Strange Grief Wants to Retire ~ The Weakest Hunter Dreams of a Hero ~ - Volume 4 - Chapter 2.2

The Thousand Tricks. The leader of Grieving Souls had reached Level 8 at a younger age than any other hunter in the empire. His strength and cunning knew no bounds. He was an elusive figure with innumerable victories to his name. Yet, despite his prestige, nobody knew anything specific about his powers.

Chloe Welter had picked up many rumors of this man throughout her time as an employee of the Explorers’ Association. His preternatural intellect caused him to be feared not only by his enemies but even by his allies. Among the hunters of First Steps, his incomprehensible power and almost prescient schemes were referred to as the “Thousand Trials.” On occasion, Chloe would also hear preposterous tales of this hunter from her uncle Gark, the Association Branch Manager.

Yet, despite all this, she still hadn’t expected the Thousand Tricks would just leave her behind. She understood that expediency was necessary in a hunter’s line of work, but this was just far too absurd. To think she had been nervous about accompanying him on his duty, all for it to lead to this. The rumors were right, he was unpredictable.

The sun had set a while ago and a storm raged outside. This wasn’t the sort of weather to be traveling in. What awful timing, the clouds had just begun to gather when Chloe had been given her orders to go after the Thousand Tricks.

The carriage was all ready and waiting for her. Chloe quickly finished her preparations and ran off to the gate.

She spent most of her time in her Explorers’ Association uniform, but had now eschewed her professional garb for travel-appropriate attire. These were clothes she had prepared long ago, back when she aspired to be a hunter. Now for the first time in a while, a sword hung at her hip.

Near the gate was a carriage bearing the insignia of the Explorers’ Association and the hunters that had been hired to escort her. They stood beneath a rudimentary shelter and looked at the sky with dissatisfaction. The red-haired man at the front of the group noticed Chloe and called out to her.

“Are we really gonna go in this awful weather?” he asked.

“We are. This is urgent business,” she answered.

“Gilbert, that’s no way to speak to a client!” chided Rhuda Runebeck, the well-endowed brunette hunter standing next to him.

“No, I don’t mind,” said Chloe. “I understand that there are conditions which hunters prefer to avoid.”

“R-Right. Still, I can’t get over how quickly I got an order directly from the Association,” said Gilbert.

The other hunters behind him all nodded in agreement. The sky was dark and rain was coming down, but a certain brightness shone in their faces. Quests issued by the Explorers’ Association paid very well and were only offered to hunters who were deemed to have potential or to be trustworthy.

Chloe’s guard consisted of the promising solo hunter Rhuda Runebeck as well the party Scorching Whirlwind, which included the well-known Gilbert Bush. Chloe had few complaints about a party like this.

Gilbert had once been known for being a disagreeable sort, but he had purportedly calmed down recently. However, the primary reason they had been selected for this job was that Rhuda and Gilbert knew Krai through the White Wolf’s Den quest.

This task wasn’t a particularly difficult one and they knew their final destination. The only aspect warranting concern was that they needed to catch up to Krai. Chloe clenched her fist and looked over the party before her.

“Speed will be paramount for this quest. We have to do whatever we can to meet up with Krai before he arrives in the Gladis Earldom.”

Of course, the Thousand Tricks would most likely be fine even without Chloe, but he tended to be rather flippant when it came to matters of authority. He was perhaps even as flippant as Solis Rodin, the ancestor of Ark Rodin. The Thousand Tricks had shown an inclination towards giving credit to others and that was cause for concern at the Explorers’ Association. Modesty was laudable, but everything had limits.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this task would be pivotal for future relations between Earl Gladis and the Explorers’ Association. One reason Gark had sent Chloe after Krai Andrey was that it would be a good experience for her. The bigger reason was so she could ensure that Krai took his paycheck. Of course, Chloe’s previous attempt to join First Steps was also a relevant factor...

“I still can’t believe that even a Level 8 would— No, let me rephrase that. Because he’s a Level 8, I can’t believe he’d go out in this weather. There’s not just monsters, but also lightning to worry about,” said Carmine.

Carmine Syan. He was a Heavy Warrior with a calm demeanor and the leader of Scorching Whirlwind.

Carmine wasn’t wrong, but Chloe knew better.

“Considering his past experience, I don’t think the Thousand Tricks would be scared of a storm,” she boasted. “In fact, I’ve heard stories of him leading charges straight into storms.”

“Really...”

It was a true story, believe it or not.

It was common sense that even a hunter was no match for the forces of nature, but apparently, this didn’t mean much to a Level 8. It made a degree of sense: rain was no issue and a lighting bolt wouldn’t do much to someone of a high level.

“There’s no need to worry, lightning doesn’t strike that frequently,” Chloe said.

She didn’t particularly want to go out in this storm, but she felt Krai was sending her a message by leaving her behind. This was one of his Thousand Trials. These Trials would occasionally pull in people from outside First Steps and now it was happening amid inclement weather.

Chloe both hated to lose and had once aspired to be a hunter. It would be impossible for her not to be excited under these circumstances.

“The Thousand Tricks is also in a carriage, so we should be able to catch them,” she continued. “Not to mention, our horse is of a different sort. If we hurry we’ll be just fine. Rather, the more time we give them the more complicated their route might become and that will make it harder for us to rendezvous.”

Their carriage was hooked up to an iron mustang—a powerful equine monster. It wouldn’t lose to a normal horse.

“Understood. I don’t really see the monsters in the area won’t give us any trouble,” Rhuda said with a nod.

As an employee of the Explorers’ Association, Chloe knew her way around a battle and she regularly absorbed mana material. She also was adept with a blade; she wouldn’t prove a hindrance to Scorching Whirlwind.

“But be careful,” Rhuda continued. “Tino, an acquaintance of Krai’s, said he likes to get himself wrapped up in trouble.”

“That’s just fine, the work of a high-level hunter is of interest to us at the Association. Besides, per our initial plan, I was to accompany Krai on this trip.”

“I wouldn’t count that as a good thing.”

The White Wolf’s Den quest must have been quite an ordeal, because Rhuda’s smile was a fatigued one.

Just then, a boorish voice called to them from behind.

“Krai. Did you just say, ‘Krai’?”

The voice had come from a large party. It consisted of eight men and two carriages. Chloe looked wide-eyed at the tall giant standing firmly in the center of the group.

It was the Crashing Lightning, Arnold Hail, along with everyone else who had been in the recent clash with the Thousand Tricks.

***

“Tsk, what rotten luck. I guess this sort of weather comes even in Zebrudia.”

They were near the gate. Just barely managing to fit under a shelter with everyone else, Eigh Lalia looked to the sky with disappointment. The sudden storm reminded him and his party members of their homeland Nebulanubes, the Land of Fogs, a place with a rainy season that went year-round.

Judging by the winds and the volume of rain, this wasn’t going to just blow over, it would probably go on all day. The members of Falling Fog were used to fighting in the rain, but that didn’t mean they enjoyed it. In the Land of Fog, storms were a hunter’s worst enemy. Leaving town on a stormy night was something they wanted to avoid.

In the past, it would often be during storms that the Thunder Dragon would attack Nebulanubes. To them, a sky shrouded in dark clouds was a bad omen.

Arnold’s expression was bitter and, if you knew where to look, extremely irritated. He was certain his nemesis had already left the capital. Arnold wanted to begin his pursuit as soon as possible and he knew Eigh and the rest wouldn’t hesitate to come with him.

This wasn’t just a matter of Arnold’s pride, but of everyone in Falling Fog. The Thousand Tricks’s high level put some fear in them, but they were all united in their desire for revenge. However, pursuing a target in the rain was still tremendously difficult, so Arnold refrained from giving the order to go.

They didn’t know where the Thousand Tricks was heading. They had sought out info, but all they learned was that he was going on a vacation. There were only so many towns that were connected directly to the capital by roads, but if they chose the wrong one, it would be too much time lost to recover.

Furthermore, Falling Fog was eight men spread across two carriages; with all their weapons and items, it would be a tight squeeze to put them all in one. Having so many in a party was good in a fight, but it also made them slow to get around.

“There’s no way this will continue for months on end like it can in Nebulanubes. It might be best to rest a night and see what happens,” Eigh proposed.

Then at the same moment, he heard someone say the name of their nemesis. He turned around and saw a party of young hunters. A smile formed on his lips when he saw among them a familiar face.

It was an employee of the Explorers’ Association. Chloe, he was pretty sure. She was the one who had delivered the declaration from the Thousand Tricks. She seemed to remember them as well because her eyes widened.

Eigh realized that he hadn’t seen her since she first delivered that declaration. He didn’t recognize any of the party members with her.

“Falling Fog,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. There was something mysterious about her voice. “What’s a party with an average level of 6 doing at an hour like this?”

The sun had set and rain was falling. No normal hunter would go out at this time. Arnold narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. That meant he was going to leave everything to Eigh. The Crashing Lightning was his party’s symbol, having him speak on every minor occasion would be a sign of weakness.

This was a chance for Eigh to show what he was capable of. He gave his introduction and looked over the young party.

“So you geezers also have business with the Thousand Tricks,” said the red-haired man, Gilbert. “What a coincidence.”

