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

Chapter 380.2: Level 9 Exam ②

Gark-san looks me in the eye and says in his usual tone.

“《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》, it might be obvious, but――Don’t let your guard down. Go show the power of a Level 8 Hunter from Zebrudia.” (Gark)

“Y-Yeah……” (Cry)

All the other Branch Managers are worried about the Hunters of their own branch, but when it comes to Gark-san, good grief……

Well, this time there are two Level 8s. If I think as having two 《Abyssal Fire of Destruction (Shin En Kametsu)》 as my allies, the only thing I need to worry about is whether the aftereffects of their attack will reach me. This time I am planning to leave it all up to Kaiser and Saya and not do too much. I am sure it will go well.

Once all the relevant parties have gathered, the chairman of the committee, who was in charge of the review board, arrives with several staff members. When the chairman sees us he frowns for a moment, but then quickly regains his composure and nods.

“*Fumu*, you are dressed more lightly than I expected, but――I don’t intend to doubt your abilities as Level 8s. This is a covert mission, so dressing like that will surely draw less attention. In particular, 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》, you look great. You look much more natural than if you were carrying no weapon at all, and above all else――You look like nothing more than an inconsequential man. The name of 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》 is more well-known than 《Celestial Dancer (Hagun Tenbu)》 or 《Little Witch (Yaen Saiden)》, but no one would think that a man like you is a Level 8. Your disguise ability is even better than what I had heard.” (Chairman)

“Un, un, that’s right……” (Cry)

How nice it would have been if this was a disguise………… This is my true self! I am probably the only Hunter in the whole world who would be praised for looking naturally weak.

Moreover, this time I barely have any Relics with me. I don’t even have my 『Perfect Vacation』 as Serene hasn’t returned it to me.

All I have with me are the things I always carry with me――My Barrier Rings, my 『Dog’s Chain』, and my defective Magic Bag, a Magic Bag that can only hold chocolate. Saya and Kaiser have put the bare minimum of equipment in their Magic Bag (Saya and Kaiser have a pretty expensive, proper Magic Bag!!), but I am confident that I am the most lightly armed of all the Hunters who have ever taken the Level 9 exam in the past.

As I give a half-hearted smile at the chairman’s lack of insight, he hands me three cards.

It is a thin card made of cold metal. On its surface is a mysterious pattern I have never seen before. The letters are also unfamiliar to me.

Are these the cards to enter Code that was enclosed with the request?

“It is the passcard in question. As it is issued by the city system that initially exists in Code, it is something that cannot be reproduced with modern civilization technology.” (Chairman)

All three cards seem to be the same. I hand them to Saya and Kaiser respectively.

“The only people who still have contact with that country are――Those who belong to the underworld. There are bandit gangs, secret societies, and brokers that act as intermediaries for underworld business with the Red Hunters. Code deals with these types of people who cannot come out into the open, offering Advanced Physical Civilization Relics in exchange for outside information, supplies, or even people. The card enclosed with the request seems to be what these people use to get into Code.” (Chairman)

Only those who belong to the underworld can interact with them, huh. I guess that is what you get for having a Red Hunter as the first king…… Maybe Code is a less civilized country than I thought. Saya tries to confirm what he said.

“Don’t they check your ID or anything like that?” (Saya)

“It doesn’t seem like they do. In the first place, even if they presented an ID issued by another country, they wouldn’t be able to verify its authenticity since they have no diplomatic relations with other countries.” (Chairman)

Most cities require you to show ID when entering, but now that I think of it, I didn’t even show any when I entered Yggdras. Maybe that is what it is like in a completely isolated city.

“We have looked into this card as well. When Code seeks talent from outside, it issues cards and hands them over to each organization it has dealings with. Those organizations then select people who fit their requirements, give them the card, and send them off to Code. Just possessing the card guarantees one’s identity to a certain extent.” (Chairman)

There are three Level 8s. If by some chance we fail this mission, it will be a big problem. It couldn’t have been easy to find that information. But from his unabashed answer, it seemed that the Explorer Association had done everything they could in advance after the request was sent to them.

In response to what the chairman said, Kaiser raises a question.

“…… But if that is the case, wouldn’t it be possible to increase the number of people infiltrating the city? Why not just steal the cards issued to the people in the underworld.” (Kaiser)

“We did consider that, but…… Code is an important trading partner for them, so they are extremely careful when handling a card. If a card had been stolen, a report would be sent to Code immediately. That would only make Code more vigilant.” (Chairman)

Kaiser nods his head approvingly and says with a grin.

“I see, so in other words, the safest way to infiltrate without raising suspicion is to use the card that was sent to us and blend in with those guys and infiltrate Code head-on, huh.” (Kaiser)

“………… You are really perceptive, 《Celestial Dancer (Hagun Tenbu)》.” (Chairman)

“What, it’s obvious if you think about it. It’s a suspicious card sent by an unknown client. I thought the Explorer Association was being ridiculous, wanting us to infiltrate an isolated city without raising any suspicion, but――If the city’s entry and exit controls are lax and many people are entering the city, it’s not a bad method. The only problem is whether the inner radiance of this 《Celestial Dancer (Hagun Tenbu)》 will stand out too much among the bandits or not.” (Kaiser)

Indeed, Kaiser will stand out among those guys. Saya, too tho’.

Infiltration missions…… Thinking about it again, this may be the thing 《Strange  Grief (Nageki no Borei)》 is the worst at. However, this time I am lucky. If it isn’t something that involves fighting, I might be able to be of some help.

“I want you all to head to Code using a stagecoach. This is the only way to get to Code, which is jointly run by the underworld groups. Depending on the local situation, you will be required to act flexibly after you have infiltrated………… But first I want you to get in contact with the client. They should be able to tell you about the situation inside Code.” (Chairman)

Thanks for reading!  Here’s an extra chapter thanks to Brian! Cry doesn’t need any equipment or weapons, he is the ultimate weapon!

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