Chapter 126 How to Use Information
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Day 45 of Tester Life. Morning. Grand Plaza. Sanada Yakumo.
I led Yuki-san’s party to a secluded corner of the Grand Plaza. With Sayaka-san and her group acting as a human wall to block prying eyes, I finally spoke up.
”Look, you might have had a history with Arashiyama and his group, but the breaking point that pushed them to attack was the women. That means any of you who bought slaves are facing the exact same risk from here on out.”
”That’s… a fair point,” Yuki replied, nodding along with the rest of the club members.
”You guys are further ahead in the rankings, so maybe you won’t get jumped inside the dungeon layers,” I continued. “But what about here in the plaza? Or the teleportation rooms? If people start teaming up against you, do you really think you can hold them off?”
”It’d be a nightmare if they stopped caring about the rules and just swarmed us,” Yuki said, nodding with a serious face.
”B-but even if they kill us, it’s not like they get the girls, right?” Sonoda-kun asked, sounding desperate.
”We only know that because the Guide told us, man. I tried explaining that to Arashiyama when he jumped me, but he just laughed. He thought I was lying to save my own skin,” Sonoda-kun muttered.
”Damn… yeah, they definitely wouldn’t believe us-ssu,” another student added.
”Exactly,” I said. “If you want to protect your women from that kind of malice, you need to build a network of allies. You need to show people that touching you comes with a price. If you create a big enough deterrent, you’ll stop idiots like Arashiyama before they even start. At the very least, they won’t try anything in public.”
Safe zones protect you from monsters, but they don’t do a damn thing against other humans. The teleportation rooms are the same. In those places, your only shield is the number of people who have your back. The worst-case scenario is turning everyone against you, or making them think they can jump you in a safe zone without consequences. Even being ‘neutral’ is dangerous – neutral just means they’ll look the other way while you’re being dragged off.
”I see what you mean. If we have enough allies, no one would be stupid enough to attack us where people can see,” Yuki said.
”But even if we’re on good terms with the other conquest groups now, I’m not sure they’d actually put their lives on the line for us,” Sonoda-kun added. “They’d probably just file a complaint after we’re already dead.”
”If we have the numbers, they’ll at least try to mediate, won’t they?”
”Maybe. But once the weapons come out, all bets are off.”
I cut in to sharpen the point. “That ‘good relationship’ you have with them is built on my info about the Guardian rooms and the fact that I charge their phones. Once people save up enough DP ¹ to upgrade to 1K apartments, they’ll have their own electricity. After that, the only thing keeping them friendly is the exploration data. If they get ahead of you, your leverage is gone. And don’t think for a second that power won’t go to their heads. In an environment like this, people change the moment they realize they’re the ones holding the bigger stick.”
Right now, the conquest groups were friendly. But that wasn’t a permanent state. In a dungeon that spikes your libido every time you rank up, betrayal is just a shortcut to getting a woman.
”You’re right,” Yuki admitted. “Right now, thanks to Sanada-san’s info and the charging station, we’re a cut above the rest of the conquest groups. But that’s not a lifetime guarantee. If the data leaks like it did this time, people outside the group could easily overtake us.”
”That’s the spirit,” I said. “And if those guys use that info to form a coalition – a ‘clan,’ if you want to use game terms – you’re dead meat unless you have an organization that can match them. If you don’t have the muscle, they’ll take everything. And don’t forget, if you die, your slaves go back on the market at half price. Even if you don’t form a formal clan, you need to cement your ties with the parties you trust.”
If the power balance shifted, guys like Arashiyama would be everywhere. I could keep feeding Yuki info to prevent that, but if I carried them all the way, they’d never get strong on their own. They’d just become dependent on me. That didn’t help me. I needed them to struggle and explore, and I’d only step in when they hit a wall. That way, the ‘favor’ I was doing them would be worth more.
The 6th to 8th floors didn’t have many gimmicks, so they’d find the Guardian rooms eventually. The real wall would be the hidden stairs on the 9th floor. I’d save my help for then. For now, I’d just warn them about the traps and the Goblin Archers.
