Strange Grief Wants to Retire ~ The Weakest Hunter Dreams of a Hero ~ - Volume 7 - Chapter Ep

Epilogue: Let This Grieving Soul Retire, Part Seven

What in the world had I gotten myself into?

When my eyes opened, I was in a world of dull gray. Galf was holding a bunch of Fox masks and dancing with Sora, Little Sister Fox, and Krahi. It didn’t make much sense, but I got the distinct impression they were enjoying themselves.

I hit myself on the head in an attempt to recall why I was there, but I came up empty. Was I in heaven? Or hell? The sky glimmered with lightning bolts that made no noise and had no force. Another look at the group dancing beneath the silent heavens told me I should just give up and accept it.

I slowly blinked, when I felt someone grab my arm from behind.

“Why do you look so glum, my former CM?”

It was Touka, leader of Knights of the Torch. Behind her were her party members, all in their color-coordinated armor, holding hands while dancing in a circle. They weren’t doing any complex maneuvers, but the sheer number of them made it a sight to behold.

Suddenly, I realized there was something off about what Touka had said. “Hm? Former CM?”

“Are you still drowsy? Some time ago, you retired from hunting and your post as clan master, did you not?”

Retired. I rubbed my eyes. So I had retired? I didn’t remember that happening, but Touka wasn’t known for telling jokes.

“Now, we must finish today’s quest. We’re dancing,” she proclaimed with a broad grin, a rare expression for her.

The knights let go of each other’s hands and they shifted to a dance of small, rapid steps. The circle expanded as more people were incorporated into it. I saw Franz, Arnold, Greg, the emperor, Murina, Kecha, and Telm join, while the Abyssal Inferno was filling the sky with multicolored flames. Suddenly, I was lifted off my feet and onto someone’s shoulders. “Congrats, Krai Baby!” they said.

And then I awoke. I found myself in a bed.

“What a crazy dream.”

My pajamas were soaked with sweat. I rubbed my eyes, clutched my head, and checked my surroundings. I was still getting my bearings, but I could hear Liz’s voice, energetic as ever.

“Mornin’, Krai Baby! What’s that? A crazy dream?”

Her eyes shone with blinding vigor, just like they often did.

Slowly, I began to recall what had happened before I lost consciousness. The day had started with me suddenly being forced to join the Supreme Warrior Festival. There was the talking water bottle, the falling lightning, Little Sister Fox fighting in my stead, then the club president suddenly appearing and going on a rampage. It was beyond insane, even compared to the dream I had just had. Maybe it hadn’t been a dream?

“You see,” Liz said, noticing my obvious confusion, “you fainted when it all ended. You okay? The doctor said there wasn’t anything wrong with you.”

I see. I think?

I moved my arms and touched my hands and feet. Nothing hurt.

“Good morning, Krai,” Sitri said with a grin. “I made sure everything was fine. The doctor says you passed out from exhaustion.”

I had about as much stamina as the average person. Yesterday had been a string of stressful events and circumstances changing faster than I could follow, and then it all ended with the ground shaking violently; it wasn’t at all odd that a weakling like me had fainted.

Hm? Yesterday?

I looked at the window, bright sunlight was filtering through it. “I’m fine. By the way, how long have I been sleeping?” I asked Sitri.

She seemed to think for a moment, then held up her index finger. One day? One night? That wasn’t as long as I thought it had been. Just as I was sighing with relief, Sitri held up a second finger, then a third, and a fourth. While I was still trying to wrap my head around it, she began to lower her fingers until there were only two raised. Sitri grinned when she saw my look of shock.

There she goes again with her weird jokes.

“Two days? I slept two days?” I asked. “I know I was tired, but that sounds like a bit much.”

“No, I’m making a peace sign,” she answered.

“He doesn’t need your confusing bullshit!” Liz said and whacked Sitri on my behalf.

Sitri was really off. Had she eaten something strange? Just as I was about to say something, Luke charged in with his usual gusto.

“Hey, Krai, you’re up! Listen, Branch Manager Gark says he doesn’t want to have to chase you again...”

“Oh, you’re finally awake, brother. Goodness, do you have any idea how worried I was?”

“Mmm.”

I never actually learned how many days had passed, but it seemed like the situation had mellowed out.

I was still lingering in the realm of dreams when I heard Sitri clear her throat. She stepped forward, fulfilling her usual role as the speaker of the group. “Now, where should I begin? Here, I’m sure you’re curious about the extent of the damage and how the enemy escaped when we had a considerable advantage.”

“Ohhh. This is terrible.”

I couldn’t help but gulp. The arena had been wrecked. The coliseum sat in the center of Kreat and symbolized the large town, but now it was in ruins. A structure that once forced me to crane my neck to see the top was now a pile of rubble. The only vestige of what had been here was the stone sign that stood out front. Cracks filled the paved road, showing just how intense the rumblings had been. I didn’t think many people would be able to believe that this had all been caused by one Relic.

I felt really bad when I saw how many people were working to clean up the debris. When Sitri told me what had happened, all I could manage was a “Huh?”

Apparently, that man in the ring was the bad Fox that Gark and everyone had been pursuing, and he had tried to use Key of the Land to decimate the world. It sounded like a joke, but I didn’t have much choice but to believe it when the damage was this severe.

