Strange Grief Wants to Retire ~ The Weakest Hunter Dreams of a Hero ~ - Volume 1 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Hodgepodge

Everyone dreamed of becoming a treasure hunter at some point in their lives, but grown adults respected hunters the most because of the risks they had to take.

The imperial capital, Zebrudia, was overflowing with hunters and facilities that catered to them. While the timid and athletic Tino Shade had been born and raised in Zebrudia, it wasn’t being brought up in a hunter-oriented culture that had inspired her to become one herself.

Every person had their own way of life. The wealth, fame, and power others craved weren’t especially attractive to Tino. Furthermore, she was afraid of hunters. If ever she had admired those tales of adventure, it had been a long, long time ago.

The thing that had changed Tino’s life and motivated her to take on such a dangerous occupation was a party that had landed in the capital one day like a shooting star. This party had seemed foreign among the countless gaudy, attention-seeking parties of the time, and its hunters had been more relentless than all the rest.

Other hunters had avoided the party because of its ominous name, and it had even antagonized the empire itself on occasion. However, it managed to overcome all these obstacles and in only a few years, it had become known to all in the capital.

It was mere coincidence that Tino, who had purposely lived a life far removed from hunters, had ended up getting to know that party. But that had been enough.

They had shone so brightly that the moment she’d laid eyes on them, she hadn’t been able to peel her gaze away. This glaring, dazzling light had attracted a girl who’d never had any interest whatsoever in being a hunter. Like a flash of lightning, or a shooting star.

The times had welcomed their appearance. Only three treasure hunters had ever reached level 10, the absolute highest level. Together, these treasure hunters made up the strongest party in the world: Elite Vanguard.

Ark Rodin, the young hero at the helm of Ark Brave, was said to be their second coming. Then there was Krai Andrey, the ingenious schemer who held the reins of Grieving Souls, the party that had founded First Steps. Krais’ and Ark’s parties had shot up to the very top in Zebrudia.

Young hunters had come flooding into the capital, following the starlight emitted by those two hunters. The Explorers’ Association had thus declared this epoch the “golden age of treasure hunters.”

Certain that this period would go down in history, Tino had chosen to become a hunter in order to achieve legendary status alongside her trusted mentor and her master. But now, Tino—one of the freshest and most promising new faces—was being used as a gofer by the master she trusted so much.

In the capital’s branch of the Explorers’ Association, she quickly found her mark. With a melancholy expression, she approached a hunter viewing the job request board. By the time Tino was about three feet behind her, the brown-haired, blue-eyed girl turned to face her. Upon seeing Tino, she stiffened and opened her eyes wide in surprise.

She was the hunter who had been with Tino’s master at the recruitment event. Krai had given Tino a description of her, but the girl’s appearance had already been burned into her mind the moment she had seen her with him.

Her name was Rhuda Runebeck. She was a level 3 hunter who had gone to the event in the hopes of finding a party to raid the White Wolf’s Den.

The way she positioned herself to hide the sound of her footsteps showed that she was probably a Thief—a hunter who specialized in disarming traps, scouting for enemies, and picking locks. Their jobs overlapped, and although Tino was more brawn than brains, she had been properly trained by Liz. Rhuda shouldn’t have been able to notice Tino’s footsteps until she was at point-blank range.

Her sudden appearance caused Rhuda to ask in a quivering voice, “Wh-What? What is it? Oh, you’re that girl who was with Krai.”

Regardless of Tino’s personal feelings, this was a request from the master of her beloved mentor-slash-sister, and his word was absolute.

Suppressing the gloom swirling in her heart, Tino bluntly explained her business. “My master... erm, Krai Andrey asked me to find you. Come with me; we have much to discuss.”

Rhuda looked even more shocked, but Tino simply turned her back on Rhuda in order to search for the other people whose names she’d been given.

The Great Greg was at a bar for treasure hunters next to the Explorers’ Association named “The Golden Key.”

She interrupted him while he drank with his peers, curtly informing him of her business. To be frank, Tino wasn’t the least bit enthusiastic about this job. The request itself wasn’t the problem; as it was just a level 3 vault, she most likely could’ve handled it on her own.

Simply put, she didn’t like the party members she had to work with.

It was recommended that treasure hunters form parties, as it was just too dangerous to enter a treasure vault alone. Additionally, one person had much less adaptability than multiple people. There were very few individuals who excelled in all areas. Why, then, did solo hunters exist at all?

The answer was that it was extremely difficult to form an adequate party. Differences in specialty, personality, motives, values, and ability levels all made it difficult to secure a stable party, especially among people with overgrown egos like hunters. According to statistics gathered by the Explorers’ Association, less than 10% would last even five years.

Raiding treasure vaults involved putting one’s life on the line, so it was immensely stressful to make things work if the party members didn’t mesh well. Stress could be managed, but depending on the circumstances, it was entirely possible to get stabbed in the back.

One had to be exceedingly prudent in choosing a party. That was a steadfast rule. If you were going to form a party with hunters you didn’t work well with, you were better off going solo. At least, that was Tino’s point of view.

The names given to her by her master were all those of people she knew she wouldn’t click with. Her own attributes, personality, motive, and everything else were discordant with theirs. She trusted her master in general, but this was a different story. Tino wanted to raid this treasure vault with him, not these absolute strangers.

The Great Greg looked thoughtfully at Tino for a moment as she was overwhelmed with regret. All he had to do was refuse. Then, her excuse to her master would hold water.

He had been interrupted while he was drinking with friends. It would’ve been entirely understandable if he’d just laughed her off. Tino clung to that strand of hope, but the Great Greg’s face warped into a grin as he heartlessly agreed.

“Yeah, sure. Sorry, buds, but I gotta go.”

With that, Tino was two for two.

The lounge in the First Steps clan house was famous among hunters. Unlike the bars in the area, this space was much cleaner, with more stylish counters. Each of the white tables placed around the room had multiple chairs for party members. It wasn’t somewhere you could get drunk and rowdy, but parties belonging to the Steps often used this lounge to celebrate successful raids.

