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

Chapter203，Part1: 1 - A Reliable Man

Chapter 203 A Reliable Man

Part 1

And then, as per his request, I solemnly presented my 『Carpet』.

I had no choice. My heart was beating hard with tension.

The tall, fox-mask Onii-san was holding a rolled-up carpet in one hand and said to me as I looked down.

“I have certainly received it. If you learn anything from this, don’t ever wander in here again.” (Kitsune Onii-san)

“It wasn’t by…… Choice that I came here. It was you guys who ran over us.” (Cry)

At my heartfelt words, the fox-mask man raised his shoulders in disbelief.

“It is the same thing.” (Kitsune Onii-san)

Their fairness is not fair to us. No matter how much they talk about it, these are just the rules of the Treasure Shrine. It is not a rule that applies to us, it is a rule that they operate by.

For example, if I had had the strength, I could have handled them by force and would have gotten out safely without having to give up my most precious thing. But this was unavoidable.

There was no farewell. My vision switched without warning and the fox-mask Onii-san disappeared.

It was as if the whole thing had been an illusion――Right in front of me was the place I had been, the familiar corridors of the airship.

Right outside the window was a blue sky with not a cloud in the sky. We had escaped the Treasure Shrine.

I checked on it once again and took a deep breath. We had survived a calamity in which only a few survived and with minimal damage. The carpet was a noble sacrifice.

Where will the 【Lost Inn】 go from now on…… I don’t know, but if it continues to fly, we will probably never see it again. I can’t help but pray that it will never happen again.

I looked at the window with a distant (And probably sorrowful) look in my eyes, when Kruz suddenly grabbed my back.

The redness on her face had returned, leaving her with her normal face. Apparently, she doesn’t have any nausea anymore.? Maybe her vessel had grown.

“O-Oiii! Yowaningen, what were you thinking, desuuu!” (Kruz)

I did something bad for Kruz.? But at that moment, I was sure that Kruz should have been my most important thing.

I can’t believe that it would be the carpet that I haven’t even thought of……………… That fox-mask mind-reading capability is so accurate.

“W-Well, calm down. It is probably their plan to try and sow discord into our group!” (Cry)

“Yowaningen, aren’t you really taking me for an idiot, desu! Seriously, you have to stop that, desu!” (Kruz)

That is not true…… But, about this time, I am really sorryyyyyyyy.

I am really sorry for everything I have done to Kruz. I will do whatever I can to help save the situation. However, I put on a serious face and told her.

“But, Kruz, this is no time for a fight. We should check on the Emperor now. I know I can trust the words of the fox-mask man, but isn’t that what a first-class Hunter is supposed to do?” (Cry)

“………… You… You seriously have to stop or I will punch you, desu.” (Kruz)

§

It seems that when we were swallowed by the Treasure Shrine, the structure was overwritten by the Treasure Shrine, but when we were released, everything was restored. That must have been what was fair to them.

According to my memory, I headed for the hall where we were gathered just before we were swallowed.

There were people lying everywhere in the corridor. Knights, civil servants, servants, Magi. They probably had not been done in by the Phantoms, but by Term.

Kruz, who ran up to one of them, took his pulse, checked his pupils, heard his heartbeat, and said in dismay.

“He is alive…… He is still alive, desu. I don’t understand how this is possible, desu.” (Kruz)

Term’s skill was undoubtedly top-class. I don’t believe that those who have been attacked by a Magi like him can survive while we were *gudaguda* messing around in the Treasure Shrine without being treated.

After checking on the others, Kruz muttered.

“I see…… It was thanks to the power of the Mana Material………..” (Kruz)

I see…… That makes sense.

Absorbing Mana Materials make one’s body stronger. Those who seek Magic will be given Magic, those who seek strength will be given strength, those who seek stamina will be given stamina, and those who seek defense will be given defense. If it were a dying person, it would be their life force that would be strengthened.

Normally, the speed at which the Mana Material changes a person’s body is slow, but the concentration of Mana Material in the 【Lost Inn】 was just too high. It wouldn’t be strange if anything could happen.

What the hell is wrong with me when even ordinary people can be enhanced but I can’t be enhanced……?

Or it could be that the fox-mask did something to them. He said he would return all my comrades safely. If those who entered the Treasure Shrine while they were still alive were dead when they left, that would not be considered safe. Well, there’s no way to know the truth anymore, and either way, we can say that it is a blessing in disguise.

A full treatment would come after we were sure that everyone was safe. For now, I knew that their life was not in danger, so I headed for the hall.

The hall didn’t change one bit from when we left.

“So you are back, 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》…… And from the looks of things outside, it looks like you have solved things out.” (Radrick)

The Emperor looked at me and said this first thing as soon as I came back. Everyone else looked as if they were about to die, but the fact that he was still able to maintain his dignity was as expected of the head of a major country.

Franz-san doesn’t seem to have the luxury of glaring at me right now. He pulls himself up and stands unsteadily with a ghostly expression on his face.

I quickly checked the room――And breathed a sigh of relief when I spotted the Rebellious Carpet hiding behind the Emperor.

Thank goodness…… No one has disappeared. Kruz trembled and whispered while intimidating me in my ear.

“You… You seriously have to stop this, desu. What were you going to do if it failed, desu?” (Kruz)

No, because, you know, that guy only said a carpet……

Thank goodness…… Thank goodness I bought a lover for the carpet.

§　§　§

Really, humans are really ununderstandable. I especially do not understand that human with no sense of danger.

The number 2 in the 【Lost Inn】. The fox mask who was in charge of the whole group instead of his great “Haha Kitsune (Fox Mother)”, threw away the blue carpet in his hand. One of his subordinates quickly picks it up and carries it to the warehouse.

The most precious thing is different for each person. Some people value things, some people value life. For some――Memories are more important. However, it was incomprehensible to me that after having so many companions, after having acquired the powerful tail of my “Haha Kitsune (Fox Mother)”, his answer would be a carpet.

It is rare for anyone to come into the 【Lost Inn】. Since no one has visited the 【Lost Inn】 since the last time that human visited, this is the first time we have collected something important.

However, the 『Most Precious Things』 that I could read from the Spirit People next to him was something perfectly normal that even I could understand, so I guess it was the sensibility of that human without a sense of danger that was strange.

Maybe it is a memento given by someone else…… It was quite inferior to what he was supposed to collect, and he didn’t think it was very valuable at all, but the higher-up fox-mask didn’t care.

What was needed was a price. The value of it did not matter for the fox-mask. No matter what the object or person is, it does not have much value to the 【Lost Inn】. The only thing that would have been best would be if we could get the tail back, but even if we tried to give it back, “Haha Kitsune (Fox Mother)” would probably not take it.

However, there was a need to take some precautions. Encountering the 【Lost Inn】 twice in such a short period of time is unusual.

Was it really bad luck or does he have the power beyond the concealment abilities of the 【Lost Inn】…… There was nothing to prevent that, but it is probably not a good idea to keep being in the sky like this. Every time a tail is taken off, the 【Lost Inn】 is greatly weakened.

However, it is also not a good idea to go to unexplored areas where no human will ever come. The reason why my youngest brother went out of control and was killed this time was because he was too unaccustomed to humans. This was a difficult situation.

TL notes:

Thanks for reading! Here’s an extra chapter thanks to Juan!

Hahaha Cry sure have the balls to just give a regular carpet and not the Carpet Relic!

And this Phantom point of view of Cry is so funny!

But Cry was indeed correct about the Kitsune Onii-san wanting to recover the tail. Too bad he prefers a carpet that won’t let him on it than an all-powerful tail.

Tchao à plus!