This explained why this whole thing seemed a bit brutal for a mere gathering of fox mask fans. But did this mean I had been standing in front of a dangerous guy, all without any Safety Rings to protect myself? Thank goodness the immediate danger had passed. I would’ve begun to vomit otherwise.

It wasn’t just bad luck that had caused this chaos; it was everyone using vulpine imagery. It just made everything that much more confusing. There was, of course, Little Sister Fox the phantom, but there were also the good and bad Foxes in Kreat, giving us a total of three similar parties. It didn’t take someone like me, anyone would’ve gotten the wrong idea in some way or another.

“It’s a miracle the destruction didn’t extend any further,” Lucia remarked. She had reportedly fainted due to mana depletion. “There were certainly moments I feared we might be doomed.”

Ansem nodded solemnly. “Mmm.”

I was told about how Lucia and the other Magi had pushed themselves to their limits to reduce the damage. If not for them, the devastation would have extended far beyond just the arena. In other words, it was the usual pattern where I screw up and everyone else cleans up the mess. Except this time, the stakes had been monumental.

A small convoy of carts stopped outside the wreckage, where they were loaded with debris.

“Well, there were no fatalities, so I think we can consider these results favorable,” Sitri said as she watched the carts go.

“Hm? Nobody died?” I said.

“Yeah, a lotta hunters were around and so was Mr. Branch Manager,” Liz chimed in. “Makes sense that nobody bit the dust.”

“Similarly, I lent out—I mean, I handed out potions. And asked for nothing in return,” Sitri said. “Ansem, likewise, did a spectacular job.”

“And I got to do lots of cutting!” Luke declared with inexplicable pride.

I wished he would do something besides cutting.

I was reminded how incredible hunters were if they could keep a death toll to zero all while a massive structure was coming down. If there had been any mistakes, it wasn’t hard to imagine myself being the lone casualty.

“Now that Fox has tried to use Key of the Land, the empire is taking a more aggressive approach in pursuing them,” Sitri told me. For reasons beyond me, she was gleefully poking me with her elbow all the while. “It’s a complete reversal from their previous approach. It seems the empire isn’t at all happy over what happened today.”

I was glad she managed to find joy in everything, but I didn’t think she’d be so happy if she learned that I was the one who had activated the Relic. Even if it had been stopped partway, the potential damage I nearly caused was more than enough to warrant the death penalty. I could tell them I did it because I had tripped, but I didn’t think that would buy me much sympathy. Ultimately, Fox had wanted to activate Key of the Land, so all that changed was the journey, not the destination.

“It was Fox,” Sitri said when she noticed me furrowing my brow.

“Yeah, but I share some of the—”

“You share none of the blame. This was all the work of Fox.”

“Yeah, but—”

“It was Fox.”

She was oddly insistent on this point. Luke, Lucia, and Liz all followed up with their support.

“I don’t get it, but it’s Fox’s fault!”

“Yes. It was all Fox.”

“Of course it’s their fault. You did great, it’s Fox we should be pissed at. Oh, and the tournament managers because they canceled the tournament over one little setback!”

By the sound of it, Fox was to blame and there was no room for arguing. I still thought I had at least been a part of the problem. If nothing else, I didn’t think the tournament managers had done anything wrong. I felt bad for everyone who had been looking forward to the Supreme Warrior Festival, but events tend to get canceled when their venues are turned into rubble.

I sighed and looked at Sitri, who was clearly unwilling to brook any arguments from me. “But Fox isn’t the only villain here. You’ve done plenty of bad things too,” I said.

“Huh?!”

Ansem nodded in agreement. “Mmm.”

Well, what was done was done. I was more worried about what people might expect from me, given my high level. I had just recently had that wild encounter with Peregrine Lodge, and now I had another bout of bad luck. A retirement like the one I had just seen in my dreams was still a ways off.

I took a deep breath and stretched my limbs, then followed my friends as we left the ruins of the arena behind.

***

“Find that man in the fox mask, by any means necessary!” Franz barked. “With his wounds, he should still be nearby! Do whatever it takes, the dignity of the empire depends on it! Was that man trying to make fools of us when he let a wounded target go?! Get the local government to cooperate! They’re the ones who brushed us off when we warned them! They even let Princess Murina come under attack!”

The soldiers and civil servants dashed off. A full day had passed since the incident at the Supreme Warrior Festival, but the emperor and his entourage were still buzzing like an angry beehive. Assisting her father, Murina received one report after another.

“Our quarry was gravely wounded,” Rodrick said. “I refuse to accept that they could up and disappear without a trace. He wouldn’t have deliberately taken that hit from the Supreme Warrior unless he had been low on mana.”

“We’ve already surrounded the coliseum,” Murina replied, “and we’ve cut off any potential routes of escape. Still, there have been no reported sightings.”

Rodrick didn’t say anything but his expression was more severe than ever. His eyes glinted fiercely, like a brandished sword. Murina and Franz quickly exchanged words, but stopped when an underling came to report.

“Captain Franz, we’ve finished collecting the blood left in the arena. It’s enough to send to the Divinarium.”

