Evil Avalon

Chapter 142 Big News

(TL:By Rafael,valhallatls.blogspot.com)

"From now on, I declare the start of the Kinrankai Clan Party."

With the declaration of the party by the Kinrankai Clan leader, Kazumoto Kuki, the main guest of the event appeared, and the many invited guests welcomed them with applause.

Looking to the front row, one can see Mikami, the leader of "Kunoichi Red" and holder of the Count title, dressed in fine clothes and jewelry, smiling warmly. It piqued curiosity as to who this person was, enough to make Mikami act so graciously. However, due to the dim light and the person's mask, their identity remained a mystery.

As the applause subsided, Kuki slowly scanned the audience and spoke into the microphone in a low voice.

"Though I could give a lengthy welcome address, I know none of you want to hear my long-winded speeches. So, let me announce what you’re all interested in first, to get the party started."

Contrary to expectations, Kuki signaled something to his subordinate with a nod and promptly stepped down from the podium. In his place, a tall man with slicked-back hair in a white suit stepped forward. Wearing sunglasses, his expression was hard to read, but he appeared quite young.

The man in the white suit bowed slightly, removed his sunglasses, and raised his head, revealing eyes glinting with ambition. His aura was unmistakably that of someone familiar with violence.

"Nice to meet you all. My name is Sosuke Kirigaya, the deputy leader of Kinrankai. I will explain in Kuki’s place."

Sosuke Kirigaya... I already had information on him. He is the founder of Sorel and currently the number two in Kinrankai. During his time with Sorel, which was just a few months ago, he was notorious for picking fights and spending more time battling other clans than exploring dungeons. Truly a man deserving of the nickname "Mad Dog."

It’s perplexing how such a rogue was taken under the Kinrankai's wing and, even more, how he quickly rose to the second-highest rank in the clan. Kinrankai, despite having fallen once, remains a large and influential organization with many subordinates. Something significant must have happened to persuade Kuki and his associates to elevate Kirigaya to such a high position in a short time.

The invited guests fell silent, listening intently to Kirigaya's words, eager to hear the rumored "big news." I, too, was curious and listened quietly.

Kirigaya continued in a calm voice to the hushed audience.

"First, I have an announcement. Our Kinrankai has discovered... a new area."

A large screen behind Kirigaya displayed images of this new area. As the pictures of fortresses, abandoned villages, skeletons, and golems were shown, cameras flashed, and the venue was filled with murmurs and excitement.

The images on the screen were all too familiar places and monsters. Kano, recognizing them as well, whispered to me.

"(Isn't that the place?)"

"(Yeah. Looks like they reported it.)"

It was the DLC area on the 7th floor of the dungeon, where we had fought the first player, "Volgemut." I hadn't been back since that fierce battle...

The Shingu siblings, sitting across from us, also stared at the screen with great interest, like the other guests. Was it really such a noteworthy discovery?

"Discovering a new area is something we haven’t seen in ten years. Especially on the lower floors, it’s quite remarkable."

"Yes, this will earn Kinrankai rewards and further fame."

While Brother Shingu praised Kinrankai's achievements, Sister Shingu nodded quietly, understanding the reason behind their recent surge in power.

When a new dungeon floor or area is discovered, substantial rewards are given by dungeon associations both domestically and internationally. Chii-chan suggested that this discovery might be the key to Kinrankai’s recent momentum. However, Kano seemed puzzled and tilted her head.

"Um... Why would they get money from the world's dungeon associations just for discovering a new area in Japan?"

"That's because the dungeons abroad have the same structure as those in Japan."

Kirara-chan kindly answered Kano's question. There are many dungeons worldwide, and their internal structures and monsters are almost identical to those in Japan, allowing similar strategies to be used.

In other words, there are "Obaba's Shops" in foreign dungeons, and Furufuru can be found there too. Naturally, questions arise as to whether the Japanese Furufuru and the foreign Furufuru are the same person, and what happened to Arthur and Volgemut, but anyway.Thus, even if a new area is discovered in a Japanese dungeon, rewards are given by dungeon associations and guilds worldwide for that reason.

