Golden Experience-Chapter 240: “Magnamalum”

Both Lyra and I have embedded surveillance eyes in the city of Kiefer.

We can follow that and move at any time, but now there is nothing more to do.

“The next town… Latiforia, I think it’s called. Monica told me there are horse-drawn carriages out there…”

“A horse-drawn carriage. It’s amazingly fast. It’s as fast as a linear train.”

“…Is it really a horse then?”

“It seems to be a horse-shaped monster. It doesn’t seem to be a [Subordinate], but I wonder if it has a docile personality.”

Traveling by carriage is an experience that can only be enjoyed in games and settings like this. It’s hard to imagine a carriage with the speed of a bullet train though, how do they overcome issues like air resistance, roadbumps and vibrations?

Curiosity about these aspects and an interest in carriages led me to try using one this time.

So, we left the inn and headed to the station.

We had noticed someone watching them from a room in the inn but didn’t pay it much mind. We’re aware, and it doesn’t pose any harm.

Kiefer Station was quite a large facility, and it seemed to be expanding even now.

Being outside the city walls, expansion shouldn’t be a problem, but safety remains a question. In such cases, it would be wise to plan ahead and expand the outer walls or add extensions. That’s how it’s done in the city of Rifure.

“As for the safety measures in this city, it’s someone else’s problem and not really my concern. More importantly, are there regular trips to Latiforia or something? Which one is it?”

“Isn’t it over there? It’s written up there.”

Looking closely at a sign hanging from a roof built to keep passengers and horses dry, there were destinations written on it. While there didn’t seem to be a direct route to Latiforia as far as we could see, there appeared to be a boarding point for the capital.

Since our destination was beyond the capital, whether we stop by Latiforia or not doesn’t matter.

We promptly paid the coachman with gold coins and took our seats.

The departure time wasn’t fixed, but it seemed the carriage would leave once it was full. Or perhaps, even if it’s not completely full, it would depart at a predetermined time if a certain number of passengers were present.

There was a waiting room-like area at the boarding point, and passengers were supposed to wait there until departure.

Several passengers, who seemed to be travelers, were already in the waiting room, but it was still a bit short of the maximum capacity.

<It’s quite a patient service for players to use.>

<If you pay enough gold coins, it seems you can charter the whole thing. It might be faster for players.>

<Should we do that?>

<Either’s fine.>

<Then let’s wait for now. Opportunities to ride a shared carriage don’t come by often.>

We quietly sat on the bench in the waiting room.

It was true that they were still a bit short of the maximum capacity, but it would probably fill up soon anyway.

As expected, the coachman came to call us shortly. Although it shouldn’t have been the departure time yet, it seemed the maximum capacity had been reached.

Exiting the waiting room, we found Margaret and the others in front of the carriage. She had left the inn and followed me.

“Hey, this time your friends are with you, huh?”

“…You really remembered.”

“I told you already! Um, are you heading towards the capital this time? Let me show you around!”

Margaret Kuji stared at me, approaching me eagerly.

<…What’s this? What did you do, Rare?>

<No, I haven’t done anything in particular…>

To be precise, our destination wasn’t the capital, but the village of Route beyond it. Moreover, our goal was more of a leisurely trip, so we didn’t need a guide.

“No, it’s okay. There’s no need for that.”

“Is that so…”

Margaret, on the other hand, seemed to be making some convincing gestures to the other members.

Despite the silent exchange, it was probably some kind of friend chat or communication.

“Anyway, are you two also heading to the capital? Since there are other passengers, let’s get on quickly.”

*

Inside the carriage, Margaret oddly took a seat close by.

“Uh, by the way, what are you two doing?”

“…As you can see, we’re riding in the carriage.”

“If I had to say, we’re sitting, I guess.”

“Not that. I meant about that experiment in the swamp—Oh, right. There are other passengers here.”

She seemed to have assumed something on her own.

She seemed curious about the experiment involving the bear in the swamp, but I had no intention of openly sharing it, regardless of other passengers being present.

“This robe… if you look closely, it’s not dirty at all. And it looks very high-quality… Is it made of expensive material, after all?”

The robe I was wearing was a Queen Arachnea exclusive. It apparently had the effect of repelling dirt without the need for enchantments.