In one corner of the lounge, Rhuda uncomfortably looked around the room. Greg was knitting his brows attentively. He was noticeably quieter than usual. Meanwhile, Tino’s eyes glazed over even more.

“So, um, what are we here for?”

“This is the famous First Steps lounge, eh? I feel lucky just bein’ in here.”

In the corner of Tino’s eye was a boy slightly shorter than her. He wore a blank expression and carried a greatsword Relic on his back, the Purgatorial Sword, which glimmered in the sunlight.

Not sure why he chose these guys, but here they are, Tino thought to herself. I don’t think I can take this, Master.

Gilbert Bush forcefully addressed the issue, overpowering the screams inside Tino’s heart. “What the hell is it, then? I’m a busy guy, y’know.”

He was the one whom Tino had kicked in the face at the recruitment meet. Of the three people she’d had to collect, he was the one she least wanted to be partied up with.

Based on his personality, she’d expected him to turn down the request. Heck, Tino had hardly wanted to bother searching for him at all. If she hadn’t bumped into him by chance outside of the bar Greg was in, she probably would’ve reported that she’d failed to find him.

In fact, Tino would’ve been just thrilled if she hadn’t found any of the three. She had been tasked to do it, however, so she’d at least had to put in a little effort in order to keep up appearances. Although she’d been trying to do just that, she had ended up finding all three of them with ridiculous ease in such a vast city.

But she still had a chance. There was a possibility that they would refuse to be in the party. Tino wasn’t the only one for whom it was a touchy subject.

Aside from the fact that this was a temporary party, the mission they had received yielded paltry rewards. It was just community service. Better yet, these weren’t Tino’s good friends or anything. They were far more likely to refuse.

She sighed once and steeled her resolve, betting it all on that thread. I’m sorry, Master. I promise I won’t complain about doing it alone; just please, save me. All the while, three pairs of eyes bore into her.

Tino winced, and with dead eyes, she began, “Let me start by saying if you don’t want to do this, you’re free to refuse. My master has entrusted me with a community service job. He gave me your names and suggested I form a party with you to get it done, so that’s why you’re here. Again, if you don’t want to do it, go ahead and say so.”

In the office at the top floor of the clan house, where entry was prohibited to normal members, Eva stared at me in silence.

“Sounds like a lazy hodgepodge to me.”

“How rude.”

Sometimes, her brutal honesty was a bad thing.

“Don’t you think it’s premature to have Tino lead a party when she’s spent her whole career working solo?”

“It’ll be good for her, don’t worry.”

Eva sighed for the umpteenth time and fell silent once more. She was right on the mark, though. I was both a clan master and a party leader, but I was making some flippant decisions.

When I first started off as a party leader, I would deliberate over decisions for multiple nights in a row. But I grew tired of that before long. Ever since I’d become the leader of a normal party, I had made decisions on the party’s behalf.

Once I’d started the clan, that increased tenfold. As we’d gained notoriety, even outside parties and clans had wanted decisions from me. The Association itself had started demanding my opinion, for crying out loud!

I simply couldn’t take every little choice seriously. It wasn’t like I could take responsibility for all of them, and that wasn’t what I had made the clan for anyway. To this day, the decisions that still plagued me the most were the ones relating to my own party, Grieving Souls.

It’s okay. Tino’s strong. Her mentor especially guaranteed her speed.

Even if something ridiculous happened, she could just run away and deal with it after. If she couldn’t deal with it, then that was just her fault for being incapable.

For hunters, death was a risk that had to be faced on one’s own. Accidents happened, of course, so hunters were always preparing to secure their safety. If any of those handpicked party members met a terrible fate, that was Tino’s responsibility for not protesting further. Nobody else was going to take the blame, so she got the short end of the stick.

Sometimes you needed to reject others’ opinions, just like how I’d quickly decided to give up on raiding treasure vaults. I wanted Tino to have a bad experience and learn to not just do what I say, but to be a little more aggressive. My hodgepodge strategy was a form of tough love, in a way. End of discussion.

I lounged in my soft chair and took a big stretch. “Ugh. Wish I could shove off all this annoying work and relax in a hot spring.”

“Perhaps the entire clan could take a trip together.”

“That sounds nice. Let’s round everyone up and go on a field trip.”

Eva had been a busy bee over at some commercial firm before I had scouted her and hired her as my second-in-command. Her flexible mindset probably came from her experience there.

A trip, huh?

Naturally, the capital was a major city. Public security and roads were well maintained, but monsters could appear, bandits could attack, and—very rarely—phantoms could wander out of their treasure vaults.

It wasn’t easy to just pick up and haul off on a trip somewhere. But in our case, at least, we didn’t need guards because most of our members already hunted monsters on a daily basis. One could call it a special perk for hunters.

I didn’t have any authority to force them to go, but if I said I wanted everyone to forge bonds or whatever, they ought to be into it. The problem was that if all of our clan members left the capital city, the Association or the imperial nobility would be sure to complain.

Also, a bunch of meatheads on vacation were liable to cause trouble. Maybe a small trip for Grieving Souls alone was the most I could arrange for. Eh, nah. Our party members are the most likely to cause trouble.

I was between a rock and a hard place, and I wanted to vomit. While I moaned and complained, Eva flipped through her documents, which contained all the minute details about the Great Greg and the other party members.

First Steps kept all sorts of records regarding hunters and vaults, including newbies and even notable hunters from outside the clan.

Rhuda was incredible. She only had half a year of experience, but she was already level 3. That was meteoric momentum, especially for a soloer. Living that long without taking much damage meant she was either talented or lucky.

The Great Greg, on the other hand, was a venerable veteran. There weren’t many people who could keep a stable, long-term career as a hunter.

Li’l Gilbert, meanwhile, was... a problem child, but he had the skills to back up his big mouth. Apparently, he had been working with a party he’d formed in the sticks but had since left due to some infighting. That was a common thing for hunters, though. If we made one misstep, us Grievers would end up the same way. In fact, I wanted that to happen.