“I don’t like resorting to such uncertain measures, but I guess we have to,” Rodrick commented. “Once we’ve ascertained their general position, we turn every stone in the area. Now, I suppose there’s no need to remain in this land any further. We also need to request the cooperation of the other nations.”

Rodrick was determined to use every means he could to crush Fox. As for Murina, her vague familiarity with the lesser-known side of the story made her feel conflicted. She understood that any organization willing to unleash such a terrible weapon had to be punished, but she also knew that a certain someone had infiltrated their ranks and toyed with them.

“Also,” the subordinate said, looking distinctly uncomfortable, “the Alchemist of Grieving Souls has requested that we share some of the Fox’s blood with her...”

Franz stiffened when he heard this, but before he could say anything, Rodrick spoke up. “After all that party’s done, we can hardly refuse them. Give the Alchemist some, but make sure there’s still enough that the Divinarium can do its job. I don’t care for his reticence, but we owe a debt to the Thousand Tricks, for this, and for Murina.”

“I suppose we’ll have to formally request their cooperation once matters have settled down,” Franz said. “We must not let ourselves depend on them too much, but he does have...inexplicable access to information.”

Murina agreed with him. She recalled the Thousand Tricks coming off as haphazard, but oddly rational. There were still some things she didn’t yet understand, but that was probably just because she lacked the pertinent information. She understood now why he had a reputation for discernment. Though she had received personal training from Grieving Souls, she still wasn’t capable of any sort of preterhuman artifice.

“Father,” she said, “I’m of the opinion that the Thousand Tricks’s current plan is still underway.”

“Do you have a reason to believe this, Murina?”

“Nothing concrete. However, I’ve noticed that there are layers to everything that man does. I don’t think he found himself on that stage by accident.”

Murina was only offering speculation, but she was confident in it. She knew something her father didn’t—the Thousand Tricks had successfully infiltrated an organization that had remained elusive to everyone else. She was certain he had figured out Fox’s plans for the tournament, which led to her belief that he had a reason for letting the man in the mask get away. Still, she thought it would be best not to inform Franz and her father that he had been in contact with Fox.

Both the men looked at her, slightly surprised. Murina took a deep breath and braced herself. Franz and her father were in for another shock. “Father, would you entrust this matter to me? I may not seem like it, but I have proven myself capable of overcoming that man’s Thousand Trials. I’m sure I can be of use.”

“You may have tempered her too much, Thousand Tricks,” Rodrick muttered. “What in the world did you do to my daughter?”

***

Caelum Tail had reigned as one of Fox’s bosses for a long time, but never had he come so close to death. His mana had been nearly depleted and he had been severely wounded. What’s more, Galf’s betrayal had left him deprived of the escape routes he had prepared. With their dedication to secrecy, there was nothing Foxes feared more than getting captured.

When the Supreme Warrior had begun to chase after Caelum, he had been helpless. If that mysterious girl hadn’t appeared, escaping would’ve proven very difficult. Something about her had been mystical, supernatural even. But what stood out the most to Caelum was that she wore a mask identical to his.

He had assumed her to be yet another obstacle bent on stopping him, but she said she would help him escape. He struggled to recall exactly what happened after that. All he could say for certain was that the girl had allowed him to escape Kreat without encountering the Supreme Warrior or any of the soldiers who were on the lookout for him.

Caelum sighed with relief. He had reached an emergency safe house in a nearby town. However, while he had escaped the imminent danger, it was too early to relax. Fox assumed they would one day find themselves in an all-out war with the empire, but that was supposed to be a matter of the distant future. They had a grueling conflict ahead of them now that one of their most valuable assets, Key of the Land, had been lost.

And what of the troop dispatched to assassinate the imperial princess? If they had succeeded, they should have returned to headquarters by now. If the unthinkable had happened and they had failed, then they were most likely dead.

Caelum closed his eyes and let his body relax while keeping his other perceptions open to the world around him. He thought back on the girl that had saved him. He bearing, abnormal powers, the mask she wore. If she wasn’t part of the organization, then there was only one possibility—she came from Peregrine Lodge, the vault that had given form to Nine-Tailed Shadow Fox. She must’ve been the progeny of the god that inhabited the vault.

Long ago, the founder of Fox encountered that treasure vault and received a mask from the god that inhabited it. In the eyes of the organization, anyone who obtained a mask from the vault was someone considered worthy by the gods.

At the same time, however, the vulpine worship was nothing more than a name for their cause. Anyone who encountered the vault and had enough of fate’s goodwill to obtain a mask from one of the phantoms was promoted to Fox’s upper echelons. That was all. Similarly, there was no deep reason for the special privileges afforded to the priests. At its core, Fox was something that had grown from the corpse of a defunct intelligence agency.

Needless to say, Peregrine Lodge was not one of their collaborators. Fox had been in danger plenty of times and not once had the god’s progenies come to the organization’s aid. After all, it defied reason that a phantom would wander far from their treasure vault.

That girl had said, “You’re Mr. Caution’s enemy. I’ll help you escape. Next time, victory will be mine!” What did that mean? Who was Mr. Caution? Was that their real name? Or an alias? How did someone get an alias like that? What did Caelum’s escape have to do with her victory?

No matter how much he thought about it, he didn’t arrive at any answers. Given the context, it was possible that “Mr. Caution” was the Thousand Tricks, as he had been facing off with Caelum.

