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

Side Story: A Day With Tino

“Oh? Your bodyguard?”

Tino opened her eyes wide at the sudden request. She had just been in the middle of preparing to raid a treasure vault, as directed by her mentor.

The one smiling apologetically to Tino now was her beloved master, a hunter with the highest level in the capital, Krai Andrey.

Likely because it was noon, nobody was in the clan’s lounge. Hunters typically worked during the day, so this wasn’t unusual.

As always, he wasn’t wearing armor. His clothing was more casual, unlike a typical hunter’s. If one paid close attention, however, they would notice that he was wielding an incomprehensible amount of Relics.

It was no real secret that everything he wore—including the chain at his hip, his silver necklace, and even the buttons on his sleeve—was a Relic. This was apparently why he had gained the title “Thousand Tricks.”

In the face of Tino’s stupefied gaze, Krai looked off in some random direction. “Yeah! See, I just suddenly wanted to go Relic shopping. Normally, I’d ask Liz or someone else, but I just couldn’t find her. Ahahaha.”

“I’ll do it.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know it’s a pain. But I think it’ll help you learn about Relics, too. You ought to have one soon enough, so this’ll be good—wait, what? Really?”

“Yes.”

Krai was startled by her prompt response. She put away her papers and stood up. Preparing for a life-endangering trip to a treasure vault was important, yes, but a request from her master was far more important.

The only reason Tino had faltered was because the peculiar word “bodyguard” had come up. Tino may have been recognized as an able fighter, but she was still just a level 4 hunter.

Timidly, she looked up to Krai for confirmation. “I’m nothing but dirt compared to you, though. How could I help as your bodyguard?”

“You really like that word, don’t you? I don’t think anyone else calls themselves dirt as much as you do.”

How could a bodyguard weaker than the person they were protecting possibly be of any use? She could have understood if it had been Liz, the person he had originally been searching for. The Stifled Shadow was a Thief like Tino, but her skills were leagues ahead. Liz’s ability to sense danger and her combat prowess were far superior.

Most of all, why would he need a bodyguard in such a well-guarded capital? Tino’s questions were answered with Krai’s usual smile.

“Oh, hey, don’t worry. Nobody’s gonna attack us, I think. It’s just, like... I mean, I kinda wanted to go on a date, and I wanted to ask casually.”

“A date?!” Tino jumped in surprise.

Krai was one of her most admired hunters. She had known and venerated him for quite some time. Respect wasn’t the only emotion at play here; there was also some of that warm, sweet feeling that could crop up between two eligible, single people.

The problem, however, was that her mentor was infatuated with him. Tino couldn’t imagine fighting over her master; in her eyes, he was a prize well beyond her reach. Sometimes, he might indulge her, but it was a rare thing.

As for whether Relic shopping was a good date idea, well, it wasn’t important. The fact that looking at Relics was his hobby, and that he’d dragged plenty of other people around to do so, was also not important. And the fact that she was just standing in for her mentor... she couldn’t do anything about that.

Tino looked down at herself. She wore a leather jacket that prioritized defense over fashion. Below that was a pair of shorts specialized for mobility, and farther down were her black boots with metal fitted into the soles. On her belt hung a large knife and potions. Indeed, it was a very hunter-esque getup.

It wasn’t unflattering by any means, but it was plain. Not the best outfit for a date. Tino was dressed more for the battlefield. Some might have said “love is war,” but to Tino, they were very different things.

As Liz Smart’s only pupil, she couldn’t go around sullying her mentor’s good name. She had to be just as good as Liz.

With a serious expression, Tino said, “I’m going to change clothes.”

“Huh?! No, it’s cool. Wait, Tino!”

As Tino stood up, Krai grabbed her arm to stop her.

“At least let me do that much. Please, I can’t go like this! I may never be as beautiful as you, Master, but this is a problem of feminine pride!”

“Who cares?! I’m starting to feel really bad, so let’s just go!”

Tino tried to twist her body to escape, but Krai mercilessly unleashed his Hounding Chain.

Irritated, Tino made her feelings clear. “Master, you are an awful bully.”

In the end, she was not allowed to change clothes. If it was so important that he had to use a Relic, she didn’t want to press the matter too much. When he used the word “bodyguard,” she was even less able to protest.

The streets of the capital were as lively as ever. Tino walked, somewhat cautiously, alongside her smiling master. To passersby, did they look as though they were on a date?

Most likely not. At most, they probably looked to be two friends. If Tino had changed clothes, they’d be more eye-catching. More so than now, at least.

Krai patted the openly displeased Tino on her arm. “You don’t have to pout, girl. Right now, you’re perfectly...”

