Let This Grieving Soul Retire: Volume 5 (Light Novel) E-Book

Tsukikage

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Krai’s vacation continues! He may have initially failed to meet up with the rest of his childhood friends, but that doesn’t mean he can go home quite yet. He still has to avoid a certain conference in the imperial capital, which means at least two more weeks on the run (that is to say, vacationing).

By avoiding Earl Gladis and his named quest, shaking off Arnold and his companions, and finding lodgings in the idyllic mountain town of Suls, Krai just might be home free.

But what starts off as a nice stay at a high-end hot spring (with Sitri footing most of the bill) is soon interrupted by the appearance of a dragon. The chaos is amplified by vicious bandits and the revelation that more than just hot water is circulating beneath Suls.

With the fate of an entire town at risk, it’s up to the Thousand Tricks to save it by means only he and the rest of Grieving Souls could possibly pull off.

Leseprobe

Prologue: Turning Point

The sky was such a perfect shade of blue I almost couldn’t believe it. A refreshing breeze blew through the wide-open carriage window. I smiled as I watched the mellow scenery roll by.

“Too bad we couldn’t meet up with the others,” Liz said.

I let out a yawn before replying to her.

“Yeah. These things happen.”

Rumors didn’t do justice to the imposing sight of the Level 8 treasure vault Night Palace. In my experience, treasure vaults designated with a high level had an unmistakable aura of danger. Night Palace was no exception.

Its towering figure rested atop a cliff. Billowing thunderclouds coiled about the castle’s numerous spires. Solemn, gigantic walls surrounded the outer perimeter making it look unlike anything produced by nature. But what struck me as the most hellish of all was the constant downpour. The skies were clear just a short distance away from the vault, meaning the rain was most likely a product of mana material.

In spite of the treasure vault’s gloomy atmosphere, not a single monster prowled around outside. This was a sign of just how dangerous Night Palace was. As they were sources of mana material, most treasure vaults would attract powerful monsters to their premises. A Level 8 treasure vault would normally have plenty of monsters skulking around both inside and out. If there weren’t any then it could only be that the vault’s phantoms had killed them.

Simply put, this was no place for a fraudster with an inflated level like me. This was a genuine living nightmare; even with Liz, Sitri, and Tino at my side, I couldn’t be sure I could enter such a vault and come back alive.

Having not seen many high-level treasure vaults, Tino stuck her head out the window and looked like she had the wind knocked out of her. Her fight with Arnold had already left her exhausted, but Night Palace’s aura alone was enough to make her nauseous.

Being accustomed to these sights made a difference, but that wasn’t the true cause of her nausea, nor my lack thereof. The real reason was that people with sharper senses were more vulnerable to external influences. Tino’s reaction was the same as Sitri’s tenured trio of Black, White, and Gray, meaning her reaction was normal for hunters.

“If they’re not here, then we can probably assume they got out just fine,” I said.

“Well, we had already explored the vault in its entirety and thinned the phantom population,” Sitri recalled.

That was right. I didn’t think much of Liz leaving the vault by herself, but Sitri was a thorough girl. She probably wouldn’t have departed from the vault early if she hadn’t deemed it safe to leave the others behind.

Staring avariciously at Night Palace like some sort of maniac, Liz asked me a question.

“By the way, Krai Baby, does this mean we’ve fulfilled our objectives?”

“Hmm, only about half of them,” I said.

“Huh?! Only ha— Uurgh.”

Before Tino managed to finish her sentence, her nausea got the better of her. Perhaps she needed to rest?

Our vacation had three broad objectives. The first was to meet up with Luke and the others, but we had already missed our chance to do this. I knew this one was a long shot, so I didn’t fret when we realized we had missed them.

The second was to go to a hot spring and relax. This was what I planned to do next.

The third was to not be home in time for the Gathering of the White Blade. Needless to say, this was the most important of the three.

In summary, our vacation had no real objectives. No matter what, I wasn’t going to be attending the Gathering of the White Blade! We had been gone for a week and it would take about that long to return the capital. We had to wait yet another week before turning around.

Even if I managed to meet up with the others, go to a hot spring, rest, and thank everyone for all their hard work, I still wouldn’t head back to the capital if there was time remaining. Dancing around a bonfire with Arnold and his party sounded more appealing than going to that gathering of freaks. If I hadn’t had a party and a clan to look after, I would have simply fled abroad by myself.

“It’s your vacation and all, so you can do what you want, but I think Night Palace is still more than T can handle,” Liz said.

“Well, I never planned to enter in the first place.”

If the other members were still inside, I would’ve just waited for them outside. I’d be inviting my own death if I entered a Level 8 treasure vault. I liked to believe even I had that much common sense. I looked at Tino and saw she was pale as a ghost and on the verge of tears.

“We won’t do anything dangerous,” I told her. “I mean, from the start, I never planned on us doing anything dangerous. Ha ha ha.”

“Master, I don’t see what’s so funny,” she protested in a small voice.