”Hina being taken… I won’t let that happen,” Yuki said, his eyes hardening. “I get it, Sanada-san. I’m going to step up the communication with the other groups immediately!”
”I’m not letting anyone touch Nanami either!” Sonoda-kun barked.
”Me neither. Losing Tomomi isn’t an option,” another added.
”What if they go after the girls we’re planning to buy next?”
”Or what if they threaten us into handing over a Soul-less Doll ²?”
The panic was setting in. That was good.
”Yuki, listen,” I said, lowering my voice. “Disclose the info for the 4th and 5th floors to the parties you actually trust. Use it to buy their loyalty and solidify the alliance.”
”Wait, really? Are you sure?” Yuki asked, surprised.
”I’m not saying do it today. Give it a week. Look, everyone in the conquest group is fighting to save someone. If you give them the key to a floor with Slave Tickets ³ and Goblins that drop 200 DP per kill, you’re basically handing them a fortune.”
Information on the Area Guardian ⁴ was worth ten times what I’d given them before. It meant tickets. Even if they didn’t get a high-grade one, it was a shared s*x slave for the party. If you told the girl the Master had a cuckold fetish after she was ‘Total Submission’ ⁵, she’d take on the whole party regardless of her own feelings. Plus, the jump from Kobold to Goblin income was massive.
”I see. Doing it now, while no one has a slave yet, makes the favor much bigger,” Yuki realized.
”Damn, Sanada-san is on another level,” one of the Baseball Club guys said. “I totally misjudged him.”
”Sell the info when the price is highest, huh? We were only looking at what was right in front of us.”
”I wanted to use the 5th-floor info to build ties too, but I was honestly just scared of people catching up to us,” Yuki admitted.
”It was Sanada-san’s info to begin with,” another student added. “We should just do what he says and stop being greedy.”
”Exactly. We never would have thought of clearing out Monster Houses like Sanada-san does. Who even comes up with that?”
”Seriously, Sanada-san is insane. Sometimes I wonder if his head is wired right,” one of them joked, laughing.
”Hey, I can hear you, you little shits,” I barked.
”S-sorry! We meant it in a good way! Total respect!”
”Think of a better excuse. Nobody takes ‘is your head wired right’ as a compliment.”
The whole group erupted into laughter. Even Sayaka-san and the girls were smirking. I couldn’t even stay mad. Whatever – I’m a middle-school dropout anyway.
”Alright, alright,” Yuki said, catching his breath. “I’ll share the info with the Baseball and Karate clubs. We’ll hold off on the Kendo club for a bit. Akatsu is a good guy, but his group is merged with the Archery Club. It’s too big; the info will leak again.”
”Good call,” I said. “Two leaders make for shitty discipline. Plus, the Kendo guys are going to feel like they owe the Archery kids after this mess. They’ll fight over the first ticket they find.”
The Kendo/Archery joint venture had it easy so far because of their numbers – 35 people in total. But Akatsu was losing his grip because of his teammates’ blunders. I’d help them later, and only the ones who actually listened to Akatsu.
If Yuki-san’s 10, the Baseball Club’s 45, and the Karate Club’s 18 students stayed united, that was 73 fighters. A quarter of the total population, and all of them were high-level. They could handle anything the rest of the school threw at them. I just had to make sure Yuki stayed the figurehead leader. That kept me safe.
I’d let Yuki handle the messy politics. I’d stay far enough ahead that they could never challenge me, and if a hostile force appeared, I’d just crush them from the shadows. I was the cleanup crew. The bodyguard. As long as I could keep expanding my harem in peace, I didn’t mind Yuki being the wall that told me where the enemies were.
”The Archery Club president is… well, he’s a pushover,” Yuki noted.
”Is he?” I asked, looking at Sanae-san, the Archery Club’s vice-president.
”Yuki-senpai is being nice,” Sanae-san said, her color finally returning to her face. “President Kudo is weak and indecisive. He only got the job because he’s a hard worker and a good shot.”
”Ouch,” Yuki winced. “He is trying his best to save the girls, though.”