“Perfectly what?”

Krai grinned at Tino’s expectant words. “Imposing.”

“You should learn how to talk to women, Master,” Tino grumbled. No one would want to be called “imposing” on a date.

“Kidding, kidding. C’mon, let’s hold hands. Then we’ll really look like we’re on a date, right?”

He chuckled and took the frowning Tino’s hand. Tino decided to forgive his attitude and improve her own.

“I like how easy you are to please, Tino. There, there. Good girl.”

He rustled her hair, messing up her look in the process. She knew she was being toyed with, but maybe this was somewhat suitable date behavior.

“Butter me up all you want, but all I have is about a hundred thousand Gild.” That was Tino’s current worth. Having a mentor was expensive.

“That won’t buy a Relic. Dang, Tino, you’re useless.”

“I know you don’t mean that.” Tino admonished Krai for telling mean-spirited jokes with such a straight face.

They left the main street, a popular date spot with all of its various shops, and walked to the back streets. After passing through several cramped roads, they arrived at a rather plain-looking Relic shop.

Tino had been hoping for more of a normal date, but she said nothing as she looked up at the shop’s sign. This specific one aside, it wasn’t the first time Tino had been dragged to a Relic shop by Krai.

The shop, Magi’s Tale, was one he frequented. It was an old shop, over a hundred years old. Anyone in the know should’ve heard of it.

While she looked at the shop’s symbol, a bell, she unconsciously furrowed her brow.

“Master, am I... just your ticket inside?”

“Yep, you know it.”

“You have no idea how disappointed I am.”

“Yep, you know it.”

Krai wasn’t looking at Tino anymore. She clung to his arm in shock, but he just went through the door without another word.

The air, cooled by Relics, chilled her hot cheeks. Despite the shop’s dingy appearance, the multitude of Relics within were sorted by form and neatly arranged in rows.

Relics were more valuable than the average jewel. The fully equipped security guard at the door frowned as he watched Krai and his orbiter enter, but he quickly realized who they were and returned to his normal, serious expression.

Krai was a valued customer here. Tino herself knew that he had bought at least ten Relics at this location. Yet no matter how many times he came, Krai’s eyes shone. It seemed he’d already forgotten that this was supposed to be a date.

“Nothing stands out. No surprise, I guess, since I come all the time. No Safety Rings in stock, either.”

“Perhaps they’re low on funds.”

Relics were naturally occurring items. Anything lined up in here was purchased from hunters. The stock wouldn’t change that quickly.

Master, I want ice cream. If you come that often, you can just skip today, can’t you? I’ll pay. Let’s just go.

Though she thought it, Tino kept her lips zipped. She was interested in the date, not the Relics. Her mentor had told her she wasn’t ready for Relics, so she donated just about every Relic she found. That was why she was poor.

There was another reason Tino hadn’t wanted to come, too.

After taking a look around the store, Krai sighed and banged his hands on the unmanned counter.

“Get out here, Matthis! I brought Tino! Tino’s heeere!”

An elderly man came from within. His hair was just starting to get the smatterings of gray that came with age. He had been appraising Relics for fifty years. According to Krai, he was a master of his craft. Matthis, the owner of Magi’s Tale, looked obstinately at Krai and clicked his tongue.

“Tch. What, you again?”

“That’s a hell of a way to greet your best customer.”

His attitude was not one that should be directed at God. Tino was annoyed at first, but she knew that this was a daily occurrence by now, so she didn’t pay it too much mind.

Then, Tino’s beloved master grabbed the sullen girl by the shoulders and shoved her in front of the old man.

Matthis was skilled, and he had connections. Though he had plenty of stock, he was stubborn enough that he didn’t sell to anyone he didn’t care for. As a result, many hunters in the capital disliked him.

But when he saw the grouchy Tino, he just barely loosened up. Tino didn’t know why, but apparently, this stubborn man had taken a liking to her.

Krai, having thrust Tino in front of him with great confidence, said, “Look, I brought Tino. Let me in there, or I’m not bringing her again!”

“Master, did we really come here to sell my body?”

As usual, Krai laughed off Tino’s half-joke with a “Yep, totally.”

Whenever Tino was here, she was nothing more than an entry ticket.

Inside the shop was an atelier, chock-full of not-yet-appraised Relics. The first time Krai had brought Tino with him, Matthis had allowed them into the back “just this once.” Having gotten a taste for it, Krai had brought Tino with him every time since then.

She wasn’t being subjected to anything, at least, and it wasn’t like she despised this unpleasant owner. And yet, she thought this was rather cruel. This wasn’t a date, and it certainly wasn’t bodyguard duty.