“Well, it’s true that it’s not something that’s commonly sold… but…”

“I knew it! Um, the luxurious texture suits you very well!”

While the compliment about the texture fitting well was a first, did that mean the design of the robe didn’t suit her?

<Hey, isn’t this girl a bit dangerous?>

<Dangerous? What do you mean by dangerous?>

<There used to be kids like her among the disciples, occasionally. They’d steal personal items.>

<I thought it was just because we were nearby and they took it by mistake. Or rather, why do you know about that?>

<Because mother told me. Anyway, did you do something? Getting so close to us after being indirectly killed, and then still approaching an NPC like this, it’s weird when you think about it normally.>

<As I said, I didn’t do anything.>

Margaret’s companions were anxiously observing, their curiosity evident despite the uneasy atmosphere.

Continuing the peculiar atmosphere and conversation, the carriage continued to run at high speed, and after a while, we arrived at the transfer point, Latiforia.

Although we were heading towards the capital, there seemed to be a designated stop along the way.

Due to Margaret clinging to us, we couldn’t fully enjoy the ambiance of the carriage.

However, there wasn’t any concern about vibrations or shocks, so the carriage itself might have such effects built into it, or it could be due to the abilities of the horses.

“By the way, are you heading to the capital?”

“Well, um…”

Margaret looked at her companions, who tilted their heads ambiguously. If their goal was to figure out our motives and movements, an immediate response to this question might not be possible. Lyra probably asked to divert their attention to a different destination.

“In fact, we haven’t decided yet! How about you, robed lady-san, where are you going?”

“…What a coincidence. We haven’t decided either.”

While we might not know about Margaret’s group, at least we had prepaid the fare to the capital. Even though Margaret’s group hadn’t immediately disembarked upon reaching the station, they probably had already paid for the journey to the capital too.

Although the conversation had an unnecessary tension to it, I didn’t really care. The capital wasn’t our destination, and whether these players followed us or not wouldn’t make much of a difference.

More than that, I was curious about the way they referred to me as “robed lady-san”. It wasn’t particularly impressive for a villainous title.

“Um, could you stop calling me that? It gives a silly impression.”

“Oh, right! I’m sorry! What should I call you?”

<…She naturally asked for your name. Remarkable social skills. Rare-chan, be cautious, this one might be dangerous.>

<Really…? Isn’t this just normal conversation? Anyway, what should I introduce myself as?>

<True… If we’re not trying to deceive them in this situation, answering with a common name is the way to go. Oh, how about the Calamity Sisters? Sounds fitting, right? Sisters of disaster!>

<…Lyra, did you leave your common sense in mother’s womb or something?>

<Using that tone, it makes it sound like you’re the one that has sense, Rare-chan. So, let’s hear your sense-filled names for both of us!>

<…How about Magnamalum?>

<Like great disaster*?… I like it, but it would definitely end up with me being Magna and Rare being Malum, like a comedy duo.> *(T/N: the text here says great disaster/calamity but the latin says great evil, if I’m getting it right, I’m leaving it as disaster for now because of how the conversation flows)

<It’s better than your suggestion.>

<No, it’s not that different? Mine is still more artful──>

“Magnamalum is fine. That’s what we’re called.”

<Called by whom!? Seriously, it’s just a matter of whoever says it first wins! That’s unfair!>

“…The great disaster?”

It was quite an ancient Latin phrase, but it seemed one of Margaret’s companions understood it.

“…Wait, disaster? It couldn’t be the disaster…?” *(T/N: disaster = calamity, like in the ‘seventh calamity’)

“No, no, no, it’s said that it had horns and wings, so there’s no way that it looks so human.”

“…An existence that can erase an entire country, but can’t erase horns or wings?”

“…Is that really the issue?”

“Is it possible that the feathers, horns, armor, etc. have been separated and turned into a separate entity, that black one?”

They seem so disturbed that they’ve forgotten to whisper in their friend chat, but since they’re mostly correct, it’s difficult to interject without giving too much away.

<What’s this about a condensed existence separated into parts!? Am I some kind of support item!?>

<…You’re noisy.>

We’re already executing the shadowy mastermind NPC move anyway, and it doesn’t make much difference if our true identity is a Calamity or another suspicious NPC. But that doesn’t mean we have to tell them. We don’t intend to get deeply involved with these players, and although it’s a possibility, it’s better to leave it as a mystery.