Coincidence. Indeed, a coincidence. It was also fortunate. Apparently, Chloe and the rest had to meet up with the Thousand Tricks for a job and it seemed they knew his destination. Even if they didn’t, the information network and the authority of a large organization like the Explorers’ Association dwarfed that of a single party.

“It’s our lucky day, Arnold. If they’re fine with it, what do you say we tag along with them?”

“Very well,” Arnold said with a nod.

Rhuda opened her mouth, but then closed it, perhaps because her client was right in front of her. Chloe had a thoughtful look on her face. She was likely considering the schism between the Thousand Tricks and Falling Fog.

However, fights were an everyday occurrence in the savage world of hunters. The Explorers’ Association would tacitly allow them as long as no crimes were committed. Perhaps “noninterference” would be more accurate than “tacit approval.” They naturally didn’t approve of murder, but as long as no civilians got caught in the cross fire then inflicting even serious wounds went unpunished.

Even if the young party turned them down, that was no problem for Falling Fog. They were a first-rate party; pursuing the Thousand Tricks would be difficult, but hunting down Rhuda and co would be a simple task.

Falling Fog also had the advantage of strength. They wouldn’t resort to such meaningless violence, but if they wanted to they could wipe the young hunters out for good. Weakness was a crime among their ilk.

Chloe thought it over quietly. She nodded with a smile.

“In that case, I see no reason for the Explorers’ Association to decline. However, I must inform you that even should you protect us during the journey, we won’t be able to compensate you for it.”

Her smile didn’t extend past her lips. She was a bold one. Eigh had heard that she was the niece of that branch manager and he had no trouble believing it.

Chloe could tell what Falling Fog was after. Even still, she saw nothing wrong with showing them the way. This was because she knew they were weaker than their quarry. Naturally, she also realized there wasn’t much she could do to prevent them from simply trailing her party.

A fierce, lopsided grin formed on Arnold’s lips.

“Hmph, I like it. Eigh, we’re going with them.”

Chloe smiled and held out her hand.

“I trust you’ll keep your men in line, Arnold,” she said.

***

I grimaced at the smell of something burning.

We really shouldn’t have gone out in the storm, I thought.

I knew that from the start. Even I didn’t need to be told that this was a bad idea. But, if you’ll grant me the opportunity to defend myself, what could I have done when the storm came up so suddenly?! I was a victim! A victim!

However, I found it hard to keep calling myself such when I saw the black smoke rising from Tino’s body.

She must have been struck by lightning multiple times while being forced to run through the storm. She opened her eyes just slightly and smiled faintly.

“Master,” she said. “Did you...see me? I...did my best.”

“Yeah, you did.”

“Thank you for everything. You... Lizzy... I’m so glad I met all of you...”

Her breath was halting and the strength had left her body. Partway through I began to mentally check out, so I couldn’t be too sure, but it was an extraordinary amount of lightning. It was enough that I gave up counting.

Gee, Siddy, you sure have gotten good at making potions.

Tino’s final words were ones of gratitude despite everything we’d done to her. What a good kid.

I looked at the bad kid, Liz, as she hoisted a smoldering Tino over her shoulder.

“Krai Baby, look, look!” she exclaimed. “It’s just as I said! There was nothing to worry about. She’s alive. Even T’s growing day by day!”

“Yeah, uh-huh. But go a bit easier on her,” I said. “Remember, this is a vacation. No more lightning runs, okay?”

I’d probably be raising a bigger fuss if I wasn’t used to seeing people get struck by lightning.

“Okaaay! I’m sure this was enough to raise her lightning resistance, so we’ll call it there.”

Tino’s wounds wouldn’t be so bad if she just wore Evolve Greed. I’ll definitely make sure she gets some rest at the next town, I swore to myself as I watched a recovery potion get forced down her throat through a straw.

We camped out on the side of the road and spent a few hours there. By dawn, the rain had let up just a bit. The sky was still blocked out by clouds black as night but there was no more thunder, which was an improvement.

In the drizzling rain, Drink, now used to having a rider, dashed this way and that. Apparently, the rain didn’t mean much of anything to a chimera. No matter how many times I saw it, the sight of a two-meter-tall, half naked giant wearing a paper bag and riding atop a chimera struck me as a sign that the end was nigh.

“Don’t worry, this potion will prevent fatigue, even in the rain. Worst-case scenario, if the horses give out we can have Drink pull the carriage.”

Sitri’s usual smile was blinding. I figured it’d be best to leave everything to her.

I climbed into the carriage and removed my water-resistant jacket. It appeared they wouldn’t be running today, because Liz and Tino came in after me. From head to toe, every inch of Tino seemed to be exhausted. Last, Sitri entered and then the carriage got moving.

It seemed that Black and the others would be on driver duty again. They were all deathly pale and seemed in poor health, but I figured it was nothing to worry about.

I had my reservations, but I took a deep breath and spoke up when I was ready.

“I’m banning all training.”

“Huh?!”

Liz had been hugging her knees and smiling, but my sudden mandate caused her to purse her lips with dissatisfaction.

Looking back, my childhood friends had always been going full throttle. From when we weren’t even hunters and still in our hometown, to when we had overcome many obstacles and made names for ourselves, I had never seen them ease up.

That was probably a part of their success, something I had only ever witnessed while cowering from the sidelines. This time, however, I would be imposing limits. Tino had been covered in wounds. Sitri’s potion had somehow managed to keep her breathing and she had been given time to rest, but there were bags under her eyes and her dainty shoulders were visibly shaking.

Considering smoke had been rising from her body the previous night, that potion was something incredible. However, our objective was not to develop lightning resistance. It was not any form of special training. I hardly needed to say it, but it also wasn’t to test out Evolve Greed.

I wanted Tino, Liz, and Sitri to rest once in a while! I had brought them along as bodyguards, but I hadn’t been thinking only of myself. It might not sound convincing coming from a guy who’s always taking breaks, but it’s important to occasionally forget your training and rest your body and soul.

Looking out the window, I saw a vast gloomy plain. I could see no other carriages or travelers in the vicinity and there was something lonely about the misty grasslands. I didn’t know if another storm was on its way or not, but it was a vacation so I wanted to avoid camping out anyway.

Right, this is a vacation! Just an excursion! No training necessary! 

“Our objective is to go on vacation! Have some pity for Tino!” I said with passion.

I had already said this a number of times, but nobody seemed to understand that.

Tino looked at me in disbelief. Liz didn’t seem to be repenting in the slightest. I might mention here that she had also been struck by lightning but, as luck would have it, she was unharmed. Who knew that was possible?

“But, Krai Baby, that was the perfect opportunity,” she said with upturned eyes. “If you don’t train when you can, you might not be strong enough when it really counts.”

“It’s fine,” I said. “Probably.”

I had heard of people training under falling water, but not under falling lightning.

If you wanna get hit by lightning, that’s fine but please stop trying to transform Tino.

Sitri had been sitting with her hands on her knees and legs folded beneath her when she clapped as though struck by sudden inspiration.

“Could this be practice binding?” she asked.

Well, there’s a word I’ve never heard before...

“By electing to refrain from training, we’ll keep our strength low and therefore experience more life-threatening battles. Am I correct?”

Not at all.

Sitri sure came up with some, shall we say, abnormal ideas. My childhood friends were hunters to their very core. For some reason, the bizarre suggestion had Tino looking at me with a look of shock.

“Am I correct in assuming that you don’t think we need anyone who couldn’t survive such an affair?” Sitri said. “I think it’s quite logical! We can’t always go easy on ourselves.”

“Leave it to Krai Baby to come up with something so harsh!” Liz said. “Give it all you’ve got, T! It’s not my fault if you get killed!”

That’s not at all what I was getting at. And why do you two look so happy?

Tino dragged her body towards me. Apparently, she had been quite calm and collected when she was a solo hunter, but thanks to Liz she always looked at me with teary eyes. I wanted to hug her and thank her for all her hard work.

“Master, I want to continue training,” she said.

“Hah? If Krai Baby says jump, you ask how high! How many times do I have to repeat myself?” Liz yelled as she ripped Tino off of me and flung her to the ground.

She’s become a villain. I didn’t even say for her to jump, but it seems she’ll be airborne anyway.

It had been over a year since I had gone on an adventure with Liz or anyone in Grieving Souls. While I had been in my office eating ice cream, polishing Relics, and messing with Eva, they were hunters past the point of recovery. I had felt that way before, but I had never imagined they would get to the point where they couldn’t distinguish training from a vacation.

This is bad. They’re going to lose what few social skills they have. They might even infect Tino and the other clan members. 

“It looks like you all need to be straightened out,” I said with a hard-boiled smile.

Our vacation gained another objective. I would make sure they thoroughly forgot all about training and make them rest. I would teach them how to relax. This was the perfect job for me, the master of loafing about. These hunters were far too hungry for adrenaline.

Liz’s eyes glimmered.

Nope, even if you look at me like that, I’ll still stop you. No matter what. And isn’t it a bit strange that you smiled when I mentioned straightening you out?

Tino was quivering.

Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.

“Like I said earlier, this is a vacation. You’re all banned from training.”

