ROS – Chapter 12 – Trial Boss

“Hello~ This is Sora~” (Sora)

I waved towards the camera drone.

『It’s here, It’s here, It’s here~!』

『His already streaming from inside the dungeon!』

『I guess no divination this time.』

『It’s the Soramame kid!』

『LOL kid.』

『His the real deal.』

“Yes, I’m Soramame kid desu~” (Sora)

『BRUH』

『LMAO』

『LOLOLOLOL』

『He accepted it lol.』

『Someone has given up lol.』

Yep, I have given up. Call me whatever you like.

It’s actually fine since it makes me happy.

My streams are relatively calm. But when it comes to battles, it becomes quite intense, and that contrast is said to be good in a way.

If everyone enjoys it, then it’s is fine.

When I make an accepted face, the comments increase even more.

『Cute, lol.』

『What a cute fellow.』

『What are you going to do today?』

『I want to know about that silver-haired girl.』

I will answer the questions in order.

“Today, I will introduce the shikigami I recently captured.” (Sora)

『Ohhh!』

『I have been waiting for this!』

『I have been really curious about how it works.』

『Shikigami!』

『It’s hilarious that the boss became an ally LOL』

“And the silver-haired girl is my cameraman. She is a friend.” (Sora)

『Isn’t she your girlfriend?』

“Ahaha… No, she is not.” (Sora)

I feel like if I were to confess to her or something, I might get rejected with a response like, “I do consider you a friend, but nothing more…”

Sakuya is a good person, and I don’t want to put unnecessary pressure on our relationship, even as a joke. I think that because she is important to me.

『Is that so?』

『It’s an incredible relationship.』

『The silver-haired girl must be the one who made the drone. That’s amazing.』

『An idiot and a genius, huh?』

『Idiot lol.』

While reading the comments, I take a few steps back from the drone.

“Well then, I will summon the shikigami. Third Technique, Activate… Shikigami!”

*thump*

Smoke swirls around.

Ah, how nostalgic, a shikigami.

The shikigamis I used before seemed to have disappeared.

As expected, it’s unlikely that anything from the Heian period would have remained.

I will have to start gathering them from scratch again.

*clank*

A sword pierces the ground. Then, a shikigami taller than me and clad in imposing armor appeared.

It’s the King of Knight, Valsark.

“H–He–Hello!” (Valsark)

『It spokeeeeee!』

『It’s so awkward, lol.』

『Ouhhh! You seriously recruited an irregular boss as an ally!』

『That’s amaziiiiing!』

“S-Sora-dono… No, Sora-sama, are these the… comments you speak of?” (Valsark)

“Yeah. Everyone’s watching Valsark.” (Sora)

“I-I’m a bit nervous!” (Valsark)

I can’t help but smile.

I was also like this in the beginning.

Nowadays, I am casually getting at least 40,000 concurrent viewers… But back then, even having five people was considered a lot.

You will really never know what life has in store for you.

“Don’t worry, eventually you will start being called an idiot or Soramame kid too.” (Sora)

“Huh?” (Valsark)

『LOL』

『BRUH』

『RIP』

In reality, I have had a conversation with Valsark behind the scenes.

Even though it is a shikigami, simply capturing it doesn’t make them obedient or allow them to be treated as allies.

For a shikigami to truly be established, a mutual trust and bond must be formed.

『What’s happening here?』

『Did it really become your ally?』

“I… I was defeated by Sora-sama. Therefore, as a knight, I pledged my loyalty!” (Valsark)

『It looks serious.』

『It’s Choroi.』

『ChoroKnight¹.』

ChoroKnight… It seems like a nickname has already been created.

It’s reassuring that the viewers are accepting it.

I will add some additional explanations.

“It seems like he doesn’t have many memories from when he was a monster, and he started being able to speak properly after becoming a shikigami.” (Sora)

I was quite surprised that we can communicate quite effectively. I thought it would be limited to a more mechanical response.