I didn’t think it was funny either. But looking back, I felt Arnold was responsible for everything that had happened. We had many close calls on the road, but we only came in direct contact with danger when we crossed the mountains. But if Arnold hadn’t been chasing us, we never would have been forced to brave the mountains in the first place.

“It’s all Arnold’s fault,” I said.

“Shall we dispose of him?” Sitri suggested.

“No.”

All I wanted to do was soak in a hot spring and forget about it all. About a week spent like that seemed like it would be enough. Arnold’s pursuit had me on edge, but I didn’t think I’d be seeing him again. I couldn’t imagine the same coincidence happening again and told Liz not to give him more hints.

I figured if I were to run into him at a hot spring, then I would just have to accept my fate. There weren’t too many Relics I could bring with me into a bathing area.

“Our next destination is a hot spring. We just need to make sure we don’t set foot in the Gladis Earldom,” I said.

We were pretty close to his domain. We had to be careful.

“Hey, Krai Baby, do you have something against Earl Gladis?”

Liz had a funny look on her face. She had probably figured out as much as she could glean off intuition alone. I trusted her and Sitri. I liked to believe I could trust Tino.

“Tell you the truth, I received a named quest from Earl Gladis,” I said.

“Really? From that hunter-hating earl? Wow! What kind of quest is it?”

I didn’t know. I never accepted the quest brief. I never even decided to accept the quest—actually, I decided to do the opposite. I wasn’t going to accept the quest, no matter what. I felt bad for Chloe, but I wanted her to just turn around and go home. Nothing good could come from a named quest issued by a family of warriors.

Unlike Liz, who had a twinkle in her eyes, Sitri solemnly accepted my reasoning.

“Very well. We’ll avoid the Gladis Earldom. Near his territory, there should be a small town famous for its hot springs. However, going there would place us dangerously close to the earl’s domain.”

Sitri unfolded a map and pointed. Just like she had said, the town wasn’t necessarily in the Gladis Earldom, but it came awfully close.

No point in worrying about every little possibility. I guess this is fine since we aren’t actually stepping over the border. Even if they find us, I can just make it clear to them that I don’t want to accept their quest.

“So has this place got mixed bathing?”

“Goodness, Lizzy! There’s nowhere with mixed bathing in this day and age!”

“Ah, whatever. I guess that’s fine.”

I feel bad that Luke and the others can’t join us, but if it turns out to be a good spot then we can just bring them along with us another time. Oh, I should release Black, White, and Gray once they’ve had a chance to relax at the hot spring.

I rubbed my eyes and let out another yawn as I hyped myself up for a long overdue visit to a hot spring.

***

Éclair Gladis sprinted down a carpeted hallway. She narrowly avoided colliding with a maid and received a scowl from a young knight, but she didn’t stop. She reached the furthest room in the mansion and practically slammed into its heavy door as she pushed it open.

The head of the House of Gladis, Van Gladis, furrowed his brow at his daughter’s brazen discourtesy.

“Tell me, Father, is it true you’ve issued a named quest to the Thousand Tricks?!” Éclair shouted.

“Éclair, as a daughter of the House of Gladis, you must show some grace.”

“Please, answer me! Why the Thousand Tricks?”

“I don’t see any need to explain myself,” the earl said. “But, as a man of the nobility, I can not permit myself to remain indebted to a hunter.”

His sharp glare reminded Éclair of her role in creating that debt. She bit her lip.

A named quest from a noble was proof that a hunter was among the best out there. A Zebrudian noble establishing relations with a hunter was a significant thing, all the more so when that noble was famous for despising hunters.

Renown. It was among the most valuable rewards a hunter could ask for and it was what nobles paid out. A quest offered by a large trading house could pay in gold, but clear renown wasn’t so easy to come by.

In the incident with the auction, Éclair became indebted to the Thousand Tricks. In the complicated world of the nobility, it would reflect badly on the House of Gladis if their means of repayment was insufficient. However, a high-level hunter would already have plenty of wealth, power, and renown.

Lord Gladis sunk into a brief silence before continuing.

“But, I can not pretend I have no interest in that man. He became a Level 8 hunter before Ark Rodin. This is a good chance to see just what sort of feats he’s capable of.”

The House of Gladis was well-known for its distaste for hunters, but this wasn’t some blind hatred. They simply had absolute confidence in their strength and that of the knights at their command.

Even hunters would be shown respect by the House of Gladis if they were considered worthy, and, true to form, the house did maintain relations with the House of Rodin. But there was no denying the fact that earning the respect of nobles was very difficult.

“And so you asked that man to exterminate Bandit Squad Barrel?”

“Who did you hear that from?”

“Montaure told me.”

“If there’s one thing I’d change about that man, it’s his weakness towards you.”

Lord Gladis sighed at the thought of his right-hand man. Montaure was most likely just trying to make sure Éclair understood the consequences of her mistakes. Or perhaps he just thought Éclair might find the subject interesting.