Liz threw up her hand.

“Hey, what counts as training? Where does physical exercise land?”

“That’s banned too.”

“Running?”

“That too.”

“Okay, okay, but what about, say, wearing heavy clothes?”

“That too.”

Please stop trying to poke holes in my mandates.

“Mmm, how about light sparring? Does that count as training?”

“Does the application of potions fall under training?”

Even Sitri got in on the dumb bit.

I said this was a vacation and yes, it does count. It all counts. Let’s enjoy this vacation. Let’s relax. 

“Anything you do to become stronger counts as training.”

“Huh?! What about breathing methods? Walking methods? What if it’s something I do unconsciously?” Liz went on.

“Does thinking about tactics count as training? How about giving orders and synthesizing potions?” Sitri asked.

I was a bit put off by just how concerned they were.

You guys are far too attached to your daily training. What do you even mean by tactics?

“Yeah, it’s all training, and therefore banned.”

Both sisters looked heartbroken. I cleared my throat. This was supposed to be a fun vacation, at this rate I was putting the cart before the horse.

“W-Well, I allow it if you really can’t help yourselves...”

“You’re the best!” Liz cried.

“Indeed. It might be bearable for Lizzy and myself, but it could prove an ordeal for T,” Sitri said.

“Master, thank you very much.”

I didn’t know why Tino was thanking me. I looked at Liz’s broad smile, Tino’s tears, and Sitri’s expression of concern, and just sort of stopped caring. It was a bad habit of mine.

But if I were to pull back here, nothing would change, so I closed my eyes and, though it pained me to do it, continued with my next mandate.

“Next, I’m banning violent behavior.”

“Okay, how about a light, like a reeeally light kick? Does that count?” Liz asked. “How about giving cocky bastards what’s coming to them? Does pounding T during her training count?”

“Does it fall under violent behavior if it’s done in self-defense?” Sitri said. “For instance, what about using authority to quash opposition? And what about the application of potions?”

“Master’s Trials...” Tino mumbled. “They’re far worse than simple violence.”

Those are all out. 

It would defeat the purpose of the ban if I just made exceptions. Besides, I didn’t see how violence was necessary for a vacation. Tino’s words had been like a stab to the chest. I had to do whatever I could to recover my glory as her master.

“And the final, and most important, thing is to have fun.”

Never mind the circumstances that brought us here, we’ve left the capital and it’d be a waste not to enjoy it. 

Once we met up with the rest of Grieving Souls, I wouldn’t have to worry about protection any longer. It had been some time since the entire party went out together. I expected some bumps along the way, but I was certain we would have a good vacation.

Liz and Sitri both smiled, but Tino looked somewhat uneasy.

***

The rain showed no sign of abating.

However, we didn’t run into any monsters. When we arrived at the first town, it was a few hours later than anticipated.

The town was Elan. Compared to the capital, it was quite small and served mostly as a stopping point along the way. Even still, there should have been a fair number of people lined up outside the gate, yet, perhaps due to the weather, we didn’t see a single person.

I climbed out of the carriage and stretched my limbs and stiff body while enjoying the feeling of standing on solid ground for the first time in a few hours. It was still daytime, but large dark clouds concealed the sun.

“What terrible weather...”

To have so much precipitation when it wasn’t even the rainy season, well, I wasn’t going to call it a bad omen. However, after sitting in the rain that whole time Sitri’s hired hands all looked to be at their wits’ ends.

Only Killiam and Drink both seemed entirely unaffected. Perhaps they enjoyed the run in the rain because they both looked quite in their element. I also learned that Killiam’s paper bag was apparently waterproof.

“Krai, did you notice that we had the wind to our backs the entire time?” Sitri asked as she got out of the carriage.

I couldn’t tell what she was getting at. Such a thing didn’t sound possible, but either way, I didn’t care about the direction of the wind. Of course I didn’t notice.

“Oh? That’s nice.”

My first concern was the cold and weary horses. I thought we should spend a night in this town and let them rest. We weren’t being chased by anyone, nor were we in any hurry.

“Aah, that was bugging me. The rain just kept falling and falling,” Liz said with a gleeful clap of her hands. “This storm’s totally following us. When we got to this town, the wind stopped.”

Did I do something to deserve this?!

We finished our paperwork and were let into town. There was a bit of a fuss about Killiam and Drink coming in but apparently, we had a license to bring monsters with us. This license was normally for Monster Tamers, but Sitri’s thoroughness knew no bounds.

The buildings were smaller and the streets less crowded, but other than that Elan didn’t look too different from the capital. Except this wasn’t the capital. Nobody in this nondescript town knew who I was.

I didn’t have anything against Zebrudia, but I had far too many ties to the capital. Everyone in that city was watching me and waiting for a chance to strike. I thought back to that time I became tangled up in Arty’s affairs while simply walking down the street.

But now I was in a town where very few people might recognize me. It was also raining so I wore a hood that obscured my face; my chances of being noticed were next to none. The thought of this made me feel like a weight was off my chest.

Thinking on it with a clear head, there was no way that storm was following us. It had been nothing more than a simple case of bad luck. Even if I were to get struck with lightning I knew I could withstand multiple hits because Kris had charged my Safety Rings.

I took a deep breath and let myself brim with excitement for the coming vacation.

I am a free man!

Liz abruptly began spinning in circles for no clear reason. Without actually tripping on anything, she stumbled and fell forward. She landed in a puddle and splashed water on my legs. Not a common sight. I wondered if she might be feeling ill. I looked at her with a furrowed brow.

“He he he, sorry about that,” she said with an awkward smile. “I forgot how to walk with my guard down. I haven’t walked like this in years.”

“Y-You haven’t?”

This wasn’t quite what I was hoping for, but I pushed those thoughts aside. I just wanted her to enjoy a relaxing vacation, but if I told her just to be herself then she’d return to the usual walking genocide. Liz only had one pedal and that was the accelerator. I would just have her endure the vacation and make it up to her later.

Despite her stumbling, Liz clasped her hands behind her back and gave me a bright smile.

“But, this is something new. I think it’s kinda fun?”

I didn’t say anything.

It’s good to find joy in everything you do. Maybe I should try to learn from her example.

I was watching Killiam, who was breathing heavily and holding Drink’s reins, when Sitri and Tino returned from their errand. Sitri’s light pink eyes glimmered from beneath her hood.

“My apologies for the delay,” she said.

“Don’t worry about it. Did you have an errand or something?”

I figured it must have been important if she ran off to take care of it while it was raining and we still hadn’t secured any lodging.

My question had been an innocent one, but Sitri held a hand over her mouth and looked bashful.

“No,” she said. “I cut myself off from my information network.”

“Huh?”

“I had arranged so I would be contacted should something happen, but that goes against your orders, doesn’t it? I also retracted any initial groundwork done regarding the landlord. Ah, I haven’t been this defenseless in so long. It’s a bit thrilling. This will be another good experience.”

Being unable to hold back was something you could consider to be both a strength and weakness of those sisters. I had wanted to seal off their arms—their actions—not their eyes and ears, but it was hard to say that when I had given the order in the first place.

Just act normally. Normally.

Liz whistled.

“Hmm, you’re not messing around, Siddy,” she said and looked at me. “Hey, Krai Baby, maybe I should bind my legs or something?”

“You don’t need to bind your legs...”

This isn’t a game where you give yourself handicaps. All I’m asking is that you spend some time at rest.

It seemed only Tino understood the vacation. I glanced at her and saw that she was cowering behind Sitri, but due to their differences in height, she couldn’t conceal herself entirely. This came as something of a shock after the deference she had been showing the past few days.

Maybe she still isn’t over the incident with the mask... Don’t worry, Tino. A Relic is simply a tool, and with practice, you should be able to control it. Even if you lose control, Liz or Sitri will stop you, so don’t be afraid...

“Krai, what shall we do about lodgings?” Sitri asked. “Since this is technically a vacation I think we should find somewhere of an appropriate rank...”

“Can we get lodgings without booking in advance? I bet there are tons of people stuck here due to the rain.”

“I’m sure we can if we use your name,” she answered with a thin smile. She didn’t even take a moment to think about it.

I wondered what value could be attached to a name like mine, but pondering that only made me sad. Within the capital, high-level hunters received preferential treatment. I rarely took advantage of this because doing so made me feel bad, but Sitri had a point, invoking my level might allow me to secure a room or two.

But I couldn’t do that. I was out on vacation because I was shirking my duties.

“Not gonna happen,” I said in a hushed voice. “We’re on a trip right now. Think of it like this, we’re not currently hunters.”

We wouldn’t be taking quests, going to battle, or working. If someone on the street asked me if I was the Thousand Tricks, I planned to tell them they had the wrong guy. We wouldn’t do any training either. That’s what vacations were all about.

“That sounds very refreshing. What a wonderful idea,” said Sitri.

Even though I thought I was suggesting something dumb, Sitri offered her approval without hesitation.

You’re going to spoil like this. No, I should be apologizing. Somebody set me straight. 

“Oh, we’re gonna be hiding our true identities. That sounds so fun! It’ll be like we’re undercover! What do you think, T?” Liz said.