Quit it, he told himself, you need to get some rest.

The foundation of the organization had been rattled. In their current position, fighting the Thousand Tricks was far too risky. Whatever that girl’s identity was, it would be best to assume she was an ally they could use.

Caelum then heard a voice from behind. It was a woman’s voice, and a frigid one at that. “Heh heh heh. You don’t look well at all, Caelum.”

The sudden interruption caused his eyes to fly open and a heavy sigh to escape his mouth. He realized a tall shadow had appeared in the room. She wore a robe and carried a sword on her hip. On her face was a mask similar to Caelum’s. Fox had many tails, more than just Caelum.

“Have you no manners? This is my domain, Blade Tail.”

“Funny that you of all people should say that. Or do you think I’m ignorant? The rumors reached my ears. Your little pet betrayed you and everyone you mobilized has been injured. Our organization is falling apart and headquarters has been thrown into disarray.”

Caelum furrowed his brow. She had hit him where it hurt. Indeed, his recent operations had far from ideal outcomes. Not only had they suffered a great loss in the disappearances of both the Counter Cascade and the Dragon Caller, but now a plan long in the making had gone awry. Normally, for one boss to intrude upon another’s turf was a breach of protocol, but Caelum was in no position to protest.

“It’s nothing we can’t recover from,” he said. “We now know how our adversary operates and I’m sure the chaos at HQ will resolve itself soon enough.”

Caelum began to think that perhaps it was a stroke of fortune that Blade Tail was here. Even the Thousand Tricks probably would need to take a moment to get his bearings. Within the scheming ranks of Fox, Blade Tail stood out as a zealous militant and her talents were nothing short of Caelum’s. While he would rather do it himself, everything would work out if he sent this woman after the Thousand Tricks. The death of that hunter would be a significant blow to the empire.

“I’ve been told the gist of what occurred,” Blade Tail said in a quiet voice. “So tell me, Caelum, how did you slip away? Making an escape can’t be easy when you’ve exhausted your powers.”

So she had underlings keeping tabs on the situation? That was another breach of protocol, but this time, Caelum was thankful.

He took a deep breath and made an effort to maintain his composure. “You might not believe it, but I was saved by a progeny of the fox god. They’ve given us their blessing.”

There was a long silence before Blade Tail gave her answer. “I see.”

Caelum hadn’t expected such a blunt response. Blade Tail didn’t ask further questions; she simply drew her sword. It was a curved blade, just over a meter long, and marked by a distinct pattern. It was a Relic with a strange surface that appeared almost as though it was wet. Its abyssal impression was captivating; it seemed more like a work of art than a weapon. The metallic surface glimmered mutedly. Blade Tail appeared to be simply standing, but Caelum couldn’t spot a single opening.

“What are you planning to do?” he asked. Casting a spell would be no trouble now that he had regained most of his strength.

Blade Tail snorted. “I was curious what excuse you might offer, but a god? Caelum Tail the strategist has fallen very far. You’re under suspicion of endangering the organization because you unleashed our strategic weapon, Key of the Land. You’re also suspected of secretly giving a mask to a subordinate in order to disorient headquarters. I’m going to erase you here and now.”

Caelum flew to his feet. “What?!”

He glared at her, but couldn’t gauge her expression due to her mask. Her voice, though, contained notes of both disdain and pity. She pointed her blade at him.

“Don’t worry, Foxes don’t die, they just get new tails. We’ll have to show our appreciation to the Thousand Tricks for stopping the destruction. As for command of the Zebrudia region, we’ll have no trouble finding someone new to take over.”

The Thousand Tricks. Those words sent a shock through Caelum’s body. Alarms blared in his mind. In retrospect, the Thousand Tricks’s recent moves came off as precise and surgical. It was almost as though he had been aware of every step of Caelum’s operation. No strategist, no matter their caliber, could have managed this without being entirely aware of Fox’s plans and methods.

On that note, Galf’s fierce resistance was similarly odd. Would some deception really be enough to motivate him to muster such a large resistance? Wouldn’t it make more sense if there was something more going on in the background?

Then, there was the divine progeny coming to his rescue with impeccable timing. If there was anyone capable of manipulating a fox god’s offspring to even the slightest degree, it would have to be one of the priestesses.

Could it be that this had all been a plot to ruin Caelum? To do that while escaping his notice would require considerable authority. It would require the cooperation of someone from Fox’s highest echelons. Indeed, Caelum had been struggling to understand how someone as prudent as Galf had been so thoroughly duped.

He let his mana begin to circulate. He had been told Blade Tail wasn’t particularly good at scheming, but perhaps that was all a bluff?

“Don’t tell me,” he said. “Did you use the Thousand Tricks to sow this confusion?”

“Hm? I see there’s no point discussing this further,” Blade Tail—the traitor—said with a snort before readying her blade.

***

The members of First Steps were gathered in a building near the Kreat branch of the Explorers’ Association.

“Maaaster! You’re awake!” Tino sprinted up to me, only to be cut off by Sitri.

Sven raised an eyebrow, looking deeply exasperated. “You pulled some more insane shit again,” he sighed.

