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

Chapter77，Part1: 1 - Fire Spread ②

Chapter 77 Fire Spread ②

Part 1

Probably because of the upcoming Zebrudia Auction, the Explorer Association was more crowded than usual.

The Auction is a big event. During the period of one week, the Imperial Capital will be more crowded with tourists and merchants from other countries.

.

For Hunters who usually look for Relics and are based in the Imperial Capital, it is a great opportunity to sell Relics which are usually not sold for much and maybe they will get lucky and sell it for a high price. It is also an opportunity to bid off valuable Relics which are auctioned to greatly improve your strength.

In front of the request board there is a crowd of people twice as big than usual.

For the upcoming day, Hunters who are usually looking for information on Shrines to find Relics, come to receive request that can help them increase their funds as much as possible.

Tino is also mixed in all those giant Hunters, while stretching as tall as possible, she is staring at the request board hanging on the wall.

The Auction schedule is approaching and there isn’t almost any good request left. Requests to subjugate monsters in the vicinity have all been taken and all that remains are troublesome requests that won’t end by the time the Auction starts.

All the Hunters are looking at the area of the Explorer Association’s staff with a murderous aura. With bloodshot eyes, they are observing if there aren’t any new requests coming up.

All the Hunters here are third-rate, is what Tino thinks.

The Auction’s date is fixed in advance. Whether to gather Relic or raising funds, First-Class Hunters have already done it a long time ago and are laughing at the Hunters next to the request board.

Tino is not interested in the Auction. She doesn’t have much greed and she doesn’t waste money.

So why am I looking the board as the same as those under-prepared Hunters?

When Tino couldn’t raise her tension to their level, someone suddenly called from behind her.

“Hey, Tino. This, is this all right?”

“…”

She looks back, the one who called out to her was a Thief who had previously formed a party with her to go to the 【White Wolves Den】, Ruda Runebeck.

As always, she had smooth brown hair and big breasts as if they were asserting themselves.? It seems Ruda recently leveled up her Level to 4.? Since we formed a Party that day, we talked to each other when we met.

As we are both Thieves, we get along well. She has also accompanied us when I was training with Shisho. Tino rarely visit the Explorer Assoc. so we didn’t have a lot of occasion to meet each other. It can be said that we are more than acquaintances and less than friends.

Ruda smiles at Tino who is staring at her silently.

“As usual, you look fine… Are you doing fine in your training?”

“… Onee-sama is going to speed run multiple Shrines… So, I was left behind because I am too slow.”

“… She, she is as usual…”

The magazine sticking out in front of Tino is the gossip magazine that summarized things related to Treasure Hunters.

Usually there are articles on Hunters who found a strange Relic or strange Shrine with special features from another country. Most recently, there was an article with dubious critic about the abnormalities in the 【White Wolves Den】. It is a magazine that sometimes publishes information that may or may not interest Hunters.

The page that was opened at had information about a piece of Relic which will be put up for the auction.

Normally, Tino doesn’t read magazines. This is because the necessary information can be collected by Footstep without any lack or deficiency.

She receives the magazine and gaze at what was written.

A certain prestigious Hunter want to buy the strongest Relic and in order to do that he is collecting money regardless of what can happen to him.

Of course, not only other Hunters but a certain noble is also aiming for the same Relic. It seems that the Relic is a Relic that a Level 7 Hunter from another country obtained it after facing a life and death situation and brought it here.? Apparently, the noble is in a friendly relationship with Ark Rodin. Some firms are also starting to move to try to get it. Everyone knows about it, so it will probably be the centerpiece of this auction.

“This, this is about Cry, right?”

Until where is this true or false? It also contains speculation about the power of the Relic and the expected bidding price. If you are a Hunter and succeed to get it, you will surely level up.

In the first place, it is a gossip magazine with little credibility, but all those stupidities caused Tino’s eyebrow to curve.

“…… It is wrong…”

“…… Eh?”

“In the first place, Master… couldn’t get people to lend him money…”

“!?”

Tino only followed him along until halfway but from what she knows, Master was denied by everyone who he requested to lend money.

Transferring money between Treasure Hunters won’t be done without any good reason so it was unavoidable but Tino couldn’t say anything at all to the shattering line she red.

The magazine says that Cry is collecting billions of Gils but where did number really come from?? When Tino inclines her head Ruda’s eyes start blinking.

“Eh? Is it possible that it isn’t about Cry…?”

“……”

There isn’t any mistake. In this Imperial Capital, there isn’t another Clan Master and High-Level Hunter collecting Relics. Even though he is just blazingly sitting in the Imperial Capital, he is also a person who is in the center of various topics.

After confirming the contents of the magazine, Tino breath a heavy sigh and return the magazine to Ruda.

There was an article that poke fun at the certain High-Level Hunter written in the magazine.

According to the article, he is a Hunter who is heartlessly stealing gold to obtain the Relic. He is fully exerting his power as a Clan Master. He uses a woman in his party to give him money, and many other things, the content is so far-fetched that I can’t help but think that they don’t care about their life and are some kind of daredevil.