“I-I can’t pretend to understand Master’s true intentions,” Tino said.

“You’ve gotta put more energy into it. Later we can brag to Luke about this.”

It was then that I made a terrible realization: there was nobody in this group who would offer me their opinion. If I fell into a hole, everyone here would fall down with me. I should have at least brought Eva.

The right thing to do would be to just take responsibility for my actions and tread carefully, but I wouldn’t be the only one affected by that. An indescribable sense of dread swept over me.

“I understood your intentions, Krai. Leave the arrangements to me,” Sitri said while gripping my hand.

***

Perhaps anticipation really was worse than anything that might come after.

Even after her disgraceful behavior, Tino’s master and the Smart sisters acted no differently towards her. It was possible they were just being nice to her, but Tino struggled to believe it. Treasure hunters needed to be strong both physically and mentally, and Tino’s master and the Smart sisters were fortifying her on both fronts.

Tino had been worried she might die when she had been made to run about in the storm and get struck by lightning. However, seeing how nonchalant Liz and Sitri had been, she was now only embarrassed at how much more she had to learn.

Her master’s words were worth more to her than any amount of gold, but they were also something to be feared. Every Trial of his up until now had been a hellish barrage of adversities. But on the other hand, Tino was glad she had looked death in the eye and survived to tell the tale and she trained daily with this sort of resolve.

However, this current Trial differed from any other so far. This was a training bind; she was supposed to put aside the skills she worked to the bone to develop and place herself in the position of someone weak.

Initially, she failed to understand the point of this, but she figured it out by watching Lizzy and Siddy. She didn’t know what was going to happen on their vacation, but she could tell it wasn’t going to be anything good. What might be a vacation to the capital’s strongest Level 8 would surely be a gauntlet to her.

Now she would be going in defenseless to the sort of Trials that she barely managed to complete with her life intact. She wouldn’t be risking her life, she would be throwing it away. It was a Trial unprecedented and perilous.

Naturally, the Smart sisters would have a better understanding of Krai’s words than Tino. So why was there not a shadow of concern on their faces? It was beyond Tino’s understanding. The two sisters weren’t accustomed to leaving themselves defenseless and it showed in their every movement, but Tino saw even that in an admirable light.

Surely this must be the difference experience makes. Tino couldn’t hope to emulate them. It had become second nature for her to be aware of her surroundings, make no footfalls, and always be prepared for combat. To throw that away would be throwing away everything she built up until this point.

The humiliation she had felt when Lizzy dragged her to the carriage had faded without a trace now that this new Trial lay before her. This wasn’t simple combat training, this was refinement of the soul. This was so that her soul might be as fluid and placed as water, that she might stay calm even in the worst of situations.

Tino had been unable to quell the emotions inflated by that mask and secluded herself in her room after she had been overwhelmed by the shame that followed. For someone capable of such failures, this would be a Trial far more grueling than being struck by lightning.

Then she found herself floored when she recalled the usual demeanor of her master. She checked once more, and, sure enough, he was defenseless. More so than even Lizzy or Sitri. Not only that, she remembered that he was defenseless in any situation, no matter how dire. Just what sort of bold spirit was necessary to calmly expose oneself to danger so many times?

Tino felt a fear that defied description.

Suddenly, her master turned towards her and she corrected her posture.

“I’m sorry that Liz forced you to come along,” he said.

“Think nothing of it, Master,” she said. “But...am I not a burden?”

Tino was still lacking. Not counting the three obvious sacrifices Siddy had brought along, she was by far the weakest of the four people on the trip. She was short on experience, strength, everything. She probably even ranked below Killiam.

But she had faith in her master to come to her aid should she be faced with certain peril.

She was worried that she might be a burden. She was both scared and nervous at the thought of this new Trial. She had to fight these thoughts back when she asked if she was a burden, but her unerring master looked at her in surprise.

“Of course not, I was hoping you would come with us,” he said. “After all, Liz is always being so hard on you.”

His mellow smile caused Tino to shiver almost instinctively. She felt indebted to her master and she was very fond of him, but that didn’t mean she was always happy to accept his strenuous Trials.

She saw only goodwill in his eyes, but that made him all the more terrifying. It was with perfectly good intentions that he inflicted his Trials, that he brought her on this out-of-the-blue vacation and put her in mortal peril.

Once, he said he was going on a trip and ended up slaying a dragon. Another time, he said he was going flower-viewing and arrived at the moment of a treasure vault’s appearance. He lived by common sense quite different from Tino’s.

She had intended to not be so easily swayed but that didn’t pan out.

“Oh, Master, I’m so glad to hear that,” she said with a sniffle. A pleading tone entered her voice. “I’m reaching my limits with Lizzy’s training.”

Tino thought both her master and Lizzy to be incredible people. She didn’t complain about their Trials because they didn’t just blindly assign them, they also participated. Lizzy was glad to do this and Tino found that incredible.

However, there was one thing she had to say: that it was all too much for her.

“Yeah, uh-huh. That’s why I want you to spread your wings this time,” he said.

“How nice is that!” Liz cut in. “T, you’re getting a shot at redemption! C’mon try to look a bit happier about it, you’re being rude to Krai Baby.”

Just what did her master want of her? As Tino wondered this, Liz’s shrill voice seemed quite distant.

***

Led by Sitri, we spent about half an hour walking down back roads until we arrived at a cozy little house.

It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was far from shabby. There was no name plaque and it was the sort of unremarkable building you’d forget the moment you looked the other way. Walls lined the perimeter and the metal gate was shut tightly.

Sitri pulled out a jingling bundle of dozens of similar-looking keys and didn’t hesitate to select one before sliding it into the keyhole.

“I prepared this place because I was certain it would be useful to you one day,” she said.

“Look at you, stooping to lying just to earn points,” Liz said. “Don’t you have any pride?”

“Oh hush, Lizzy, it’s not like you’re being of any use!”

The key turned with a click.

“It’s a base for emergencies,” Sitri explained while opening the gate. “Nobody but me knows of its existence. If there’s any place better for you to hide then, hmmm, I can’t imagine it.”

“A base? Or a vacation house? And you bought this, Sitri?” I asked.

“Indeed. You never know what might happen in this day and age.”

Just what in the world did you have in mind?

This was far more than I would have expected. It was a small, sturdy house. There was even a garden. It didn’t seem like she was renting it, which meant she must have put a fair amount of money into this. Even I had been considering changing our base of operations once we all retired, but Sitri was operating on an entirely different level.

“You see, no matter how hard you try to avoid it, staying at a lodge will leave some form of trail,” Sitri said.

I wondered just what sort of pursuers she was anticipating. I had my doubts, but they just faded away when I saw Sitri’s effulgent smile. I was fine, I just needed to not do anything bad that might cause someone to come after me.

“If you’d like, I can prepare a new family register,” she said. “I already have multiple on hand.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“If you say so...”

Sitri seemed a bit let down, but I wasn’t going to change my family register all in the name of playing hooky. I wasn’t even sure if that was legal.

Liz pursed her lips and tugged on my sleeve.

“Hey, Krai Baby, does preparing a hideaway count as violence? If it doesn’t then this is way in Sitri’s favor.”

“It doesn’t count as violence. Nor is it creating trouble for anyone.”

“But it creates trouble for me? Does it count as training?”

“It doesn’t.”

It was then that I realized something: I didn’t have much money. I didn’t know how long this vacation might go on, so I needed to cut costs where I could.

The house must have been long unused because it had that particular scent of an abandoned building. The rain gently tapped against the roof. My eyes wandered about the room. There was an entrance hall and a living room. A kitchen, bathroom, and two bedrooms, each with two beds.

It didn’t feel lived in, but it did have the bare minimum of necessary furnishings. The low ceiling made it a tight fit for Killiam, and Drink couldn’t even enter the house. It stayed in the garden.

It didn’t seem like there would be enough space for Sitri’s hired hands, so she sent them somewhere else. Four people was already plenty for a place this size. It wasn’t luxurious, but it was perfectly livable.

The amount of preparation made for a hideaway that might not even get used was a good glimpse into Sitri’s sense of perfectionism.

Sitri set her bag down and removed her hood.

“The house is stocked with food,” she said with a grin. “It’s all shelf-stable food, so you might find the taste wanting.”

Well, this isn’t so bad. It’s not what I had in mind, but it’s a fine way to spend a vacation.

Staying in a fancy lodge was nice, but there was something exciting about sleeping in a little house. This wouldn’t have been possible if we had brought other clan members with us. Breaking from our daily norms wasn’t so bad when it didn’t involve peril.

The word hideaway (except it wasn’t really hidden, it was more of a vacation house) was a romantic one. There were also beds and that made it leagues better than spending a night in the carriage.

Even Liz seemed to be enjoying herself as she knocked on the walls.

Wait, why’s she doing that?

“Siddy, this looks like an ordinary house. Are the walls up to snuff?” she asked.

“Lizzy, that sort of thing was banned by Krai, remember? Now, they are reinforced, so it should take more than an ordinary weapon to break them...”

“Ah! S-Sorry, Krai Baby. It wasn’t on purpose. It’s just a habit.”

