Strange Grief Wants to Retire ~ The Weakest Hunter Dreams of a Hero ~ - Volume 1 - Chapter 3.1

Chapter 3: White Wolf’s Den

In the vast, monster-infested forest northwest of Zebrudia, at the end of a small game trail that wound between the densely packed trees, their destination stood.

The White Wolf’s Den.

A horde of wolves with fur as silvery white as the moon—aptly named Silver Moons—was endemic to this area. They prowled the woodland in one great pack, defending their territory.

Their four powerful legs allowed them to navigate the forest at high speeds despite the uneven terrain, and their fur deflected all kinds of magic attacks. With fangs that could pierce through hunters’ sinewy muscle and enough intelligence to use minor magic, this pack of wolves banded together as one amalgamate reaper, felling creatures far stronger than themselves.

As difficult as they were to fend off, Silver Moons had two major weaknesses. First, the adults were small, rarely reaching even a yard in length. Second, their fur bewitched all who beheld it, making them attractive targets.

Their bones, fangs, and skin yielded some of the highest prices among all monster materials—so much so that they rivaled the rewards found in life-threatening treasure vaults. As a result, visiting hunters often preyed on Silver Moons. The wolves had smarts, strength, and numbers, but to hunters who had all those and more, they were a delicacy.

Monsters were living things. No matter how much power they possessed, they couldn’t just propagate like the phantoms that lurked in vaults. Thus, before long, they would be hunted to extinction.

The Silver Moons’ numbers were inversely proportional to the development of the capital. As it grew, they went down in population, raising the sale price of their pelts. A species that had once inspired fear in those entering the forest was now so scarce that encountering even one would be a stroke of luck.

Around the time the imperial capital gained a reputation as the holy land for hunters, the Silver Moons disappeared, leaving behind a large, hollow den as the sole reminder of their existence.

The White Wolf’s Den should have been uninhabited, but ten years ago, rumors spread that blood-soaked wolves were appearing there.

“Ooh, scary! This one reeks of a grudge. Ugh, I can’t stand stuff like this.”

I trembled as I lobbed away the documents I’d been given. Just thinking about the White Wolf’s Den made me want to vomit. I was just a small fry, but in those haunted treasure vaults, I was even smaller fry. There were people out there who couldn’t do tests of courage, mainly because there was no courage to test.

Eva smirked to herself as she watched me turn pale. “You don’t have to be so disgusted.”

“It’s one of those vaults that dwells on the past. That thing’s seen a lot of sin.”

Treasure vaults appeared in locations where mana material was abundant, but there were several known subtypes. Some appeared wholly unaffected by location, whereas others strongly reflected the characteristics of where they appeared. Others still, like this one, reflected the history of their locations.

Every nation on the planet was conducting research regarding the rules of how this worked. We didn’t know the details yet, but the White Wolf’s Den itself was probably some overlap between the second and third examples.

After the near-extinction of its forebears, a massive red wolf had appeared out of nowhere, making the den its home. I didn’t particularly sympathize with the Silver Moons or anything; it was just a really gross thought.

“According to testimonials by hunters who fought the Silver Moons in the past, this one is much stronger than the originals.”

I faked a laugh. “And you can’t even harvest the pelt. What a waste of time.”

The living apparitions known as phantoms appeared based on the same phenomenon that created treasure vaults. Setting strength aside, there were some clear differences between phantoms and monsters.

One of those was the fact that they didn’t leave corpses. When phantoms were defeated, they returned to their component, mana material, and dispersed into the air like the apparitions they were. Very rarely, when they were very well materialized, they could leave behind singular body parts, but we wouldn’t be peeling off any complete pelts.

As for the hunters who went into these monster-filled vaults and never made it back, I could only say it was their own fault.

Eva looked thoughtfully at the documents I’d requested, which described the vault in greater detail. She didn’t seem afraid in the slightest. Most likely, all of this was just another world to her.

“According to this, it seems the level three designation isn’t because of the geography or gimmicks, but rather due to the strength of the phantoms within.”

“Hmm. Well, I think it’ll be all right. Tino can probably handle it.”

A treasure vault’s level was decided based on its difficulty, the amount of hunters who made it back alive, and more. In cases where the gimmicks and environment were easy to handle, the monsters and phantoms within were typically stronger. Whichever a hunter wanted to specialize in was up to them.

Li’l Gilbert and Tino were muscleheads, so even if strong phantoms appeared, they would probably be just fine. Heck, it had been so long since I last saw Tino fight. She had just about transcended humanity somewhere along the line. I imagined as much already, but damn, that had been too much.

“You did quite a good job convincing Gilbert.”

“Heh. Maybe getting wrecked by Tino like that got him thinking. I dunno, maybe using the dirt you dug up to trick him would’ve been a better idea.”

Eva Renfied was an incredible person. She didn’t have experience as a hunter, but her skill at managing this organization was top-notch.

Apparently still on friendly terms with her previous workplace, she could handle the purchasing of clan materials, using her wide connections to gather information, and she occasionally even dealt with audits from the imperial brass. Any job you could think of, Eva handled it with savoir faire. It was she who had gotten dirt on the three party candidates, and in no time at all.