Altogether, they were mediocre. Talented, but not especially outstanding.

At the very least, anyone who came to this hunters’ holy land had confidence in their strength. They just weren’t real monsters, like my friends, who threw away any regard for their own safety as they used their beastly bodies and brains to tear through high-difficulty dungeons.

After reading through the hunters’ files, I deemed them satisfactory. None of them were particularly powerful, but they’d be good enough for community service. If Tino could handle the vault herself, then it would surely be a piece of cake with all four. While I certainly didn’t have any confidence in my judgment, I did believe in my clan members.

“Will Tino and her party be okay, though? Even if it’s just a level 3 treasure vault, there must be something to it considering the Association put it up for grabs.”

“It’s cool, it’s cool. If things do go south, I’ll find my party members and send them in to help. Tino’s all grown up now, anyway.”

Tino was one of the founding members of First Steps. As someone who had watched over her ever since the clan had been established, Eva probably had some motherly feelings toward Tino unbefitting of our occupation.

I shrugged. Tino might’ve looked young, but she knew what she was doing. When the going got rough, she had the sense of danger of a lone-wolf hunter. There was no need to worry about her.

At that moment, the door was thrown open without so much as a knock.

“Master, heeeeelp! I really can’t do thiiis!”

“You may be giving up too quickly, Tino.”

Upon seeing Eva and I standing together, Tino came running up to me, almost pushing me down as she grabbed on to me. She then buried her face in my stomach. I immediately knew it was an act. The hope in her voice and what she was saying just didn’t match up. Yeah, this girl doesn’t play fair.

Based on how long it had been since I gave the order, they definitely hadn’t gone to the treasure vault yet. Also, regular hunters weren’t allowed in here.

Eva looked down at Tino in irritation. Didn’t I tell Eva she wouldn’t have to worry? I grew more terrified of Liz’s influence on Tino every day.

“What’s the issue?”

“Everything. This is far too much for my little shoulders to bear.”

“Everything,” she says. Well, that’s a problem.

Tino dragged me over to the lounge, where the other three were waiting. I didn’t know what she had said to get them to come, but damn if she hadn’t done a good job. You go, Tino.

Standing before me were Rhuda Runeback, the Great Greg, and Li’l Gilbert. I had essentially picked them all on a whim. I’d chosen Rhuda because she had said she wanted to go to the White Wolf’s Den, but the other two were totally the result of me asking myself, “Why not?”

Personalities aside, they were all pretty average in terms of ability. I hadn’t given much thought to roles or synergy here; I’d pretty much just thrown a few people together to make the raid easier. The objective was a rescue mission, so they didn’t need to make it to the very end. If the party didn’t mesh well, all they really needed to do was survive. I kinda felt bad, but what’s done is done.

Rhuda restlessly surveyed the room. Even the boys seemed uncharacteristically nervous. They were in the HQ of a clan they weren’t part of—essentially enemy territory. As Tino pulled me closer to the group, Rhuda seemed relieved to have finally found me. Come to think of it, in the midst of all the ruckus, I hadn’t actually gotten to say goodbye to her. It had been out of my control, but I still felt a little guilty.

“Oh, hey, Kra—”

“Damn, you’re late. We’ve been waiting here forever!” Li’l Gilbert rudely interrupted Rhuda, causing her to glare daggers at him.

He was still arrogant, but now that he was in my domain, his rage was a little more subdued than last time. Pretty incredible that he actually came here after Tino kicked him right in the face.

I turned my attention to the Great Greg, who grinned at me in response. It was clearly forced, though.

I was getting pretty tired of this, so I just set their general danger level to an E altogether. Tino was here, and this was my home field, so I could be a bit more aggressive.

“Gahaha. You’re in the Steps’ HQ... So, uh, ya really were from the Souls, eh?”

“I was so surprised yesterday. He said he had been to five recruitment meets by now, too.” Rhuda directed a little scowl my way.

I hadn’t meant to deceive her. Getting in line was a no-brainer, though. I mean, I couldn’t have just cut through such a long line, even if I had overslept.

Emboldened by the fact that the Great Greg and Rhuda were speaking to me so openly, Li’l Gilbert sneered at me. “A weak-looking guy like you was in Grieving Souls all along? I heard they were the strongest party in the capital, but maybe that was a lie.”

“We’re definitely not the strongest. I don’t know who’s feeding you those rumors.”

There wasn’t any point in asking; it was my friends. They were all sure of their skills.

We were young and top-class, yeah. But there was Ark’s party, along with the myriad other experienced parties in the capital. Even in a favorable light, we weren’t the strongest.

As I grimaced, Tino squeezed my arm hard. Her figure was rather modest, but something soft was definitely pressing against my upper arm. Probably another trick she’d learned from her mentor. Maybe Liz’s bad influence was getting out of hand.

Tino pleaded with tears in her eyes, “These people are just so rude. I can’t raid a treasure vault with anyone who disrespects you this way. You’re our master, after all.”

“Uh, sure. I don’t really know what you’re getting at, but okay.” I nodded with a smile, but I didn’t really care. Whether I was clan master or a normal member, I was still just Krai.

Apparently, that came as a shock to the Great Greg, though. As if his nerves of steel had been melted, his face pulled back in a full-on wince as his thick lips quivered.

Ooh, he’s getting pale!

“Wait. Did she just say ‘Master,’ as in, the master of First Steps?”

“Heh. If I may be so forward... Yes, O Great Greg.”

I honestly felt kind of bad. It pained me to see him looking so apologetic.

“You mean you’re... the Thousand Tricks?”

“If you understand how incredible my master is, you should kneel.”

Rhuda just watched in confusion, totally clueless.

Tino continued to cling to me as she glared coldly at the Great Greg. Yeah, time to stop intimidating people, I thought, feeling the overwhelming urge to vomit.

Thousand Tricks, known for ingenious strategies inscrutable to the observer. That was the title so kindly given to me, the leader of Grieving Souls—in name only, that is.