By the sound of it, while I had been unconscious, the hunters in the audience had all done some splendid work. Directed by Gark and the Abyssal Inferno, the Magi had kept Key of the Land at bay, while anyone who couldn’t help with that had been busy protecting the civilians and directing evacuations.

It might not have been intentional, but as the person who had activated the Relic, I felt deeply ashamed. I scratched my head, and said apologetically, “Man that was really something we got pulled into.”

“Pulled into?” Eva, who had worked hard organizing everyone, adjusted her glasses and looked at me with intense doubt. Had she pieced together the fact that I had tripped?

Touka, however, just shrugged. “I have no complaints. The Supreme Warrior Festival may have been canceled, but this was a fine opportunity to make our name known.”

Touka had quickly gotten over her missed chance for glory. I thought that was very mature of her. Or perhaps she had never been bothered in the first place, seeing how she valued coin over glory.

Tino approached me, slowly so as not to trigger the Sitri Barrier. “Master, are you all healed?”

“I’m fine. I’m just tired.”

“Just tired?” Kris echoed. “Like hell we’re gonna believe you’re ‘just tired’ after holding back something that powerful! We were all worried! Sir!”

Her brazen tone was the same as always. As far as I could tell, nobody seemed too worried.

“‘Holding back’? Huh? Did I hold it back?”

“What do you mean? Sir? I know what I saw! A Noble Spirit would never misread mana. I’d say you held back thirty—no, thirty-five percent!”

Thirty percent. Thirty percent?

Unfortunately, all I had been able to tell was that the mana gushing forth from Key of the Land was something immense. I had no idea if thirty percent was really a lot.

After watching me in despondent silence, the leader of Starlight, Lapis, let out a sigh. She uncrossed her legs and got up from her seat. She walked right up to me and looked down at me through clear, unreadable eyes.

“Hmph. Hardly something I’d expect from a human. Just where in your body does all that mana reside? Even up close, I can’t detect a trace of it. In your sister Lucia, I see a grand river, but nothing in you.”

Lucia clutched her head and let out a very long sigh.

It was true that I had tried to suppress Key of the Land. I thought I had failed, but it seemed I had succeeded without realizing it. Maybe I really could accomplish things if I put my mind to it?

“Hmm, I did manage to hold it back,” I said. “I tried to bring it to a complete halt, but that proved too much for me. Just like everyone else, I’ve got some growing to do.”

“Sounds like you’ve still got your fighting spirit. Sir. Honestly, what’s going on in your body? Our understanding of mana says it shouldn’t be possible for you to use so much and still be chipper. Sir.”

Without much thought, Kris extended a hand towards me but was surprised when Sitri batted it away.

“No touching,” Sitri said with a smile.

“Just a bit won’t hurt. Madam.”

“I said no. I gave you permission to negotiate for Lucy’s transfer, but I never gave you permission to touch Krai.”

Kris didn’t say anything but stubbornly tried again. Sitri immediately fended her off. I hadn’t known these two got along so well.

The next moment, Sven made a face like he had just remembered something. “Right, Krai. Your doppelgänger was here not too long ago. He said he wants to see you before you leave town.”

Krahi and his party were staying in a more average lodge, one a few grades below ours. With his party members behind him, all of them looking rather pale, the first words he offered were ones of awe.

“So... You’re a famous hunter.”

The incident at the tournament had been terrible in many different ways, but if asked who suffered the most, I think it would be fair to say it was Krahi. I had my fair share of misfortune, being forced into the tournament and then pummeled by lightning bolts and all that, but Krahi had been mistaken for me and attacked by the guy in the fox mask.

However, Krahi was calm as ever. It seemed he wasn’t bothered that I had hidden my level from him. To be fair, while the same didn’t go for my real name, the Thousand Tricks was a title known by many. I wasn’t sure what to think if he was unfamiliar with it. Perhaps this magnanimity of his was the mark of someone fit to be a Level 8.

If Sitri were here, she would’ve kindly continued the conversation on my behalf, but sadly, the only companion I had was Luke. With nobody I could rely on, I stayed silent, unsure what to say.

“I wanted to see you sooner, but I only just recently recovered,” Krahi continued. “That last bolt of mine was somewhat excessive.”

“Oh, the one that hit me.”

I remembered that bolt. It was the one that used up my final Safety Ring. Looking back, the man in the mask never attacked me, but I took all sorts of hits from this guy.

Lightning magic was called the magic of champions not only because it was powerful, but because it was among the trickiest varieties. Specifically, it was hard to manage. Simply put, lightning spells were good for searing wide areas but weren’t ideal for hitting specific targets. Even if someone had impeccable control, a bolt would still very likely veer off course if Ansem or someone incredibly unlucky happened to be nearby.

How did I know all this? Because Lucia told me! She didn’t use lightning magic, but I’m sure I don’t have to spell out why. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the look on her face when she first tried a lightning spell and blasted me by accident.

Krahi nodded and ran a hand through his hair. Something about that motion irked me, but I also thought it suited him.

“I heard what happened. I’m not sure what to say. It sounds like you held back so as to lure out the Fox.”

“Hm?”

How did the story get so distorted he arrived at a conclusion like that? There wasn’t a smidgen of truth in his suggestion. The rumors must have taken on a life of their own. However, telling him the truth would be complicated. In particular, the part about how the me that Krahi had fought wasn’t actually me would be a tough one to explain.