I really couldn’t compare to her. She was up there with Ark, I’d say. If a level 5 designation wasn’t required for someone to be a clan master, I probably would’ve handed her the reins and retired long ago.

Suddenly, the image of Gilbert’s face from our last conversation popped up in my head. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Heh, you should’ve seen his face. Let me tell you, talent messes people up.”

He had cleared vault after vault unopposed, to the point that his buddies were no longer able to keep up. That was a common story in the industry. It happened so often because, in battle, differences in talent became very clear. Same deal with my party. I knew plenty of other examples, too.

The way the Grievers differed from them was that Gilbert had been the only person in his party with talent. The kid didn’t have any way to vent his frustrations, so he’d just decided to leave the party. Our case, meanwhile, was the exact opposite.

Part of it might have been stubbornness. There was clear desperation in the way he acted. Young prodigies turned into braggarts, and that caused problems in parties. Seriously, that was cliché at this point. I’d say our situation was a lot rarer.

Still, the real victim here was Gilbert’s party. They’d gotten dragged around by a foolhardy boy through treasure vaults above their skill level, and all they had to show for it was a big fight and the loss of that very party member.

“Did you inspire him to turn over a new leaf?”

“Nah, I just said whatever came to mind at the time. I may have left him speechless, but I’m in no position to go around inspiring people.”

Tino had some weird admiration for me, and Liz was probably the one who had put that in her head. But there was so much wrong with Li’l Gilbert, I didn’t even know where to begin. Besides, I was nothing but a guy running a big clan willy-nilly. I occasionally gave clan members advice on personal matters, but this was just too much.

Just do what you want. I can’t take responsibility for you.

As usual, Eva stood straight up with her immaculate posture and offered only a small nod. “Very well. We can just leave it at that.”

Eva was the best, but it felt like she had a weird understanding of things. Not that I minded, as long as she did her job. I wasn’t going to complain, seeing as she was such a big help.

Things were getting annoying, so I changed the subject. “By the way, Li’l Gilbert’s Relic is actually one heck of a good one.”

“The Purgatorial Sword, you mean?”

Thinking back on the greatsword, its flames given form as steel, was relaxing. Relics were the one thing that soothed me. They were great. Wonderful, even. I could see why hunters all over the world risked their lives daily for them.

What made them so wonderful? Well, the fact that anyone could use them. With a Relic, any human being could wield miraculous powers. It didn’t require any special talent whatsoever. What could be more marvelous? While I didn’t have to put them to use all that often, I could still appreciate them.

“Lucky guy. I wonder if he’d sell it to me. It grants fire affinity, gives you a wider attack range, and might even reveal some more uses with further testing.”

He probably wouldn’t be willing to sell it. It took some time to really get used to using a Relic, and once you were used to it, it wasn’t easy to let go of it.

While I prattled on about how wonderful it felt from just one touch, I noticed that Eva was looking at me in deep exasperation. I must’ve gotten a little too enthusiastic, I thought, flipping my smile back upside-down.

“You shouldn’t waste money.”

“It’s not a waste, though.”

“Fire and attack range? Krai, you already have at least five of those.”

At least five of those? Good lord, Eva, they’re all different. Each Relic made its own special miracle, with its own scale and quirks. I tried to stand up for my love, but I realized Eva was getting irritated.

Clearly I was in the losing position, so I quietly said, “Yeah, I guess weapon-type Relics with those properties are kinda common.”

There were several shops that sold Relics in the capital. While there were tons of similar Relics on the market out there, it was tough to find ones that were so powerful and easy to use.

The Purgatorial Sword was more docile and far easier to handle than the seven similar Relics in my possession. I could see how Li’l Gilbert had figured out how to use it in so little time. But Eva wouldn’t be too happy with me if I explained all that to her.

Maybe she’d figured out that I was embezzling clan funds to buy Relics for myself. Don’t worry, though, I was reimbursing it after the fact. I stared right back at her, but her pale, amethyst eyes betrayed none of her thoughts. With no other option left to me, I half-assed a smile in hopes of winning her over.

“Anyway, uh, if you’d like... how about we go get something sweet to eat?”

Put a little sugar on, and people soften up. Eva’s eye twitched just a fraction at my proposal.

“You’re just asking because you want some yourself, aren’t you?”

“Nope. No way.”

Looks like Eva figured out I’m a sweets lover, too. It was kind of a bad look, so I tried to hide it. I really couldn’t be too careful around her.

The temporary party members were sitting together in Tino’s usual spot in the clan lounge. Each of them watched her to figure out what was going through her mind. She would have liked to take this mission solo, but now her only option was to put up with the group.

There had been a moment when she thought Krai had really given up on Gilbert, but it had all just been a game that had played out the way he’d wanted.

This mission was an urgent rescue, so they needed to head out as soon as possible. There was no time for careful preparation.

Tino looked gravely upon each member of her party and gave her first order. “First, write your last will and testament.”

Rhuda slammed her hands and the table and stood up, flustered. “Wha?! Hey, what the heck?!”

Oh, right. My one Relic needs to be charged.

While I lazed around wondering if Tino and the others had reached the treasure vault yet, idly polishing my Hounding Chain, I suddenly remembered that the chain was out of mana.

