Strange Grief Wants to Retire ~ The Weakest Hunter Dreams of a Hero ~

Chapter?35: Evacuation

Chapter 35

Evacuation

“Branch Chief, are you really going?”

At Kaina-san who’s eyes were curved up in worry, Gark Welter let out a snort.

His appearance wasn’t his usual when working at the Explorers Association Zebrudia Branch.

So that his arms and legs could move freely, he wore crimson armour covering only the vital areas, and on his head was a helm adorned with thorns.

Around his waist were all kinds of tools and potions for times of emergency, as well as a machete that had uses outside of battle. From his time as a hunter, he still had a lot of equipment remaining.

His armour and helm had numerous small chips and scratches; it could be understood that the equipment had gone through countless battlefields.

However, most eye catching of all was the tall halberd clutched in his right hand. It was a strange halberd coloured black and tinged with blue.

Compared to the pointed tip, the axe portion was much larger. From looking at it

you could assume it was made for mowing down enemies.

In the past, even before the 『ultra life seed』 that was said to have experienced everything in history, there were those that loved blacksmithing and fighting.

Those people refined their smithing within their lifetimes, and devised a technique to work mana into metal.

They were also skilled warriors that loved war, and so created a lot of unique equipment. They were said to have retreated from calamities many times and were prosperous for a long period.

After an eternity of time, traces of such a civilisation were mostly nonexistent.

The technique of refining special metals which was the backbone of the civilisation, was lost.

Many Magi and master blacksmiths have attempted to reproduce it, but haven’t found any clues to the technique.

――However, this item was different.

In the present time, there are many weapon type Relics found in Shrines. They were said to be recreations of what was created in the era of that civilisation of advanced magical weaponry.

A large sword that can manipulate flame. A sword that never bends or breaks. A lance that can cut through the air several meters ahead of it.

Even now they were a threat – surpassing the strength of average metal and cutting through monsters and phantoms with ease, a legacy from ancient times.

The use of a Relic required a long period of training. That’s why hunters did not carry many Relics.

However, with the limited Relics they had, hunters often chose weapons from that era as a partner they could bet their life with.

Gark’s halberd was also one of these Relics.

It was a partner that was with Gark until he ended his time as a Level 7 hunter.

Clad in intense cold, a halbert that froze over the internals of those it cut 『Blizzard War Fang』.

There were many that approached him to sell it when he retired, but in the end he couldn’t let it go.

He gripped it for the first time in a while, a cold sensation was passed into his palm from the grip, and Gark’s expression stiffened.

A good mood could be felt from that sullen expression, and Kaina breathed a deep sigh.

“Branch chief, you, you’re not a hunter anymore you know? You understand that right?”

“I know. I’m not going to do anything unreasonable.”

“This shouldn’t be a problem since we have the full cooperation of 『First Step』.

『Iron Cross』 has also already gone ahead of them... for Gark-san to go as well is....”

“...Tch”

At the disapproving words of the assistant branch chief, Gark clicked his tongue and made a slight movement.

The tip of the halbert brushed against the ceiling, and frost began to fall. With his weapons and armour his equipment weighed over 100 kilograms, Gark’s usual countenance was unchanged.

“Liz finished things while looking down on me! My power has dropped, but I’m still not planning on being defeated by todays hunters. I have experience!”

“...That’s, just like a kid...”

Gark looked away from the small voice that was leaked out. Originally Gark was a Level 7 hunter. There weren’t very many hunters that looked down on Gark that held the second name 『War Ogre』.

It seemed that being looked down on to the extent that Liz had was intolerable. He spoke to the head shorter Kaina as if giving an excuse.

“That’s, the matter this time has the smell of conflict. It would be quicker to respond if I was there in person. ...This may also be partly a performance.”

In the middle of things, he forcibly applied for an increased budget.

Without any concrete information, it passed through with the influence of a level 8 hunter. Gark’s name was also well known within the upper reaches of the Empire. Was it really necessary to employ hunters to this extent?

The origin of the request, and the ones responsible for shrines under management of the Empire, the 『House of Remnant Investigations』 was also looking on with suspicion. If he made a move himself it was easier for the other side to agree.

Kaina held her forehead and breathed a deep sigh. It can’t be stopped. There’s no stopping him.

Although the branch chief had retired, he was still a hunter.

“Since you’ll be leaving you’re work behind, when you return you’ll be doing overtime for a while.”

“.........You don’t mind also taking care of it?” “No thank you.”

At Kaina’s words, this time it was Gark’s turn to breathe out a sigh.

§ § §

Within the narrow cave, the sounds of clashing weapons echoed. The noise of distant howling and something collapsing.

The White Wolves Den which had been unpopular until immediately following the request, had now amassed an unprecedented amount of hunters.

One of the founding parties of 『Footprints』. 『Iron Cross』 was also one of these parties.

There were six members. The average certified level was 5.

Among them was their leader who was almost level 7, Sven Anger, the top archer in the Imperial capital carrying the second name 『Tempest Strike』.

For hunters it’s natural for long distance attacks to be magical, so the role of archer was quite uncommon.

The might of a bow and arrow was considerably powerful.

Particularly when a hunter reinforced by Mana Material fired an arrow, it could even penetrate thick metal armour.

It wasn’t that archers were weak exactly, it was just that with the ability to respond to different situations, Magi were found more convenient within shrines.

It was an indication that the forte of 『Iron Cross』 was monster subjugation rather then exploring shrines.

The one walking in the vanguard was the leader Sven. Following was his heavily equipped companions.

Whole body black iron armour. There were two swordsmen with shields to deal with any attack, one Magi specialised in protection magic, and another Magi for wide area destruction, and finally a restoration expert that had only recently joined.