Matthis made a sour face. His workshop was back there. Letting people in was probably against store policy.

“There’s nothing in there that you’ll want.”

“Well, y’know, I just really wanted to show Tino those Relics.” Krai lied brazenly, badly enough that even Tino saw through it.

He pushed Tino at the still-sour Matthis. Given no other choice, she would have to carry out her role as entry ticket. It was unfair to Matthis, but this was what she had to do.

She at least resisted by maintaining her miserable expression and an unemotional voice.

“Show me... everything you’ve got, big boy.”

“Gack! Hrk, hack!”

Krai ruffled Tino’s hair as he watched the man choke.

The atelier behind the counter was much larger than the retail area. However, as everything was scattered all over the place, it looked cramped in comparison. The walls were lined with bookcases stuffed full of fine books, though their bindings were decaying. As if they weren’t enough, more were piled up here and there. Mysterious tools were scattered on top of the big, metal table. Perhaps they were used to appraise Relics?

Wooden chests were lined up all across the floor, stuffed full of Relics Tino had never seen. Most likely, they were all garbage.

Relics were manifestations of the vestiges of past glory, made possible by mana material. They came in endless varieties, so they were often misunderstood. But most of the Relics found in treasure vaults were useless.

It would’ve been nice if they had even the slightest effect, but some would take mana charges without having any useful abilities. Hunters called those sorts of items “garbage.”

Still, it was hard even for hunters to determine whether a Relic was garbage or not. They could when the item was popular or made its effects clear, but any others required profound knowledge of past civilizations.

It was possible that something that looked to be garbage could have real applications. A powerful Relic could sell for enough to build a mansion, so hunters always took all Relic-like items home to take to appraisers.

Tino didn’t understand it, but many hunters made it their life’s work to take unidentified Relics home for appraisal. Maybe it was a sort of gambling addiction?

She sat in one of the chairs, kicking her legs back and forth as she watched Krai and Matthis talk. Krai, pointing at Relics on the table with a dark glint in his eye, had completely forgotten about Tino.

Weren’t we on a date, Master?

Tino had known this was coming when he mentioned Relic shopping, but the neglect cut deep. At times like this, she often wondered what her mentor would do. But it was a pointless “what if,” so she quickly blocked it out of her mind. Beggars couldn’t be choosers, after all.

Though Tino stared daggers at him, Krai showed no signs of noticing her. “A blessing pendant, strength-boosting earrings... Hrm. Matthis, when’d you get so bad at your job?”

“Damn, you’re rude. I just don’t have anything good right now, all right?!”

Tino didn’t understand their conversation. To her, it was better to just knock the enemy out directly, instead of worrying about Relics and all that. She decided that she ought to study them before their next trip. Tino felt this way every time she came, but between her training and raiding treasure vaults, she never found the time.

Krai finally finished inspecting the articles on the table. He looked unhappy. So, nothing caught his eye today, then.

Now they could leave. If she asked along the way home, maybe Krai would take her somewhere actually worthy of calling this a date. As Tino’s face was lit up by this glimmer of hope, Krai started rummaging around the junk-filled wooden chests.

Even Tino had to interject. “Excuse me.”

“Oh, sorry. Wait just a sec, okay? Damn, it’s all garbage... For shame. Shaaame!”

“How long is ‘a sec’? How many hours?!” Tino cried.

There was an annoying amount of wooden boxes. Between the ones on the floor and all the things piled up along the walls, there might have been close to a hundred. Inside each one was trash, clear to even the untrained eye. Relics not in a practical form had a high probability of being garbage.

Upon seeing Tino’s pitiful state, Matthis cut in, “Hey, don’t neglect your honey here. Poor gal! Man, you Relic freaks never cease to amaze.”

“Mm, yeah, I bet.”

Uninterested, Krai pulled something out of one of the treasure chests and tossed it toward Tino. She caught it in both hands and fearfully looked down at it. The item he’d tossed to her was a silver ring. Clearly, it was a cheap, worthless item.

Matthis frowned. “That’s a shitty variant of the Shooting Ring. The bullets are as weak as they come, but it still uses the same amount of mana as a normal one. The light’s weak, too, so it’s worthless as bait.”

“Master, what’s the meaning of this?” she asked, puzzled. The old man’s explanation told her it was pure trash.

Her beloved master didn’t look up from the chests as he answered, “I’m kinda busy, so go practice using that or something. Have Matthis teach you.”

“Huh?”

Being given the cold shoulder caused Tino to gasp and stand up. Matthis was clearly annoyed at his rudeness, too. But Krai continued to ignore them, looking at a weird, wooden-donut-looking trash Relic.