Relics found in vaults were powerful, but they couldn’t be used limitlessly without some kind of condition. Their energy source was mana—the same kind used by Magi to cast spells. The stronger the Relic, the more mana that was needed in advance. That was one reason you didn’t tend to see hunters walking around decked out in Relics.

It was easy enough to load one up with mana. As mana could be found in all living creatures, everyone had it, though how much you had depended on who you were. Even Magi, with their large quantities of mana, would run out after charging a few Relics.

In my case, unfortunately, I had less mana than the average person, so I had to get friends or clan members to charge my Relics. It was recommended to only carry an amount you could charge on your own, but this was pretty much my only choice. That was another of the many reasons I had given up on being a hunter. C’mon, at least give me one advantage!

Mana charges were far from free, too. Normally, I would have my party member Lucia do it. But when our resident Magus wasn’t here, I had to shell out. I collected my chains and headed for the lounge.

The lounge’s walls were all covered with wide-open windows, allowing the evening sun to paint the room orange. Familiar faces populated several of the tables. They were all relaxing and chatting casually.

Maybe they just got back from today’s work.

Without bothering to read the room, I barged right in on one of the groups.

When one used large amounts of mana, it came with intense fatigue. Once mana was depleted, it was hard to even move. Whenever I needed multiple Relics charged, I would ask a party with a really good Magus. This time, I just needed one chain done, so anybody would do.

The leader, with his needle-like black hair and unshaven face, noticed me and smiled. He seemed to be in a good mood.

“Hey, Master. Rough time yesterday, eh?”

“Yeah, it happens. Could I get you to charge a Relic?”

“Mm, sure. How many ya need?”

“Just my one chain here.”

“No prob, then.”

Pleasantly agreeing to my one-sided demand, he passed the Hounding Chain over to his Magus friend. The female Magus didn’t seem to mind, either.

A Relic’s mana depleted passively over time, eventually emptying whether you used it or not. Everyone was surprisingly okay with me asking them to recharge them frequently. Sometimes they refused if they were about to head out to a vault and wanted to be completely ready, but my position as clan master was helping out a ton here. It was all thanks to Eva, really. Her stellar management of the clan made it so that any dissatisfaction was swiftly taken care of.

As mana flowed into the Hounding Chain, it glowed faintly. Meanwhile, the leader struck up some small talk with me.

“By the way, Master, have ya heard? A stray showed up on the road up north. It was a small one, but it wiped out a buncha merchants.”

Zebrudia was a huge city. All of the roads around it were very well cared for compared to those of other cities, which involved the regular culling of any nearby monsters. Despite attempts to keep the surrounding area clear, people were still occasionally attacked.

Monsters and phantoms only rarely approached the roads, so those that did were called “strays” and considered fearsome. It was darn hard to predict their appearance in advance. Worse yet, they were sometimes much stronger than usual.

These areas were well developed, but to go out in perfect safety, one still needed a bodyguard. I personally never walked around outside without one, but it was much tougher for merchants.

“That’s annoying. What is it, a monster or a phantom? I guess if it’s on the road, it must be a phantom.”

To the north of the capital was a forest abundant with resources. The likelihood of monsters adapted to living there coming out and messing with merchants was low.

Their leader looked up at me and nodded slightly. “Yeah. The Third Order of Knights put out an alert and started gathering a group of people to deal with it. Must be a big one, I guess. The merchants even had a trio of level three guards with them.”

“They took hunters along and still died? That’s just bad luck.”

Anti-monster measures on the road didn’t work on phantoms, but the latter were composed of mana material and thus typically didn’t leave the treasure vaults they’d manifested in. However, there were so many vaults around the capital, it was bound to happen once every few months or so.

But hey, it wasn’t anything to worry about. Indeed, if it took down three level 3 hunters, that meant it was probably pretty strong. However, as they weren’t made of flesh and bones like us, phantoms wouldn’t survive long in a place without much mana material. It would take some time for it to naturally dissipate, but after a while, it would be weakened. At that point, the Third Order could probably move in to destroy it.

Didn’t matter to me, though. Powerful phantom or not, the capital was safe. Powerful knights, thick walls, and hordes of hunters stood between the phantom and me.

While I waited with perfect composure, the leader continued, “Some hunters passing through said it was the phantom of a wolf. Those bodyguards must have been pretty careless for them to go down on an open road like that.”

A wolf, huh? I furrowed my brow. That was a word I’d heard a lot recently.

I opened my mental map, searching for the road north. That was the same forest I’d sent Tino and the others off to, where the White Wolf’s Den was. Phantom forms and types were, for the most part, set for each vault. When I heard it was a wolf, it was natural to make the connection.

Not noticing my shock, the leader kept on blabbing, still in a good mood. “Bet it evolved because people weren’t culling the vault enough. Hey, you gotta consider there are a lotta vaults these days. That’s good for us hunters.”

“Well, erm, there are plenty of vaults north of the capital. Even in the forest, there are several, so if the phantom is a wolf, then maybe—”

“Gotta be the White Wolf’s Den, right?” the leader interjected.

That was a Steps hunter for you; he knew a great deal about the surrounding vaults.