”I appreciate that much, at least,” Sanae-san said, though she sounded bored. She probably never got along with the other girls. A second-year vice-president usually draws a lot of jealousy from the third-years.
”Yuki, tell the Baseball and Karate clubs what kind of tickets to expect. Figure out who goes to the 5th floor first. And keep an eye on the former shut-ins. They owe everyone right now. Bring them into our circle before someone else does.”
There were 33 of them. They were tight-knit and had climbed to the 3rd floor fast. They weren’t a group you wanted to ignore.
”Got it. I’ll make sure they don’t side with the wrong people,” Yuki promised.
”Good. We’re heading out.”
”Right. We’ll get the groups together and make sure everyone’s interests are aligned before we go public.”
I parted ways with Yuki and led Sayaka’s group toward the dungeon entrance. Pushing into the 4th floor was too risky right after yesterday’s drama. Karen-san and Sanae-san were still only G+ rank. I’d take them to the 6th floor for some Goblin hunting instead. Since it was a holiday for the students, I could bring out Rock and the other summons for extra security.
With a solid defense, we’d be just fine.
—
Author:
Reference: Mana Capacity rank of testers other than the protagonist’s party
3rd-floor exploration party: F+ to E
4th floor: E to E+
6th floor: E+ to D
This is the image.
*3rd-4th floor Kobold F+, 6th floor Goblin E
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Summary:
Sanada Yakumo advises Yuki and the student conquest groups on the political realities of the dungeon, warning them that their ‘slaves’ make them targets for other humans. He convinces them to share mid-level exploration data to build a strong coalition and secure their position as leaders among the students. Sanada then prepares to lead his party to the 6th floor for training.
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Trivia:
- Slaves are resold at half price if the owner dies, creating a financial incentive for murder.
- The dungeon environment naturally increases s*xual desire as ranks increase.
- Sanada is intentionally gatekeeping the 9th-floor hidden stairs to maximize his leverage later.
- The former shut-in group consists of 33 people who are currently indecisive about their loyalty.
- The protagonist is a middle-school dropout, contrasting with the high-school students he is manipulating
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Character Insight:
Sanada demonstrates high-level Machiavellianism, prioritizing his own safety by creating a buffer zone of allied students. He views his ‘allies’ as walls to alert him of enemies while maintaining a technological and informational lead to ensure they can never actually threaten him.
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Behind the Scenes:
The Mana Capacity reference at the end shows that Sanada’s party is significantly more efficient than the average student, even if their individual ranks seem lower than the front-line fighters.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Yakumo – A 25-year-old human male. He has facial scars, stab wounds, and gunshot scars from his time in a war zone. He works as a school guard.
• Sana – Black ponytail, hooded/sharp eyes, kyudo practitioner, average height.
• Sayaka – The academy’s premier beauty and a member of the swimming club. Currently classified as a Rank 1 Slave. She is seventeen years old and a virgin. E-cup. She has blue, short, boyish hair. Her best friend is Sanae.
• Yuki – A third-year high school student and leader of the Battle Sports Club. He is a national champion in medieval-style combat using swords and spears. He has a severe sister complex. He has hawk-like eyes and a polite but determined demeanor.
• Sonoda – Lover of Nanami. Member of the battle sport party (Tomoya Yuki’s party the siscon).
• Akatsu – Kendo club captain. 160cm tall, delicate boyish features.
• Sanae – She struggles with the sexual training and often shows frustration. Vice-captain of the Archery Club. Described as tall with a model-like build and sharp features. She has approximately C-cup breasts and is ranked as a 1st Rank Slave. She is Sayaka’s best friend. Black ponytail, hooded/sharp eyes, kyudo practitioner, average height.
• Karen – An international student from America who often runs to school late with bread in her mouth. Considered a ‘main target’ by the protagonist. Voice acting major, huge breasts, same height as Sana.
• Rock – A male Kobold summoned from a Magic Sealing Crystal. He has grey fur, round eyes, and a face resembling a Shiba Inu. He wears a leather jacket and a pilot’s cap
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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