Bandit Squad Barrel. They were cruel and bold, strong and cunning, a band of a hundred-some men. Criminals of all sorts chose to avoid the domain of Earl Gladis, but Bandit Squad Barrel ran rampant, attacking towns and villages.

Knights had been dispatched many times to stop the bandits, but each attempt was in vain. If a large number of knights attacked, the bandits would flee. If a small number of knights attacked, the bandits would fight them off. Nothing could be more humiliating for an earl known for his strength on the battlefield. The bandits chose underhanded tactics, but that didn’t mean they were weak. They had even managed to fight off groups of high-level hunters.

Normally, this was no time for a noble to be attending an auction, but Lord Gladis’s status had obliged him to show up. However, at this rate, the reputation of his knights was going to erode.

Previously, the plan was to enlist the aid of Ark Rodin and send him along with the earl’s knights to crush the bandits.

A joint operation with knights would be a good opportunity. It would be a test of both strength and character for the Thousand Tricks. If his strength was genuine, then even the knights who looked down on hunters would be forced to recognize his talents.

For better or for worse, the name Rodan was well-known and carried its own baggage. The Thousand Tricks, however, was a newcomer. A show of his strength just might affect even some like Lord Gladis, who had a deep-seated disdain for hunters.

“Father, when will he arrive?” Éclair asked with some hesitation.

“I received word that he’s left the capital. He should be here shortly,” Lord Gladis said with a smile. “Cast aside your previous animosity towards that man and prepare to offer him a cordial welcome.”

“Yes, father.”

Éclair’s animosity had already faded. What she harbored towards the Thousand Tricks was fear.

As his daughter lowered her head as though trying to make herself smaller, Lord Gladis began to show the first signs of apprehension.

***

We spent a day traveling while making sure to avoid the Gladis Earldom and reached our destination, a town named Suls, without incident. Suls was a small town nestled among some mountains. The distinct scent floating from the town suggested that Sitri wasn’t lying when she said the place had famous hot springs.

We got out of the carriage. Because Arnold was chasing after us, this was the first time in a few days that we stepped inside a town.

For hunters, there was nothing unusual about spending a few days trudging through monster territory. It was a good way to polish survival skills and our Sitri could take every little detail, leaving us wanting for very little. Even still, I was a semiretired hunter and our trek left me fatigued, which was a little pathetic, considering I just sat around in the carriage doing nothing.

I loved taking baths, so much that I had a tub installed in my office at the clan house. Liz and Tino had played in the lake, but I was too afraid of alligators to hop in. All I could do was wipe myself down with a wet towel. When we arrived in Suls, I was ready to get in the water as soon as possible.

I want a manju. Even chocolate would be fine. Just something sweet.

Being a popular tourist destination gave Suls a different atmosphere than the imperial capital. The streets were lined with trees, rocks, and other natural objects that hadn’t been removed. It was sort of exotic. There weren’t many other travelers, which made me think it must’ve been the offseason.

I don’t think anybody here will recognize me. This is a perfect hiding spot. A quiet place like this might not be to Liz’s liking, but we’ve had too much commotion since leaving the capital. Let’s take it easy here for a bit. That way Tino and Black, White, and Gray can all heal.

I walked back to Sitri, who was finishing up the paperwork necessary for our entry.

“Well, what do you think? This town—”

“It’s good. I like it,” I said, cutting Sitri off. “It’s perfect for a short stay and it looks like it’s not too crowded.”

Festivals and other bustling events were nice, but I also enjoyed a quiet town. Really, I was fine as long as fire wasn’t raining down on my head.

We had lost Arnold and company back in the Galest mountains, so I figured there was zero chance of us running into them again.

I watched Liz, that old wild child, drag Tino behind her as she went to see the town. Just a few days prior, she was still bedridden from her battle with Arnold, yet she had already recovered. I decided to expect a souvenir from them.

“I’ve heard the hot springs here are very rejuvenating. Sometimes wounded hunters come here,” Sitri said with a grin.

Next to her, Killiam and Drink were both exuding excitement. They elicited some odd looks from others, but they were far more mellow than Liz. They also did what they were told.

“Rejuvenation. That sounds nice.”

I had never once been critically injured and Ansem would heal the wounds of the other party members. It only made sense that I wouldn’t care about the idea of a rejuvenating hot spring, but something about those words had an appealing ring to them.

Being able to travel on a whim was a privilege enjoyed almost exclusively by hunters. It would be a waste not to take advantage of that privilege.

Sitri and I began to stroll around the town together. Seeing all the different springs made me wonder just how big a water supply the town was blessed with. Just wandering the town was enjoyable. The rising puffs of steam kept the whole place warm and walking around the town felt like enough to heal my fatigue.

It seemed like the sort of land where you could start digging just about anywhere and quickly hit upon a spring. I considered moving to Suls once I quit hunting and was no longer bound to the capital.