I kept my smile plastered on, but I was starting to feel queasy. “Yeah, yeah. It’s possible it could be the White Wolf’s Den, but also—”

“Huh, are there any other places a wolf phantom would come from? Relics don’t show up there much, so it ain’t popular. Sounds like the place to me.”

Seriously? I could feel my face contorting into a grimace. The Magus charging my Hounding Chain cocked an eyebrow at my sudden change in expression.

“If it went outside, that must mean the White Wolf’s Den has been overflowing with phantoms lately. There ought to be an alert at the Association. Heck, the empire might even send an extermination request. Good time to make a profit.”

Typically, phantoms didn’t bring in money because they didn’t leave corpses. But once they started going out and causing trouble elsewhere, things changed. It depended somewhat on the scale, but the empire often made requests to the Association to exterminate them for a hefty sum.

Then again, maybe this was all a big misunderstanding. Even if they were right, Tino had a party of four, and Li’l Gilbert had a Relic, so they ought to be fine.

“Hey, that wolf is strong. Don’t underestimate it and die for nothing,” one party member joked to the straight-faced leader.

Every last word they said stabbed right into my heart.

Strong, you say? Really? I’ve never been there. How strong, exactly...? Oh, “pretty strong.” Well, it’s a level 3, so yeah, pretty strong. Pret-ty strong. That’s okay; Tino’s pretty strong, too.

Just in case, I decided I should check out the request again. No ulterior motives here, trust me. Smiling, I pulled the twice-folded request sheet out of my pocket and spread it out on the table. The leader checked it and opened his eyes wide in surprise. I read the request from top to bottom and nodded emphatically, as if I understood. Then, I smiled even wider.

“Wow, Master, that’s just bad. You acted all innocent, but you already did know somethin’ about it.”

“Err, yep, that I did. I had Tino go.”

“Wha?! Tino’s level four, right? Uh... Dang, okay. Rigorous as ever, huh?”

The leader had been frank and upfront before, but for a moment, his expression clearly shifted. I could see the others wincing through their smiles. That was how it always was. I had bad luck and bad timing.

It wasn’t on purpose. It wasn’t, I swear! When did those merchants even get attacked? How was I supposed to know about it?!

I wasn’t that evil. If I had known, I wouldn’t have made Tino do it. Well, if I had known, I would’ve grabbed a totally different request.

A Thief-looking man who was staring at the request form spoke up. “The vault might be level three, but it was a level five hunter and his party who went missing. Yet you sent a level four soloer there?”

“Well, err, gotta learn somehow. Wait, did you say ‘level five’?”

“Um, yeah? Look right here.” The Magus finished charging up my Hounding Chain, placed it on the table, and pointed to a part of the request form.

It was the place where the missing hunters’ names were listed, the part that I’d skimmed the fastest without especially caring. It seemed she had seen something I hadn’t.

“Rudolph Davout here is a level five. He’s a pretty popular guy. I see him a lot around the Association, carrying his pike. Did you not know—”

“Shut up, idiot. Our Master knows everything about the hunters and vaults around this city. You don’t have to freakin’ fill him in on basic info like that! Ahahaha, sorry. Ena here didn’t mean to be so rude.” The leader apologized with a forced smile.

The Magus he’d called Ena hurriedly bowed her head in apology. With an empty smile, I waved as though it was of no consequence.

They think I know everything, when I could never match a name to a face for every single clan member. Who’s spreading all of these rumors about me? There are so many suspects that I can’t even begin to narrow them down.

I knew no one outside the clan. It was so bad that people often got mad at me when I went to the Association.

And what, you guys think I know every hunter out there? Do you even know how many there are?! Okay, Krai, calm down. It’s cool, it’s cool. Tino is reliable. Yes, I wouldn’t have given her that request if I’d known it was a level 5 who went missing, but it’s not time to panic just yet. Come to think of it, Tino did complain when I showed it to her. Something about how she was still only a level 4.

Damn that Gark, pushing these ridiculous requests on me. What if my poor, adorable underlings die?!

I took deep breaths, waiting for my heart rate to go back down. First things first, I needed to maintain my image of authority as the clan master. If the only consequence was me being booted from the clan, it wouldn’t have been a problem. In fact, I welcomed the idea. But that wasn’t what I was worried about.

“Sh-She’s gotta learn somehow. It’s okay; I sent three outsider hunters along with her.”

Even Li’l Gilbert seemed ready to obey Tino. Plus, she would be better off with Rhuda and the Great Greg than without.

But the leader didn’t react the way I expected him to. His cheeks, lifted just barely in a token grin, started to twitch. “Uh, I see.”

“You sent her on that hard a job... with shackles?”

“This must be the infamous method that brought the Grievers to the top.”

They looked upon me with a mixture of awe and trepidation, a look that you would’ve never expected from these beasts.

What infamous method?! The heck are you talking about?!

No longer able to keep up appearances, I let my smile slide away, leaving me with a blank expression. The leader, who had been a ray of sunshine until now, stood up unsteadily. He was now as serious as if he was facing a real-deal monster.

I picked up my recharged Hounding Chain from the table and returned it to its home on my belt.