“With that said, today I will be live streaming the dungeon with Valsark here.” (Sora)

『Looking forward to it!』

『Wooo!』

『What’s going to happen!? What’s going to happen!?』

『Wooo, let’s fight!』

We can do it, we can do it! Let’s go! This will definitely help us further increase the number of subscribers!

…

*Step* *Step*

“…”

“…”

『Oh, is the sound on?』

『Both of them are just being silent?』

『They are both socially awkward, lol.』

『This stream is so done.』

『This is like being in hell, it’s so awkward, lol.』

『It only just started and there are 100,000 people watching this silent stream HAHA.』

Hah~ I knew I couldn’t keep the conversation going.

Alright, I give up… It’s not wise to do something I’m not accustomed to.

After a while, we finally encounter a monster.

It’s a Red Goblin. Just as the name suggests, it’s a red-colored goblin.

“Gi-gii… Gi-gi!?” (Goblin)

The Red Goblin noticed us and looked at us twice. It seems to be surprised by Valsark.

“Gi-gi, Gi-gi!?” (Goblin)

It looks astonished. Its reaction seems to be saying, “Why are a monster and a human together!?”

This is our chance…! Let’s showcase Valsark’s power right away!

“Go, Valsark! Use <Severance>!” (Sora)

“Gyoi²!” (Valsark)

『A trainer and a monster, lol.』

『It’s like Pokemon³ LOL.』

『LOL』

『LMAO These guys are too entertaining.』

『What’s with that ‘Gyoi’ lol.』

『Aren’t they supposed to be enemies who would fight each other…? LOL.』

[Pfff~!] (Sakuya)

Sakuya’s voice can be heard.

Valsark swings his greatsword with great force.

“<Severance>…!” (Valsark)

“Gigaaaahhh!!” (Poor Goblin)

A large cloud of dust is raised, and the Red Goblin vanished.

『Whoa!?』

『Wha!?』

『This is way too overkill, lol.』

『There is nothing left of it HAHAHA.』

『I kinda feel bad for the goblin lol.』

『It even left marks on the dungeon walls, that’s brutal.』

“You did great, Valsark!” (Sora)

“Yes! Thank you very much!” (Valsark)

『Maybe it’s the type that thrives on praise.』

『Loyal dog Valsark.』

『Good job, Valsark!』

『Well done, Valsark!』

『Valsark, you’re amazing!』

“Look, Valsark! Everyone thinks you’re amazing!” (Sora)

“R-Really? I’m embarrassed… ” (Valsark)

It shows it’s shy and fidgety behavior.

It seems like it’s not accustomed to receiving praise from others very often.

The comments are getting excited as well, and the number of viewers is increasing.

Alright, let’s continue and head to the boss room on the lower level!

Continuing with the “Go, Valsark!” and repeatedly using <Severance>, we soon made it to the boss room.

『It seems like most of today’s stream consists of enemies getting obliterated, huh?』

『Poor things, haha.』

『The enemies don’t stand a chance, lol.』

『Irregular bosses are truly on a different level.』

『’Go, Valsark!’ -> Enemy vanishes. This flow is hilarious.』

Hmmm, everyone is getting quite excited.

“Today, I planned to show a boss vs boss fight.” (Sora)

I wanted to do it partly to gauge Val’s⁴ strength but it would probably be entertaining too. 

Most likely, no one has ever witnessed a boss vs. boss fight before.

『I want to see it!』

『That sounds intriguing.』

『In dungeons, there are various bosses, so having a showdown to determine the strongest is interesting.』

『It’s a good idea.』

『But wait, weren’t the bosses in that particular dungeon more focused on trials rather than direct battles with the boss itself?』

“Trials? What do you mean?” (Sora)

I am aware that dungeons come in different types, but I’m not familiar with the specifics of dungeon bosses.

Then, Sakuya provides some clarification.

[Sora, this is what they call a trial-type dungeon. In these dungeons, if you clear the specified trial on the lower floor, you can progress without even fighting the boss.] (Sakuya)

“Oh, I see!” (Sora)

I didn’t know that~ I’ll keep that in mind next time.