Just one thing bothered me: the town was a little too quiet. It wasn’t a large locale, but it still seemed a tad lonely. We might have just come at a bad time, but I felt such a fine hot springs town could do to be a bit more lively.

It would’ve been too much to expect Sitri to have a safe house in Suls, but she did manage to find us lodgings for the week despite our sudden arrival. It was an inn reputed to have fine springs and good food and catered not to hunters but to wealthy tourists.

Unlike the utilitarian inns meant for hunters, there was some effort put into making the building’s exterior look nice. I was angry with myself for not bringing a camera.

“At the front desk, they asked if we’re newlyweds,” Sitri said with flushed cheeks.

I’m pretty sure that was just flattery. I think. Why would newlyweds want a room big enough to host eight people?

I elected to not tell Sitri about the look I received from the desk clerk. The look that said: How’d this guy end up with her? We were just some hunters and some extras.

The inn’s interior lived up to the expectations set by the exterior. Our room was spacious, floored with tatami, and smelled quite nicely—all of which were things you couldn’t say about rooms made for hunters.

Hunters were habitually covered in blood, oil, and dust, so their rooms were meant to be entered with footwear on. They were also designed under the assumption that their tenants would be performing maintenance on their gear.

Even in the capital, tatami rooms were a rare thing. Before I became a hunter, staying in such a room was a dream of mine. After starting my career as a treasure hunter, I stayed in many tatami rooms and it never got old.

What’s so great about tatami flooring? Being able to roll around wherever you want. That’s what’s so great. I once considered having tatami flooring in my room at the clan house, but Eva put a stop to that. She wasn’t in the wrong, it would get dirty in a heartbeat.

I might mention that tatami wasn’t cheap in the empire. Assuming that those mats cost the same in Suls as they did in the capital, our room probably cost ten times what a normal one would have cost. I’m sure Eva would’ve been angry if she learned we rented something so luxurious.

“I’m so glad the room’s to your liking. What luck that it was vacant. Normally something like this would be much pricier and require a reservation,” Sitri said as she watched me give in to my desire to roll around on the floor.

“Hmmm, that is lucky. Is it because it’s the offseason?”

“Indeed. I imagine all the tourists fled because of this town’s proximity to the Gladis Earldom.”

Oh, because of the proxim— Wait, then it’s not the offseason? Does the earl’s territory get closer or farther depending on the season? Ha ha.

“Apparently the earl’s having a fair bit of trouble with a rampaging group of bandits. It appears that caused the reduced number of visitors.”

“Oh, that sounds like a lot of trouble.”

It wasn’t a rare story in the empire. Just as Zebrudia was home to legions of powerful hunters, many of its criminals were also quite fearsome. The knights did a fine job maintaining order, but they couldn’t keep up with the criminals, who popped up like bamboo shoots. Lord Gladis had a capable bunch of knights at his command, so I figured their bandit troubles wouldn’t last long.

“I don’t think we need to worry about those bandits. Really, I think it’s good luck; it allowed us to get such a nice room.”

“Being a tourist destination, this town doesn’t have much in the way of defenses. I bet that made most travelers feel uncertain.”

When Sitri mentioned that, I noticed that the outer walls of Suls were made of wood and very simple compared to those of Elan and Gula. A town like this probably wanted to prioritize scenery, even if that left them vulnerable to dangerous monsters and scoundrels.

Still, those tourists were worrying too much. Bandit squads only really targeted travelers and foolish merchants who forgot to hire guards. Even if it was a small one, a town was still a town and that gave it a layer of defense. If that wasn’t enough, Zebrudia was a powerful empire, you couldn’t attack one of its towns and expect to get away with it. Not to mention there was the possibility of powerful hunters passing by. Attacking a town just wasn’t worth the risk.

“Yeah, but bandits don’t attack towns anymore.”

“Indeed. If you want to wipe out a town, smart application of a poison will do just fine.”

Sitri, that’s just plain and simple terrorism.

It seemed she wasn’t too concerned about the bandits either. I rolled around some more, stopping close to where Sitri was sitting.

I feel like I’m rolling around all the time. Maybe I should add that to my resume. The tatami, it saps my power. My body grows heavy. I can’t do anything. Before I know it, I’ll be one with the floor.

My eyes met Sitri’s and she smiled bashfully while patting her knees.

“Go right ahead,” she said.

I gratefully placed my head in her lap. Sitri’s legs were wrapped in thin stockings and unbelievably soft even though they were thinner than Liz’s. I kept meaning to reward Sitri for all her work, yet here I was the one being rewarded. I yawned and she placed a hand on my head.

“I think we have time. Let’s rest and wait for the right opportunity,” she said in a mellow voice.

“Yeah, uh-huh.”

I was unable to resist my sleepiness, my consciousness drifting away. The last thing I saw was Sitri’s mellow smile.

***

“Y-You’ve gotta be kidding me...”

Dazed, Eigh squinted and looked at the castle resting atop the cliff. Arnold felt the same as his right-hand man. Everyone in Scorching Whirlwind was pale in the face. Gilbert had never let himself be intimidated by Arnold, but even he was wide-eyed with shock. Chloe looked quite grim.

