Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Strange Grief Wants to Retire ~ The Weakest Hunter’s Hero Dream Chapter 5 \n5 帝都 Imperial Capital\n

It’s impossible. I’m out of my depth.

To the members of Strange Grief – my childhood friends, I appealed in a sorrowful voice.

“With you guys… I just can’t keep up. You get it don’t you, this times shrine capture… it was my fault we took so long.”

Treasure Hunter parties have assigned roles.

Attackers that drive back monsters. Swordsmen and Mages. Supporters that track enemies and solve Gimmicks. Thieves and Alchemists. Healers that cure injuries and are in charge of protecting the party. Paladins.

Without those skills I was just a lump of extra baggage. I worked hard. But out of someone with talent and someone without, it is self evident which one will become stronger.

And my friends – Luke and the others were hard working to an amazing degree. Every human is only given 24 hours in a day each, so it’s impossible to catch up with them.

A general party is made up of five or six people. If I wasn’t there – and one or two others instead, Luke and my friends could proceed with greater ease.

Listening to my words, Luke Sycor nodded his head sadly.

“Aah… certainly Cry, as you say we don’t have enough power.”

“…?”

“Sorry Cry-chan. We’ll get even stronger so you don’t have to worry…”

The person sitting next to me. Liz Smart gives her agreement.

“No, I didn’t mean…”

They are strong. Already at the level of too strong. The reason they can keep capturing higher and higher level shrines even with me weighing them down, is because they are strong. If I wasn’t with them, the five of them would have it easier.

Warding off my persuasion as if it was a breeze, Luke talked with a distant look.

“It won’t be good enough like this… haha… If things stay the same, being the strongest hunters will just remain a dream within a dream. Thanks, because of you I was able to wake up. I’m going to retrain myself from the start, by becoming the pupil of a master swordsman…”

Luke went for a stroll, and became the pupil of a swordsman whose name was roared throughout the capital. Each of the others as well, left to raise their power.

I don’t think they heard the same thing as I said. Those guys are hopeless. They think everything will be solved if they themselves are stronger. No matter how strong you are I will remain weak.

And so, I was struck by an idea.

Lets make a clan. Right now things aren’t good. I’m gonna get killed. Even if I don’t die, I’m going to suffer. Lets make a clan. Make a clan with other talented parties. For the express purpose of getting a new strong member to join 『Strange Grief』.\n

A new wind is needed. For the sake of taking a fresh step forward.

In this way I founded 『First Step』, and with the pretext of managing it I was able to successfully escape from Shrine hunting.

That was three years ago.

§　§　§

There exists a substance called Mana Material.

I’m not fully knowledgable on the intricate details, but it seems to be the fundamental force this world is built from. It’s a substance invisible to the naked eye, but exists everywhere. It’s fine to just imagine it as an invisible fog.

Naturally it exist in equal amounts all over the world, but it can become concentrated due to Earth Veins or other influences. At that time, the power that is normally invisible, creates an extremely limited miniature world based on information it extracts from the worlds root.

Those are Treasure Shrines. They are the reason why Treasure Hunters have been around since ancient times.

The form of a Treasure Shrine varies. For example, Towers, Castles, Forests, Deserts, Underground Labyrinths, oddly placed boats in the sky, waterfalls and so on. A different plane that exists based on information randomly extracted from all over the world.

The aim of Hunters, and the reason the shrines are called Treasure shrines – is because at the time the new world is created there is a high likelihood that a unique item called a Relic (Kanji – Treasure Tool) will manifest.

For instance, a canteen that never runs out of water. For instance, a ring that will protect you once only. For instance, a cloak that will let you fly when worn.

Occasionally treasure shrines are like that, they’ll produce an item that cannot be recreated in modern civilisation. According to its strength you may be able to sell one that gets you enough money to play around with your whole life, genuine treasure.

Of course there are also risks.

In places thick with Mana Material you will encounter tough life-forms – monsters. And through the same concept, a treasure shrine can manifest a living apparition – a Phantom.

There can also be traps, and the terrain itself can be no small obstacle. You could also lose your life getting into an argument with a fellow Hunter.

However, even in the face of direct threats to their life, Hunters never stop exploring Treasure Shrines.

Wealth, prestige, and, through conquest of atmosphere dense with Mana Material, you can obtain『power』. The Treasure Shrines are too enticing to give up on.

The Imperial Capital Zebrudia was, at least for Treasure Hunters, a first rate location.

Convenience of transport. Town development. The Country’s power. Security. Above all that, numerous earth veins thick with Mana Material. The existence of various Treasure Shrines of differing difficulty made the Imperial Capital the holy land for Treasure Hunters.

Innumerable Relics gathered together, Monster materials sought after by merchants – these collected supplies attracting more hunters. If famous Hunters gathered together, the security of the city is assured. It was this cycle that made the Zebrudia Empire into a major world power, and gave it the greatest national influence.

