Chapter 24 - Arent support classes way too versatile in this world!?
Chapter 24 - Arent support classes way too versatile in this world!?
Chapter 24 - Aren't support classes way too versatile in this world!?
We travel back in time to the point when Yogiri's classmates arrived at Kuenza.
With the money they were rewarded for completing the first mission, 1 million en for each of them, they reserved themselves a tavern, where they all discussed their thoughts on the situation they had been thrown into. The one that lead the clan during the first mission was General Yazaki, but now things had calmed down and some students weren't happy with how he had settled things on his own accord.
While that discussion was in progress, Yuuki Tachibana sat at an otherwise empty table, isolated from the rest.
Reason for that was his class: Dominator.
During the first mission's strategy meeting, each candidate's class name became known. They weren't fully aware of their abilities yet, but the name of his class alone sounded overwhelming enough for everyone else to avoid contact.
Understandably so, for the Dominator is a most powerful class capable of ruling not only over humans, but even animals and monsters. However, there are requirements to be met before a creature is placed under one's control.
It wasn't as simple as walking up to someone and activating a skill, but because Tachibana's classmates couldn't possibly know that they avoided him.
Summoned to a different dimension, given close to no knowledge of the world and abandoned by his companions. Normally one would panic in such a situation, but Yuuki wasn't bothered.
Without any particular evidence, Yuuki Tachibana was convinced of being special, the exception to all rules. Accordingly, his mindset was a unique kind of optimistic.
Cause for his mindset was most likely the fact that, in his whole life, he had never experienced failure. The idea of finding himself in an actual crisis was so strange to him, he couldn't even imagine it. This situation, too, didn't trouble him in the slightest.
Without worrying over his future in this new world he looked out of the tavern's window, checking out the female natives walking by. Most of them had faces reminiscent of Westerners, but every now and then he spotted a Japanese. Feeling confirmed in his preference of Japanese women over foreigners, Tachibana was approached by one of his classmates.
"Hey there. Can we talk?"
"Sure, what's up?"
The one that had walked up to him was Haruhito Ootori.
As far as popularity with girls went, Yuuki and Haruhito were competing at a level far beyond their classmates' reach. Different from Yuuki and his flawless model-like face, the aloof Haruhito was popular thanks to his air of an intellectual and a hint of dreaminess.
It didn't appear like Haruhito even considered being declined, already taking a seat across Yuuki before he replied.
"I'd like to give you some advice."
"Hm? Oh right, you have that one class, what was it again?"
Yuuki tried recalling the name of Haruhito's class, but all he could remember was that it had to do with giving people advice.
"Consultant. Basically the role of providing the information necessary for making difficult decisions."
"Right, Consultant. So, how are you going to consult me?"
"I can help you with properly utilizing your Dominator class. You don't actually know how it works yet, do you?"
"I'll admit that, but I'm a practice over theory kind of person anyway. It's probably something I can figure out on my own after giving it a try."
Yuuki wasn't trying to save face, that was his actual view on it. His optimism knew no bounds.
"In your case I can see that happening, but I'd say my advice is pretty valuable nonetheless."
"Well, go on then. I'll see whether I'll bother keeping it in mind."
"The power of the Dominator lies in controlling those he has dominated, so first of all you'll have to get a lot of subjects under your control. However, there's two conditions for making people your followers. Their levels can't be higher than yours, and they must agree to becoming your subordinate."
Yuuki already knew about those conditions, which were also the reason he wasn't already out and about dominating slaves. After all, he was still level 1, and it wasn't like there were people running around asking to be dominated.
"And here's where I can help you: the second condition has an exception. You don't necessarily have to get the target's consent. Not surprising, since there wouldn't be any point in giving you the ability to dominate monsters if you couldn't possibly reach mutual agreement with most of them in the first place."
"Hm? That wasn't mentioned in the class description."
The system had a help function, but Yuuki didn't remember seeing anything like what Haruhito was talking about in it.
"Yeah, those descriptions are pretty scarce. I'm guessing those aspects are supposed to be discovered while experimenting with the classes, like you'd usually do in games. So here's how it works: first you fight someone until they are near death, then you step on their head. Do that and they'll be under your control."
Yuuki didn't bother asking how Haruhito knew something like that. He called himself a Consultant and that was enough of an explanation for Yuuki.
"Now, what you should do from here is head to the town's slave market and get as many of the cheapest level one slaves as you can. Slaves with some kind of defect can go for as cheap as ten thousand en. Doesn't matter how frail or close to dying they are."