A bizarre, ominous chill had crept over them once they got within a few kilometers of it. Once it entered their vision, their anticipation gave way to certainty. Night Palace. This was a Level 8 treasure vault not found in Nebulanubes and it was beyond anything Arnold could have expected.

“I don’t buy it. You mean that man went in there with such a small party?!”

Night Palace was the result of an immense supply of mana material packed into a comparatively small area. It affected the local climate, causing rain to pummel the ground like a constant waterfall. Blinding bolts of lightning constantly struck the many spires and unidentifiable shadows could be spotted between the gaps in the clouds. They couldn’t spot any monsters nearby, but that wasn’t strange in such apocalyptic scenery.

The treasure vault before them was clearly beyond the scope of what Falling Fog could handle. A member of Scorching Whirlwind was unable to endure the eerie atmosphere and began to vomit as they fell to their knees. No one scorned them for it. Even for the highest-level hunter present, Arnold, this was too much. For a Level 3, looking at Night Palace must have been like getting a glimpse of hell.

“Wh-What should we do?” Eigh asked with a graveness uncharacteristic of him.

The treasure vault before them was something barely manageable to a party of six hunters of Arnold’s level. With their current lineup, they were certain to die. Some of them might even be crushed by the pressure before they even reached any monsters.

The problem was that the same should have been true of the Thousand Tricks. His party also had its share of deadweight. Even at a distance, it was clear Night Palace wasn’t a vault you could get through just because you had a Level 8 with you. If the Thousand Tricks was going through the vault, it meant the levels of those deadweight members were much lower than they should have been.

Arnold recalled how the Thousand Tricks received his attacks without any armor or other defenses, as he let that junior hunter fight for him. Arnold made up his mind.

“Damn,” he said in a strained voice. “We’ll fall back, think up a plan, and prepare ourselves. I don’t believe it. I don’t goddamn believe it!”

Chapter One: Hot Spring Capriccio

There really isn’t anything better than a vacation. With all my assailants behind me, I rolled around on the floor and appreciated what a great thing tranquility was. At heart I was both a pacifist and a lazy bum who didn’t want to move any more than I had to, I just frequently found myself at the center of trouble.

The sun had set and I continued to space out, but then Liz spoke up.

“Hey, um, do you wanna go slay a hot spring dragon together? I heard about it while walking around the town. Apparently, there’s a nest nearby.”

“Hm? I think I’ll stay here.”

And just like that, my relaxation was brought to a halt. We were at a hot spring, why did she have to go exterminating monsters? And what kind of half-assed name was “hot spring dragon”?

Our inn was a high-class one that catered to merchants and it showed in every detail. Our room was large, our bedding was soft, and our food was made with the best ingredients from both the land and sea.

The spring water was straight from the source and never recycled. There was a large tub and then each room had its own open-air bath. If you wanted to, you could comfortably spend a whole day without leaving your room. Why should I go fight a hot spring dragon on the very first day?

Sitri’s lap pillow had let me recover all my lost energy, but I planned to save that energy for the hot spring! That energy wasn’t something I could use on just anything!

“C’mooon. How often do you get to fight a big monster? What did we even come here for?”

Really? I think we’ve been running into way too many big monsters lately.

Even though she spent the day walking around Suls, my tiny childhood friend was full of energy. Liz pursed her lips, grabbed my arm, and shook me. Without Luke and the others, I was her only playmate and I wasn’t up for that role. If she wanted something to play around with, Tino wasn’t doing anything.

“Let me say it right now: I don’t plan on doing a single meaningful thing while I’m here! For the next two weeks, I’m going to eat, bathe, sleep, and wait!”

“In other words, you’ve already made your move?” Sitri asked.

“Huh? Uh, yeah, uh-huh. Exactly. It’s all according to plan.”

Leave it to Sitri to back me up even after saying something so pathetic. I guess you could say I had made my move. We had our bumps on the road, but my vacation was more or less going as planned.

We were at a hot spring. Warm, luxurious baths were an arm’s length away. What could be more important than that? I was going to forget Arnold, the Gathering of the White Blade, the named quest, all of it. I would leave it in the hands of future Krai.

At some point, Sitri had changed from her Alchemist robes to a blue yukata with a floral pattern. It didn’t show any more skin than her usual outfit but something about it was refreshing and a bit alluring compared to her usual bulky gear. She had good posture and the yukata almost seemed tailor-made for her.

No doubt, Sitri had worked harder than anyone else during our vacation. I hoped she would at least rest her wings for the last stretch.

There were also male yukatas available but I couldn’t wear one of those and keep all my Relics equipped. Keeping myself alive was my top priority. I even kept my rings on when I got in the bath.

Killiam, however, had chosen to don a yukata and began striking poses. The yukata didn’t really match its ripped figure. I wondered if maybe it was a more playful fellow than I had realized.