Liz quickly bowed her head, but I wasn’t angry at her or anything. I didn’t want to make things harder for them, I just wanted them to have a peaceful vacation.

“I’m fairly confident all the bare necessities are in order,” Sitri said.

“Way to go. Though it pisses me off to think you did all this and I never knew about it.”

Perhaps following her instincts as a Thief, Liz hummed a tune and searched the house. I decided to take Sitri up on her offer and took off my coat and sat on the couch. Our trip had only just begun and I hadn’t even done anything, yet I somehow had a satisfying sense of exhaustion. I let out a yawn as Sitri boiled water and began to put on tea.

If I was god, I’d be considering divine punishment for Krai Andrey right about now. 

“Master, your guard’s completely down. I shouldn’t have expected anything less,” Tino said.

“Yeah, uh-huh.”

I couldn’t tell if she was showing respect or making fun of me.

Liz let out a low whistle while moving a bookcase. She lightly pressed her hand against the back of the bookcase and one of the walls slid to the side without making a sound. Neatly arranged on the newly appeared wall were a plethora of weapons. Longswords, knives, staffs, guns, crossbows. There wasn’t anything large like a battleaxe or a spear, but it still looked like something out of a weapon show. The room’s bright lighting reflected off the polished blades.

Have I walked into a weapon store?

There was also a shelf lined with vials containing liquids of all the colors of the rainbow. It was a startling contrast between the shelves and the simple room.

“Lizzy, nobody said you could touch that!” Sitri said.

“Hmmm. What’s this? A paralytic agent and a sleeping potion? And an...aphrodisiac? What were you planning to use this for?” Liz said.

“Cut that out! I have my own steps I need to take! I planned to explain it to Krai later.”

It seems this isn’t a normal vacation house.

From the floors to the ceiling, Liz didn’t hesitate to touch everything and Sitri yelled at her every time. Even in a room that looked normal at first glance, a Thief could find layers of secrets. Rolling up the carpet revealed a door to a cellar, and hidden among the spices in the kitchen cupboard were various poisons. Sitri’s level of preparation left me more impressed than surprised.

I wonder if all hunters are like this...

“Look, Krai Baby! Siddy keeps her hideaway stocked with salacious underwear! So, Siddy, why’s this in your safe house? Is it a necessity? What do you plan to use it for? Don’t tell me, seduction?” Liz said while rooting through a dresser.

“Stop it! It’s none of your business!”

Liz ignored Sitri’s protests and gripped a bit of black fabric with a cheer, which was all but drowned out by a piercing shriek from Sitri. As usual, I pretended not to notice. Tino looked quite bewildered, but this sort of horsing around was normal for these sisters.

Responding to Liz would only encourage her, so, in an act of mercy towards Sitri, I ignored her.

Salacious underwear, huh?

“Tino, is there anywhere you want to go?” I asked, mainly in an effort to keep my mind off the fighting sisters.

Our vacation had no specific destination and I wanted to do something nice for her since she was always getting the short end of the stick. Her shoulders jumped and she struggled to hide her confusion.

“Ah, um, wherever’s easiest,” she said.

“Easy? What do you mean? We’re not planning to go anywhere difficult.”

She wasn’t being very specific. For instance, maybe she wanted to go for ice cream. I couldn’t tell why she answered with a word like “easiest.”

“S-Somewhere not too dangerous,” she said in a voice so low I had to strain my ears to hear her.

“I’ve already told you, we won’t go anywhere dangerous. Have I ever tried to go anywhere dangerous in the past?”

Tino let out a stifled groan.

I tried to put her at ease in clear terms, but for some reason, she seemed like she was going to fall apart. Her white throat bobbed up and down and her lips were pressed together almost as though she were trying to hold back tears. It seemed she didn’t believe me at all. All things considered, perhaps I deserved it but I still didn’t like it.

I offered her a seat on the couch opposite me. She warily sat down and placed her hands on her knees.

“Tino, I’ve said this before, but this is a vacation. You can take it easy. That time with White Wolf’s Den was just a bit of a screwup on my part.”

“Just...a bit?”

“Sorry. A huge one. A huge screwup. What happened then was entirely beyond my expectations.”

I gave in to Tino’s teary eyes. I stopped giving a damn about my esteem as her master. I didn’t think she’d forgive me just because I hadn’t expected all that to happen, but what mattered was honesty. And the future.

“The mask too. If you don’t want to, then you don’t have to wear it. I promise. Though I’m certain you could put it to good use.”

When Tino wore the mask she wasn’t at all like how Ark described Éclair’s transformation. Tino appeared embarrassed over what had happened but I thought that by comparison, she was relatively stable. But if she didn’t want to wear the mask, then that was fine.

“I said it back then, but when you wore the mask you became Mad Tino.”

Her emotions had been boosted. Her sense of loyalty had amplified and she became more assertive. That’s all.

It seemed I brought back bad memories because a shade of crimson tinged her cheeks. I thought that if I made her remember that event any more then she would refuse to wear the mask ever again, so I returned our conversation to the initial subject.

“This time, there will be absolutely no danger. We won’t even fight any battles. At least, you and I won’t.”

That turned out to be a loaded sentence.

With my abysmal luck, there was no way to guarantee that we wouldn’t be dragged into some sort of skirmish. But come what may, we had Liz and Sitri on our side as well as Killiam and the fully grown Drink.

“Master...”

Tino called to me, but the tears in her eyes still hadn’t gone away. I wondered what I had done to her to prevent her from ever believing me. I had a few guesses, but I swear I had never intentionally put Tino in danger. It was for her sake that I tried to put the mask on her back in the carriage!

“I swear. No matter what happens, we’ll retreat to the sidelines. It was never my intention to put you in danger. Right—”

—if something happens, I’ll protect you.

In desperation, I was acting quite out of character, when my vision went white. At the same time, thunder rocked the house, causing me to jump.

Was that thunder? It sounded really close. Am I sure it was just thunder?

The house itself hadn’t been struck, but the impact still left me dizzy. I was thinking this was bad timing because I had just said something cool, but then I thought back on it and realized it was actually pretty embarrassing. Perhaps that thunder was for the best.

“Huh?! How come you and Krai Baby are sharing a bedroom?! Anyone can tell that makes no sense!” Liz yelled.

“This house is my house and T’s your apprentice!” Sitri yelled back. “Unless you plan on giving T over to me?”

“You can have her and then Krai Baby will be all mine! That sounds fair! Now stay away from him forever!”

I was impressed by their ability to continue arguing as though there hadn’t been a deafening boom just a moment ago. Besides, if we had two rooms then couldn’t we just sort by gender? It seemed like it was about time I played mediator in their argument; it was always the bystanders who were hurt most during their fights.

I was about to call out to them, but I noticed Tino seemed to be acting strangely. There were still tears in her eyes, but she wasn’t cowering like she had been earlier. She was looking at me with an empty expression. It didn’t seem like the thunder had bothered her. She had just trained by letting herself get struck by lightning but she didn’t seem traumatized by it.

Then her cheeks flushed.

“Master...”

“Don’t tell me you heard all that?”

She nodded. She had heard my voice despite the din. What terrifying creatures hunters could be. It wasn’t a big deal that she heard me, but that didn’t change the fact that it was still embarrassing. Really, it wasn’t the first time Tino had seen me act in an unflattering manner. In fact, the thought of being protected by someone like me might be more embarrassing for her.

“Well, I’m talking more about sentiment,” I said. “You might not need my protection, but I’ll offer it just in case. Sorry if that made you uncomfortable, you can just forget I said anything.”

“No, I’m grateful, Master. And I’m sorry.”

Tino lowered her head and wiped her tears with her sleeve. When she looked up again, there wasn’t a single droplet remaining. Her eyes were still a tad red but now had the unwavering strength of a solo hunter.

“You don’t have to worry anymore, Master,” she said as she stood up and clenched her fist. “Whatever comes, I’m certain I won’t lose. I’m still weak and inexperienced, but I’ll overcome! Just watch! Bring on the lightning!”

I didn’t really get it, but she seemed pretty riled up. Liz and Sitri paused their bickering and looked at Tino, but she didn’t mind one bit. She had her lips drawn tight and looked determined. Now she looked like someone I could depend on.

Well, this is nice—wait. I said nothing dangerous would come our way. Were you even listening to me? Was everything I said for nothing? What can I do to make you believe me?

I didn’t have much room to complain, but it still hurt for her to have so little faith in me. I sat there with slumped shoulders and then, as though to mock everything I had just said, a warning siren began to ring.

I just wanna retire. 

I sipped Sitri’s fine black tea and turned away from reality. The concerto of thunder and the warning siren seemed to go on forever.

The red had faded from Tino’s cheeks and they were now a bit stiff. She didn’t seem angry with me, she just looked out the window uncomfortably. Lightning flashed and I gulped down more tea.

I was fairly used to storms. It was because I ran into them no matter where I went. However, it was still rare to hear a warning siren blare for so long in a residential area.

Zebrudia was a relatively safe place. Towns above a certain size were protected from monsters and criminals via knights dispatched by the country or the landlord. Elan, of course, was no exception. In the holy land of treasure hunting, knight orders often had a former hunter or two in their ranks. That was enough to deal with your everyday troubles.