After clearing my throat, I went for the tough, hard-boiled exterior again. “Sorry, but I’ve got some minor business to attend to. I’ll take my leave. Thanks for the charge-up.”

“O-Oh, it was nothing, sir. We should apologize for boring you with our talk.” He was suddenly a lot more formal.

That was when I realized that everyone in the room was watching me.

Oh, damn. At this rate, I’m going to be that awful piece of crap who gave Tino an impossible request. But I swear, it wasn’t on purpose!

I turned around. I didn’t know where to go for the moment, so I just rushed back to the clan master’s office. Now, of all times, I had neither Ark or Grieving Souls to rely on.

Requests were typically carried out after careful preparation, but as this was a rescue mission, it was rushed. Tino and the others were probably already at the vault by now. There was no time. I tried to console my panicking self.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. They’ve got... They’ve got the Purgatorial Sword!”

Ah, the Purgatorial Sword. I had used up the mana in it during that test of strength. Surely Li’l Gilbert recharged it before he went to the vault, right?

Among Tino Shade’s many memories was one of her and her mentor finally simulating real, hand-to-hand combat after months of learning the basics.

“You okay, T?” her mentor asked with a smile.

Unlike Tino, who was nearly hyperventilating as she lay exhausted on the ground, Liz wasn’t sporting a single bead of sweat.

Liz’s light-pink irises matched her pink hair, which was presently tied back in a ponytail. Her skin was tan but free of any injury or blemish; it was perfectly smooth. Anyone who laid eyes on her would agree that she was cute.

From her ears hung metal earrings tipped with a red heart. Her slender arms and legs had not an ounce of superfluous weight, and her chest was even more modest than Tino’s. She was also shorter than Tino, despite the latter still going through her growth spurt. From the day their master-pupil relationship began, people often mistook Tino for the older one. But now, nobody would be so foolish.

“See, if Krai Baby says a raven is white, it’s white. You picking up what I’m putting down here?” Her sugary voice sounded like that of an adult teaching a child right from wrong.

The power Tino felt emanating from this shorty just from the fingertip pointed in her direction was far greater than anything she had ever known. It was hard to believe they were only a few years apart in age.

This was someone who had rushed up the staircase to glory faster than anyone else. A beast who easily conquered treasure vaults that had repelled countless hunters before her. The second generation, made up of Tino and many other excellent hunters, was just riding the coattails of hunters like Liz. Thus, Tino never prided herself on her talent.

Liz Smart was also known as the Stifled Shadow. Like the wind, like a shadow, she covered the land and soared through the air with overwhelming speed. Tino both admired and feared her.

Though she was smiling, Liz’s eyes shone with the overflowing power concealed within her tiny frame. “Now, I’m not looking for loyalty, or love, or whatever. See, Tino, what I want from you is absolute submission.”

To short-tempered hunters, that would be an outrage to hear. But her mentor’s tone of voice was serious. Impatience burned within her.

“Submission to our Krai Baby, that is.”

She couldn’t peel her eyes away from Liz’s gaze. After a breath, the next sentence escaped Liz’s lips.

“However small it might be, don’t give your opinion. No matter what stupid joke he tells, no matter what ridiculous order he gives, even if it means risking your life, you just do it, okay? Don’t even think about it.

“If anyone tries to oppose our Krai Baby, you crush every last one of ’em. Whether they’re a strong hunter or the damn emperor, no matter how much power they hold here in Zebrudia, that doesn’t matter.

“I’m not willing to let a single one of us have the fire of rebellion in them. That’s why I made you my apprentice. I can kill whoever I want when I’m around, but what about when I’m not? You’re a smart girl, T. You feel me, right?”

Panting, Tino answered, “Yes... Lizzy.”

Occasionally, the most talented of hunters were labeled beasts. Tino wouldn’t have said that all hunters were like that, by any means, but her mentor was a beast to be feared even by other hunters.

Despite Liz’s almost playful tone, there was a fervor in her words that would not permit resistance. She was dead serious. Liz was so hostile toward her surroundings that she wouldn’t allow anything to slip past her. If Tino showed any ill will toward Krai right now, Liz might kill her with as much care in the world as someone picking a flower.

She was shorter than Tino, her limbs more delicate. At a glance, she seemed like a normal human. In truth, the sole human thing about her was her appearance. Tino only came to realize this after her skill as a hunter improved.

The party walked warily along the narrow forest path that led to the White Wolf’s Den. Tino was at the vanguard with Gilbert behind her, then Greg, and finally Rhuda, who was watching their backs.

Normally, parties were formed with a balance between roles in mind. They typically required a front line, a back line, a scout, and a healer. But in the case of this impromptu party, they had neither the wide-range, death-dealer Magus nor the ever-useful Cleric, who would normally be required when traversing high-difficulty vaults.

Greg and Gilbert were front-liners. Greg was a Warrior, experienced in the use of multiple kinds of weapons, while Gilbert was a Swordsman who specialized in one-on-one combat with his greatsword.

It was a very standard front line; they were strong enough to take down phantoms more powerful than humans, but they were unable to withstand magical attacks or large amounts of phantoms at once.