I give up the crowded request board and go to a table placed in the meeting area. Ruda is following me and sits in front of me in a casual manner.

How can I explain this…? Ruda is a human resource that Cry gathered for Tino. Although it was for a short amount of time, it also concerns her, and she expressly went and talked to me because she is worried about Master so I can be rude to her.

Some would say that it is too pitiful to be dancing in his palm for something like this. Tino is very compassionate.

Tino is hesitating for a few seconds and straightforwardly says in a clear tone.

“… Master is already in the process of getting the Relic he wants. And about the debt… It is going to be fine, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

“…Eh? Is… That so?”

Ruda is surprise and her eyes become round.

Master’s collection of Relic is, as far as Tino knows the best in the Imperial Capital.

It is mostly a rumor for the other Hunters but in fact, Tino has once follow her Shisho to Master’s private room and there was many Relics lined up and being displayed.

The number of those were, more than a hundred. From Relics that you can find relatively often to the ones that I have never heard of. If it is variety then it is probably a collection that exceeds even Shop specialize in Relics in the Imperial Capital.

The price of a Relic depends on the supply and the demand but if it were to turn into money, it would cost a few billions.

A Treasure Hunter is a person who desire treasure. Tino’s master is a man who fits that description more than anyone.

His debt is… Definitely not a problem.

Tino remembers what Sytry Onee-sama said and her body started to shiver.

Sytry Onee-sama’s loves for Master may be stronger than Onee-sama’s. Should I say as expected of those sisters… Let alone her not caring about his debts at all, she would happily be willing to lend him money. Even for Tino who knows little about Sytry, it is clearly overboard.

Those thought pass through my head, the look she occasionally gives her when I get close to Master, I shake my head and continue my explanation.

“Master will definitely get the Relic he is aiming for. That is why, all those kinds of information nonsense spreading around is… What Master intentionally did.”

“Eh? … Really?”

“… It, should be.”

Right. Otherwise, there isn’t any other reason he would request Ark Rodin to lend some money in such a public spot or being such a money monger in the Lounge.

In the first place, when you have a patron named Sytry Onee-sama, you don’t need to rush around asking for money.

Tino can’t see the big picture of her Master’s master plan in her head. But I know how great he is. In any case, it is something amazing. I have no idea, but it is amazing.

Ruda had a terrible look when she looks at Tino, but she recovers from it and leans forward.

She looks around as if she was worried about her surroundings and says while lowering her voice.

“And so, Tino. What is the Relic that even Cry would aim at…?”

“……A strange mask. It is similar to the Relic Master used to have but… I think it is probably something different.? I don’t know what power it has.”

“Whaaaat. That is it? I was a little curious about it.”

『Reverse Face』 was until recently Master’s favorite Relic.

It is a unique Relic that can change the face of a person.

However, this time’s Relic is probably different. I hear that the Relic’s popularity was the worst, so it was destroyed by Onee-sama.

Tino herself didn’t really like it much, anyway he was uselessly changing his face. The other people also didn’t make a good face when he was saying “With this I am the real Infinite Variety, you know”.

Even Sitry Onee-sama smiles was clouding over so it can be said that it was considerable bad.? Of course, it was. Even if the inside doesn’t change… Who would be please that the face of the person you adore would be ever-changing?

Master is amazing but there were some things that Tino couldn’t understand because it is too amazing.

“Well, if there isn’t any problem, it is good then. I, and also everyone thought… Well, look, it has become such an amazing rumor, right? I thought he would be fine, but he was still someone I knew so…”

What they said about nobles and companies moving is probably true. Leaving aside Gossip magazine, there are other Hunters who are talking about it.

It is also true that the price of the Relic will jump up. There were several similar cases in past Zebrudia Auction.

What started is a clash of titans. The only Hunters who can stand up against business companies and nobles are Top-Class Hunters.

But why are you all, worried about Master, like this?

He looks a little unreliable, but it is of course all a bluff, even though there is his Level 8 Certification Level that guarantees his ability.

It is really hard to understand for Tino who knows him.

“By the way what was Tino doing? The request board seems to be very crowded because of the auction…”

“… I, I can’t even practice, so I thought I would make a little bit of money and help Master.”

Tino closes her eyes and answer with a voice that is almost disappearing.

§　§　§

TL notes:

Thanks for reading!

So we see Tino’s point of view in all that! As always, she is looking at Cry with over reverence! She doesn’t understand the plan, but she knows it is awesome xD

She really is the mascot of Footprint, so innocent.

Tchao à plus!

I used to translate as teacher but it is more master than teacher but I translate master as master so I could be confusing, so I am putting Shisho from now on. Shisho definition is right in the middle of Teacher and Master. When Tino says Shisho it means Liz.

Cry’s Alias is translated as Infinite Variety but in the literal meaning of his Alias is something like Thousands changing or ever-changing. So, him changing his face as much as he wants makes him the ever changing.