The venue was buzzing with excitement over Kinrankai’s achievement.

Some stood up to applaud and praise them, while others were simply astonished. There was even hope that this might correct the negative image of Japan’s dungeon exploration being behind the times... but honestly, I found it disappointing.

I had already encountered the fools from Sorel in that area, and I knew they had leaked the information. Indeed, the 7th floor DLC area had valuable treasure chests and monsters good for leveling up, so it was a shame for the secret to be out. However, for us, already over level 20, it was no longer necessary. Revealing it didn’t hurt us at all.

What puzzled me more was how Kirigaya managed to rise to number two in Kinrankai with such information. I couldn’t see how this alone could be so valuable... As I pondered, the screen behind Kirigaya changed again.

"We plan to make this new area freely accessible to everyone. There will be treasure chests and valuable monsters, but we won’t charge any entrance fees or rights. And, of course, this isn’t the main point we want to share. Please, take a look at this."

Declaring the new area discovery as trivial, Kirigaya caused the audience to buzz once again. The guests, including myself, skeptically watched the screen, where a live feed showed a crumbling ruin and desolate scenery, with a few men waving at the camera. They seemed to be communicating with Kirigaya on stage.

I recognized those faces, Sorel's idiots. Kano nodded at me, confirming my suspicion.

The men soon entered a small, old church-like building and pointed at a wall covered in cracks and patterns, placing their hands on it. Kirara-chan and the Shingu siblings leaned forward, focused on the screen to see what was going to happen, but Kano and I were filled with anxiety.

"(Onii, could it be?)"

"(...Yeah, this is bad.)"

The patterns engraved on the wall were undoubtedly gate magic circles. As the man placed his hand on the wall and concentrated, a dazzling purple light emitted from the grooves of the patterns, filling the screen with purple. But this lasted only a few seconds. When the light faded, the screen switched to a dimly lit location.

Many in the audience seemed confused about what had just happened, prompting Kirigaya to clarify through a chuckle.

"As I explained earlier, this is a live broadcast. They were just in the new area on the 7th floor of the dungeon, but now they are currently located on the 1st floor of the dungeon—meaning, we have obtained the means to teleport."

The venue buzzed with astonishment. Everyone was now fully engaged, processing the implications of Kirigaya's statement. Brother Shingu, who had been chatty earlier, fell silent, while Kirara-chan stared at the screen with a serious expression. I, too, was deep in thought.

(So, they’ve even discovered the gates...)

While it was within expectations that the 7th floor DLC area would be exposed, it was shocking that the existence and usage of the gates had also been revealed. It was likely the involvement of the Holy Empire had helped them identify the teleportation magic circles.

Moreover, the gate room shown on the screen seemed identical to the gate room from Dungeon Exploration Club (D.E.C.). Even though I had searched for it and found nothing, I wondered if some form of cognitive manipulation had been at play.

Now that the gate room on the 1st floor had been found, what had happened to the gate room we used in the school building’s basement? Was it still usable? These questions arose, but listening to Kirigaya’s explanation took precedence.

"These teleportation devices are not only on the 1st and 7th floors but have been confirmed on other floors as well. Using them will significantly reduce travel time within the dungeon, revolutionizing dungeon diving."

The venue buzzed again, and Brother Shingu, removing his black fox mask, spoke excitedly. His pale eyes shone brightly, contrasting with my exhausted and disheartened state.

"So, we can instantly move to any deep floor where these teleportation devices are located. This means—"

"Dungeon exploration will advance dramatically, far more than ever before."

Even the highest-ranking Japanese clans like Colors had a level cap of around 30. One of the biggest reasons for this was that traveling to and from suitable hunting grounds took months, limiting leveling time.

But with the gate devices, not only would travel time to hunting grounds be drastically reduced, but also the danger of encountering monsters or traps along the way would be eliminated, significantly increasing safety. Kirara-chan added that Kirigaya's claim of a revolution in dungeon diving was no exaggeration.

As players, we understood the benefits of the gates well. The issue was how this revolution would impact us and society. Kirigaya then dropped another bombshell.