So I had to wonder, what was causing the siren to continue ringing nonstop? I didn’t think the storm was enough to warrant it going so long. It seemed safe to assume that something major had happened.

I let out a big yawn and folded my legs.

“Sitri, are there any snacks?” I asked.

“Ah, there are! I have some chocolates I think you might like!”

Sitri took a bowl and filled it with chocolates wrapped in shiny paper of all different colors. They seemed like an import from some industrious country. I did everything I could to ignore the siren and unwrapped a chocolate.

“Master,” Tino said timidly. “Are you sure about this?”

The siren? It’s got nothing to do with me. 

Nobody had requested that I do anything, and even if they did then I had the right to refuse. Maintaining order in a town wasn’t even a hunter’s main job, it was raiding treasure vaults. This was the domain of the knights, it was why they received taxpayer’s money. I didn’t want people coming to me with every little problem just because I was a Level 8.

Tino was fretting, so I beckoned her over and offered her an unwrapped chocolate.

“Don’t worry, I anticipated this much,” I said with a reassuring smile. “I promised no battles on this vacation, didn’t I?”

I was used to getting wrapped up in accidents and this wasn’t the first time I had heard a siren. I knew the best thing to do in these situations was just to sit still. Usually, someone would come along and resolve everything. Even among our clan, I was confident I was among the best at sitting still.

Presumably, a first-rate hunter would hear the siren and rush to offer their assistance, but there was nothing I could do that would be of use. I’d just get in the way so I stayed back.

“I’m sure there’s someone in town more suited to the task than me,” I explained.

“Whaaat?! We’re not gonna see what’s up?” Liz said in a saccharine voice as she leaned forward.

“We’re not. Have you forgotten our objective, Liz?”

“Objective?”

“This is a vacation. A VA-CA-TION!”

There was no way she could have forgotten after I had explained it so thoroughly. Her love for commotion just exceeded the bounds of any normal human being. I wasn’t going to stumble after taking my first few steps outside the capital. If I went and stuck my neck into that mess I might give myself away. If someone came to us and made a direct request I would be obligated to respond as the clan master of First Steps, and that was something I needed to avoid.

“Sitri, no one knows that we’re here, right?” I asked.

“But of course. I didn’t even inform the Explorers’ Association,” she said. “We registered at the town gates so that might tip someone off that we’re here, but they still wouldn’t know about this hideaway.”

Unlike me, Sitri was no fool. It seemed I didn’t have to worry about Tino being wrapped up in something after all.

“Let’s not leave this house until things outside have settled down. Is there any food here?”

“We have enough to comfortably last a month. For other resources—”

A whole month, huh? That’s plenty. Actually, that’s way more than plenty. Is Sitri preparing to withstand a siege?

“Tino, I understand your concern,” I said. “However, it’s best to stay calm in these situations. I already said it, but we’re not getting involved in any battles. This isn’t our place. The siren will wind down soon enough, so take a seat.”

“Hmm. So you anticipated this as well, Master. Didn’t you?”

I didn’t think Tino was the type to want to stick her neck into trouble no matter what. She looked at me with unfounded trust and sat down on the sofa.

“Yeah, uh-huh. Liz, you too. Take a seat. Absolutely nobody goes outside.”

The problem wasn’t someone obedient like Tino, it was Liz. She was the one who wanted to stick her neck into trouble no matter what. She was the one who would immediately forget everything I had just said. She was the one who would fly into trouble like a broken spring toy. And for some reason, it was always my fault.

“Huh? Come ooon,” Liz whined.

She still did as I said and sat down next to me. I made sure to grab her wrist and hold tight. She squealed and pressed her body against me. I pacified her by running a hand through her hair.

I was filled with a renewed determination to make sure this vacation went without incident. And then I would brag to other clan members once we got home. Once that happened, Tino might once again have an iota of faith in me.

***

It was impressive. The sort of thing you could expect from a Level 7 hunter’s leadership. They sped down the road in spite of the rain and darkness—two conditions most hunters preferred to avoid.

It didn’t show on her face, but Chloe was deeply impressed by the sight of Falling Fog fighting back nocturnal monsters like it was nothing. The rear guard, Scorching Whirlwind, didn’t even get a chance to help out. They rarely even had to stop the carriage. From the start, she understood that Arnold wasn’t weak, but now she understood why he was known as a champion.

The rest of his party was quite adept as well. It was a stormy night, visibility was minimal, yet they moved quietly and didn’t let a single monster get close. Even in the hunter’s holy land, there weren’t many this fierce.

A member of Falling Fog remained in the carriage as a guard.

“Back home, in Nebulanubes, we had to work with low visibility all the time,” he said with a smile.

“I see,” Chloe said. “I hear conditions there are quite harsh.”

“The monsters were also stronger than what you find out here. But, I suppose in Zebrudia they come in greater numbers.”

Peculiarities of an environment greatly affected its monsters. A harsh environment would produce tougher monsters. It made sense to Chloe that those same conditions would keep the population from growing too much.

Falling Fog was vanquishing monsters without the slightest struggle. The Crashing Lightning wasn’t even lending a hand, but the rest of Falling Fog proved more than enough.

Chloe knew what Arnold was after. He was keeping his emotions under control, but after watching over many hunters she could tell that he still had a score to settle with the Thousand Tricks.

Letting his party come along wasn’t ideal, but it was the next best thing. At Level 7, a hunter had few reasons to obey the Explorers’ Association. Someone like the branch manager might be able to do something about it, but there wasn’t much someone like Chloe could do to stop him. She didn’t even have the authority to intervene before he did anything. Therefore, her best option was to let him start his fight right in front of her eyes; he probably wouldn’t do anything too extreme while being watched by an employee of the Association.

What’s more, it was quite possible that the boundless cunning of the Thousand Tricks had let him anticipate such an event.

“That’s because there are numerous treasure vaults here in Zebrudia,” Chloe said. “Including high-level ones unlike anything in Nebulanubes.”

“Mmm, indeed. We’ve had a few obstacles thrown in our way, but there’s not a treasure vault that we can’t conquer. I’m looking forward to seeing what the empire has in store for us.”

Lightning flashed. There wasn’t a trace of uncertainty on the man’s illuminated face. Actually, there was some uncertainty, there was just far more confidence. Confidence in oneself, their leader, and the rest of their party. He knew fear but pressed on anyway—the ideal mindset of a hunter.

Krai, just what in the world did you do to anger these people? Chloe wondered. It must have been quite something if they were chasing after him in the middle of the storm.

“It still seems like there’s a whole lot of monsters creeping about today. I don’t see a single corpse either. Is the Thousand Tricks really in Elan?”

“The Gladis Earldom can not be reached without passing through Elan and I don’t think he’d run his carriage too hard in this rain. Remember, we’re trying to rendezvous with him as well.”

The man gave an ambivalent reply.

Chloe was all but certain of Krai’s location. Indeed, the number of monsters and lack of corpses still bothered her, but she, too, was in a hurry. She wasn’t going to start lying.

Thunder rumbled again and Rhuda looked out the window with a forlorn expression.

***

They reached Elan late into the night. The rain had intensified and lightning bolts streaked across the dense clouds. It would have been a much more trying journey without Falling Fog, who were used to combat in poor weather. A voice suddenly called out from the carriage in front.

“Hey, something’s burning!”

Chloe stuck her neck out the window and saw that the bulwarks of Elan were on fire. The flames would fade in the rain, but faint wisps of smoke floated upwards. Lightning continued to strike in rapid succession and chip away at the enchanted stone walls. The sound of the commotion reached the carriages. The thoroughly trained horses cried out.

Chloe felt a strong presence of mana; this clearly wasn’t a natural phenomenon. As soon as they arrived at the gate, she jumped out of their carriage and went to ask what the situation was.

The Explorers’ Association wasn’t managed by the empire but they shared a close relationship. When problems stemming from monsters and phantoms arose, the Association would dispatch hunters. But more than that, Chloe just didn’t feel she could look the other way.

The town was a chaotic mess of shouts and cries, but even a young girl could demand attention if she wore the Association insignia. She and the hunters with her were quickly let through the gates and what they heard was far from anything they had expected.

“Huh? A lightning elemental? Out here?”

Chloe forgot about the surrounding clamor and stood still in shock. The person who had informed them looked as if he were having a nightmare. Even Arnold was taken aback.

A lightning elemental was one variety of elemental, a supernatural being considered to be a natural phenomenon with a will of its own. They rarely showed themselves around human settlements, nor were they prone to making random attacks. They were generally very powerful with even their weakest being Level 6. Even among the most formidable elementals, those of the lightning variety still stood apart from the rest.

A lightning elemental wouldn’t normally appear in such a populous town. It was possible the being was doing the bidding of a Magus, but within all of Zebrudia, there were only a small number who could control a higher-elemental.

Chloe started to wonder what could be the cause of such a catastrophe, but then shifted her focus. Whatever the reason, it didn’t change the fact that the town was currently being attacked and she couldn’t sit by and do nothing. A lightning elemental was more than the knights stationed in Elan could handle. Even the best hunters operating out of this town would struggle to defeat it.