“Siddy, when did you change? And where’s mine? Don’t tell me you think you can use this as a chance to seduce my Krai Baby?”

“The only one here who would do that is you! Besides, how many times do I have to remind you that he isn’t yours? You can get a yukata from the inn employees, so why don’t you go do that?”

“Liz, if you put on a yukata then you can’t really go around kicking things,” I pointed out.

Liz looked conflicted. Setting aside whether she might even need to kick anything at a hot spring, she had always hated wearing clothes that were hard to move in. However, her disciple was glancing about like she was eager to try one on.

“It appears there aren’t many customers, so I’m sure we’ll have the place all to ourselves,” Sitri said.

“That’s good to hear.”

I didn’t mind if there were other customers, but if I was alone then I could swim around in the tub!

But more importantly, this meant Liz was less likely to get into any altercations. Liz and Sitri both looked like endearing girls and so they often received various solicitations at inns. Then Liz would beat said solicitors to a pulp. Sure, they had it coming, but I still wanted to avoid those incidents if I could.

Then I remembered I had something to ask Sitri.

“What happened to Black, White, and Gray? I didn’t see them when we were eating.”

“Per your instructions, I secured them a room, and they should be receiving meals. Anything more than that isn’t my concern.”

What a dry response. But if we’re in the same inn then I suppose I’ll run into them. Then I can remove their collars and set them free.

“Um, Master, how do I look?” Tino asked.

She steeled her resolve and twirled around. She was in a navy blue yukata and wasn’t wearing her usual ribbons. The dark blue fabric beautifully contrasted with her pale skin. It suited her quite nicely; Sitri must have given her a hand in choosing the outfit.

Tino had been ten years old when we’d first met her shortly after arriving in the capital. Years later, I still couldn’t help but see her as a child, but seeing her like this caused me to reconsider. With minor exceptions, her body was more developed than Liz’s. I almost forgot there were only four or five years between us.

Unlike Sitri, Tino wasn’t showing any more or less skin than she usually did, so why did she seem so much more alluring? I observed her with close scrutiny, but that made her cheeks flush.

“Yeah, you look nice. Very cute,” I said. “So much, it’s a shame only I can see you like this.”

After all, I’m the one always causing so much trouble for you.

My overblown compliment caused Tino to grow an even deeper shade of red and she averted her gaze. Her lips were pressed tightly; she was clearly pleased. Liz wasn’t really the type to dole out praise, so I wondered if maybe I should pick up the slack.

“Oh, Master...”

Tino’s vocabulary seemed to be failing her.

“Krai, Tino may be cute, but that hardly excuses your ogling,” Sitri said as she held out a protective hand between me and Tino.

Was that what I was doing? Eh, maybe Sitri has a point. She’s a girl, she’s in a better position to understand how Tino feels. She’s a junior hunter to Sitri as well and those two are closer in age. Maybe they think of each other as sisters?

“Ah, Siddy, I don’t really—”

“Are you all right, T? Krai doesn’t mean to be so discomforting. But I’ll protect you. Besides, Krai, before you go complimenting T, don’t you have anything to say to me?”

Just gonna say it outright?

She was only joking, but her point still stood. Just because we were friends was no reason for me to throw courtesy out the window.

I gave Sitri another look. Rows of white flowers lined blue fabric. It was a good match for a mellow person like her. Her appearance was pure and gentle, yet also somewhat seductive. Perfect.

Treasure hunters would become more charming as their levels increased. Mana material did more than just strengthen their bodies and mana pools. It didn’t outright alter their faces, but something about them would change. There were a few tales of hunters who strongly valued beauty and developed devilish charms that brought countries to ruin.

The inn employee had been right to look at me funny. There was a strong mismatch between Sitri and someone like me with no mana material. If I hadn’t gotten used to the sight of her after growing up around her, then I might have completely fallen for her. Not that I was good enough for her.

Still, our clan sure has a lot of beautiful faces.

“Sorry, sorry. You look very pretty, Sitri. You look good in your usual robe, but this is nice too,” I said, trying to make the most of my small vocabulary.

She was easy on the eyes and she had a nice pristine aura to her. I’m sure her doting older brother would’ve been thrilled to get a picture of her. The difference between her and myself was night and day.

Sitri gave me a hostile look. She stepped forward so she was right in front of me and, before I could say anything, wrapped her arms around me. Her body was pressed right against mine.

“Siddy?!”

“Is that your honest opinion? I can tell when you’re lying, Krai.”

I felt something soft against my chest. I thought I could feel Sitri’s heart beating through the fabric of her robe. If I had the senses of a treasure hunter then I would’ve been able to tell for certain, but as I was I couldn’t tell if it was her heartbeat or mine. Something smelled sweet, my head felt hot and I became dizzy. She looked up at me through pink translucent eyes that threatened to pull me in.

I was used to skinship with Liz, but with Sitri it was unfamiliar and unsettling. If this was a joke, it was a bad one. I was, technically, a man after all.

