Strange Grief Wants to Retire ~ The Weakest Hunter Dreams of a Hero ~-Chapter 448.1: Sarasara ③

What the hell…… Was that?

Standing in a corridor lit by a dim blue light, I am perplexed by the unexpected situation.

The cause of this is the strange existence I discovered in the outside world earlier.

Pitch black humanoid figures that appear to be made out of darkness itself. These strange creatures, whose true identity and where they came from are unknown, but they certainly perceived me.

The 【Star Temple】 that once existed at the place where the Imperial Capital currently is. I am, a Phantom of the 【Star God’s Miniature Garden】 that appeared in its ruins――Lady, the sobbing.

Normally, I, Lady, will not be visible outside the Treasure Shrine unless certain conditions are met. This is because the 【Star God’s Miniature Garden】 is a special Treasure Shrine that exists in a way that overlaps with the real world, and it can be said to be a characteristic of the Treasure Shrine itself.

But those deformities were definitely aware of me.

Moreover, it wasn’t just one. There were countless of them, blending in with the crowd. And yet, so many passersby were unaware of their existence. It has been many years since I appeared in the Imperial Capital, but this is the first time I have seen this.

For a moment, I wondered if those monsters were also Phantoms that had been manifested by the 【Star God’s Miniature Garden】, but that was not the case. There was something different about their presence. Those were not a Phantom.

In the empty hallway filled with cool air, I steady my breathing, which should never have been irregular. I am the incarnation of fear. I was created to drag countless humans into the swamp of fear and exploit their weaknesses. There is no way I could be threatened. There is no reason why I should be.

There is another thing that bothers me. There was a human who had seen me. She is a woman with black hair and red eyes, and she possesses deep, dark Mana Materials like the abyss. That, too, is something that should not be possible.

window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "67b6a3f059969b0665825541", id: "pf-13793-1"})

And the woman also seemed to be aware of the black deformities as well.

It is hard to believe, but since I have actually been seen, I have no choice but to acknowledge it. I don’t know how she was able to see me, but perhaps we are compatible? Among the people I have kidnapped so far, there are some with keen senses, though not as keen as that woman.

Humans are frightening. Now, I understand why the master of the 【Star Temple】, who once boasted unparalleled power, abandoned his base and retreated.

A knight who faced head-on a monster that was feared all over the world long ago, where records no longer exist, and even took the opportunity to try to cut off my outstretched neck when I was attempting to scare him. A man in an inexplicably huge full body armor, even bigger than a monster, jet black deformities that recognized me and chased me for some reason. And then there is that woman who was able to see me when I should not be visible. It is just a rumor, but apparently, outside the city, there is a yokai-like1 man who will attack anyone with a sword without any hesitation.

There is no way I will deal with people like them. My role is to find people’s weaknesses. As if I will fight people like them.

It is all the fault of the sudden decrease in Mana Materials flowing through the earth veins. As long as the Mana Materials are abundant, the concealment is rock solid. The rules of the 【Star God’s Test Site】 make the spiriting away perfect.

If the decrease of Mana Materials had not disrupted the rules, no one would have noticed that people had disappeared, no matter the number――. I don’t know why the energy in the earth veins has decreased. And it doesn’t matter. freewebnoveℓ.com

The problem is that people who wouldn’t be scared even if I threatened them seriously are starting to look into people being spirited away. Until now, I have chosen targets for spiriting away while avoiding those who would pose a threat, but now I must choose more carefully than ever.

“Gugu………… Gill……” (Monster Diggy)

Before I know it, a comrade appears next to me. Monster Diggy, who had killed 80 people and terrorized the nights in a city, shrinks its huge body and looks at me with *giragira* glaring eyes. Poor little one, what was once a legendary murderous monster has lost all confidence after the previous incident with the knight. The blood-stained, hideous butcher knife it held in its hand has been replaced with a shiny new one, and the number of heads hanging from its left hand has decreased. To this monster, fear is power itself, and when it is no longer feared, it loses its power. The same goes for me.

I say as if to convince myself.

“It’s alright, it’s alright. That was a bit too much of a challenge. We just have to find someone weaker. We will find them easily, there are so many people out there.” (Lady)

“Gugu…… Aye’ll go my gest…” (Monster Diggy)

Monster Diggy groans in pain and *nosonoso* slinks away slowly.

