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

It was an unbearable sight.
I don’t mind the hard feeling of the Stone Golem I am using as a chair.

Sytry put her finger on the throat of a female mage who is lying down, Sytry sighs and gazes at me in trouble.

A sour odor attacks my nose.
The Lounge was a mess.
Even though there was no sign of liquor on the table, every Mages is lying down on the ground as if they are drunk.
A Stone Golem is cleaning the vomit with a rag.

I know Sytry very well.
She is intelligent sincere and cautious.
And as she has initially predicted, it seems that eight Mages couldn’t fully charge my Relics.

Sytry’s training was much steeper than what she said.
Perhaps even those Mages who have been a Hunter for a long time have never experienced so many magic power exhaustions in such a short period of time.
And the special potion made by Sytry further steal their energy.

“Umh… I am troubled.
It seems they don’t have the energy to use their magic power to charge anymore.
Ah, of course, as promised they are still alive.
There is a pulse.
It is just that their consciousness… are not coming back.”

“Un, un… you are right.”

“Their magic power has also recovered.
The potions used are actually used over and over in our party, you don’t have to worry about it.
The upper limit of their magic power has also increased.
It is just that their consciousness… are not coming back.”

“Oh, oi are you all right!? Keep it together!!”

A male Hunter push away Sitry’s shoulder, he was until now, holding his breath and watching over the trial, then greatly shakes the shoulder of his companion who is not moving.
The situation looks like he couldn’t believe the death of his companion during an exploration in a Shrine.
It looks as if they were clinging to a corpse.

My heart hurts.
I’m gonna puke.

“It looks like they can’t charge their magic power in the Relics without their consciousness.
They lack training.
It is a pity, but this is the end.”

’

Even if she looks at the dead corpse, Sytry says without changing her complexion.
Only one bottle of magic potion prepared has been finished.
Rather, should I say that it is amazing that eight people could finish one bottle…

The Relics charge wasn’t over at all.
I haven’t even half of my Barrier Finger charged.
In the first place, the only Mage who could fully charge a Barrier Finger because he had enough magic power was Fuvil-san, except him there was only two more people who could do it.
The others five charge wasn’t wasted as it serves to charged other treasures.
It seems like I should have secured a way to charge the Relics in case Lucia is absence for a long time.

“? What is wrong? I didn’t say… Any lie.”

A brown-haired Hunter glares at Sytry and embraces his foaming companion.
To his glare Sytry unknowingly tilt her head and blinks a few times.

Sytry doesn’t have any bad intent.
Of course, she didn’t do that to destroy the Mages.
She has always been a girl like that.

“I am sorry.
I wouldn’t have though that something like that would happen… But everyone is satisfied, and everyone have increased their magic power so much.
So, we can say that there is 『No Problem』.”

Her voice was calm but there was a strength inside that couldn’t let you object.
I look at the other members who were looking at us like they wanted to shoot us dead, and Sytry make an apologetic look.

In the first place, this training (?) can’t be done without the consent of the person himself.

Watching Fuvil-san lying down and the other Mages who is sat on the ground.
Each one of them thought, for their growth, for their party, the pain is only for now, they won’t die.
But it is certainly Sytry who switched the Relic to charge from their hand.

But it was the person himself who took that decision.

Well even if it is like this, if I say that it is for their companion, I am in a position where it is hard for them to refute so I will leave it at that.

’

Hunters’ action are their own responsibilities.
No one would blame Sytry’s action.
But from the inside… it is different though.
And the person himself says he will do it for the party.
So, the outsider can’t stop them.

After all, it is a sad story but, there is a reason why she kept the name “Deep Black (The Worst of the Worst)” no matter how long time passed.

“It is too te… Terrible.
But, in fact… is that potion, really just a Magic Medicine!? I have never heard of magic power being fully restored with just a few drops!”

The members raised a voice of protest with a trembling voice, as if she was hurt, Sytry lowers her eyes.

With a look which doesn’t looks like she was the perpetrator, she makes an expression as if a victim.
The member who was looking at her as if she was their parents murder up until now are shaking.
With a delicate body that can’t be seen as a Hunter, her trembling voice makes me feel a little sorry for her, even for me who has known her for a long time.

“You are terrible… To doubt my potion.
I just used rare ingredient and changed the dilution ratio.
It is clearly a “Mana Potion (Magic Recovery Medicine) ”.
It is extremely expensive… You can look it up in the lab.”