"How does that relate to Dominator?"
"You can make slaves your subordinates right away. They're already being sold without concern for their consent, so buying them counts as mutual agreement."
"I see, that'll be an easy way to get followers. And then?"
Yuuki didn't feel like thinking it through himself and instead let Haruhito suggest what to do.
"Put them into groups of five and send them hunting outside town, you can just order them to once they're under your control. Doesn't matter how dumb they may be, they'll move according to your orders. Even if they're already half dead they can still cling to monsters to slow them down, so if you have them stake their lives on hunting monsters they should be able to drive a weaker one to near death and dominate it. It's no big deal if they end up killing it; since this world is constantly troubled by monsters most of them have some kind of bounty on them, so you can always expect a reward from somewhere."
"Wait, so I don't need to be the one stepping on their heads?"
"Exactly, that's the great thing about Dominator: Your slaves become part of you. That's also why half the experience points they gain from killing monsters is transferred to you."
"Hm, so just by buying some slaves and sending them out to hunt I'll gain money and experience, while they turn into a huge army… Alright."
Yuuki stood up, thinking that the sooner he bought some slaves the better.
Your average Japanese would have some qualms about purchasing slaves, but Yuuki didn't feel any reluctance whatsoever. To him, other humans had always been mere side characters at best.
"I recommend traveling to Hayabusa once you're done here. Thanks to being the heart of the trade routes around here there's a huge selection of slaves, and not far from it are ruins full of monsters. Perfect city for raising your level and increasing your slave count."
"Sounds good. By the way, why give me all these tips? There's no real benefit for you in it, is there?"
It wasn't like Yuuki was suspicious of Haruhito, he was too used to having the world turn around him for that. He was just curious.
"Felt like our chance of producing a sage wasn't looking so good, so I decided to help out a promising classmate and improve our odds. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Fair enough, you're betting on the right candidate then. Calling out to me was the right decision."
With confidence as ample as ever, Yuuki Tachibana left the tavern behind.
?????
"Aren't support classes way too versatile in this world!?"
When Yuuki finished his explanation, Tomochika was the first to raise her voice, most likely thinking of the concierge Celestina.
"So your level and slave count are increasing even now?"
Yogiri could see where Yuuki's confidence was coming from if everything he had said was true.
"Yup. Although compared to my level I'm fairly lacking in battle experience, so I was actually just about to head out into some ruins to fight some monsters."
Even though none of it was his own idea, and certainly not his own power, Yuuki was overflowing with confidence.
"So how about it, Dannoura-san. You regret not having accepted now, don't you? Too late to become my lover, but I'll gladly accept you as a mid-tier??"
"Not at all, thank you."
Tomochika replied before Yuuki even finished speaking and promptly continued.
"I mean, those three girls from earlier were total beauties already. Why get hung up on someone like me?"
"You're not wrong, but if I had to put it straightforward… I'm after your body. Already was before we were summoned to this world."
"I just received the worst confession ever!"
"You sure are popular."
Yogiri spoke, he was quite impressed.
"Ahh, right, the other three were the same…"
Tomochika recalled Hanakawa's group and dejectedly dropped her shoulders; it started to look like everyone who liked her was a jerk.
"I guess it's a difficult decision to make so suddenly. Luckily for you, I'm generous; let's have another talk after everything's settled. I'm looking forward to a reasonable response."
So spoke Yuuki as he stood up with a slightly perplexed face. It looked like he was genuinely baffled by Tomochika's response, but decided to allow her to change her mind on her own.
"In the end it stopped being funny."
When Yuuki finally left the hotel, those were Tomochika's first words.
"Well, as long as he doesn't turn hostile on us we can just ignore him."
Yogiri certainly didn't look forward to coincidentally meeting each other in this city during their stay here, but since Yuuki didn't mean any immediate harm towards them he decided to leave him to his own devices.
"But say, maybe becoming his companion wouldn't have been such a bad deal? Might be safer than traveling with me."
"Takatou-kun, are you trying to make me upset?"
"I'm not following. Sorry, I guess."
She actually looked upset already, so Yogiri apologized just in case.
"I'm not sure what to think of such an apology, but come on, telling me to travel with someone that flat-out admitted to being after my body is just??"
Tomochika suddenly stopped, having come to a realization.
"Actually, wasn't that your motivation as well!"
It appeared Tomochika had recalled the original reason they were currently traveling together.