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

Chapter?8: Stew?in?the?Dark

Chapter 8

Stew in the Dark

“If I could just say one thing first, Master. I wasn’t really trying to escape you know.”

“Yeah yeah, sure.”

“Masters chains are certainly a little persistent, and it’s troublesome how they don’t get fatigued. But for me it would be simple to break them.”

Tino says this with a serious face, ignoring the fact that she is wrapped up several times over in chains that could restrain a robust man.

“And yet I still haven’t broken them. Since these are Masters important chains, Master might start hating me. Taking these extenuating circumstances into consideration, you could give me a bit of leeway don’t you think?”

Tino asked with calculative upturned eyes, these mannerisms were learned from her teacher. A completely negative influence.

The『Dogs Chain』appear silver, but they are definitely not made from silver. Items created from Mana Material are strong regardless of what form they take.

If it can break, then break it... there are a lot of people around me that think like that, Tino also seems to be doing considerably unreasonable things.

It’s something that’s impossible without delving through many Shrines.

“Tino, it’s not good to do unreasonable things. That’s the number one most important thing.

“......Master, that’s you. You.”

“If we’re talking about absurd, that’s your teacher. I’m nothing compared to that one.”

At the same time as I answered, the『Dogs Chain』restricting Tino lost its power and fell to the floor.

Relics are handy, but it’s not like they’re limitless. Tino ran around more than expected trying to escape, and the mana acting as the power source finally cut out. To be able to run away this far from the chains that pursue at high speed, it’s amazing.

Tino speaks while rubbing her body where the chains had been binding against her.

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“I am aware. Master thinks deeply about how close we can come to death in order for us to grow. When you hand over a request I am very aware of that, so please keep it within the realm of Spartan.”

“...ok?”

But that’s not what I intended though?

It’s a Level 3. Just a Level 3 shrine. It wouldn’t be that difficult for Tino. I wouldn’t give a request to someone if I thought they would get killed. The request contents is “body retrieval”.

Hunters are essentially responsible for themselves, but there are occasionally requests to help Hunters that have met with misfortune. Even when the other party are pros, in nearly every case it’s too late to help and they are already dead.

.

In the circumstance that they’re dead, you simply confirm their death and the request is complete. That’s why that type of quest is called “body retrieval”. Since they are so rarely still alive, there’s no reason not to go.

On top of that, Tino is also a level 4 hunter. Reluctantly I take another look over the request.

The Shrines designation is Level 3 -『White Wolves Den』. In terms of how close it is to the Imperial Capital it’s mid-range, so it’s not very convenient. It’s not a popular Shrine.

The whereabouts of the five people became unknown three days ago. It’s cutting it close. If it had been one week, survival would be hopeless, but with three days it’s fifty-fifty.

The time limit is one week, and the reward is 300,000 gil. If it was an ordinary household, that much could support them for one month. But to a hunter it may as

well be garbage.

The hunter that accepts such garbage would be a complete volunteer, but in the first place it can’t be helped since it is a Punishment game.

I don’t understand the problem at all. But, I raised my head from the request, then nodded like I knew what I was talking about.

“Yeah I get it. I understand what you’re trying to say.” “!!”

“You don’t want to go on your own, something like that right?” I get it. I truly know that feeling.

Even though the degree of difficulty is within your limits, a Shrine is still a danger zone. You never know what might happen.

Since she’s always solo I figured she would be fine, but I didn’t put enough thought into it.

I was only thinking in the case that the people would be dead already, but thinking rationally it actually is impossible to rescue five people alone.

A person only has two arms, how would they carry five injured people? “Eh...? Well... Yes.”

When I had looked around the lounge, no one was there except Tino. I turned my eyes towards something promising.

Everyone seemed busy today but I thought of a good idea.

『White Wolves Den』. I thought I had heard that name before.

Tino is Level 4 which seemed like enough already, so if we add a few more people at Level 3 then it will probably sufficient. Today I can look up happily.