With nowhere to go, my hands dangled uselessly. I couldn’t just push her away.

Tino returned to her senses and let out a cry. She grabbed Sitri by the arm and attempted to pull her off of me. She moved without hesitation. I guess that’s what happens when you’ve trained to fight people.

Tino easily pulled Sitri off and looked at me with puffed cheeks, an unusual expression for her.

“Siddy, you can’t just do something like that! I’ll tell Lizzy what you did! And you, Master! To think you were just saying how nice I looked!”

“Y-Yeah, uh-huh.”

That was disgraceful, considering I had just complimented you. I’m really sorry. I’ll take you out for cake later, so forgive me.

Sitri let out a bewitching sigh and nodded with satisfaction.

“Your heart was pounding, as it should have been, so I’ll forgive you for leering at Tino.”

“Yeah, of course it was pounding. And I wasn’t leering at Tino.”

Any man would do the same. Well, I guess Luke wouldn’t have. But he dedicated his soul to the path of the blade and gave up on worldly desires, so we can consider him an exception.

As I took a deep breath and calmed myself down, Sitri nonchalantly grabbed my left arm.

“Shall we head to the hot spring?” she said. “We don’t know when we might find ourselves in a battle once more. Nor do I think we’ll get much peace and quiet once Lizzy gets back from her search for the hot spring dragon.”

Tino angrily puffed up her cheeks and jumped at my right arm.

“Master, don’t let yourself be done in by Sitri’s jokes! Be your usual proper self!”

When have I ever been proper?

Tino and Sitri were both pretty enough that I could get a big ego by having them at my side. I should have felt blessed twofold under these circumstances, but, for some reason, I just felt incredibly uncomfortable.

I was pretty sure Ark was always in situations like this. Hell only knows how he managed to keep a smile on at all times. Maybe that was also a matter of character.

Hmm. That joke of Sitri’s was unusual for her. Maybe being at a hot spring is causing her to loosen up? It happens. It’s not a bad thing. I’ll just go along and enjoy it.

Sitri was in a good mood, Tino was in a foul mood, and both were holding one of my arms. As we went off to the hot spring I felt like a criminal escorted by two guards.

***

They were in a room at a high-end inn, the sort of place normally out of reach for the average hunter. A tough-looking man and woman put their heads together and talked in hushed tones.

“Are we really gonna do this?” the man said, his voice trembling.

This man was once feared as a criminal, now he was breaking out in cold sweat.

Black thought it pretty likely that she was making a similar expression as him. But despite their fear, they couldn’t afford to delay any longer.

“If we don’t do anything, our lives will be over. It’s do or die!” she said to White.

“B-But the Thousand Tricks said he was going to let us go.”

“Don’t be stupid! Do you really believe that? He said he’d let us go, but then where did he take us?! Night Palace, that’s where. A treasure vault avoided even by the craziest hunters! Goddammit.”

Even from a distance, Night Palace was more horrifying than rumors could do justice. Black thought she felt her heart stop just by looking at it. If she had been ordered to enter that treasure vault she would’ve sooner jumped from the carriage and fled. She probably would have been killed for it, but it was a worthy risk. Black, White, and Gray were all fairly competent hunters but there was nothing they could do against a place like Night Palace.

It was a tough journey that they had been forced to go on. They had been forced to drive the carriage and look out for monsters. In towns, they hadn’t been allowed to rest and had to watch Drink and the carriage. In the forest, they had been forced to fight off all sorts of monsters. They had even been chased by a Level 7 hunter.

Many times they had thought it would be better to just die than go on like this, but that treasure vault was something else entirely. Even after traveling with the Thousand Tricks, they didn’t have a clue of what sort of powers he had. But Black, White, and Gray could all agree on that one point: the man was insane.

This was a vacation, but it was a Level 8’s idea of a vacation. It wasn’t something they could keep up with.

They were at what appeared to be a hot spring town, but the Thousand Tricks said they had only accomplished half of their objectives. It was hard to believe, however, it was very possible that Black, White, and Gray might get swept up into something even worse than anything they had yet been through. After all, back in the forest one of those maniacs had mentioned something about them still being useful alive.

It was then that Gray entered the room. His face looked completely drained of energy. He never had a healthy complexion to begin with, but now he looked almost like a corpse. His face twisted when he heard Black’s proposal.

“I...want out,” he said.

“What?! If you stay, it’s a slow but certain death!”

“I don’t think I can stand against those guys. Don’t worry, I won’t say a word about what you’re doing.”

“When did you become such a coward?!”

Gray shrugged his shoulders and left the room. This was unexpected.

Black, White, and Gray were all more or less equally skilled, but put to it, Gray was probably the smartest of them all. Yet the man Black and White just saw displayed not a hint of courage or will to resist. Perhaps he wouldn’t return to a life of crime even if he made it home alive.

“What do we do?” White asked.