I turned around and saw Luke nodding knowingly. He definitely didn’t know anything. He was a passionate man but could be completely indifferent to things that didn’t interest him.

Our eyes met for a movement. He then nodded and stepped forward, sighing with exasperation. “You don’t get it all,” he said to Krahi. “You said he held back? No, that was all part of Krai’s plan. Even I don’t really get it.”

If you “don’t really get it,” then please be quiet.

I wasn’t sure what I should do to ensure a peaceful resolution. Though I couldn’t tell the truth, I still wanted to clear up some of Krahi’s misunderstandings.

“Krai, just tell me one thing,” he said gravely. “When you were knocked down by my lightning, were you simply acting?”

This was it! This was my chance to make myself look a little bit less impressive! I don’t know why that had to be so hard when I was never impressive in the first place!

“No, I could never manage a performance that good,” I said. “I can’t go into details, but it was a terrifying spell that did that to me. When it comes to harnessing lightning, I can only think of one person more capable than you.”

No ordinary champion could have done something like that. With my dull eyesight, I wasn’t any good at estimating people’s strengths, but I was sure even Arnold, who was a Level 7 and called the Crashing Lightning, couldn’t have managed that.

So who was that other person? It was of course none other than Ark Rodin. I was a loyal Ark devotee, and unlike Krahi, I had known Ark for a long time and asked him for many favors.

Without saying anything, Krahi closed his eyes. Eventually, he nodded. “I see. Just as I thought, as much as it beggars belief. Until now, I thought I was without equal when it came to wielding lightning. I must accept that that’s not the case.”

He looked me dead in the eye. Perhaps out of frustration, his clenched fist was trembling. There wasn’t a hunter in the world that enjoyed losing. But I couldn’t possibly say I thought Krahi was better than Ark Rodin the Argent Thunderstorm. It didn’t help that I was biased towards Ark. I gave him ninety-nine points, and I’d give the full one hundred if he wasn’t constantly absent when I needed him.

“I’ll admit it, Krai Andrey,” he declared, “I can’t best you when it comes to lightning magic.”

“Huh?” I didn’t know what else to say. What was he talking about? Did getting zapped do something to his head? Was this a joke? Some Thousandfold Theatrics?

Krahi continued with an odd degree of vigor. “There’s no need to try and hide it. I can tell. You intentionally let yourself get hit so you could absorb the bolts’ powers!”

I didn’t know what Krahi was talking about, but Luke immediately latched on.

“He absorbed the bolt?! Holy shit, that sounds awesome! I wanna try! Give me a bolt!”

Somebody interject with a quip. Anybody.

“I felt the powers of that man in the mask and some from Key of the Land before I passed out. No human being could possibly hold back both of those forces! That is, unless they borrowed the powers of nature itself! Now before you say anything, I have further proof. You also took the bolt meant for the man in the mask.”

Took the bolt? You hit me! Well, I respect the level of imagination.

“You redirected spells from the other casters so you could make their powers your own,” Krahi continued. “This is unfamiliar territory for me. You’re the true Supreme Voltaic. No, you’re beyond that. You’re the Divine Voltaic!”

Perhaps this guy isn’t so well-adjusted after all? 

I focused on the more important matter—clearing up misunderstandings.

“Th-That bolt hit me because you couldn’t control—”

I stopped and took a step back. Krahi’s hair was crackling with electricity. When feeling intense emotions, phenomena like this were common among powerful Magi.

“I’ve made my decision, Divine Voltaic,” he proclaimed while pointing a finger at me, “I will surpass you! I’ll learn the secret to absorbing lightning into myself, then I’ll strive to go beyond! I may be sad that the Supreme Warrior Festival was canceled, but I’m glad I came all this way! My eyes have been opened! I’ll become stronger! With our similar titles, I have no doubts it was fate that brought us together.”

No, I was referring to Ark. If I thought I was better than you, I wouldn’t have put it like that! As much as I wanted to tell him that, I couldn’t say anything in the face of Krahi’s exuberant crackling.

His eyes glimmered as his excitement approached its zenith. “We’ll fight again some day. I won’t forget that someone bested me in the ways of the levin. I’ll make sure everyone knows that the Supreme Voltaic has a superior in the form of the Divine Voltaic! Our next battle will be one worthy of the name. Until I can defeat you, I’ll cede the title to you!”

For some reason, I had gained the title of “Divine Voltaic.” The rumors didn’t just have a life of their own, they had ascended to godhood. High-level hunters were nothing but weirdos.

In a motion both elegant and exaggerated, Krahi turned around. He was planning to have the final word.

I have to stop him. Damn it, I can’t think with all this obnoxious crackling.

I managed to open my mouth and shout, “Wait, Krahi! You’ve already surpassed me!”

Krahi froze. “What did you say?” He turned around, the electric crackling intensifying. At this point, I wasn’t sure he had any real control over his abilities. “For the record, in what manner have I surpassed you?” he asked suspiciously.

Every way possible, really. In fact, I couldn’t think of a single thing I excelled at. However, he probably wouldn’t buy it unless I gave specifics. I just wasn’t sure what exactly I should say.