To win against, to drive back, a higher-elemental required a champion. As luck had it, a champion who had defeated another lightning-wielding mythical beast, the Thunder Dragon, was right here. Chloe wasted no time turning towards Arnold and his party.

“May I request your aid, Crashing Lightning?”

The mention of that moniker drew eager attention from the nearby knights and city officials. A lightning elemental would be a tough foe for a Level 7 hunter, but, with all eyes on him, Arnold nodded in agreement.

***

A night spent under the pressure of uncertainty and fear gave way to a morning of blue skies, yesterday’s storm gone without a trace. Feeling refreshed, I sat up in bed and looked out the window.

Peace had returned to the area. The siren had stopped and nobody was screaming.

See, what did I say? It all resolved itself without us doing anything!

I looked, with considerable relief, at the bed next to me. Nobody was in it. Sitri’s hideaway contained two bedrooms each with two beds, but in the end, we sorted by gender. I didn’t really care one way or another, but there would be discontent among the others no matter who I shared a room with. I offered to sleep on the couch but that got shot down too.

Liz had a bad habit of sneaking into my bed, but with Sitri around I didn’t have to worry about that. Killiam, by the way, was outside. Apparently, it was built to operate even under harsh conditions. Being a magical creature put it on the same level as Drink.

I yawned and changed into the clothes Sitri had washed for me. The house was comfy enough that it felt like a waste to use it as a hideaway. There was a sizable bathroom and with Sitri’s fine skills, even the provisions tasted good. You might even say it was more luxurious than an inn. The fatigue I had built up during the journey in the rain was now gone.

I left the bedroom and entered the living room, where I was greeted by a Tino in casual wear.

“Good morning, Master,” she said.

“Morning,” I said. “What happened? You’ve got bags under your eyes.”

I had slept quite well, but it didn’t seem like the same could be said of Tino. She wasn’t wobbling on her feet and she sounded fine, but her face showed signs of deep exhaustion.

“Did you have trouble sleeping?”

“Just a bit. I was supposed to sleep on the couch, but I was so worried about what was happening outside. It’s all because I’m such a novice.”

Her enunciation was stiff. I wondered if she couldn’t have borrowed a bed, but I remembered Liz wasn’t the type to share her bed with her apprentice, and sharing with Sitri seemed like a dangerous venture. Perhaps I should’ve given her situation more thought before going to bed.

However, hunters were trained to be able to sleep anytime and place (this was my strongest skill) and I didn’t think the noise outside was all that bad.

“It’s fine, Master,” Tino said. “I’m a hunter, one night without sleep isn’t enough to hinder me.”

“Well, that’s good...”

Tino wasn’t a child, she understood what condition she was in better than anybody else.

Depending on the situation outside, I had intended to stay inside but it seemed what was out there had been resolved.

We ate a breakfast prepared by Sitri, got ready for the day, and departed the hideaway. With the abnormal figures of Killiam and Drink following us and our faces hidden by our hoods, we walked down the main street. Bits of conversation about yesterday made their way to our ears. The merchants, hunters, knights, townsfolk, everyone was gossiping about it.

“A lightning elemental,” Sitri said with wide eyes. “Why would a higher-elemental appear out here?”

“A lightning elemental?! Aaaah, I wish I coulda fought it. That was our chance to test our new resistance, right, T?”

“Huh?! Oh, y-yes, Lizzy.”

For some reason, Tino looked at me with misty eyes.

It’s just a coincidence. It was Liz who made her go through that training and I was the one who stopped us from getting involved. And in the end, it got resolved without our involvement.

Elementals were sentient clusters of energy and were one of the most troublesome opponents a hunter could find themselves up against. They weren’t always antagonistic to human beings, but they had strength and endurance far above even high-level hunters and some possessed the might to bring a country to ruin.

They were supernatural beings with the ability to manipulate natural phenomena, a trait that caused them to be conflated with gods in some parts of the world. Drawing upon the powers of elementals was a trick used by Magi, but those were known as being among the most difficult spells.

Typically, elementals resided in the wilderness. As Sitri had said, it was rare for one to be found in a populated town, but it would explain the raging storm and the buzzing sound like that of a bee’s nest.

“Perhaps the liquid lightning rod was too potent? It shouldn’t have lasted so long...”

Siddy muttered some extraordinary things, but I pretended not to hear. Luckily nobody died from the elemental and I didn’t want to tell anyone about the potion anyway. But boy was I glad I stopped Liz from getting involved. Elementals weren’t something I wanted to deal with.

I let out a sigh of relief and headed towards the town gate only to find that the sturdy checkpoint had been turned to rubble. I stopped and stared. From scattered bricks, burnt craters, and splattered blood I could tell how horrible it must’ve been last night. Most of the houses near the gates were also damaged badly. With the gates themselves gone, soldiers were running about trying to keep people in line.

I was glad we ignored the siren. Even simple communication became challenging when fighting an elemental; I probably would’ve been turned to dust.

I was just relieved the elemental had been vanquished, but Sitri had a very different impression of things.

“For a lightning elemental to strike yet leave this much damage...someone must have put in quite the effort,” she said.

Indeed, lightning elementals could fly, so gates did nothing to keep them out. Elan was a fairly large town, but they weren’t equipped with the type of soldiers who could drive off such a threat.

One of the soldiers managing the crowd seemed to hear Sitri.

“Quite right,” he said with pride. “We weren’t at all prepared to handle a sudden assault from an elemental, but a high-level hunter happened to arrive on the scene and he gave us a hand. It was a brutal fight but the elemental was safely driven back. Thanks to that godsent hunter, not very many people were hurt.”

A hunter who can fight off a lighting elemental. They must be someone incredible. Just who could it be? I’ll have to thank them if we ever meet.

***

A fierce showdown with a lightning elemental. It had been the worst night in Arnold’s career as a hunter. The battle against the Thunder Dragon had been intense, but that was fought with thorough preparation and steely resolve. The battle with the elemental had occurred suddenly and without any prior information.

Falling Fog hadn’t even fought an elemental before. They didn’t have insight about the creature. They weren’t prepared. They even lacked raw strength. Their one stroke of luck was that it was a lightning elemental; in order to fight the Thunder Dragon, the members of Falling Fog had all built up lightning resistance. Even still, it was something of a miracle that they fought the elemental off before anyone was severely hurt.

As thanks they had been put up in the best lodge in town, but that wasn’t much compensation for risking their lives in battle.

In the spacious living room, they all sat still as corpses. They must not have slept well for many of them had bloodshot eyes or were bereft of energy. Their expressions varied, but they all had one thing in common: they lacked the ambition that all hunters should have.

Their large burns and wounds had been healed with potions and magic, but mental fatigue wasn’t dealt with so easily. He wasn’t as bad off as the rest, but even Arnold wasn’t fully recovered after the night’s rest. He could still move, but he was far from being at his best.

They had also burned through a considerable number of supplies and their gear needed maintenance. Their defensive items had taken an exceptional beating and some things would need to be replaced altogether.

“Like back home, they say it’s rare in Zebrudia for elementals to appear around human settlements,” Eigh said with a look of utter exhaustion. “Couldn’t find worse luck if you tried.”

“But we had to help.”

The lightning elemental was strong enough to be no easy foe for Arnold. Even a party like his rarely encountered them.

It had destroyed the bulwarks with a plethora of lightning bolts, and in a single attack, it incapacitated half the knights who had arrived. It flew at high speeds which prevented most arrows and magic attacks from landing. In the time it took to drive it off, everything in the vicinity of the gates was turned to ruins.

It was thanks to Arnold and the rest that it didn’t get any worse. If they had arrived just a few hours later, the elemental might have advanced farther into town and inflicted fatal damage on all of Elan. It seemed a miracle that nobody died in the whole affair.

Chloe had been there. A crowd had been there. If the Explorers’ Association made a request, it wasn’t easy to turn it down. But more than that, some things were just expected of a first-rate hunter.

“Well, it wasn’t all bad. It’s not how we planned it, but this helped spread the good name of Falling Fog,” Eigh said.

“Hmmm.”

“Not only that, people know that we’re enough to take on a higher-elemental. And we did it without any major injuries. I’d mark this down as a success.”

Arnold snorted. Hunters needed to know how to stay positive.

Elementals were like natural phenomena. They weren’t capable of the same destruction as a dragon but nothing was harder to pin down than an elemental. Also, they were just as rare, if not more so, than dragons. Lightning elementals were rare enough that you would need to search long and hard in the deep wilderness, far from any human habitations, in order to find one.

But what bothered Arnold more than that was someone’s behavior.

“Why didn’t the Thousand Tricks show himself?! Isn’t he one of Zebrudia’s Level 8s?!”

Higher-elementals were powerful. They weren’t something an ordinary hunter, much less a knight, could handle. Only a best-of-the-best Magus or a first-rate hunter with ample mana material could win against one. Such a person wouldn’t reside in a place like Elan. If Falling Fog hadn’t shown up the townsfolk would have been helpless. And that’s why Arnold couldn’t fathom why Krai Andrey hadn’t appeared during the chaos.

The other members began to weigh in.