“Um, so in the end, where are you two Magnamalum heading to…?”

“…Probably the capital, for now.”

“I see, then we’ll do the same!”

It seems like the other party isn’t even trying to conceal their tracking.

The journey from Latiforia to the capital was relatively uneventful. I had hoped for bandits or highwaymen attacking the carriage, but whether the horses were scared, or they lacked the means to attack a high-speed carriage, no such incidents occurred.

According to my Demonic Eyes, there were suspicious groups lurking along the highway, so the absence of bandits didn’t necessarily mean they didn’t exist. Perhaps they exclusively targeted travelers on foot. While the carriage fare wasn’t significant for us, it was undoubtedly expensive. If not in a hurry, hiring mercenaries and traveling on foot would be more cost-effective, and that might be more common. In that case, we could consider walking beyond the capital.

“Is this the capital of Pearl?”

Stepping out of the carriage and seeing the capital, it was quite different from what we had expected. Perhaps due to Hiers, Aural, and Wells’ capitals being built on plains, they had a fixed image of a capital as such.

Pearl’s capital was in a mountainous area, and the royal castle was a fortress built into the mountainside, utilizing the entire rocky mountain. Surrounded by sheer cliffs, it could be considered an impregnable fortress.

The lower town had many slopes but prospered, spreading out along the base of the mountain. Unlike other countries’ capitals, there were no visible walls surrounding the city. The station where Lyra and I disembarked from the carriage was on the outermost edge of the city, and even from there, we could overlook the royal castle, or rather, the rocky mountain.

“In case of an emergency, the residents are supposed to evacuate into the castle.”

“Wow, that’s rational. At least it’s more cost-effective than surrounding the entire area with walls.”

“It’s amazing! When we first saw it, we were so impressed, thinking, ‘Is this what the Masada Fortress, a World Heritage site, looks like?’”

“Hmm. I don’t know about that world something, though.”

I almost casually agreed with their conversation.

However, there was a vague impression that the versatility of the beastfolk race was more inclined towards combat than production, but looking at this castle, that might not be the case.

<Did the beastfolk really build this? Maybe they are using fortresses built by the previous civilization? It feels like it has a history similar to Hugelcup Castle.>

<That’s a possibility.>

“But, in this situation, it seems impossible to enter the city, let alone the royal castle.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Huh? Do you have some business with the royal castle…?”

“No, it’s just curiosity. After all, it’s a sightseeing trip.”

It’s half a lie. While I don’t lack the desire to sightsee, it’s not like I don’t have any business with the royal castle. As a member of the royal family, there should be some form of [Subordination] in place, making them a race one step above other beastfolk. What that race is, and how other beastfolk can reach that level, I want to investigate that before Monkichi and the others crush this country in their attack.

“Now then. First, let’s find an inn.”

“An inn!?”

“…Why suddenly raise your voice?”

“Ah, no…”

Did they think she planned something at the inn in the capital, like in Kiefer? It’s generally correct, but it’s a bit difficult when they’re on alert.

<It’s getting troublesome, let’s just scatter randomly. If we kill them now, they’ll probably return to Kiefer.>

<Yeah, let’s do that.> 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Other passengers who got off at the station have already left while we were captivated by the royal castle. Unlike a real station, there isn’t always someone at the station, and the coachman of the carriage we just got off of might have gone somewhere for a break.

Now we could minimize the number of witnesses.

“Excuse me!”

“…What is it?”

As I was considering whether to use threads, magic, or just impaling them with my hands, my plans were interrupted.

“Um, is there anything we can help with!?”

“─Hold on, Margaret!?”

“…I might have mentioned it before, but if it’s about a guide──”

“N-no, not that. Um, it’s like what you were doing in the Abhang Wetlands… it’s, um, assisting in bad things!”

<…She really was no good after all. The type to get entangled with a bad guy and ruin herself in stories.>

<Please don’t speak as if I am some bad guy deceiving her.>

Margaret stared at me with a determined gaze. Her companions, who initially raised their voices to stop her, now seemed to watch the situation with a sense of resignation.