In the hunter industry, the most prominent and successful hunters received titles from the Association. That was how they created what were essentially idols among hunters. You didn’t gain anything tangible from it, but a hunter could never hope to receive a greater honor.

Incidentally, Grieving Souls really stood out. Our party’s spooky name would have been enough, but each member was also exceptionally talented. Nobody neglected their studies, and most of all, none of my friends were afraid to risk their lives in treasure vaults.

We were a group of model hunters, clearing vaults with incredible speed. It was almost natural that we would be awarded titles before long. That was just how special each member of Grieving Souls was.

Everyone except me was adept at their role, so they each had been given titles in accordance with their specialties. It was a pretty incredible achievement that everyone in the party had been granted one.

But there had been one problem there: I was the leader. I didn’t have a single real role. All I did was throw away my pride and bow down to people all over the place while soothing my party members to make sure they didn’t hurt anyone. There were no visible achievements here.

A normal human in the midst of beasts. Surely someone in the Association had thought, What’s this guy even doing with them? He’s always there. But the party’s achievements as a whole were tremendous, and giving the party members titles without giving the leader one would have been strange. People would doubt the Explorers’ Association’s judgment.

And so they had decided, I dunno what this guy does, but he leads that party. Might as well give him a title.

Nobody knew Grieving Souls that well, but they knew it was an incredible party led by Thousand Tricks. As Grieving Souls continued to grow stronger, that title—which had likely stemmed from sarcasm—had become larger and more imposing, even though nobody had ever seen me fight a single time. Thus, I was satisfied living in my house of cards. Pretty tough guy, right?

I almost wanted to refute the rumors, but when people looked down on you, you tended to get attacked just walking down the street. Couldn’t let that happen. But hey, it was useful to have a reputation for winning.

The Great Greg looked upon me, dumbfounded and pale-faced, before he finally spoke. Some people were bold enough to scorn me even after they knew my nickname, but this guy clearly knew better.

“I can’t believe it. I heard you were young, but damn... you’re really young.”

“Well, that doesn’t really matter. Err...”

A sudden realization came over me. I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing here. How much had Tino even told them? She said everything was wrong, which was just the same as telling me nothing.

I turned to her, and she looked up at me with puppy dog eyes. Those eyes told me everything. I was pretty good at reading the room, if I did say so myself. I get it. You want a rallying cry, something that’ll bring you all into alignment.

I was talentless, but thanks to my position, my words carried a lot of weight. Once I nodded at Tino, she gazed at me as if I were a ray of hope.

Okay, okay. I got this. “Ahem. You’re gathered here today so that we may ask for your help with the job I’ve given Tino.”

For some reason, she winced. Seriously, she didn’t have to worry. It was a sudden request, but if they had come this far, it wasn’t like things were hopeless. As long as I said this much, they ought to fall in line.

Rhuda had already been planning to go to the White Wolf’s Den anyway, and the Great Greg seemed to know his stuff about hunters. His willingness to listen to authority meant he would work well with me. Maybe we could even go out drinking sometime.

My only remaining opposition bared his teeth in my direction. “You, Thousand Tricks? You’re the capital’s strongest hunter?! Is this a freakin’ joke?! Your muscles aren’t even toned!”

“The thing about me being the strongest is just a rumor.”

Seriously, who is saying this crap? Every single time, I was the one who suffered for it.

But as I started to speak, Tino stepped out in front of me. “You don’t know his full strength? How pitiful. It’s like you’ve wasted ninety percent of your life so far.”

“Yeah, I have no idea what you’re talking about. But how about you just be quiet?”

“Master, we really mustn’t engage with this sort of riffraff. I hate people who talk big with nothing to back it up.”

That describes me perfectly, though.

Li’l Gilbert was right to say that I wasn’t muscular because... I wasn’t. Most likely, if we fought with equal equipment on an equal playing field, I’d suffer a hilarious defeat.

The Great Greg continued to hold Li’l Gilbert back from attacking me. “Choose your battles, dumbass! This is the youngest level eight out there, above even that guy Ark Rodin!”

“Let me go, old man! Dammit, I don’t believe it!”

Li’l Gilbert looked ready to bite me if I put a hand near him. He had real pluck. If I were in his position, I’d be on the ground begging. First-class hunters had both a great fighting spirit and a short temper.

I turned to Rhuda. “Wanna help out?”

“Yeah, so much so that I would’ve asked myself. But are you really level eight?” She eyed me dubiously, so I quickly spilled the beans.

Level wasn’t necessarily directly correlated with one’s own strength. The Association used multiple facets to determine your level.

“It’s all just numbers. When you’re a party leader or clan master, part of your members’ achievements get added to your own value. The Steps is a big clan, so I get the ridiculous amount of points necessary to advance in level pretty quickly.”

“Master, you can have my points any day of the week!”

Rhuda looked only half convinced. I wasn’t trying to trick her or anything. All of the high-level hunters were party leaders, clan masters, or teachers, thanks to the Association promoting the growth of future hunters. Otherwise, it would’ve been outright impossible for me to be a higher level than Ark, who was always out on the front lines.

Hearing my explanation, Li’l Gilbert shouted further abuses. “See, look! He’s just a faker! You thought I’d fall for your bullshit?! Bah!”

I acknowledged his guts, but damn if it wasn’t getting annoying. With a sigh, I spoke to Li’l Gilbert, who was now red with rage. “Level eight isn’t the highest level, anyway. Besides, I don’t care whether you believe it or not.”

I was used to being looked down on. I knew I didn’t look strong, and compared to the beasts belonging to the Steps, I wasn’t. Being in this position wasn’t what I wanted, anyway. The only reason I was the leader was because nobody else would do it. I was prepared to resign any time I wanted. I mean, I’d feel bad for Tino, but they’d be just fine without me.

“Okay, forget Li’l Gilbert then. O Great Greg, you wanna help?”

“Wha?!”