“Maybe he was scared of the elemental? We only managed to deal with it because of our experience with the Thunder Dragon.”

“It seems they also neglected to stop by the Explorers’ Association. Could they have not noticed the elemental?”

“But how could they not hear the siren?”

“Going off their reputation, you’d think they’d take care of the elemental immediately.”

Eigh appeared deep in thought. He knew of the accomplishments of Grieving Souls and the Thousand Tricks. Based on their history, he could imagine them: heroic but also discerning, laying waste to hordes of phantoms, conquering treasure vaults, taking on difficult quests—a model for all hunters. Considering he had held back Falling Fog with a single spell, it was hard to think the Thousand Tricks would shy away from a lightning elemental.

More than anything, he couldn’t imagine that man with his constant vague smile panicking in the face of a lightning elemental. The rest of Falling Fog continued to voice their thoughts and Eigh nodded. He had reached his conclusion.

“We don’t know exactly where he is, but his name’s in the entry register so we can be sure he’s in town. Chloe’s also searching for him. Remember, this is a small place compared to the capital, he won’t be able to hide for long.”

Arnold remained silent.

Eigh was right. From the start, they had the advantage in this chase. It wasn’t as though Falling Fog was particularly skilled in hunting down people, but their quarry wasn’t running in the first place. Even if it was a coincidence, they also had Chloe to guide them and she knew where the Thousand Tricks was headed. It was only a matter of time before they caught up.

Arnold fought back his body’s fatigue and looked over his party members.

“Replenish our supplies and get ready for combat,” he ordered.

“I’ve asked the sentries to stop the Thousand Tricks if he leaves,” Eigh said. “If he tries to make his departure, we’ll know. The mayor of Elan wants to congratulate us on our victory, what should we say?”

“We don’t have time to accept congratulations.”

“Very true.”

Normally, it would be the right thing to accept, but Arnold and the rest had something that took precedence over everything else.

“How about equipment repairs?” Eigh asked. “It’ll take time and it won’t even be possible in a small town like this. Luckily, our weapons aren’t too worse for wear. It’ll be a downgrade, but maybe we should just replace our armor if it’s broken?”

“Very well. Our weapons will be enough. We won’t need the same defenses that we needed for the elemental.” After all, Arnold’s offense made for a better defense than most armor. “The Thousand Tricks is right in front of us. Once we crush him, we’ll have a good long rest.”

Eigh gave his usual light nod.

“Urgh, I couldn’t sleep at all...” Rhuda said.

“Me neither,” Gilbert, with dark circles under his eyes, agreed.

Rhuda had just recently attained Level 4. For her, last night’s battle against the lightning elemental was even more trying than her experience at White Wolf’s Den. She and the other intermediate hunters had naturally been assigned support roles and didn’t directly engage the elemental. However, a simple brush against the being was enough to knock one of them out, so they ended up putting a tremendous strain on their bodies through all their running about.

The rest of Scorching Whirlwind all looked quite awful as they lumbered out of their rooms.

“I knew we shouldn’t have accepted this quest,” one of them complained.

Rhuda thought back to something Tino had once said.

Master is god. Master won’t turn his back on trouble or those in need. If you follow trouble to its source, you’ll also find Master. Do you understand?

At the time, Rhuda hadn’t understood, but under the current circumstances, it seemed like maybe Tino really had been serious. After all, a lightning elemental was a godlike being that rarely appeared in areas populated by humans. She figured if she ever ran into one then it would be in the distant future.

“And he didn’t make an appearance,” Gilbert said in a weary voice while maintaining his usual attitude.

“Yep...”

In all likelihood, Rhuda and Gilbert had the same thing on their minds. In White Wolf’s Den, Krai hadn’t appeared until they were certain they were done for. Now they had Falling Fog for an ally, but the circumstances were otherwise startlingly similar.

“The Thousand Trials,” these were called. Rhuda wanted to believe even Krai wouldn’t expose civilians to danger, but back then he had been more than willing to put hers and the other hunters’ lives at risk.

Master is a god.

Those words reverberated in the back of Rhuda’s mind. But she knew that the gods of myth were mostly scoundrels who thought little for the lives of weak humans.

That’s right, Rhuda thought. I heard Tino’s accompanying Krai on his trip. I wonder if it’s going well for her.

“I wonder how the old man’s doing,” Gilbert said with genuine concern.

“I wish we had brought him with us. He probably wouldn’t have been too happy about it though...”

Rhuda let out a sigh as she thought back on Greg, the one member who had managed to avoid getting caught up in this.

***

“What? He’s already left?”

Arnold looked tense.

“Indeed,” said Chloe with a bitter expression. “I looked into it and it seems he departed shortly after dawn.”

“Just after dawn?!”

“Why would he leave so early?!”

Eigh furrowed his brow. Rhuda and the rest looked dumbfounded.

“I don’t know,” Chloe answered. “There’s no indication he stopped by the local branch of the Explorers’ Association.”

The lightning elemental had been driven off just before daybreak. Just in case, they had stayed on alert and moved to a better spot to treat their wounds after dawn. After all that, Chloe asked the sentry to detain the Thousand Tricks if he tried to leave. It seemed that Krai had already left by the time she had made her request. She couldn’t blame the sentry for not knowing that she was too late; everyone had been busy dealing with the chaos caused by the elemental and the hunters hadn’t been the only combatants.

The revelation had taken Chloe quite by surprise. Even if Krai was in a hurry, she still couldn’t understand why he would leave just after dawn. Hunters were skilled at picking up signs of danger and disaster. She couldn’t imagine how a high-level hunter could not show interest in the uproar caused by the elemental’s attack.

More than that, it was bizarre that he hadn’t shown up during the battle itself. She had considered an attack by a powerful creature to be something a Level 8 should take the lead in resolving. But he hadn’t. Even though he had been in town, he had been absent from the fight.

Then Chloe realized something: it was almost as if Krai had known that another high-level hunter would resolve the matter. She looked at the battle-fatigued hunters. She was just being delusional.

The battle with the elemental had been so trying that it was almost strange that it ended without any casualties. No matter how intelligent the Thousand Tricks might be, it wasn’t possible for him to accurately predict when Arnold and company would arrive. However, Chloe was also aware that many of the Thousand Tricks’s accomplishments had exceeded the boundaries of the human intellect.

He was enormously powerful, but that was also why he rarely involved himself personally. He used his near prescience to train his clanmates and turn First Steps into one of the best clans around. The current circumstances seemed eerily like one of his Trials, except the subjects were Falling Fog, a rival and potential enemy—

“That’s right, the sentry he— Ah.”

It was all so confusing to Chloe. Thus the words slipped out unbidden.

“What is it?”

Darn, Chloe thought. I did this before and now I’ve done it again. 

She had been quick to stop herself, but not quick enough. Arnold gave her an imposing look. What she heard from the sentry was likely to further Arnold’s rage, and maintaining peaceful relations between hunters was another duty of the Explorers’ Association.

“Now, Chloe, I don’t take you for the type of girl who would tell a lie,” Eigh said with exasperation.

“Out with it,” Arnold said.

She felt her face grow red. A half-hearted lie wouldn’t work on a high-level hunter. Not to mention, Arnold probably already had a good idea of what the sentry had said.

Chloe accepted her fate and said in a small voice, “He’s impressed.”

“What? Once more,” Arnold said, a tremble in his voice.

Why does Krai have to always be so inflammatory?! Chloe thought.

Grieving Souls had previously exterminated all sorts of elementals. Even without their full retinue, they should have been able to take on a lightning elemental. They should have appeared when the siren rang.

“He said he’s very impressed. The fact that we managed to drive off the elemental without any casualties was really something special!” she answered in a trembling voice of her own.

Arnold’s face contorted. His demonic visage elicited a small yelp from Rhuda.

What Krai said was blatantly condescending. It wasn’t immediately insulting, but his intent was obvious under the circumstances. Wherever in town he was, it would’ve been impossible for him to not notice the siren, but he had ignored it and then offered his praise to Arnold. It wasn’t hard to guess what the meaning of this might be—the Thousand Tricks had deliberately chosen not to come out and help.

He probably watched the battle from a distance, like a parent watching over their child, planning to intervene only if someone faced mortal danger. His decision to leave town immediately without asking around about the battle made sense if he had already seen it from a distance.

The only part Chloe still didn’t understand was why he ignored an employee from the Explorers’ Association.

Arnold stood up; he seemed to have reached the same conclusions as Chloe. His towering figure betrayed not a hint of his earlier fatigue.

“We’re going after him. We should still be able to make it. Hurry up and get ready! We’re not letting him get away!” he said, his voice still showing hints of anger.

“Aye aye, we’ll get ready at once.”

Eigh and a few others ran off.

“That goes for the rest of you. And hurry! If you’re too slow then we’ll take only Chloe, understand?”

A vein bulged on Arnold’s forehead. His skin prickled. During the fight with the elemental he had fought like a demon, but now he truly looked the part. Chloe had seen the faces of many hunters but never one this angry. Not even she could bring herself to smile or say anything in defense of the Thousand Tricks.

“Very well. Let’s hurry, everyone. On this route, his next stop should be Gula,” she said.