The Wood Golem takes a potion from the wooden box.
It is store in a bottle a little smaller than the one Hunters usually use.
Sytry shook it lightly and place it in front of everyone.

The black liquid is so dark that it can only be seen as poison.

“In the first place, their magic power is completely restored… It is very difficult to say but… It is because everyone’s magic power is so low.
Lucia-chan can’t recover with… Only one.
Well, it is true a magic medicine with a lower performance have a better taste.
The next time I will prepare a potion with a lower performance.
If there is a next time…”

Each party takes over, and Sytry looks at the Mages who haven’t regained their consciousness and squints her eyes.
Maybe… It is just a hunch, but she may be disappointed that the Mages doesn’t show any sign of recovering over time.

“They can get stronger so easily, but they can only do it four times…”

’

Sytry’s voice wasn’t as kind as it usually were.

Certainly, if you just hear it, the method seems easy.
But it isn’t the case if Hunters who are in the first line and easily kills Phantom, completely loses consciousness.
And it is for all the eight people.
Their pain is probably hard to imagine.

When I look at the victims of those magic charge, before feeling compassionate, I feel uneasy.

From the beginning, Lucia showed a glimpse of magical talent.
Probably, from the original six member of 『Strange Grief』 the most naturally gifted was her.
So, I wasn’t aware of it at all.
But now, seeing the current disaster… Perhaps Lucia was having a hard time in place we couldn’t see.

When we came to the Imperial Capital, I only had one Relic… When wearing it, it increases your physical strength, it is a trivial Relic.
The magic power required was also very little.
The charge of my Relics was from the beginning until now Lucia’s job.
To my increasing collection, Lucia has never showed a reluctant look.

I remember of Lucia’s naïve voice and cold sweat start to come out.
She was kind of cold to me these days.
I was wondering if it was her late rebellion period, but maybe the cause was this?

Indeed, recently my Relic collection was unusually increasing.
I am now no longer involved in Shrine exploration, but it only makes sense as I only search for Relics or sweets shop.

“… Did I maybe, did something bad to Lucia?”

“Cry-san.
Lucia-chan isn’t weak enough to make a sound during a trial.”

Turning around, Sytry responds with a smile.
I don’t have memory of doing any trial though.
When Lucia come back, I decided to apologize and make her happy.

No one said anything.
Do you think you don’t have the right to protest now? Is it because Sytry is my best friend? However even if you don’t say anything, I can understand your feeling with your severe gaze.

’

Initially, the one who should be blame for, is the one who requested to charge the Relic, me.
Did Sytry draw the short straw?

One of them… The Hunter who is nursing Fuvil-san open his mouth.
As if to cover it, Sytry say in an amazed voice.

“What, with such a scary eye… Studying is one part of being a Hunter.
Lucia-chan received the same trials and she didn’t whine.
Rather, you should be thankful to Cry-san for telling you, your weakness, is what I think.”

Word full of pride.
I don’t want you to pour oil on the fire.
To those who are swearing because of those prideful content, Sytry shyly laugh.
And while placing her index finger on her mouth.

“It isn’t talent.
Lucia-chan or Cry-san’s level is a little higher than everyone is because…  the trials we went through… the amount of sweats, bloods and tears shed are a little higher than everyone else.
Don’t tell me you are going to whine about a challenge where younger Hunters has overcome?”

… As always, she knows how to talk.
None of the countless gazes gathered and neither their strong emotion matters.
Rather than being amazed, I am first impressed.
Tino also opens her eyes and listen to those words.

To those words, the Hunters who wanted to open their mouth, close it.
They can’t probably say anything back at this point.
The irony is, in this Clan I am the one with the Highest-Level… But I have never sweat, shed any blood nor tear.

But those who knows it are the member of 『Strange Grief』 and no one else.

The Stone Golem holds the wooden box, puts away the cleaning tools and leaves the Lounges.
Sytry takes my arm and finally with a mysterious or a stern look turns back to the member.

“Ah.
I don’t think it will happen but… If they regain their consciousness but have any problem, please let me know.
I will keep, my promise.
I will, sincerely, deal with it.”

Thx for reading.
Waaah so scary and Cry made Lucia go through all that without him knowing.
No wonder if they are one of the strongest parties in the Capital.
I wonder what kind of other training Cry (unknowingly) made for the other member.
Tchao à plus