

"...If I were to kill you, it would also be a contract violation, right? Would it still be considered a contract violation even if it's an indirect killing?" 

"Because it's a contract magic, it can't be fooled whether you're involved or not."

"...This is interesting. You are the only one protected by this contract, and it wouldn't be a contract violation if I were to kill an Elf, right?"

"Both of us are better off that way."

"I see. With this contract, you have an advantage even over the Elves. If you were to disappear, no one could stop me..."

"Kukukuku. That's a story for when you become strong. As you are now, you're no threat at all."

And so, Mimura and I formed an alliance.

◇◇◇◇

Mimura's skill is called "Soul Theft."

"Soul Theft" allows her to steal both the "skills" and "experience points" incorporated into an opponent's soul. The skills she steals lose their connection to the original owner's skill base and thus cannot grow.

However, activating this "Soul Theft" had challenging conditions. First, she needed to touch her target for at least three minutes willingly. Afterward, the target had to use the skill she wanted to steal within three minutes. It wasn't necessary for her to maintain physical contact while the skill was being used.

According to Mimura, these seemingly cumbersome conditions were about making the target trust her. This would make their soul more pliable. When the skill was used, it would manifest on the surface of the soul, and that's when she could steal it.

When her target was male, she would seduce him to fulfill the conditions. When it was a female target, she would feign conditions like injuries or poisoning and have them take care of her in various ways.

Since I began cooperating with her, we used my subordinates, disguised as thieves, to abduct the targets and imprison them together with Mimura. During their escape attempts, all the conditions would be met, and she would steal their skills. Finally, the original skill owner would be silenced by the thieves.

None of these crimes would be exposed. My subordinates managed the Adventurer's Guild and even occasionally attacked genuine thief groups, leaving behind evidence of their deeds.

Due to Mimura's presence, the number of deceased or missing adventurers had surged, leading to her being dubbed the "Grim Reaper."

At this point, Mimura had become an S-rank adventurer due to the skills and experience points she had stolen. Despite the whispers and rumors about the "Grim Reaper," there were no adventurers who dared to confront her directly.

One of the skills she had stolen was "Perfect Disguise." This allowed her to impersonate her most recent victim, taking not only their appearance but also inheriting their memories.

Obtaining this skill had significantly advanced my plans.

I had finally uncovered the secret of Arthur's "Invincibility" skill!

The method was simple. I had Mimura kill Gibson, who was like a parent to Arthur and Mary, and then she would inherit Gibson's memories using "Perfect Disguise."

With this, the course of the plan was set.

I would incite a war between the demon race and the human race. The trigger would be the assassination of the demon princess by the humans.

Arthur and Mary would be brought into this war. Arthur would inevitably join if we involved the kingdom's army.

Mary would touch Mimura for three minutes voluntarily. To achieve this, Mimura would assume Gibson's identity and create a situation where they would operate together on the battlefield. To facilitate this, we needed to separate Arthur and Mary.

I planned to use this situation as an opportunity for ceasefire negotiations. Arthur would represent the negotiations, and Mary would be separated from him. During the negotiations, they would be attacked, and Mimura, disguised as Gibson, would evacuate Mary.

Afterward, with Mimura having acquired the "Blessing of the Magic Sheath" skill, she would annihilate the Melkid Kingdom's army along with Arthur, leaving the capital defenseless. Then, she would stage a coup and make Mimura the human queen.

As for the conquest of the Shirakami Dungeon, that task would be left to Mimura.

I presented this plan to the Elder Council for approval, and Mimura's success served as solid evidence supporting my scheme.

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