Li’l Gilbert gaped at me in wide-eyed shock. In the corner of my eye, I saw Tino pump her fist into the air.

“Huh? Uhm... I, uh, I don’t mind, sir, but...” The Great Greg was being oddly respectful.

I was the one who’d called them here, but I wasn’t going to force Li’l Gilbert if he didn’t want to do it. I certainly wasn’t going to bow my head and beg right now.

It wasn’t even a problem of pride; this was the clan’s lounge. Nobody would be okay with their clan master bowing their head to some outsider. Why should I have to lose my members’ trust just to bring in one piece of trash?

Things might’ve been different if Li’l Gilbert were as skilled as Ark, but he was just a level 4 front-liner. I couldn’t take one step out of the clan house without bumping into at least five other guys who were stronger than him.

“Hey, you sure about this?! You, uh, ain’t getting my help!”

“Yeah, that’s a shame. But I can’t make you. Tino, if three people won’t cut it, just grab whoever you want from our clan.”

It was still early, but if she went to the bar next door to HQ, she ought to find a few.

Tino looked up at me imploringly, as if she’d just had a brilliant idea. “Come with me.”

“Nope.”

What good would I do? Level 3 vaults were easy, but my life was still at risk. I knew Tino’s strength well, but when it came to whether she could guard me or not, I’d have to say no.

Despite my clear refusal, she kept looking at me all teary-eyed. She wheedled me like this often. As the cool big bro, I would occasionally give in. But this time, she was just going too far.

As I grabbed her head and tried to push her away, Li’l Gilbert got tired of being ignored. “I challenge you!”

“Hm?”

What was he going on about now? Tino blinked in confusion as well.

Unable to bear the weight of our confused looks, he jabbed his finger directly toward me and screamed, “I challenge you, Thousand Tricks! If I lose... then I’ll join you!”

“Uh, what?”

I had to bite my lip to keep from asking, “What’s this ass doing?” Even I was shocked by how much he was looking down on me. To borrow Tino’s word from a while back, he was “uppity.”

I was still a recognized level 8 hunter. Maybe I looked like a total small fry, but level 8 was faaar beyond level 4. Even Ark, who was a level below me, would have seen the guy as nothing but refuse.

Most of all, Thousand Tricks—the guy who’d spent his whole life running away from every other battle—wouldn’t accept a challenge he wasn’t certain he would win just for the sake of putting trash in a party. If he wanted to fight me so bad, maybe he should start off by taking down every other member of First Steps.

The Great Greg couldn’t even egg him on because he was agape at the sheer recklessness of it all.

Li’l Gilbert didn’t stop there, though. He reached for the handle of his greatsword, which seemed like a habit of his. Like a declaration of war, he hoisted the giant thing in one hand.

“I’ll never obey someone weaker than me!”

“Sounds like you wanna fight Tino, then. Not me.”

“Huh?”

She was the one who was going to lead the party.

Tino removed herself from me and glared daggers at Li’l Gilbert. She was radiating a potent mix of exasperation and readiness to fight. “You really are good at pushing things off on other people. But, very well. In place of my dear sister, I, Tino Shade, will bring divine justice upon those who would be rude to my master.”

She twirled to face me once more, then did a full 180-degree split, pressing her stomach flat against the floor. Her short black hair spilled out around her.

“Look, Master. I got this flexibility from my dear sister. I can bend into any position.”

“Okay, cool. Don’t know why you’re telling me, but awesome.”

A hunter needed flexible muscles, especially if they were a Thief. Liz was like an invertebrate, able to curl up so much that she could fit in a suitcase.

Though she was about to have a mock battle, Tino didn’t seem the slightest bit fired up. Maybe her apprenticeship was going really well. Even though she’d only been training for a few short years, Tino already displayed above average power for a hunter.

Much of Liz’s training was self-taught. Some people improved by learning; others improved by doing. Liz, who fit into the latter category, had taken all of the training she herself had experienced, dialed the cruelty up to eleven, and then passed it on to Tino.

Having made it through Liz’s sadistic regimen, Tino was always calm. It made for a stark contrast to me, the guy who always wanted to vomit. My adorable underling was another brand of beast.

In the underground below the clan house, there were several levels of training facilities. We went down to the first basement level to test Li’l Gilbert’s skills. It was a square space, a little over a hundred yards in diameter. The Steps had facilities for all sorts of specialized techniques, but this floor was the mock battle area.

The ceiling was almost twenty feet above us, allowing for significant airtime for the more mobile fighters. The floor was hard, just like the ground would be in a real battle, so unless a hunter could break their fall, even the toughest ones would sustain some damage.

Li’l Gilbert glared at Tino and me with fire in his eyes. Her upper body flat against the ground, her bare thighs, and the nape of her neck just visible through her hair made for a sensual sight, but Li’l Gilbert only saw her as an enemy. He was sure he would win.

Ah, youth. He reminded me of Luke when he was young.

“Don’t underestimate me.”

“By the way, she’s a level four, man.”

“What?!”

“Master, please refrain from telling the enemy about me.”

Li’l Gilbert’s jaw dropped. It appeared he couldn’t believe she was the same level as him. When Tino was quiet, she came off as quite an ice queen. But her physique was slim, making her even smaller than the already-small-for-a-guy Li’l Gilbert.

Still, he couldn’t be careless. Li’l Gilbert was a Swordsman. To Swordsmen, being small and weak was a major demerit. Thieves were quite the opposite. For a shadowy vanguard like the Thief, their lithe bodies were a weapon.

After her stretching, Tino got up and faced Li’l Gilbert. “I’m nothing but dirt compared to him,” she said, pointing at me.

“What exactly do you think I am, Tino?” It was outright bizarre how she put me on a pedestal.

Tino undid the clasp on her belt and tossed it aside along with the dagger and item pouches hanging from it. It seemed she wasn’t planning to use items here.

Li’l Gilbert was doubly shocked, but Tino just shrugged. “I’ll hold back so I don’t kill you.”