"All discovered teleportation devices have been registered and filed with us as the discoverers. We do not intend to monopolize them. To facilitate dungeon exploration, we will offer their use at reasonable prices."

Pointing to a pricing plan displayed on the screen, he explained. Using a gate would cost 10,000 yen per floor traveled, with additional charges for deeper floors. This pricing applied not only in Japan but to all dungeons registered with the World Dungeon Association.

With an estimated annual user base of 50 million, they projected profits of 30 trillion yen in the first year and had already established partnerships with various countries and organizations. They assured that the fee collection would be seamless and meticulously managed.

(Earning tens of trillions with the gates? What nonsense.)

How could Kinrankai, with fewer than a thousand members, amass such astronomical amounts? The 10,000 yen per floor price would be out of reach for most adventurers, and it seemed unlikely that global organizations or countries would willingly pay such high fees. The plan appeared overly ambitious and flawed.

Despite this, the list of partner organizations and countries included prominent nations and distinguished clans. Was such a plan truly feasible? Brother Shingu sought to probe this possibility further.

"The International Law recognizes the 'priority usage rights' for the discoverer of new areas or structures for three years, but in reality, there hasn't been any discovery valuable enough to exercise those rights for decades."

"Yes... but with the discovery of the teleportation device, Kinran-kai plans to exercise their priority usage rights in dungeons worldwide. By paying rebates, they will secure cooperation from local organizations and governments to collect fees from each dungeon, thus aiming for enormous profits..."

There are numerous international agreements regarding dungeons, one of which includes the priority usage rights. This system, created to protect adventurers' rights and promote dungeon exploration, has become virtually obsolete since finding new areas outside the deepest parts of dungeons rarely happens, and even if found, they aren’t usually lucrative. Shingu explained this, emphasizing the system's diminishing relevance over the years.

However, the Gate is different. It's an incredibly valuable discovery that adventurers worldwide, especially those in exploration clans or state-affiliated organizations, would want to use, even at a high cost. Although the priority usage rights last only three years, Kinran-kai aims to generate substantial profits during this period, Shingu added quietly, wearing a white fox mask.

Even if they offer rebates, how did they manage to secure cooperation from organizations and nations worldwide in such a short time? Could it be that Kirigaya conceived and executed this entire plan? If so, his rise to the position of Kinran-kai's number two and prioritizing profit over defeating their rival Oboro make sense...

But the essence of this discussion isn’t just about making money.

"...The teleportation device will significantly enhance any organization... On the other hand, individuals, organizations, or nations that don't align with Kinran-kai's intentions will be unable to use the teleportation devices, missing out on three years of advancements. This event could drastically alter the balance of power in Japan and globally... What are your thoughts on this, Kirara-sama?"

Asked by Chi-chan about the future implications, Kirara-chan could only shake her head slightly, unable to provide a quick answer. Even I wouldn’t be able to respond to such a question offhandedly.

It’s clear that having Kinran-kai's favor determine the rise and fall of organizations and nations is severely twisted. Are we heading towards such a future?

A staggering number of flashes light up the room, and the murmurs among the audience show no signs of subsiding. With the initial announcements concluded, the session transitions to a Q&A, where media representatives eagerly raise their hands.

After this Q&A session, the anticipated 'banquet' is supposed to follow, but the mood has significantly shifted. Moreover, the information leak event regarding 'Samurai' still awaits. Is the Holy Empire planning to betray Kinran-kai, which is poised to announce their discovery to the world? This situation seems increasingly dubious.

Confronted with this unexpectedly massive news, I feel an urge to grab Kano and make a swift exit. However, this development could have significant repercussions on society, the game's storyline, and our future actions, so leaving isn’t an option.

Sitting next to me, Kano remains unusually quiet, like a borrowed cat. Normally, she’d bombard me with questions about anything she didn’t understand or found interesting, but now, behind that decorated mask, I wonder what’s on her mind... In a way, this suits me just fine.

For now, it’s time to gather information. Given their astuteness about adventurer affairs, I’ll start by talking to the Shingu siblings.

TL Note- Raise your hand if you think Kano is thinking about money....

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