On the other hand, Rhuda and Tino were both Thieves. They were somewhat inferior in terms of outright fighting ability, but they excelled at scouting for enemies. It was clear that this party was out of balance, but having two Thieves to scout for foes was the silver lining to this cloud.

Rhuda’s sense of danger was well developed, as was necessary for a solo hunter to survive. Tino was also confident in herself in that regard. Even if visibility was poor within the White Wolf’s Den, it would be nigh impossible for them to miss a phantom coming to attack.

In an unfamiliar treasure vault, the thing one most had to watch out for was ambushes. Unreliable as the party composition was, they would still be able to focus their energy on what was happening inside the vault.

Even before they reached the vault, the air within the forest was mysterious. Every member of the party was tense. They all understood this particular atmosphere only because they had fought monsters and phantoms before.

Suddenly, a howl rang out in the distance.

Greg spun around to check their surroundings. With a groan, he muttered, “Weird. I smell danger already, and we ain’t even at the treasure vault yet. Is this for real?”

“That’s why you wrote your wills,” Tino replied, narrowing her eyes at the thick trees lining the path.

“More like you made us write ’em.”

Hunters’ gut feelings were often warranted. Their senses were sharpened by the intake of mana material to the point that their brains could hardly process all the input. Thus, when they felt alarm bells going off, it felt like their own intuition.

If one valued their life, they would immediately turn back at the first whiff of true danger. That was one ironclad rule hunters had to follow. Everyone here knew that. In fact, they had all inferred by now that something sinister was going on in this forest. Yet there was no unease on the face of their leader, Tino. There was only resolve.

Normally, she ought to preserve the lives of her party when she realized something was off—even more so if it was bad enough that the others could feel it. This time, however, she wasn’t even considering it. Tino had anticipated this and had long since accepted it. She’d told her party members as much, too, though it wasn’t clear whether they had believed her or not.

“He pushed this on me, but it isn’t a simple request. I don’t plan to die, but we’d best write these just in case,” she had added.

Remembering Tino’s grave expression, Rhuda blinked as she carefully followed at the back of the line. At the time, she had thought it was some joke. Yet now that she could feel that something was wrong, there was no room for doubt.

“I can’t believe it. Are you saying Krai sent us here knowing that something’s going on?”

“If I had to say, this party composition probably isn’t a coincidence.”

“Wha? No way...”

They had a four-man party with a physical focus and two scouts. Though her master had pretended it was a random party, it was all but clear to Tino that he had been bluffing.

Tino was one of the original members of the Steps. Even before the clan had been formed, she had encountered Grieving Souls, her mentor’s party, multiple times. Her life as a hunter could be called a trial, preceded by hellish training.

This wasn’t the first time she had set out to complete a task Krai had given her. At first, she had found it incomprehensible... but now she understood. Grieving Souls’ rapid rise to fame had not been because of its talented lineup; it had been because of its leader.

“Master is already aware of the treasure vault’s abnormality and everything else that’s happening. He chose exactly who he needed for the job, and now here we are. Gilbert, the results of your test were not unexpected, either.”

Gilbert’s jaw dropped. Ever since the mock battle, he had been silent and obedient.

Rhuda interrupted, flustered. “W-Wait! ‘Exactly who he needed’? It was just a coincidence that I was there at the Steps’ recruitment meet. I-If he wanted someone good, he could just pick a good hunter from your clan, right?!”

“Y-Yeah. That was my first time meeting Thousand Tricks, too.”

They couldn’t believe it. No, they didn’t want to believe it. Tino sighed quietly at her party members.

While they weren’t at the vault yet, phantoms would likely come and attack them if they made too much of a commotion. Maybe that was all part of the plan, too, but Tino just wanted to get it over with and go home. Alive, of course. Not as a corpse. In order to do that, she had to make them understand that this was no accident.

Tino didn’t know what might happen next. She couldn’t even imagine. But there was a mountain of difference between being resolved and not.

“Master has information on every hunter and treasure vault in and around the capital. Whether you’ve met or not, it would not be difficult for him to understand you and your actions.”

It wasn’t just Tino; all members of Steps knew that much. All of her master’s actions had some plan behind them.

After all, what recognized level 8 hunter would be late to his own member recruitment party, cause a huge ruckus and a fight, nearly destroy the bar it was held in, and then make Gilbert mad just so Tino would be his opponent in the ensuing test of strength? Only an idiot would do that without a good reason.

It was all an act. Though it may not have seemed like it, Krai had pulled off a skilled bluff that even Tino hadn’t been able to see through. Everything was going according to his plan.

Tino’s slightly irritated claim prompted Gilbert to hold his tongue. Had the man really accomplished all that so easily? At the very least, Thousand Tricks had seemed mysterious enough back at the training ground. The weight of the Purgatorial Sword on Gilbert’s back was unusually distracting.

Magi could enchant weapons with elements like water or fire to increase their power and reach. The affinity-granting ability of his sword, common among weapon-type Relics, had the same effect without needing a spell.

One of the Purgatorial Sword’s innate characteristics, the fire affinity, could envelop the sword in flames and burn enemies as it cut them down. This greatly increased its offensive potential. In the vaults Gilbert had challenged up to this point, there hadn’t been a single foe that could resist it. But what would happen this time?