But this is not just someone else’s problem. Monster Diggy lost its confidence because there are many Monsters in the modern age that are stronger than it, but it is even harder for me to gather fear when I look human at first glance. What can I even do when I cannot make someone scream, when I stretch my neck and shed tears of blood……

I watch its back as it leaves and then decide to go search for a new prey.

§ § §

The Clan House of 《First Step (Hajimari no Ashiato)》, the Clan founded by Cry Andrich, is a sophisticated building of a type rarely seen on Terrace, my home grounds. Maybe because it is located in a conspicuous location along the main street, at first glance it does not look like a Clan House where Hunters gather. In Terrace’s branch, Clan Houses are built with the intention of being used as fortresses in case Monsters invade the town, so they look rougher than anything.

However, the more I think about it, the more amazing 《Infinite Variety’s (Senpen Banka)》 achievements become. Even if I were in the same position as Cry, it would have been impossible for me to build such a large Clan House in such a prime location in the Imperial Capital of Zebrudia in just a few years.

To establish a new Clan in the Imperial Capital, a fierce battleground for Treasure Hunters, and furthermore to develop it into a well-known Clan, popularity is more essential than achievements. I don’t know what method he used, but he must have gone through extraordinary hardships to get to that point. And that is a far greater feat than I, who only reached Level 8 by using my powers to turn the endless attack of monsters into piles of corpses. If Cry hadn’t refused, there is no doubt that it would have been Cry who would have been Level 9.

So what exactly is it that I am lacking?

As I am pondering deeply with a serious face, a tall man comes out of the entrance that is large enough for even Anthem to fit through and calls out to us. He is a rare type of Hunter who carries a longbow on his back.

“Hm? Liz, did something happen? You seem in a good mood.” (Sven)

“You can tell? A guest who was with Cry-chan in the Level 9 exam has come. Saya-chan!! She’s going to join us in a mock battle. Saya-chan, this guy is…… An archer, Sven Anger, the 《Storm Attack (Rangeki)》. He’s a decent archer, so…… You’ve never fought an archer before, right?” (Liz)

It is not like I really want to fight that much though……

Upon hearing Liz’s introduction, Sven opens his eyes as wide as he can and looks at me.

“!? Seriously……………… To think there’s a Level 8 younger than Cry…… The world sure is big……” (Sven)

“Right~? I was surprised too. But aren’t you *wakuwaku* excited about a Hunter of the same rank as Cry-chan?” (Liz)

“…………” (Saya)

N-No, I would be troubled if people think I am on the same level as him, someone who brought down Code, the highly mobile fortress city, without much of a fight…………

To begin with, I am not particularly young. It is just that the time that my body is supposed to have has been stolen by the Foreigners.

“I know, you want to fight her too, right? Gather everyone who wants to join. Saya-chan, it’ll be fun! Opportunities like this don’t come around often, right~?” (Liz)

“…… That’s what she says, but is it fine with you?” (Sven)

Asks Sven Anger, looking a little apologetic.

“I don’t, mind…………” (Saya)

I swallow that I want to say that it might not turn into a fight. There are many hot-blooded Hunters. That is my way of getting by, even though I don’t look that strong from my appearance.

They may fear me if I show them my power, but in any case, it is not like I can hide it forever. As if sensing something from my expression, Sven grins.

“Kukuku………… Alright. You seem to be confident, so if that’s the case, then I’ll go ahead and ask you for your help. It’s not often you get the chance to go up against a Level 8 from another country after all. I’m sure there are many people who want to try it out.” (Sven)

“There’s no point in training with the same people all the time, right~.” (Liz)

“Umu, umu……” (Anthem)

Like Liz, Sven must be quite skilled. There are not many Hunters with Aliases. Not to mention Anthem.

Will I be able to deal with the Hunters of 《First Step (Hajimari no Ashiato)》? Will I be able to become friends with them?

Winning a mock battle is no problem, but my abilities cannot be easily adjusted. If I show overwhelming strength, I may become as feared here as I am at Terrace.

I must do well. My heart is *dokidoki* beating hard for a reason other than my fighting spirit, while the Foreigners, whom only I can see, surround me and stare at me.

§

Thanks for reading! Haha I can’t believe that the rumor abour Luke have even reached the ear of a Phantom! So Cry fixing the World Tree was also done to help people realize that people was disappearing in the Imperial Capital. Sasuga Master~! Everything is according to his plan!

window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "67b6a3f059969b0665825541", id: "pf-13793-1"})Yokai: It is a term to define ghosts and demons in Japanese folklore