“Say what?!” Veins bulged out of Li’l Gilbert’s forehead; Tino was too good at pissing people off.

Rhuda jogged over and whispered in a worried tone, “Is that girl okay?”

“I dunno. Maybe?”

They had the same recognized level, but Tino Shade was extraordinary. She was still level 4 because she normally hunted solo, but if she were running with a party, she would probably be level 5 by now. After all, she was training under the watchful eye of a childhood friend of mine, a beast among beasts.

The only problem was that Swordsmen were peerless when it came to close combat. The Association’s level-granting was close to foolproof. Li’l Gilbert was a li’l shit, but one couldn’t be too careful around him, as he had the power of a level 4.

On top of that, his greatsword was a Relic. Relics came with an endless variety of abilities. Depending on which one it was, it could serve as a trump card that easily overcame a difference in level. Based on the recruitment meet, however, his Relic didn’t seem to have any crazy powers. Either way, the difference between having one and not having one was major.

Tino didn’t have a Relic—except for my Shooting Ring, but it was far from useful enough—so that was a big handicap. She was used to one-on-one combat, though, so she ought to know by now to be wary.

From my point of view, they were both beasts.

While I pondered over the matter, Li’l Gilbert angrily tossed his greatsword to the side. He clenched his fists and cracked his knuckles.

“Tch! I don’t need a weapon against a defenseless girl!”

What kind of Swordsman throws away his sword? Is he stupid? Now he’s just a man!

By the way, Tino had made a show of throwing her knife to the side like it was a handicap, but she was very much the type to decide things with her fists. Well, the one thing she really excelled at was kicking.

The battle had started before it had officially begun. The word “cowardice” didn’t exist here. Even against weaker opponents, Tino wasn’t careless; she was always ready to pound the enemy into dust. Right now, the distance between them was about five yards.

“Master, we’re going for ice cream after this,” Tino said in a singsong voice, even dancing a little as she walked.

“I don’t remember agreeing to that.”

Li’l Gilbert gritted his teeth. Tino’s attitude right now would probably annoy anyone. I hadn’t agreed to the whole ice cream thing, but I was making a lot of one-sided demands here. Might as well play along sometimes. She could even act as my bodyguard on the way.

“Yeah, sure, why not? Once the request is done, though.”

“Yaaay!”

When I gave her the green light, her movements changed in an instant. Her slow, easygoing dance quickened, becoming something new. With graceful steps, she went from an unsteady spin into a high-speed dash. Her innocent eyes abruptly switched to those of a hunter. Even observing from afar, it was incredible.

Swordsmen prioritized strength, while Thieves prized alacrity. A Thief’s role in a vault may have been to undo locks and scout for enemies, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t fight. They were adaptable, speedy fighters who approached enemies without a sound and performed quick assassinations.

The moment Li’l Gilbert’s eyes beheld her very first step, Tino’s spear-hand strike was already shooting straight for his neck. A cowardly act indeed; I hadn’t even given the signal to start the match.

“Gah?!”

But, level 4 as he was, Li’l Gilbert was perfectly focused and took a step back to evade it. Tino followed with fluid motions, raising her knee to aim for his stomach this time. She floated like a butterfly, but stung like a bee. With no way to escape now, Gilbert was blown away. Tino had pretty much overrun him.

Compared to a Swordsman’s attacks, Tino’s were weak. But as Gilbert wore no armor or other equipment, her slender arms and legs were threatening enough. The instantaneous beatdown left Rhuda and the Great Greg speechless.

Tino didn’t even look toward Li’l Gilbert once he’d been dominated, and instead smiled faintly at me. “Did you see that, Master? It was divine justice.”

“Ngh... I’m not done yet.”

After sliding several yards back, Gilbert lifted himself off the ground. He coughed and swayed for a moment, but it wasn’t enough to put him down.

Li’l Gilbert was tough. A human who had constantly absorbed mana material could withstand an attack from a wild beast without any armor. His bones, muscles, and even the blood flowing through him were different. It was proof that he was an excellent warrior.

Tino resumed her murderous glare at Li’l Gilbert, chuckling to herself as she swept back her hair. “I think you already know, but I was holding back. I could’ve broken your neck. You should learn your lesson and fix your attitude toward Master. Worship him as a god. Face this clan’s headquarters and pray three times a day. Bring me regular offerings, and I will deliver them to him.”

“Grr!”

Upon hearing her ridiculous demands, Li’l Gilbert gritted his teeth and charged at Tino. Despite his smaller-than-average stature, he moved at an appropriate speed for a level 4. Still, he was being way too reckless. This boy didn’t seem to have much experience in combat with other hunters, so it might have been his first time fighting a Thief. I quietly took a step backward.

Tino twirled once to evade his charge. As he tried to take her by surprise and grab her, she easily swatted him away as if she’d expected the act. Then, she palm-heeled him right in the temple.

The impact made a hollow thud. Strong though he was, Li’l Gilbert teetered for a moment and collapsed to the floor. He tried desperately to stand, but he couldn’t even focus his eyes.

Did that attack jostle his brain? I’m actually kind of impressed he can still move. If I were him, I’d be vomiting all over the place.

Tino dusted her hands off and said proudly, “Look at how much I’ve improved! It’s only thanks to you that I made it so far.”

She should have said that to Liz instead of me. I hadn’t done anything.

The Great Greg’s lips were quivering. Clearly, he was appalled that the battle had ended the moment it had begun.

“She’s real strong. Gilbert was empty-handed, sure, but Swordsmen are no strangers to close combat. Yeah, she definitely knows how to fight. And she’s still in her teens! It’s terrifying... Are all the Steps at this level?”

Rhuda was muttering to herself, too. “I’m not experienced in close combat. I wonder if she’d teach me?”

A Swordsman without a sword wasn’t a Swordsman, anyway. Again, he was just a man.

“I can... ngh! I can still fight.” Li’l Gilbert stood back up, wavering on his feet.