Thousand Tricks’ grasp of the flames was beyond the scope of what Gilbert had heretofore accomplished. If that was the true extent of the sword’s power, then Gilbert was only using a tiny fraction of its potential. He had succeeded in numerous raids, but he had a much worse feeling about this one than any he had experienced before. It probably wasn’t just his imagination.

Seeing how uneasy the three were, Tino spoke in a lighthearted tone, “Worry not. Master knows all; he wouldn’t give us an impossible request. As long as we’re prepared to put our lives on the line, we can do this. No matter what happens, we don’t turn back. Remember: you wrote your wills.”

The Great Greg gulped. “Uh, yeah. Sure.”

It was common knowledge that hunters ought to prioritize their own safety. How much were they planning to risk their lives on this carcass-collecting mission? Internally, Greg felt as though he’d gotten himself into some deep trouble. But the stubbornness born of his age and experience made him plaster a strained smile on his face instead.

In that instant, a shadow was cast over them, blocking the sun.

Tino was the first to notice something falling from the sky, so she shoved Greg out of the way. A dull, gray shine passed through the space where his neck had been mere moments ago. The next moment, Gilbert and Rhuda moved away and prepared for battle. Greg, knocked off balance from the shove, reflexively moved to break his fall.

They caught sight of their target: a shadow that had crept in with neither a scent nor a sound.

Rhuda’s eyes opened wide as the crimson beast, crouched and unmoving, let out a hoarse cry. “Huh? The phantoms here aren’t just wolves?!”

Gilbert glared back at its glowing, golden eyes and pointed the unsheathed Purgatorial Sword toward it.

Having missed its first attack, the crimson beast stood up somewhat sluggishly on two legs. Its deep-red fur was like wire, and it had the pointy ears unique to canines. A thick tail extended from its hindquarters, and its nose twitched as if gauging the situation.

Animalistic though it was, the beast was clad in red armor like that of a samurai. It slowly waved the weapon in its gauntlet-clad hands, as if to feint an attack.

Shocked by the creature before him, Gilbert screamed, “The thing’s wearing armor! This ain’t what we were told!”

“It’s holding a sword. Oh, Master... you surpass my expectations every day.”

The phantoms of the White Wolf’s Den should have been large wolves, but the opponent they faced now, apart from its face and color, was something else entirely.

Overpowering Tino’s downtrodden tone, the crimson wolf knight roared.

“Ugh, I wanna vomit. And I really wanna retire.”

It had been ten minutes since I’d learned that this simple-sounding community service was a lot more dangerous than I thought. I paced around the clan master’s office, muttering to myself.

If Eva were here, she’d probably be glaring at me. I seriously wish Tino had just refused and explained what the problem was. One unproductive complaint after another passed through my brain.

My friend’s apprentice was far more important than a potentially unfruitful rescue mission. As she was a level 4, Tino must have known basic hunter theory. If things got too dangerous, she would leave. But from what I’d seen so far, all Steps members were reckless, ignoring basic hunter theory. No matter how strong an enemy appeared, they wouldn’t retreat that easily.

Tino must have been influenced by them. Seeing as the most reckless of all were the members of Grieving Souls, she had actually probably gotten that from her mentor. Either way, shit. If Tino died on my orders, who knew what would happen to Liz? Her fuse was already way too short.

“Ugh. In the worst case, at least use Li’l Gilbert or the Great Greg as a shield so you can live.”

They’ll probably be okay with being sacrificed so Tino can live, right? Dammit, I was too flippant with my party selection. I should’ve at least chosen seasoned members of First Steps who I knew I could trust.

Gark should have warned me... You know what, no. No matter how you slice it, I was in the wrong. I shouldn’t make excuses. I’m so sorry, Tinooo!

Surely they’ll be fine. Tino knows that there’s a huge wolf there, so she ought to be ready to fight it. Their enemy is just a glorified beast, so it shouldn’t be too hard for them to devise a plan. It’s not like I’m worried they’ll lose... right? I tried to convince myself, but it just didn’t sit right.

It was already dark outside. There were street lamps in the city, but none outside of it.

Should I go check the lounge and see if anyone can go help them? No, I shouldn’t. People avoided night marches due to the monsters and beasts prowling around at night. Besides, if I sent someone out now, they wouldn’t catch up to Tino’s party in time. I really was useless without Ark.

Partly as a form of escapism, I made up my mind and headed over to the bookshelf built into the wall of the office. It was a hefty one, full of books related to clan management and imperial history. I grabbed the conspicuously placed handle and pulled hard. The bookshelf moved, opening a path behind it without a sound. Beyond it was a secret descending staircase.

After rushing down the stairs, I felt around for a switch. When I found it and flicked it on, soft lamplight filled a Western-style room, which was even larger than the office. This was my own personal haven.

The room had no windows, a bed large enough to fit several people, a bookshelf, a table, a desk, and a sofa. On the walls were paintings I had been gifted but never really understood, along with a poster that outlined the three guiding policies of our clan.