“Oh, yeah. If you learn how to use it, I’ll give you a real Shooting Ring as a gift. Uh, as long as I’ve got cash left over. Cool?”

“I’ll do it! Please, teach me!”

“Uh, sure. I’ve got a target out back. You positive, though, girly?” Matthis gave the now-motivated Tino a sympathetic look.

She didn’t mind. Regardless of the details, it would be a fact that he had bought her a ring on a date, and that was all that mattered.

Tino hadn’t expected a surprise like this. A Shooting Ring! She’d never used one before, but it was known for being one of the easiest Relics to use. She absolutely had to succeed.

All of her dissatisfaction to this point faded and was replaced with fighting spirit. Tino tightened her fist as she looked upon her master, who had resumed his junk hunt.

Using the Shooting Ring was difficult. She didn’t have an intuition for it. Tino often heard that Relics were difficult to operate, but this was unexpected. It wouldn’t just work as soon as one put it on their finger. Tino had no idea where to begin, but the Relic specialist, Matthis, gave a kind and thorough explanation.

After struggling for an hour and following Matthis’ advice to a T, she finally succeeded in activating the Shooting Ring. A dim light, like a haze, was released from her finger. It hit the ceiling dead-on and faded without a sound.

Matthis applauded while Tino stood there, blinking.

“That’s great, kid. It’s just a Shooting Ring, but learning to use a Relic in under an hour shows you’ve got talent. Maybe you’re compatible with it, eh?”

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

It was her first time activating a Relic. She had obtained many over time, but she’d never tried to use one.

Her mentor had told her she wasn’t ready. When the time came for her to use Relics, she would have to train both her body and mind.

She remembered Liz’s words: “I can’t stand Relics, y’know. Might as well just punch ’em dead first. Just using one is annoying; imagine carrying a ton of ’em.”

At the time, the sentiment hadn’t exactly resonated with her. But after experiencing Relics firsthand, she understood what Liz meant. It was... difficult. Rather than learning all this in advance, it was easier to land a direct hit on the enemy.

Not to mention the fact that she had only used a Shooting Ring. She could tell that it would take a long period of studying to get used to Relics. It was clear why so few hunters could control multiple Relics. She felt that she’d had enough Relic training for a while.

Seeing Tino so fatigued after one hour of training, Matthis narrowed his eyes and smirked. “Next, you’ll wanna actually hit the target. But now that you can get the bullets out, it won’t be long; they go in a straight line, after all. Wanna take a break?”

“No. I’ll keep going.”

Tino wanted to be done with Relics, but that was a separate matter. Remembering her master, she brushed aside her mental fatigue. The object of her admiration was watching her now.

Tino closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wasn’t nervous. As Matthis said, hitting the target wasn’t hard. Tino had plenty of knife-throwing skill, anyway. Her visual acuity and spatial awareness were high.

Whether the weapon was a knife or a rock, hitting a target at this distance was simple. She was out of her element with magic bullets, but they flew straight, so it should have been even easier than a knife or rock. Nobody told her she had to have perfect aim, but she wanted to show off at least once.

Tino focused her mind and opened her eyes. She then extended her arm, directed her pointer finger at the target, and fired. The magic bullet, dim enough that it almost looked like it would dissolve into the air, went straight into the target and faded.

As Tino sighed in relief, Krai applauded her. “Good job, Tino. You actually did it.”

Not the most eloquent words of praise, and it wasn’t an especially large amount of effort, but her heart began fluttering in her chest all the same.

Suppressing the exhaustion that threatened to show on her face, Tino said, “Oh, no. I couldn’t have done it without Matthis.”

Internally, she cheered, Look, Master! I’ve done it! I’ve mastered the Shooting Ring!

Having watched over her training all this time, Matthis scowled in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. “Aw, I didn’t do nothin’. I just taught you the basics. This is all your effort, girly.”

He acted humble, but Tino wouldn’t have been able to use the Shooting Ring without his assistance. She owed him one. Perhaps one day she should bring him a token of gratitude.

Tino looked up at her master expectantly. Regardless of the circumstances, she’d done it. She had really done it.

Not only had she activated it, but she had also hit the target. What problem could he have with that result? If he felt that the distance to the target was too short, Tino could just shoot one farther away.

There were countless kinds of Shooting Rings. Some came in different colors, like silver and gold, and some came with small gem inserts. Depending on their abilities, they fetched a wide range of prices.

Tino didn’t care for Relic abilities; she just wanted something pretty to wear. That said, she wasn’t going to be picky about a present.

She waited with bated breath, but Krai just turned to Matthis. In his hand was a small, brown leather pouch.