“Well then, I guess we will save the battle between bosses for another time.” (Sora)

『Too bad, but it can’t be helped.』

『Oh well, let’s just go for the trial boss for now.』

『Exciting trial ahead!』

『Everyone can succeed in trial dungeons, you know~』

『But it’s risky if you fail.』

“Alright, let’s take on the trial right away!”

I open the door to the boss room.

In the center of the room, there is a bright red treasure chest, and behind it stands a single statue.

The statue has an incredibly long mustache and stands proudly in a confident warrior pose.

“This is the trial, huh?” (Sora)

『HAHAHA!』

『This is definitely the one of the highest-difficulty trials!』

『I have never seen such a bright red treasure chest before!』

『This one looks extremely challenging!』

It seems that the difficulty of the trial is determined by the color of the treasure chest: blue for safe ones, yellow for slightly dangerous ones, and red for the really dangerous ones.

“Well, this is going to be tough… I am not good at using my brain. Can you handle it, Val?” (Sora)

“I’m afraid not, Sora-sama!” (Valsark)

Alright, trial over.

『We will think too!』

『Leave it to us.』

『Usually, other streamers also listen to our opinions to clear the challenges.』

“I appreciate the support, but I’ll decline. It feels unfair to rely on others. I’ll think through it myself.” (Sora)

『Great.』

『You guys are trying to spoil the game, aren’t you?⁵』

『You’re a good kid.』

Well… Now it’s time to get down to business.

It seems that traps are usually set in trial dungeons.

“Alright, let’s start by opening the treasure chest.” (Sora)

『It’s definitely a bad idea.』

『You should stop!』

『It’s too scary…』

『Probably a trap, right?』

『You’re about to step on a landmine from the very first move LOL.』

『I’m getting anxious just watching…!』

『It’s a different thrill compared to when it was with Val…!』

Hmm… Getting other people’s opinions is indeed important.

Yoshi⁶, let’s ask Val.

“What would you do, Val?” (Sora)

“I would open the treasure chest!” (Valsark)

『These guys are no good!』

『Tsukkomi! We need someone to Tsukkomi!』

『Nothing but idiots lol』

『The number of idiots are increasing…』

Well, considering the feedback I just received, it seems like it wouldn’t be a good idea to just open the treasure chest right away.

“Maybe we should explore the surroundings first.” (Sora)

『Smart.』

『Good boy!』

『Good job, Sora!』

Ah, the comments… I feel genuinely happy when I receive compliments.

Meanwhile, Val also joins in the exploration… but it seems that they have developed an interest in the drone and have been peeking at it the whole time.

“Hmmm, it’s truly fascinating… being able to have conversations with everyone like this.” (Valsark)

『Your face is too close.』

『Your face looks funny lol.』

『That armor looks amazing.』

『The appearance is really cool, you know~』

“I apologize… Let me step back a bit.” (Valsark)

*Crash* A sound resonates.

Later, Sora’s voice is heard through the microphone.

“Oh, uh-oh…”

『Hmm?』

『What was that sound?』

『Hey, isn’t Sora missing from the screen?』

『Didn’t he just say, ‘Oh, uh-oh’?』

“Oh, well, as Sora-sama also mentioned… the modern world is amazing… I was quite astonished when I first saw a car, I must say.” (Valsark)

A loud noise echoes off-screen.

───*Baaang!!*

『You sound like someone who is talking as if they just time-traveled』

『What’s with that sound?!』

『What is that noise I have been hearing for a while now!?』

『Is it an explosion sound?』

『Where is Sora? Can’t see them anywhere.』

“This should fix it, I hope…” (Sora)

*Phwishhh!*

『What the hell was that?!』

『Sounds like water.』

『What the heck is he actually doing? LOL』

“It’s not working… Let’s just cover it up.” (Sora)

*Squeak, squeak…*

『What’s this sound…』

『It feels unsettling.』

『Hey, seriously, what is Sora doing!?』

『!?』

Finally, the camera turns towards Sora.

“Ehh, well you see… Since the mustache of this statue broke, I tried drawing it back with a pen.” (Sora)

Suddenly, comments flood in.