He didn’t have any injuries, but his balance hadn’t returned quite yet. His eyes were still swimming, too. The second he’d been goaded into tossing aside his sword against Tino was the moment he’d lost his chance at victory. Miracles didn’t exist, so I figured he was only able to stand because of his pride as a hunter.

When I was still passionate about hunting, did I have that amount of pluck? I guess being able to stand defiantly before someone who’d just thoroughly knocked you down a peg is kind of a talent in itself.

I had never really put much thought into the whole “recommend him to Ark” thing, but this guy really did have what it took to be a hunter. Recklessness could be a valuable trait. Prudence was important to hunters, too, but you couldn’t make progress if you were always cowering.

Tino looked very annoyed, but I clapped my hands to encourage her. “Just play along, Tino. I didn’t decide on any win condition, so just beat the impertinence out of him. It’ll be a good lesson.”

Beating the shit out of each other might turn them into good friends, anyway.

Gilbert Bush was extremely talented. From the moment he could hold a stick, Gilbert had been given a sword because he “needed strength.” From that day on, he had always been applauded for his skill. Effort told no lies.

Occasionally taught, occasionally thinking on his own, Gilbert became stronger and stronger with every year. By the time he was ten, he had become strong enough that nobody in his village—not even the adults—could touch him.

People had many kinds of aptitudes, but among those were the rate and capacity of mana material absorption. The faster one’s rate of absorption, the stronger they could become in a short time. The greater their capacity, the more strength they could hope for.

In Gilbert’s case, both of those were far beyond the average. Even living in a village where the amount of mana material permeating the air was low, he had been able to obtain great strength. Anyone could’ve seen that it had been Gilbert Bush’s natural course to end up as a treasure hunter.

Every moment of every day, he had continued to raid treasure vaults, slicing down phantoms and monsters while he’d made a name for himself. That was the quickest way to get your hands on everything this world had to offer. And as he had explored these treasure vaults replete with mana material, he had obtained power he could never have hoped to obtain in his village.

When Gilbert was acknowledged as an adult at age fifteen, he had shrugged off all of the resistance around him and departed for the holy land of hunters alone. Upon reaching the imperial capital, he had been satisfied to find that it was far wealthier and more vast than his village. There were exotic delicacies and humongous buildings that he could never have found in his self-sufficient little hometown.

The streets, so large that multiple carriages could travel side by side, were filled with enough pedestrians that one would’ve thought there was a festival going on. There were also tons of people who looked to be treasure hunters, far more than he would have seen at home.

Gilbert had registered with the Explorers’ Association right away. Once he had begun officially exploring treasure vaults, his development couldn’t be stopped. He had undergone plenty of training before he registered, which was rare for newbies. He had talent, too. Most of all, he was bold enough that the Association had warned him against rashness. Bold, and lucky.

He had formed a party with five other newbies. Before long, his talent had blossomed and he had increased the level of treasure vaults they raided.

The greatsword he’d found through sheer luck in his first treasure vault had allowed him to cut through phantoms with ease when other newbies were unable to fight them off. Monsters teeming in vaults couldn’t even hope to scratch Gilbert.

It was the golden age. In the past few years, newbies and talented hunters had been swarming to the capital. Gilbert and his peers were like the second wave of this age. He resented being second best, but many hunters exceeded human understanding.

When you spent so much time conquering countless treasure vaults and became an old-timer, you would grow to be unbelievably strong. Even Gilbert knew that there were many monsters he couldn’t stand up to, but he wasn’t bothered. With time, he would catch up. He was certain of that. Gilbert’s future was bright, and the path to glory was all but clear to him. The first time clouds began to gather had been a few weeks ago.

“Our engine is finally up and running, so this job should be nice and easy now. Your decision-making is as enchanting as ever, Master,” came a calm voice from overhead.

Gilbert did all he could to force his body to move, though it was nearly screaming from the contusions he was suffering all over. He glanced up at Tino as she calmly looked down on him. Her cold eyes glared at Gilbert like he was nothing but an insect.

Despite the fact that she’d looked to be his equal, this girl was strong. Insanely strong. Every strike was fast and heavy. Her kick had been very off-the-cuff, but it had smashed into Gilbert with enough power to even damage phantoms. Compared to the phantoms and common thugs Gilbert had fought thus far, she was on a different level.

Additionally, Tino’s attacks were clearly intended for use against an actual person. Against phantoms, who had much tougher constitutions than humans, one would never use a palm strike intended to rattle the human brain. Most of all, she was still so composed, so calm.

Gilbert had heard the Steps had plenty of promising young hunters, but he’d never expected this. The first strike had been unexpected, but he’d tried to be more cautious after that. Put simply, her strength far exceeded his, to the point that it was hard to believe they were the same level. To Gilbert, who had never lost to someone his age, this came as a shock.

He couldn’t make excuses like “I didn’t have my sword” because he was the one who had tossed it aside of his own volition. His opponent hadn’t had a weapon, either. But Gilbert didn’t want to make excuses; he needed to face his own weaknesses and do better.

“Are you still awake?” Tino asked.

He tried to stand, but he couldn’t find the strength. There was no feeling in his fingertips, and his limbs had too much give. If he could stand, would he even be able to move the way he wanted?

Thanks to all the mana material within Gilbert, he could take gunfire and still be fine. He had sustained many injuries in battle and had even gone through near-death experiences. But this was the first time he had ever been hurt so badly without a weapon.

“Dammit...”

“You can use the sword if you want,” she offered, irritated. Gilbert’s favored weapon, the Purgatorial Sword, was lying on the ground some distance away.

The Purgatorial Sword.

He had obtained the Relic in a level 1 treasure vault called the Veteran’s Parade Ground. It was a massive blade which had supported all of Gilbert’s endeavors as a hunter thus far.

This rare, weapon-type Relic had a simple ability: engulfing itself in flame. Up until this point, he had slaughtered countless monsters and phantoms with it. For Gilbert, someone rather artless in his fighting style, a greatsword was a good fit.

The fact that he had obtained it was the one fortune that the penniless Gilbert had to his name. It had been by his side through the good and the bad. Just using it was likely reassuring for him.