Sanding quietly behind Krahi were his fellow party members. Lusha was the only one I had previously met, but they all matched the descriptions I had heard. There was a young man with red hair and glasses (probably Kule), a Thief with gaudy clothes and a massive chest (probably Izabee), and a woman who looked like a shady magician (probably Kutri).

They could barely even be called cheap knockoffs; everything but their gender was off the mark. If I didn’t have more pressing issues, I would’ve had a long talk with them.

“In what ways have I surpassed you?” Krahi asked again in a low voice while taking a step closer to me.

If he got any closer, I’d get zapped, so I quickly said, “Th-The diversity of your party! You’ve got wonderful comrades!”

No! That’s not what I wanted to say. That’s not at all what I wanted to say!

I was concerned he might interpret that as sarcasm, but he simply looked at me wide-eyed, then took a deep breath.

“Indeed,” he said after a pause. “You are quite right.”

He was convinced by that?

It was entirely possible this was the first time I had successfully convinced anyone of anything. Startled by my success, I, too, went wide-eyed.

“Permit me to correct myself,” he said in a calmer voice than before. “We will defeat you.”

No! No! Turn around! Kule and Izabee—your sanest members—are both bowing apologetically!

I was starting to get the impression Bereaving Souls really was the polar opposite of my party. And was I just going to have to give up on persuading Krahi? Had I really ended up as the Divine Voltaic? Well, knowing when to give up was one thing I could claim to be good at.

Luke then stepped forward. This was it! Nobody was worse at listening than him! Surely he would set things straight! I prayed to the gods.

“You don’t get it at all, Supreme Voltaic,” he boldly asserted. “The reason you can’t compete with the Divine Voltaic is because you don’t understand how to truly get stronger!”

It took me a moment to process this. I couldn’t keep up. This was Luke Sykol. Not Kule, Luke. But when had he decided to call me the Divine Voltaic? We had spent years adventuring together and not once had I used lightning. Was he just going along with whatever Krahi said? Did he have swords for brains?

The Supreme Voltaic probably hadn’t expected those words either, as he just looked at Luke in shock.

“Listen,” Luke continued in a lecturing tone, “the reason you got beat by the Divine Voltaic is because you rely on a Relic. That staff is holding you back! Just like the best Swordsmen can’t be picky about their swords, a true Lightning Magus shouldn’t need a Relic to zap his foes. Krai’s living proof of this. He’s never once relied on a Relic! If you want to be the best, then leave that staff here!”

There was no salvaging this. From start to finish, the Supreme Warrior Festival had been a complete and utter mess! I decided to let the current take me where it would and simply smiled. Krahi looked back at me very seriously.

And so came an end to our helter-skelter Supreme Warrior Festival. We gained some things, we lost some things; we said hello, we said goodbye; and just like always, I was unable to do anything but go with the flow from start to finish.

There was a lot of murmuring about how the incident at the arena had incited the empire to form an anti-Fox coalition, but that was none of my business. I suppose if there was one thing we had in common, it was that we both wanted criminals to die. If the thugs of the world all disappeared, my days would be that much more peaceful.

“Y’know, Krai, I think you got far more than your fair share this time around,” Luke said. We were getting ready to leave Kreat, and he was polishing his wooden sword.

“Huh?” I replied. “What did you see that I didn’t?”

I hadn’t gained anything from this. It started out fine enough, but by the end, all I had was a headache. Luke, meanwhile, just got to do whatever he wanted!

Catching wind of my disbelief, he sat up and elaborated. “Listen, you weren’t the only one looking forward to the tournament. I came here to cut through some tough guys, yet not only were you the only one who got to be part of the tournament, you also got to fight that guy in the fox mask. I didn’t get anything near that. I wanted to fight. I wanted to get struck by lightning. You even became the Divine Voltaic.”

BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE YOU STARTED CALLING ME THAT.

I had my issues with the first half of his rant, but the second half didn’t even make sense. I hadn’t even realized some people wanted to get struck by lightning.

“Sure, cutting guys at the behest of the princess was fun and all,” he continued, “but that was just like the appetizer. I’m trying to be a cool Swordsman of few words, but even I have to say something when my main dish gets snatched away. You hear me, Krai? I want to cut and kill some strong baddies!”

What the heck were you doing when I wasn’t looking? Never mind, I don’t want to know.

“Even Lucia and Ansem had it better than I did. They had to stop that crazy swell of mana! I don’t know what happened with Sitri, but I saw her making that peace sign! But where were my foes?! There’s no fun in slicing through falling debris! Krai, my enemies! Enemies that I can cut! E-NE-MIES. This is discrimination!”

Luke began stomping the ground like a child. I hadn’t realized he had built up so much frustration.

“You see, Luke here tried to cut the previous Supreme Warrior,” Liz interjected with a groan.

“That man’s a coward! He said he wouldn’t fight me because buildings might come down if we fought outside the arena! I wasn’t gonna let that stop me!”

Statements like that were why he would never become the next Sword Saint, no matter how much he improved his skills.

“That’s enough, Luke,” Liz chided him and grabbed him from behind. “We’re bothering Krai Baby, so let’s go somewhere else.”

“Huh?! Aren’t you in the same boat as me?!”