<In any case, we can’t nod in agreement. It might be interesting to just kill her altogether…>

<No, Rare-chan. Isn’t this interesting in its own way?>

<What’s this? Wweren’t you not fond of this girl?>

<If she has utility value, it’s a different story.>

“─I see. I understand. However, there are too many people here, so let’s get a room at an inn first, and then we can hear more about what you mean by help.”

*

We decided to postpone taking control of the inn and headed straight to our rooms. We initially wanted a single room, but due to the innkeeper’s disapproval of six people in one room, we reluctantly opted for two rooms. All expenses were covered by us. While the inn was pricier than Kiefer’s, the quality of the rooms and services appeared to be comparable.

“It’s unlikely that someone will overhear us here”, I remarked.

“Yeah, the soundproofing seems solid, and there’s no sign of anyone eavesdropping around”, Lyra added.

The both of us sat on the beds, while Margaret and the others took chairs.

“Now, what exactly do you intend to help us with, and what do you think we’re up to?” I asked.

I wanted to observe how the conversation would unfold.

“Well, doping dungeon bosses, some other kind of power-up something, and spawning dangerous monsters and so on?”

“Also, aren’t you doing something to the NPCs, inn residents and other towns?”

Considering the visible facts from their perspective, those assumptions weren’t far off. While the ultimate goal was the revival of the Golden Dragon, necessitating the Spirit Lord and Holy King, our experiments with the bear were merely a tiny step towards that. Regarding the inn staff, something was indeed done, but there was no noticeable change from an outsider’s perspective. We didn’t feel the need to explain the concept of [Subordinate], and it wasn’t essential.

“As for the inn staff, I’m not familiar. I left getting a room to my sister. However, if you’re talking about the bear being suddenly powered up, that was undoubtedly our doing. I don’t know about a dungeon boss, but if it refers to the bear, then you would be correct.” I clarified.

They realized that the term ‘dungeon’ was likely a name assigned by players, not an official title.

“Ah, I see. So, the term ‘dungeon’ is something ‘players’ came up with?” Lyra asked.

“Um, does that mean Magnamalum here is being provided for by her older sister? Earlier, it was her sister who paid.” Margaret pointed out.

Margaret’s observation seemed slightly off from the others.

“…I’ll pay her back later.” I responded.

“Margaret, that’s not really important. What’s more important is that that bear suddenly became more powerful…”

“Hold on. In the first place, we are only talking to you because you are willing to help us. I don’t have any obligation to tell you everything about us. You understand that, don’t you? So let’s change the question a bit. Assuming you can help, what can you girls do?” I clarified.

The players exchanged glances, seemingly deliberating through friend chat. Margaret appeared not to be included in the discussion. I wonder if there is a lack of unity of will in them.

<What are these kids after in the first place? I guess they’re trying to get in our business and spread the word.>

<I wonder. What if they’re not? Maybe the girls are now trying to pick a key route-branching option.>

<Route-branching…?>

“…We’re just regular beastfolk, but, uh, what about the Inventory? About that, we have a way to transport anything without anyone noticing. Also, we can eavesdrop on conversations among people who can use the Inventory, and we can… uhh…”

I feel as if I’m in some kind of employment interview.

Margaret is talking about a benefit that is generally considered to be given to the player. I won’t reveal this to them, but of course we have it too. And I won’t tell them this either, but it’s not only players that can use it.

“…I see. I’ve heard that foreigners have these ‘inventory’ things. I wonder if it has something to do with those matters like eavesdropping or stealing. But that also means that it doesn’t have to be you guys that help us. It’s the same for us if we take another foreigner and use them instead.”

“That’s what you were talking about earlier: conversations that can be overheard. In other words, if there are two foreigners, they can spy on each other as much as they want. That’s how they exchange information.”

“Right! Right!”

“However──”

Lyra shifted her legs.

The beds in high-class inns seem to have superior mattresses.

“──You said that the foreigners cannot be forced to obey, and that applies to you as well. So how can you prove that you genuinely want to help us? Also, you can easily share our information with other parties without being detected.” Lyra pointed out.

Since it already felt more like a job interview, her words seemed to be directed to another company.

“We’ll betray them.” Margaret said.

“Betray them?” I questioned.

“Betray all the other players and play for Magnamalum!”

Her friends sighed in the background. While the unity of their intentions was uncertain, it seemed like they were already aware of Margaret’s determination about it.