Um? The ring, Master? Where’s the ring?

“By the way, Matthis, I found this in a box.”

“Always findin’ weird things, ain’tcha.” Matthis looked exasperated.

Tino wanted to pick a ring right away, but she decided to wait. At present, she had it in her to play along with her master’s addiction.

The wooden chests were all full of garbage. Matthis had a spectacular eye for Relics, so it wasn’t likely that Krai would find anything that good.

“That’s a crappy Magic Bag. I can’t think of any reason you’d want it.”

Tino twitched at the name of the famous Relic. Magic Bags were pouches with the ability to expand the space within. Put simply, they were a lot bigger on the inside. The same effect could be achieved with modern magic, but the Magic Bags found in vaults commonly had other convenient functions.

Depending on storage capacity and special functions, some could pull incredible sums of cash. Their rarity and the possibility of misuse meant they weren’t circulated around the capital much. What could possibly make this one trashy?

Tino watched them restlessly.

With a grimace, Matthis said, “You can only put chocolate in it.”

What in the world?! For a moment, Tino forgot all about the ring.

“It fits as much chocolate as you want and doesn’t weigh a pound, but you can’t put anything else in it, big or small. You can’t empty it all at once, either. So yeah, it’s garbo. Probably made to replicate some kid’s bag of candy from a magically advanced civilization.”

It was real-deal trash. Whoever found it must have been awfully disappointed. They thought it was a Magic Bag, but it was just a bag for candy. It was certainly an interesting Relic, but surely Tino’s master wouldn’t look twice at it.

His expression was unchanged by the awful news. With a serious look on his face, he confirmed, “Is it really just chocolate?”

“Just chocolate.”

“You can’t put cookies or ice cream or anything in it?”

“Nope. I spent a good while checking, and it’s only chocolate.”

It really was useless. Matthis looked immensely disappointed.

Master, forget about that garbage. The ring, please!

Krai crossed his arms and hummed thoughtfully for a moment while Tino waited impatiently.

At last, he declared, “This is good stuff.”

“What?!”

No, Master. It isn’t.

“Krai, you’re going to hell one day.”

“You think? How come?”

Man, today’s shopping trip was great. Who knew I’d find a good Relic sleeping in a pile of garbage? This is why I can’t stop Relic hunting.

After receiving the usual cold-yet-friendly goodbye from Matthis, we left Magi’s Tale behind. Tino followed behind me, looking overcast as she rained on my parade.

“Uh, sorry I had to borrow money from you. I’ll pay you back, trust me.”

“It’s okay, Master. It’s... okay.”

Crappy or not, it was a Magic Bag. I had a few of them, but you could always have more. I was just short of the price, so I had to have Tino cover the rest. But hey, I’d say things turned out all right.

I spent all my money, so now, I needed to hurry back to the clan house and start the back-breaking labor of stuffing it full of chocolate. Chocolate bars ought to do, right? I was so excited to get started!

Unlike me, who was on the verge of skipping, Tino trudged along.

Guess she’s tired from all that Shooting Ring training. I praised her once already, but maybe she needs some more. Unlike Liz, I was the kind of guy to really heap on the love.

“I know you were working hard, Tino. Now you can use a Shooting Ring whenever you want.”

“Ugh... Yes. It’s just a shame that I don’t have one, isn’t it?”

“Wow, you’re really down. Yeah, maybe there’s no point in you having a Shooting Ring. It’s not really strong to begin with; hunters without much firepower mainly just use them for support.”

“Master, you’re so mean!”

Tino’s words were from the heart. She stopped walking, screamed at me tearfully, and ran off. I didn’t have the chance to stop her, as she disappeared before I could recover from my bewilderment.

Dang, she’s fast. That’s a Thief for you.

I was left by myself, dazed and confused. People around me watched with pity in their eyes, as I had just been abandoned by my date.

I strained to look in the direction where Tino had gone, but I could never catch up with her. And I couldn’t use my Relic now.

What could’ve made her break down like that? She’s normally so calm. I thought back on what I’d done. All I did was have her come with me as a bodyguard, like usual.

Oh, right. Maybe I neglected her too much. It was noon when we went in, but the sun’s already setting now. Borrowing cash from her might have been kinda rude, too.

She was my pride and joy, but I might’ve been relying on her too much. I resolved to be more careful now on. Next time I saw her, I’d be sure to apologize. Maybe I could do something to make up for it, too.

I made a mental note of it and walked back to the clan house alone under the setting sun.

The next day, Tino would be flung into the White Wolf’s Den, where her Shooting Ring training would come in handy. But that would be a story for another day...