However, he wanted to go forward with it.
It was natural to frown on using this dungeon run to celebrate the founding of Ainz Ooal Gown. A simpler activity would have been a wiser choice, in order to leave good memories and strengthen their bonds.
If they failed here, it would be an inauspicious start for them.
However, great difficulties could also leave behind strong memories. Momonga’s thinking was that the struggle would unite the guild, much like how enemies might become allies in desperate circumstances.
Momonga had a premonition that if he did not unite them now, the guild would fall apart on its own sooner or later. The possibility for that was very high, just like he had seen in the letters which the three wise men of the guild had sent him. The only reason why it had not happened so far was because of Touch Me, as well as their sense of camaraderie for Nine’s Own Goal, which they had fought for until now.
Right now, the bonds between them were weakening. Therefore, Momonga had to glue them together again, even if it meant using his position as Guildmaster to force them to do so.
As expected, there were those who strongly opposed Momonga’s unusually eager proposition. A silent count revealed that about a third of them opposed this.
He could fully understand their opposition.
They felt that the benefits were far too small in comparison to the penalties of a total party kill.
Dying incurred two kinds of losses.
The first was the loss of XP and a consequent loss of levels, though that depended on the way in which they were resurrected.
This was not a big drawback in Yggdrasil, because XP could be regained easily, unlike in other games. Even if one’s levels went down for a while, the loss could be quickly recovered.
What everyone hated was the second kind of loss, which was the random dropping of an equipped item.
Weapons and armor in Yggdrasil were made by inserting a data crystal into an item skin. Very few people could remain unmoved after losing a personalized piece of equipment.
One could lose one or more pieces of equipment if a dungeon expedition was very difficult. Because of that, people sometimes geared themselves up with second-rate items, the kind they would not mind losing. However, players could not clear the dungeon in one go with second-rate stuff, so they had to use their best equipment. In addition, the developers designed the game so that the most valuable gear would be dropped first, which meant that the chances of an item which was key to the player’s strategy being dropped was greatly increased.
That was why they felt uneasy about this.
Just as the uneasiness was about to leap to the other two-thirds of the guild—
“Let’s do it. Don’t you think it’ll be fun?” Warrior Takemikazuchi said.
“Well, I’m not going to say Touch-san is wrong or that he’s cowardly, but dungeon delves that he plans aren’t really exciting. I still want to take part in this foolish expedition and flail around like an idiot. Momonga-san, you’re the best. I knew picking you as Guildmaster was the right choice.”
“If we all get taken out, then we’ll really be fools.”
Punitto Moe had not voiced any opposition until now. As soon as he finished speaking, Warrior Takemikazuchi chuckled.
“This is a game. A game. A total party kill is just part of the fun. After all, Nine’s Own Goal was a clan founded by fools. Why do you think the clan was named that way? Didn’t we all do foolish things in the past? Humanoids mocked us for fools, while our fellow heteromorphic players hated us for doing unnecessary things. We only became more respectable after our numbers increased. Actually, no, do you remember how the first World-Class Item we found got snatched away? And I’ll say again, Touch Me did nothing wrong. But… but I still want to mess around like a fool again.”
In the silence, a comrade who had been with them ever since Nine’s Own Goal was founded — Ancient One — spoke up.
“…I agree with Take-san’s sentiments. Don’t you think it’s great? We’ll start off our guild with a bang. After all, wasn’t it those very same fools who obtained that World-Class Item in the first place? Or why don’t you look at it from the basics. This game was meant for players to thrust themselves into danger. With that in mind, isn’t clearing an unknown dungeon a good thing? Let’s become a guild that does this sort of thing.”
“What about our dropped gear? I don’t want to rely on cash items…”
“Ah, that’s true. Bellriver’s worries are well-founded. After all, item loss is a nightmare to we who have been the prey of PKs. There’s people here who are trying to suppress their anger at that unfairness too.”
Warrior Takemikazuchi looked earnestly at the katana he was holding.
“Well, I’d be upset if I lost this chap. However, all I need to do is make an even stronger blade, right? Since I don’t know everything about this game, I can’t say that the gear I possess is the strongest. The more I learn, the better a weapon I can make. The same goes for my Mk Six. I levelled it up all the way from its Mk One state. Mm. If I made the strongest katana, I’d call it Zero or Ultimate or Void or something like that.”
Warrior Takemikazuchi scratched his head. He was not tired, just confused by what he had just said.
“Ah — what was I saying? Equipment is nothing more than equipment. Don’t you think it would be too sad if we denied ourselves the world — our enjoyment of the game — because we were too afraid to lose it?”
“I think everyone enjoys the game in their own way, and forcing one’s point of view on others is wrong.”
“Uwah, I didn’t think Momonga-san would say that. I’ve been shot in the back by a comrade.”
After apologizing to Warrior Takemikazuchi, Momonga looked at the guild members and said:
“Frankly speaking, the idea of clearing an unknown dungeon in one go is my own wilful idea. And you’re right to wonder, ‘Is this challenge worth the risk of losing the gear we spent our time and effort creating?’ Bellriver is right. I am the one who is wrong. However, I still think we should go for it. I feel that the members of our guild are people who’ll make an idiot their leader, and when that idiot asks them to do something foolish, they’ll laugh and take care of it right away. Can you help me with the foolish thing I said? Please.”
Momonga lowered his head slightly.
Several seconds later, the first reply came.
“Well, since this is a request from my comrade Momonga, I’m happy to help.”
It was Ulbert’s voice.
“As a guild leader, I would put safety first… but as a player I want to have a good time.”
After him was Touch Me.
“I was planning to do this from the beginning. I just kept quiet because Takemikazuchi said it first.”
“As a guild member, I’ve got to back the new Guildmaster up, you know.”
The siblings Peroroncino and Bukubukuchagama made their opinions known. Now, it was Bellriver’s turn.
“I’m not too keen on this, but since Momonga said that, I’ll take part. Although I’d like it to be noted that I opposed it.”
Although his words sounded like those of an unhappy child, Bellriver’s approval seemed to have started a fire, and the ones who opposed the idea at first came around one by one.
“Thank you,” Momonga lowered his head, “Then, our next objective is to defeat the boss in the depths of this unknown dungeon!”
“Oh!” the gathered members answered with hearty shouts.
There were 27 people gathered here.
In Yggdrasil, parties were made of six people, and a raid could have a maximum of 5 parties.
Judging by the current member count, there were three vacancies.
Since three missing people was a huge gap in a party’s capabilities, the intention was to fill those places with NPC mercenary characters.
One good thing about NPC mercenaries was that they could allow a solo player to form a group, but their AI was not very good, and their combat ability was lower than even a poorly put-together character of the same level. Because of that, when grouped with NPCs, people who were not good enough were hindered when running difficult dungeons.