Nevertheless, Gilbert suppressed his feelings. Eyeing the vaguely reddened blade, he screamed on all fours, “Why should I?!”

It was a pity. The Purgatorial Sword was a powerful weapon. When it had been examined by the Association, the staff members had been shocked. The weapon far surpassed any Relics you could hope to find in a level 1 treasure vault.

However, that was exactly why Gilbert didn’t dare reach for his weapon now. In a fight against an empty-handed peer, the moment he took up his sword would be the moment he proved that the weapon was the true reason for his success up to this point.

Tino didn’t attack again. Having recovered a little, Gilbert got to his feet.

She knitted her well-maintained brows and spat, “Your pride is disappointing.”

There were no clear openings as she stood and watched Gilbert. No visible fatigue, not a single drop of sweat, and yet none of the carelessness that would come with facing someone clearly weaker than her. Gilbert knew that if she had fought seriously, he would’ve been dead by now. While he had confidence in his muscular strength, she also had enough to outdo him with ease.

He squatted low, breathing heavily as the dull pain coursed through his body. Roaring would be a waste of strength, so he just glared at her with beastly eyes. What was her weakness? What should he do? Tino’s body looked fragile, so he probably had better endurance. A single strike would be enough. If only he could get one solid hit in... But he wouldn’t hit her. After all, she had completely seen through his earlier attacks.

As Gilbert groped frantically for some path to victory, Thousand Tricks’ voice reached his ears. It was the same relaxed voice from the start of the match. The three spectators who to this point had been outside of his mind now entered his field of vision.

“How about we leave it at that? We’re here to measure his strength, and I think we’ve done that.” He then addressed Gilbert. “You left your last party of your own volition, yeah?”

Gilbert gasped and reflexively turned toward Thousand Tricks. There were traces of a grin on his face. The man wasn’t very intimidating with his black eyes, black hair, and ordinary features. He showed no traces of the power unique to hunters.

Nowhere on him were the symbols of First Steps or Grieving Souls that members were supposed to wear. Despite his high level, the fact that he didn’t look like a hunter at all made him all the more unsettling.

Yes, Gilbert had left the party he’d formed when he came to the capital almost half a year ago. It was because his comrades hadn’t been able to keep up with his talent.

Gilbert got goosebumps as Thousand Tricks spoke with an enigmatic grin. This was the strongest of the treasure hunters who used Zebrudia as their home base, the man whose name Gilbert Bush had heard over and over in his short time in the capital. The leader of Grieving Souls, a party made up solely of people with titles—symbols of their status as top-tier hunters.

“Why?”

“I think I remember that myself. You were just way stronger than they were; I get it. But in my party, we didn’t give up on the weak.”

The true meaning behind the statement was lost on Gilbert for a moment, but when he realized it, his face stiffened.

Only a very small handful of hunters received titles. They were conferred only to those who had outstanding talent and had conquered countless treasure vaults. They were on a level that Gilbert couldn’t hope to reach as he was now. The one who led those gems, whose strength was extolled all over the world, was this man before him.

“I think this party will be good experience for you. You might have some objections, but how about you kids play nice for now?”

He seemed so open to attack. His muscles were clearly many times weaker than Tino’s. The first time they’d met, he seemed nothing more than overwhelmingly weak. But the truth was much more frightening. Even knowing his identity and just how exceptional Krai was, he still looked weak to Gilbert.

Before Gilbert realized it, his arms and legs were shaking. His teeth were clenched, his breathing stifled. The inside of his mouth was dry. Yet he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the man.

There were many mysterious beings in treasure vaults. Rumors told of man-eating phantoms and even man-impersonating phantoms. For each one with exceptional intelligence, abilities, or brute strength, there was another who could perplex you with words alone.

And yet, the man he faced was even more unpredictable than phantoms themselves: Thousand Tricks. He heard the name often, but nobody knew exactly what kind of hunter he was.

With slow footsteps, Thousand Tricks approached the Purgatorial Sword and tapped it with his foot. Instantly, a whirl of flames erupted from the enormous greatsword. The blaze whipped and roared like wind as it traced the shape of a helix.

Gilbert didn’t know what was happening anymore. His eyes saw it all, but his brain refused to make sense of it. Greg and Rhuda only watched in astonishment.

Standing in the conflagration but not burning at all, Thousand Tricks said, “Fire affinity and range-boosting, eh? Simple, but it’s a good sword. Treat it well.” Fire wrapped around his arms like gauntlets, and his eyes shone red.

“No way... You can’t use that! The Purgatorial Sword is a Relic! A Relic!”

Relics were powerful items, but they demanded careful operation. The stronger the Relic, the more training it required to draw out even an ounce of its power. With a greater roar, the flames materialized as wings on Thousand Tricks’ back.

Tino’s cruel treatment, his suffering, his regrets, his stubbornness—Gilbert forgot all of that and screamed, “You’re not even holding it?! How is that even possible?!”

As the Purgatorial Sword’s owner, Gilbert had only recently started using it as more than a sharp, strong weapon. Even then, all he could do was set the sword on fire. It wasn’t that operating it was difficult; he just didn’t know what to do with it in the first place. After all, it wasn’t like Relics came with on-and-off switches or instruction manuals. This wasn’t a problem that talent could solve.

This was Gilbert’s own Relic, so he was painfully aware of just how unthinkable it was that Thousand Tricks could do this.

As the flames engulfed him, the man laughed. His black hair glimmered as it reflected the firelight.

It couldn’t be.

He was so different from Tino, who had trained hard to get to her level. Thousand Tricks was nowhere to be seen on Gilbert’s future path. He was simply an unknown. The unimaginable sight caused one word to trickle out of Gilbert’s mouth. His voice trembled so much that he couldn’t believe it was his own.

“Beast...”

Tino showed no signs of surprise as she looked down at him. The shadow of Thousand Tricks cast by the flames looked like a screaming, grieving spirit, much like the name of his party.