『Why are you doodling on it? HAHAHAH!』

『I’M DYING LOLLLL』

『HAHAHHAHAH!』

『We just looked away for a moment and this happened LOLLLLLL!』

『What a free spirit LMAOOO!』

『Truly an idiot LOL!』

“Well, it can’t be helped, can it? This statue seemed so suspicious, so I tried hitting it, but it didn’t react at all, and, well, it broke… and the mustache came off.” (Sora)

『HAHAHAHAH』

『LMAO』

『What do you mean it can’t be helped LOLLL』

『Maybe it’s a mistake for them to do the trials LOL』

『LMAO The wrong challenger was picked to take this trial.』

『Idiots lol』

『For the time being, banish the hitting will solve everything theory lol』

Holding the broken mustache in hand, I stood there in a daze, feeling helpless.

Even though it was called a gimmick, I tried attacking the room, doodling on the statue and other various things, just to see if anything would work.

“Ah, the wall painting came off.” (Sora)

“Sora-sama! The floor panels are broken!” (Valsark)

After a few minutes, both Val and I were left pondering together, going “Hmm…”

We had absolutely no idea how to clear this.

“We’re not to blame for this, right? I mean, even gimmicks aren’t working.” (Sora)

『Wow, it’s trending, lol.』

『Trial selection mistake LOL.』

“Hmm… Shall we go back, Val?” (Sora)

“Let’s go back, Sora-sama.” (Valsark)

『I can’t believe these guys… Seriously…!』

『They are way too free-spirited, LOL.』

『LMAO After causing havoc in the boss room, they are just planning to just leave.』

『BRUH At least try to clear it.』

『They really messed up the boss room LOLLL.』

『I can’t take it anymore, my stomach hurts from laughing, HAHAHAH.』

『This is just too absurd LOLLL.』

When we were about to leave the room, a voice echoed.

“HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!” (?)

『!?』

『Ohhh!?』

『I heard an unfamiliar voice!!』

『Who is it?』

“My… My…! Who dared to break my… my mustache!” (?)

The one who was speaking was the statue with a silly face, having its mustache broken and its face graffitied.

『That was you?! LOLL』

『No way, it is actually talking!?』

『Don’t show it on the screen, LOL! The graffiti is too funny HAHAHAH!』

『Poor thing LOL!』

“This… Does this mean that the gimmick worked…?” (Sora)

---

TL notes:

Thanks for reading!

HAHAH OMG THESE IDIOTS. Leave it to Sora to turn dungeon exploration to a Pokemon game and show maximum disrespect to the boss. Imagine living in a world where you can trust chat to help you do a dangerous, life-risking trial.

Btw I keep getting either beard or mustache for the translation, idk if I changed the context but to make it less confusing, I used mustache. I think it might actually be beard instead but mustache is funnier lol.

This chapter took so long to translate and there was like 150 chat messages to go through lol. The most time-consuming part is filling in all the “LOL”, “LMAO” and whatnot without making it seem repetitive cause the raw only uses “w” and “草” so I got not much to work with. Although, this chapter was a lot of fun to translate hehe.

I can’t be the only one who thinks that Sora is kinda like Cry from Strange Grief right? They are both oblivious idiot protagonists. Btw Strange Grief is my favourite novel and my translation style actually follows that novel’s Foxaholic TL’s format, so there’s a little trivia for you lol.

P.S. I will not be using italics for chat anymore. Otherwise I have to do it 150 times lol.

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Footnote:

1. Choroi is when someone is easy. Most commonly see this term when talking about female characters who are easy to please. ChoroKnight is basically Choroi + Knight.
2. Gyoi = certainly; as you say; you are quite right. This is said in sonkeigo, which is a more respectful way to say things. (This is taken from the internet so I could be wrong lol)
3. Raw actually said “It’s like a pet” but you know… I improvised a bit to make it funnier lol.
4. Val is Valsark’s nickname
5. Not entirely sure what this meant, but maybe it’s something about how usually streamers do the trial together with chat, and Sora chooses not ​to.
6. Yoshi means alright. I’ll use this from now.