What Lyra mentioned about a route-branching choice probably referred to this.

In other words, despite being a beastwoman, Margaret chose to stop playing the game as a representative of the human side and opted for the route of clandestine operations as a player on the villainous side.

In a way, Margaret’s decision resembled Justiz, who desired to become a knight and chose to serve the NPC —or so Justiz believes— Lord of Hugelcup.

Now, Margaret too, wanted to serve the shadowy mastermind NPCs, Magnamalum.

Lyra’s words expressing amusement made sense. Indeed, this was intriguing.

While most players were likely playing as humans, some, like Blanc and Bambu, chose to play as monsters. This was fundamentally determined when selecting their initial race. Lyra and I, who were originally an Elf and a Human, respectively, found ourselves in a similar situation.

Margaret was now considering taking a similar path.

Although I had no intention of revealing that Lyra and I were players, it might not be a bad idea to have her as a subordinate player working for my NPC self.

“Is ‘player’ a term for ‘foreigner’? I don’t know what it means, but in essence, is it accurate to interpret it as betraying foreigners and working for us?”

“Ah, yes, yes, exactly!” Margaret confirmed.

“But I don’t see how you can prove it to us. After all, you can communicate without us knowing, can’t you?” I questioned.

“W-Well, that’s true, the only way I can demonstrate it is through actions…” Margaret responded.

“Well, why not? It sounds interesting. Let’s use them.”

“W-Wait…” Lyra gave me a slight glare.

However, if she really had a complaint, she would express it in the friend chat first, and besides, Lyra was the one who initially found it interesting. I judged that this was likely just for show.

“Regardless of who we use, whether it’s her or someone else, we can only judge them based on their actions in the end. In the end, nothing really changes, and having the motivation is good enough, right?” I added.

“That may be true, but… Yeah, you’re right.” Lyra agreed.

“Um, thank you for hiring me!” Margaret expressed gratitude.

So it wasn’t only me who thought of it as an interview.

“That’s it for her, but what about the rest of you? If you want to reconsider, now is the time.”

“If it’s okay with you, we’d also like to join. We’ve known Margaret for a long time, and we’re basically on the same page.”

“Ja-nee…” (T/N: Ja from Janet, and nee from ‘onee-san’ which is used for an older sister figure)

Janet Yasaka, the apparent leader, spoke on behalf of the group.

Including her, it wasn’t clear who was who among them, but Elizabeth Tsubame and Allison Kira all wore wry smiles as they looked at Margaret, seemingly resigned.

“Surely there is a way to persuade Margaret and choosing the option of walking in the sunlight with us…”

“Nah, that probably won’t work. Margaret has the same expression as when her oshi* pushed her to the brink of bankruptcy before.” *(T/N: oshi means favorite, could be an idol, a gacha character, etc.)

“That’s right. It’s not the face she puts on when she’s open to persuasion.”

It seemed like they were reluctantly accepting the situation, and it was likely that they would be collectively employed.

<Is it fine to go with being NPC masterminds then?>

<Of course. We can check later if there’s any unnecessary information on the forum to see if they genuinely intend to play the route of falling into darkness.>

In that case, searching for the keyword “Magnamalum” in the forum should be enough. Currently, only they should be aware of this word.

In the capital of Pearl, they intended to investigate the conditions for the beastkin’s reincarnation. Fortunately, Margaret and her companions were beastkin, making them suitable for the task.

However, we had no intention of Subordinating Margaret and her companions. Directly Subordinating players posed too high a risk, and introducing someone to that at this point would be unnatural. Moreover, players could release themselves from their status as a Subordinate by expressing their wish to the administration. Unlike with NPCs, Subordinating players provided no guarantees.

Nevertheless, Margaret and her companions were currently too weak. Regardless of the task, they needed some form of enhancement.

We couldn’t share experience points with non-subordinates like them. In that case, the means of enhancement were limited.

Considering having them completely give up on the human side route, human modification seemed like a suitable option.

(T/N: regarding the name of their new organization, Magnamalum, the word written in Japanese is マグナメルム which directly translates into ‘Magnamelum’, and this really had me stumped on my first read. It became clearer later that the author probably wrote it slightly wrong, because Rare explains the meaning of the word in later chapters.)

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