“We’ll play the cards we’ve been dealt. It’s our only choice. Maybe they’ll let their guard down if one of us stays behind,” Black answered.

They didn’t have to worry about being snitched on; their captors weren’t so kind as to reward Gray for doing so.

Gray bailing on them was an unforeseen turn, but they had already formulated a plan. They didn’t intend to fight the Thousand Tricks. Even if they caught him by surprise, he could annihilate them with just his pinky finger.

The only thing still standing in their way was their collars. Destroying them would be difficult and they could still get shocked no matter how far they ran. It was truly an invisible shackle.

At first, the Ignoble held the key, but now it was in the hands of the Thousand Tricks.

“They said we’ll be here for a week, maybe two. I think we should act early. We’ll succeed. We’ve gotta. They’re not keeping a close eye on us right now. This is our chance.”

“Got it.”

They didn’t know much about the Thousand Tricks. They knew he looked like a benign guy, he seldom worked, he said pathetic things all the time, he constantly had his guard down, and he wasn’t remotely imposing. And yet everyone was desperate to stay out of his way. It was possible he was just putting on an act, but there was one thing only Black, White, and Gray knew.

“The Thousand Tricks is getting complacent. He’s not keeping an eye on us and stealing is part of our way of life. When it comes to that key, it’s better that he has it rather than the Ignoble.”

Sitri, that terrifying woman, knew what an overwhelmingly advantageous position she had been in, but she had never shown them the key. They never had the faintest idea where she kept it. But that was the right thing to do when controlling slaves.

However, the Thousand Tricks was different. He was overbearing, but also showed the sort of “generosity” you could offer when you had the upper hand. He brought out the key right in front of Black, White, and Gray. Maybe he just wanted to nip their escape plans in the bud. Maybe he really planned to release them.

Either way, they had a good idea as to where he kept the key—he carried it around with him. If that was the case, they were certain they could steal it. After all, he didn’t pay any attention to them, no more than someone might mind a bug on the ground.

The Thousand Tricks was overwhelmingly powerful. Even if they didn’t have the collars, they wouldn’t be able to take him down. But that man was still a human, not some infallible god. This meant there was still hope for them. Fortunately, they were at a hot spring. There were changing rooms.

“I’ve checked the locks on the lockers,” White whispered. “They’re a bit complex. I can get ’em open, I’ll just need a minute. They don’t worry about clothing theft in these fancy places.”

“Right. Let’s do it.”

They were up against a fiend, but that didn’t mean Black and White were just going to sit quietly and wait to be crushed. As they stood up, the two of them tried to hide their fear through twisted smiles.

***

I was all alone in the main bathing area’s changing room. It seemed like there really weren’t any other guests at the inn. It all felt very luxurious.

I hummed a tune to myself as I walked up to the lockers. Seasoned hunters never neglected thorough preparations. I knew that, even if I wasn’t among their ranks. I was weak, to put it nicely. Without my Relics, I was just a normal guy and so I rarely removed them unless I was in my own room. That didn’t change just because I was on vacation.

It didn’t feel good entering a hot spring with a bunch of jingling Relics but I didn’t have any other choice. Luke and Ansem would protect me if they were present and that would let me keep the number of Relics to a minimum. But I was by myself, so I couldn’t make any compromises.

“There might be thieves,” I said to myself in self-justification.

I removed the Relics I wore over my clothes and then removed my clothes. Having my Hounding Chain around my waist would be uncomfortable, so I activated it. It arranged itself into a doglike sitting position. I only had so much room on my fingers, so I kept my excess rings in a bag. I took those rings out and hung them on the Hounding Chain. Semiautomatic Relics were really convenient at times like these.

Bracelets, necklaces, pendants, circlets—they all went to the Hounding Chain in that order. Then went the key ring I kept at my waist. All those keys were also Relics. Key-type Relics were pretty popular.

As I searched my pockets, I found a golden key. It took me a moment to remember that it was for the collars on Black, White, and Gray. I considered taking it with me, but the key wasn’t made of mana material. Relics didn’t rust and were rarely affected by their surroundings. But a metal key might rust and I didn’t see any reason to bring it with me.

I put the key in the locker, grabbed a towel, and headed to the bathing area with my Hounding Chain. Most hot springs didn’t allow pets in the baths, but the Hounding Chain was more chain than hound so I figured it was fine. Then again, I wasn’t actually sure bringing a chain with me was okay.

I opened a frosted glass door and felt a rush of dense steam and the particular smell of hot springs. I took a good look around as I walked across the marble floor. My Hounding Chain wiggled its Relic-covered tail as it followed me.

Table of Contents

Cover

Prologue: Turning Point

Chapter One: Hot Spring Capriccio

Chapter Two: Fearsome Interlopers

Chapter Three: King of the Hot Spring

Chapter Four: A Fun Vacation

Epilogue: Let This Grieving Soul Retire, Part Five

Interlude: Fox

Side Story: Tino’s Hot Spring Nightmare

Afterword

Color Illustrations

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Table of Contents