Liz looked incredibly dissatisfied. “Hmm. Yeah, if you weren’t, then I’d be the one stomping my feet, but I can’t out-stomp you.”

I guess she still had a sense of shame after all. Honestly, I had no idea how Luke expected me to satisfy his demand for enemies.

As she dragged Luke away, Liz turned and pointed a finger at me. “Don’t think I’m any happier about this than Luke is! I’ll make sure you find me a chance to make this up!”

It seemed I owed her something. I didn’t know what to do about that.

“Let me be clear,” Lucia said, “despite how Luke made it sound, I’m not any more pleased than he is! I missed an exam for this, then I was forced to put a stop to that Relic!”

“I expect compensation as well!” Sitri wailed, joining in. “I lost Killiamina and didn’t even get my hands on the organization I was expecting— Augh!”

Lucia knocked her off her feet with a wind spell. “I saw how happy you were! You made that peace sign!”

What a harsh way to cut someone off, even if they were your childhood friend.

If you ask me, those guys with their fox masks were to blame for all this. If anything, I wanted compensation as much as everyone else, but I decided I better keep that to myself.

“Are you my only ally, Ansem?” I asked. “Though I don’t suppose you’ll rein in Sitri and Liz for me, will you?”

“Mmm.”

Was that an affirmative mmm?

As we left the town, I made a point of ignoring whatever conversation Luke and Sitri were having.

“Y’know, Luke, when you think about it, things are just getting started. Remember, Krai just picked a fight with the world’s largest criminal organization!”

“So we’re gonna have lots of enemies?”

“I’m certain of it!”

There were far too many people willing to accept a fight I wasn’t offering in the first place. At this point, one or two new nemeses were a drop in the bucket for us, but I still thought it might be better to not go outside for the foreseeable future. Just when things had been slowing down too.

I wasn’t remotely good at detecting presences, so keeping an eye out for foes that might or might not be around the corner was draining, even when a certain Relic kept me perfectly comfortable. If there was one silver lining, it was that even I could detect something as immense as one of the phantom foxes.

Just as I began to search my memory to ensure there wasn’t anything more I needed to do in Kreat, two familiar faces poked out from the carriage next to ours. My hand went to my forehead. It was Galf and Sora from the Fox Mask Fan Club (temp. name). Sora, however, wasn’t in her usual pure white robes, but instead something you might see any of the townsfolk wearing. She had also cut her hair and now had glasses. Galf had crutches, making me think he had been hurt or something.

Of all the people I had been in contact with, these two might have been the only ones I had personally inconvenienced.

“Sora,” I called. “How are you?”

Sora nearly jumped out of her skin. She quickly turned towards me and said, “Shhh. Bo—I mean, Krai, I’m no longer Sora.”

“Huh?! Did something happen?”

“Quite a number of things. I’m making an escape. I’ve got an opportunity that probably won’t come twice.”

What in the world happened?

“You gave us this chance when you fought off the boss,” Sora explained in a hasty voice. “The organization is in chaos, and I hear our boss is in a fight with another boss, meaning they have no time to spare for us. Heh heh, I imagine this is what you envisioned when you let the boss escape?”

“Y-Yeah?”

Wait, I’m behind. What’s this about me fighting some boss? What’s going on?

“We’ve decided to cut our losses and break from the organization,” she continued. “Galf is an exceptional person. Even after the truth got out, many of his subordinates were willing to stand by him. Our prospects of making a complete getaway are looking very good.”

“Hey, Sora, who you talking to?”

A large man appeared from the other side of the carriage. He was about six-tenths of an Ansem, and I felt like I had seen his face before.

“Hanneman, this is Krai. Our boss. I won’t let him abandon us.”

“What’s that? Is he here to help us? Either way, I only take orders from Galf.”

Hm?

Wasn’t this the guy who had attacked the museum? The one Krahi took out? It was delayed, but the gears in my head started turning. I fought off some boss? I’m also some boss? Boss? I had a very bad feeling about this, so I decided to stop the gears from turning any further.

“Of course he’ll help us. He is, after all, the Thousand Tricks. Everything dances in the palm of his hand. He would never just use us, then disappear.”

Sora sounded both deferential and spiteful, like she wasn’t the one who had insisted on pushing forward with the lie.

I didn’t answer immediately, but I let out a resigned sigh when I saw Sora’s attitude persist. “I don’t quite get it, but why not come to the imperial capital? It’s safe there, and I really think you should try selling inarizushi. It would be a lot better than being part of an organization like that. Probably.”

“Galf, the imperial capital!” Sora said with shining eyes. “Let’s make for the imperial capital! Krai will assist us. What a strange idea. Usually, you would hide someone in the forest! I’ve never been to the imperial capital!”

This wasn’t at all like the Sora I recalled. And I was pretty sure you should only hide someone in the forest if you thought they could survive out there. Getting involved with Sora any further seemed like a pain, albeit for different reasons than before. Behind me, Sitri was waiting silently, but anxiously. I grabbed her arm and offered her as a sacrifice.

Hmm. Before I go, I should give them some advice.

I looked back at Sora, withstood my urge to vomit, and said, “Right, you probably shouldn’t put the word ‘Fox’ anywhere in your restaurant’s name. Nothing good will come of that.”