It was a gloomy passage, but each person walked without hesitation or fear.

Sven in the lead suddenly stopped, and readied the long bow in his hand. The ones following also came to a stop.

A black metal bow. In a natural movement he drew a long arrow from the quiver on his back, and in a practised motion he nocked the arrow on the bowstring.

Both the bow and the arrow were specially made for hunters. A bow that was refined specifically for rigidity and strength that could not be drawn by an ordinary person, the arrows released from it were also almost comedically thick, long, and heavy.

The bow string creaked as the metal bow flexed under physical strength.

From the direction it was pointed towards, something appeared from around the corner. A Wolf Knight clad in crimson armour.

And simultaneously, Sven released the arrow.

It was like a cannonball. Released with a thick sound that could not be thought of as the noise of the wind, the arrow pierced the skull of the wolf knight with unwavering aim. It didn’t stop, and blew away the head completely as it continued on and pierced into the wall.

The body of the wolf knight convulsed without it’s head for a moment, before dissolving into the air and vanishing.

Without a howl, an ultimate shot that did not allow time for a scream upon death. Easily slaughtering the Phantom without giving it time to react, Sven took back the arrow from the wall and returned it to his quiver. Acting as if nothing had happened they proceeded onward.

The number of Phantoms appearing was not just a few.

However, all the phantoms, whether they had red or silver fur, their skulls were shot through by Sven, disappearing without even time to howl.

『Iron Cross』 were hunters specialised in subjugating monsters. But that didn’t mean they were poor at capturing shrines.

Particularly with the White Wolves Den which had no risks such as traps or gimmicks.

A shrine where not many Phantoms appeared at the same time was an easy shrine for 『Iron Cross』.

The expression of each person was like they were on the battlefield, but were relaxed somewhere.

Only the young man that joined recently showed signs of nervousness – the Lighter (recovery user) Henrik.

At a point roughly halfway on the map, Sven let out a light voice.

“Mmm, certainly the level has sprung up, but there’s nothing particularly different.”

“It seems like the last hunters that came didn’t find anything either.”

A red haired female Magi – an attack magic user Marietta shot back relaxedly.

There was no doubt that an abnormality had occurred. It was certain, but they had no idea what the cause was.

『Iron Cross』 had high fighting abilities, but their ability to investigate wasn’t any

more than the average party.

But the Explorers Association that had made the request probably didn’t require

much. If they needed greater detail, then they probably would have hired specialised researchers.

To Sven and the others talking calmly, Henrik nervously interjected. “Sven-san, wasn’t this not worth receiving?”

“Mmm...well since we were asked...” Saying that, Sven scratched his cheek.

『Iron Cross』 was asked to investigate the White Wolves Den at the time the

Explorers Association had approached Cry.

They weren’t obligated to accept, but after receiving the clan masters declaration ‘I’m busy so I can’t go’, they had a party meeting.

One reason was that they had the spare time.

Henrik’s expression still held dissatisfaction.

In the end his party was being used for an errand, perhaps getting swept up in the request was still weighing on his mind.

Sven tried to placate that expression by talking.

“Well, you can also experience exploring a shrine. And I told you before, it’s ok if you stay in town right?”

“...That would be impossible. I’m also a member of this party...” The quiet swordsman clapped him on his upright back.

As Henrik started coughing, laughter rang out.

“–Cough, cough.....but-but it looks like we’re cleaning up after the Master-“ “...Well, Henrik, you’ll understand someday.”

To add to his meaning Sven was wearing a wild smile.

Seeing the others offer no objections, Henrik gave a short nod.

Without a direct battle, they walked for tens of minutes.

Halfway to the boss room, the bag on Sven’s waist started shaking all of a sudden. Sven stopped immediately, and took out a black stone from inside the bag.

『Footprints』 was a large clan. The difference between it and other clans was that while others had a strong aspect to parties gathering together, it was in this area

that Footprints was highly organised.

It was a feature rarely seen for hunters that hated being bound by things.

The 『black stone』 was a Relic also referred to as a 『sound stone』. Found in pairs, words spoken to one stone were transmitted through the other. It was a unique way of transmitting information.

The sound stone Sven carried was purchased after consultation with 『Iron

Cross』. The other was placed at the clan headquarters so they could be contacted in an emergency.

A 『sound stone』 was generally expensive.

It required a lot of money, yet as a Relic it required training to use properly. But when one was found it sold quickly after being taken to the markets.

The one carried by Sven was also purchased through an intermediary, and it wasn’t something requested by the clan.

The expression of Sven, who held the stone close to his ear, quickly turned into a scowl.

The conversation was only a few words. “Ahh, got it. You saved us.”

He put away the stone that had lost it’s power. He turned to his companions that were watching the surroundings vigilantly.

“We’re leaving at once. The situation has changed. Cry increased the amount of personnel coming from 『Footprints』. Watch out for a slime. Let the other parties know. Sound the evacuation whistle.”

“Eh? ...Eh?” “Understood.”

While Henrik was bewildered, one of the swordsmen whistled. The sharp sound indicating an emergency echoed inside the cave.

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Translator notes

Not sure if the ultra life seed has been mentioned... Not sure what it is, it sounds similar to the concept of the worlds memory mentioned in an earlier chapter.

Lighter seems to be the term for recovery specialists. It has mentioned healer as a role before, but perhaps it’s a further distinction between pure white mage and paladin and other roles.

Really wanted to call it a tele-stone. The sound stone has an extra kanji meaning together. So it’s literally more like ‘together or paired sound stone’. But my brain is dead so I can’t think of anything good.

The sound of a whistle for emergency might also actually be an actual pipe or flute that gets blown.