Tino nervously begins to talk. “If Master comes with me then-“

“It’s them. The other day at the member recruitment, there was someone that wanted to go to the White Wolves Den, you should take that person with you. She was called Ruda I’m pretty sure.”

“...Eh?”

The left-over members? Greg-sama and that boy Gilbert should cover it.

Tino looks like she isn’t used to being in a party, so this can be part of her lessons. How convenient.

As I was feeling smug after giving her advice, Tino’s eye was twitching as she stared back at me.

§ § §

Tino Shade was born in the Imperial Capital of Zebrudia. Born and raised in the Capital. A slightly quiet, yet very active girl.

From old until now Treasure Hunter has always been an occupation of stardom. But because of the high risks, people with good sense tended to avoid it.

Zebrudia is full of hunters, and has several branches of the Explorers, but for that reason Tino didn’t have thoughts of becoming a hunter.

People have befitting ways to live their lives. Wealth, fame, and power, Tino wasn’t really drawn to them, and found the existence called Hunters frightening.

The impetus for Tino’s sudden turnaround was, at that time, a party that materialised in the Capital like a comet.

A party with a stand out name like an unusual existence, a party more intense than any other.

An ominous name that made people keep their distance, and even if the empire itself was hostile they destroyed every obstacle in their path. In only a few years there was no unknown member in their party.

They were shining. Seen by an ordinary person, for a girl with no interest in hunters, they were an attractive radiant brilliance that she wanted to take in her hands.

Like a flash.

Like a shooting star.

Level 10 – the highest rank of treasure hunter only held by three people in the world. The strongest name boasted of as if the second coming of Exceed Sequence, was the leader of 『Arch Brave』, ‘Silver Star Heavy Thunder’ Ark Rodin.

The founder of the『First Step』that became one of the most prominent clans. The one that held the reigns of the wilful members of『Strange Grief』, and could boast of ingenious schemes that raised them to the top of the Imperial Capital – Cry Andoric.

A Golden Age.

Drawn to talent shining with the radiance of a burning star, gifted hunters appeared in succession, the Explorers Association named this era as such.

And Tino Shade, she held the belief that sooner or later this moment would be left behind in legend. So with her trusted teacher and master she became a hunter to engrave her name beside them.

And now, continuing the hopes and dreams of her younger self, that trusted “Master” was making her run his errands.

The Explorers Association Imperial Branch.

Without warning Tino appeared, at a table was a girl with a downcast expression, her eyes widened.

They were a hunter that was together with Master at the member recruitment. She had heard their information.

Their name was Ruda Runebeck. Wanting to find members that could help her capture the『White Wolves Den』she came along to the Footprint’s recruitment.

Their role was probably thief. A hunter that detected traps and enemies, and opened locks. She was less outfitted, and was lower ranked than Tino who had been trained by a reliable (yet muscle brained) teacher.

But it was fine. This was for Master and her revered Onee-sama... no, well the wish of her revered Master. It couldn’t be helped.

“W-what? What is it? Ah... yesterday, you were together with Cry-“

Rudas eyes went wide. From there Tino glanced across, then she decided to search for different party members.

Translator Notes

This chapter was short yet difficult. Sentences in Japanese can be so long.

-The title ‘Stew in the Dark’ in Japanese is Yaminabe -a hot pot a group of people will eat together in the dark. My guess is that it most likely refers to how Cry is setting up Tino with other people and keeping her in the dark about it. Maybe I should have called it Plot in the Dark. A Hot P[l]ot even.

Something I don’t really want to mention because it’s embarrassing is that after reading a little of

the next chapter I can confirm I messed up the series title name. It’s something I figured might be the case, but at the beginning my guess was that Cry’s alias was also “strange grief” since it is fitting to his character and he is the party’s leader.

But yeah the title should be ‘Strange Grief [I] want to retire [from it]’. (Probably)