From the remote town where we first decided to become Treasure Hunters, we had to travel by transferring over several different horse drawn carriages. The distance to the Imperial Capital was slightly absurd. We treated it as environmental training and thought of it as a shortcut to glory. In actuality we did get a little experience, and even now I don’t think it was the wrong decision.\nThe Imperial Capital… Zebrudia is a country developed by hunters. Empire laws are favorable to Treasure Hunters, in terms of taxes, in the sense of facilities, everything is convenient in various ways.

The clan headquarters of First Step was in the heart of the Imperial Capital. It stood in a good location on the main street. The headquarters were also known as the clan house, so with the membership fee that was cheated out of Footprints members, a five storey tower was built.

On the top floor. Bright light was shining into the clan-masters office as I nodded off, when the Deputy clan-master Eva ripped open the door forcibly and rushed into the room.

Confirming from my surprise that I was awake, she breathed out a deep sigh.

“Cry-san, you’ve been exposed.”

“Ah-… really?”

The clan’s deputy master Eva Renfeed and the staff below her that do administrative work are not Hunters.

Different from those monsters, a purely grown delicate body. Slim red rimmed glasses, and behind them radiant eyes like amethysts. Her brown hair is also nice and well ordered. Unlike the crude hunters, she has a suitable appearance for work.

There are about ten other people below her, but without them Footprints would collapse. I gathered them here and there from the shadows of Footprints in order to retire. I tried to act in secret, because the priority of not getting beaten to death was high.

With a grumpy expression she places a newspaper on my desk.

It was the one that boasted of being the number one shared newspaper in the Empire, Zebrudia Days.

One page features a large photo of the building from yesterdays member recruitment. However the signboard that was usually above the entrance was missing, the wall had a huge hole in it, and here and there it was burning. Through the big hole in the wall you could see the figures of hunters brawling.

The title was “Major Clan ‘Arch Brave’ Recruitment Outbreaks in Brawl”

I may have made a serious mistake. I feel like throwing up.

I yawn widely as I read through the paper. The first thing I need to make sure of…

“Were there any civilian casualties?”

“Fortunately, it seems like there weren’t any.”

“Then we’re good. If a civilian was injured it would be terrible.”

It was good to evacuate the pub owner beforehand. Only hunters were involved.

First class hunters can kill people with one finger. But, our clan motto is to not harm citizens. A destroyed building can be repaired, but a person that has died can not be brought back.

I briefly read the article, fortunately the name Strange Grief didn’t come up. Thanks to Zelbrudia Days our members are only seen as idiots. They still have some wiggle room.\n\nMy stomach lets out a pained sound.

The Imperial Capital is a city of Treasure Hunters. The largest management organisation is the 『Explorers Association』, which holds a great amount of political influence. On paper ‘First Step’ is also underneath them, so there’s no right to veto their summons.

With a distorted expression Eva amazed me with her true feelings.

“You should be used to it by now. How many times does this make it?”

“It doesn’t matter how many times they summon me, I’ll never get used to it. The Imperial branch chief Gark-san is super scary ok. He has definitely killed some people.”

“Again with this…”

The head of the Imperial Capital branch of Explorers, Gark-san is a former hunter.

When he started his retirement, he became a staff member of Explorers. He’s a former monster. It’s been a while since he started his retirement but his health is still going strong. He’s a manly person that intervenes in hunter brawls without batting an eyelid.

Additionally, around the time we first came to the capital we became indebted to him, so I can’t raise my head to him. I’m at a loss.

“Really though… If you ignore it, that person will come over here on their own.”

On one occasion I carelessly disregarded a problem and it became troublesome. Now they’re the person at the top of my list of those who you shouldn’t go up against. Above all else, the assistant branch head is a good natured person, so it’s actually easier to go straight to Explorers so I can meet them.

I wish someone else could go instead of me but… yeah, Eva who administrates all of the clan operations is a regular person. I can’t bring myself to send her into the thick of all those hunters.

“I wonder if Ark would go instead?”

“Cry-san, don’t you rely on Ark too much?”

Because there isn’t anyone else decent enough. Great power doesn’t come with great personality.

For a moment I frantically mulled it over, but in the end nothing good came to mind.

“….Can’t be helped. I don’t want to go, but I will. I really don’t want to go. There’s no one to guard me. And my disguise Relic was broken the other day.”

If everyone from Strange Grief was here, someone would follow me as an escort. But since they’re challenging a shrine with a high degree of difficulty I don’t know when they will be back.

“It’ll be ok. It’s the Imperial Capital you know?”

“You can’t say there won’t be an attack in the whole city. Well, there hasn’t been any recently because we crushed everything though.”

I put my best polished ring on my index finger. I place the other rings in my pouch, fasten the chains to my belt, and stand up.

Now it’s time for me to get serious, and display my magnificent skill in prostrating myself on the floor.

Translator Notes -This chapter had a lot of exposition (info dumping) if there’s anything unclear, leave a comment and I’ll try answer. -The translated line that sounds like a spiderman reference is coincidence, if you absolutely hate that kind of thing showing up even coincidently let me know. -If I have made any errors feel free to point them out.