But the most eye-catching thing in the room was the enormous collection of Relics crammed into every corner. Swords, lances, armor, overcoats, helmets, and rings in all different shapes and sizes. Some I had bought, some I had been given, and of course, some we had received while raiding treasure vaults.

One might call it the comprehensive works of the treasure-hunting party Grieving Souls. If I just sold all of this off for whatever price, I could probably coast for at least ten years without working. However, we still hadn’t achieved our goal.

While I clutched my churning stomach, I searched for Relics that could help fix this situation.

Once I was finished, I headed back upstairs and into the office. As I stepped inside, I came face-to-face with Eva. She looked at the open bookshelf-door and then at me, blinking. Now that I was fortified with carefully yet quickly handpicked Relics, I looked to be a living treasure vault.

I had donned a deep-blue overcoat, with a crossbow slung over my shoulder, and I was equipped with a rather short sword. My fingers each bore their own ring-type Relics, but I still needed more. I had several more rings threaded through the chain-type Relic that previously hung from my waist, but it still wasn’t enough. I even had some stuffed in item pouches attached to my belt.

There were a lot of ring-type Relics out there. Come on, a man’s only got ten fingers!

My clothes and underwear weren’t Relics, just the typical lightweight yet sturdy stuff hunters wore. Everything else was, though.

Even after taking all of these measures, the thought that I didn’t know what might happen made me want to vomit. In my experience, there wasn’t much point in a commoner loading himself up with Relics, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t try it. This was my responsibility.

My second-in-command was in her usual white uniform. It was already nighttime, but she was still alert and composed. Is she still working? What a diligent employee.

By the way, just about everyone already knew about my room, so she wasn’t surprised.

“What’s the matter? You’re so... well equipped.”

“Hahahaha... I’m gonna take a walk.”

“If you were that worried about it, you shouldn’t have pushed it on them!”

Shit. Didn’t take long for me to get found out.

“Hahahahaha... No idea what you’re talking about.”

Driven into a corner, all I could offer was a stupid-sounding laugh. Eva looked me up and down, annoyed. Not because I was covered in Relics, though; I was always decked out from head to toe in the things. We had known each other for so long that she probably knew my whole personality by now.

“Perhaps you’d like to take another party with you as reinforcements?”

Eva’s proposal was attractive, but even if we were in the same clan, they were different from my party members. There weren’t any parties who would go with me at night to a dangerous treasure vault, and I couldn’t force them to do the ridiculous.

I calmed my breathing and tried to look cool. “No prob. This is all according to plan.”

“Hold it right there.”

Eva didn’t care one bit about my bluff and closed right in on me. She had her eyes on the pendant hanging from my neck. It was a simple one, with a metallic capsule at the end. While it wasn’t a Relic, it was far more dangerous than any normal Relic.

“Is that Sitri’s slime?”

I kept my mouth shut.

“Didn’t she say not to use it because it could destroy the entire capital if you’re not careful?” Eva stared at me but didn’t reach out to take it. She was managing the risk well.

Who told her about it? I wondered. A few candidates came to mind, but I decided to leave it for now.

The capsule was normally kept in a safe-type Relic in the center of my room. There was apparently a specially bred slime within, but I had never seen it firsthand.

Slimes were a type of monster with viscous forms, boasting the status of “weakest creatures in existence.” Their almost-liquid bodies were organs in themselves. The poor things were so soft that you could hit them, slice them, cook them, boil them, or whatever else and kill them with ease. There were many different types, but most of them were trifles.

Even in a world where I existed, slimes were the weakest of the weak. But the one in this capsule was of a different sort, it seemed. I didn’t know what set it apart from the rest, but that was what the creator had said, so I figured it must’ve been true.

Relics were powerful, but their power and length of use depended on the amount of mana in them. I was always careful not to burn them out, but the last time they had been charged was before Grieving Souls had left on their trip—so over two weeks ago. The ones I held now were almost out of mana, so I couldn’t expect much power from them. The capsule was essentially a replacement.

Tino was incredible, so I figured she would be fine. I was going to avoid combat as much as possible, too, but it was natural as a hunter to take whatever means necessary when times called for it. I was a cautious, tough, and cynical guy.

Honestly, I really didn’t wanna do this. It would’ve been nice to avoid it entirely, but I wasn’t big and strong enough to carry any other non-Relic weapons, so this was the best I could do. I also wasn’t altogether sure how to use it, but we were gonna be in a treasure vault, anyway. Might as well just throw it and run. My adorable subordinate’s life was irreplaceable.

“Pssh, no way. I would never walk around with something that broke imperial law.”

While I was a guy who respected law and order, my childhood friends had a penchant for ignoring the rules. I didn’t want her prying any deeper, so I immediately grabbed the handle on the wide window behind my desk and opened it. The wind blowing in was unexpectedly fierce and cold. These windows were made to open and shut with ease because there were some people who would just break in otherwise. It was helpful when they came around.

Eva looked at me, unusually fretful. Her eyes were locked on Sitri’s slime.

She must be afraid that I’m going to do something crazy and make clan management that much harder.

“Erm, will things really be okay?” she asked.

I maintained a full-on smile to quell her fears.

Yeah, no, this totally sucks. I would’ve liked to take someone with me, but this Night Hiker can only be used by one person at a time.