Strange Grief Wants to Retire ~ The Weakest Hunter Dreams of a Hero ~-Chapter 465.2: Strange Grief Wants to Retire ⑩

“According to the Relics Research Institute, this incident is uncharted territory. They don’t believe that it is a matter we can hold one single individual accountable for. Even if 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》 did something――It is unpredictable that Phantoms would appear all over the Imperial Capital.” (Noble)

“The Divination and Mystic Arts Institute also agrees. If he was deceived, that should be taken into consideration during the judgement.” (Noble)

“Who would believe that a Level 8 known for his Divine Strategies could be deceived?” (Noble)

The debate is gradually becoming more heated. I believe that about half of the nobles present do not think very highly of 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》. However, everyone is still undecided about what to do with 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》.

Should he be charged with a crime or not. If so, what level of punishment would be appropriate?

And, above all, is there a prison that can contain a man with such unfathomable powers?

His Majesty the Emperor speaks in a grave voice.

“Even if it was a trial, it won’t lessen his crime. If we believe that he was deceived, then it would be insulting Zebrudia.” (Radrick)

“…… His Majesty is absolutely right. There have been no fatalities so far, but if things continue as they are, it is not surprising that fatalities could occur at any time. Even if it is not a particularly major Phantom――According to the Imperial law, giving 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》 capital punishment is unavoidable at this point. There needs to be a reason to lighten his sentence.” (Noble)

To be honest, the Phantoms that have started to appear are not particularly powerful. From what has been confirmed so far, although their appearances are unusual, their combat abilities are low. Although some powerful Phantoms appeared, high-level Hunters had no problem dealing with them. I haven’t heard of any reports of anyone with the ability to materialize someone’s fear like the one Hugh has been targeted with, and for now, the Knight Orders and Hunters are more than enough to deal with the situation.

However, we cannot maintain a state of high alert indefinitely, and there is no telling if beings more specialized in combat will not appear. As long as these possibilities exist, 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》 capital punishment cannot be avoided.

However, it is absolutely impossible to do something about it. The only way to destroy a Treasure Shrine would be to do something about the earth veins in which its source, the Mana Materials, flowed, and this was an act forbidden worldwide. The safety of the citizens came first, but as long as the residents of the Imperial Capital are preventing the manifestation of a Temple-Type Treasure Shrine, we cannot abandon the Imperial Capital.

The facts are what they are. The Explorer Association would not object to the death penalty. But even if all the conditions are met――Killing that man would be far too dangerous in every sense.

Then, as I think that far, I frown.

No――In the first place, why did that man honestly confess what he did this time, of all time? It is frustrating, but that man’s Divine Strategies are worthy of a Level 8. No, even if he isn’t a Divine Strategist, if he had even the slightest bit of intelligence, he would have known that confessing like that would mean capital punishment. At the end, he asked if it would lead to a punishment, but of course it would.

In the first place, without 《Infinite Variety’s (Senpen Banka)》 confession, no one would have known about it unless he himself said it.

That man’s actions always have a purpose. It is difficult to completely deny the theory that he did it to cause trouble for us, but there must have been some kind of purpose behind his confession this time as well.

A reason why he should be sentenced to death……? Don’t tell me he is planning to pretend to be dead?

As I am thinking about this, the lights in the room suddenly go out. I reflexively stand up and shout.

“!? Everyone, prepare for battle! Protect His Majesty!” (Franz)

The conference room is suddenly plunged into darkness, causing a commotion, while the nobles rise to their feet, and the knight guards instantly assume fighting stances. Zebrudia’s knights are not so weak that they cannot move due to the lack of light. It is the duty of nobles to possess enough strength to fight, and no one in this conference room cannot see just because of the darkness.

But what on earth happened? It isn’t Magic. It isn’t an accident either. Is there anyone who can reach the innermost part of the Imperial Castle, guarded by many excellent knights, without causing a commotion?

………… Don’t tell me, 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》 has done something again?

As I tremble due to having a bad feeling, the door in front of me slams open.

A faint pale light seeps through the door. Coming from the other side of the darkness is――A girl wearing the uniform of Zebrudia Magic Academy.

I instinctively shout.

“It’s the Phantom from the reports! Don’t let it get away! All hands, begin the attack!” (Franz)

At my command, the knights quickly spring into action. We put a lot of effort on a daily basis into training to deal with unknown beings. After all, the Imperial Capital has been pretty dangerous lately. And the abilities of the knights who fought so hard during the prophecy incident have improved to unprecedented heights. One real battle is worth a hundred training sessions. RАƝO͍𝔟ĚṦ

“What if it is the Phantom of a young girl?! Remember 『Marin’s Wails』 we fought the other day! Compared to that curse, it is nothing more than a neck stretching trick! Show her our might!!” (Franz)

Sharpen our murderous intent and overwrite our fear in an instant. The knights approach with refined movements. Should one fall, a second would rise, should the second fall, a third would rise to fight the Phantom. The valiant knights of Zebrudia.

The knight who charges first swings his sword down. The moment the blade reaches the Phantom, the girl’s voice echoes throughout the room.

“No moreee! I surrendeeer!” (Lady)

“………… What?” (Franz)

§ § §

It is the worst. Ever since that man pressed the button, our situation has been the worst.

Originally, the button that man pressed was meant to be pressed only after enough fear had been collected. And we, who should have collected ample human fear, were supposed to be way stronger.

However, it is all too late now. Due to that man’s careless actions, the Treasure Shrine, which existed in another dimension, merged with the real world. Even I, Lady, cannot restore it to its original state.

I shouldn’t have focused on Lucia. I should have dealt with that man myself.

The real danger was not the enraged Lucia, but Cry Andrich, the utterly incompetent, who couldn’t even see us, and no one knew what he was up to.

Even from the human perspective, the merging of the Treasure Shrine and the Imperial Capital is something that should have been avoided――. And what awaited us, who were thrown out into the Imperial Capital in a half-baked state, was a hellish game of tag.

“There it is! The shark!” (Hunter)

“Don’t let it escape, chase it down!!” (Hunter)

A fearsome monster with a deep grudge against humans, a shark that indiscriminately attacks humans with unparalleled ferocity――Demon Shark is being pursued by many Hunters. Even this monster that had once sent many people to hell seems to be nothing more than a slightly strange animal to the Hunters of this world.

“It’s regenerating, aim for the head!” (Hunter)

“It is just a shark! A bite is no big deal!” (Hunter)

Why are the humans of this era unfazed even after being bitten by Demon Shark? Which one is the monster here? Arrows and Magic flew through the air as Demon Shark desperately fled in panic.

“Ohhh, Aye! Aye!” (Monster Diggy)

“Killkillkillkill!” (Kilkill-kun)

Monster Diggy was being chased by a strange figure wearing only an underwear and a paper bag on its head, who appeared out of nowhere. Grabbing Monster Diggy’s head with one hand, it swung Monster Diggy around with enough centrifugal force, and its relentless pursuit, closing in without pause, was so imposing that it would not be out of place if it were in the 【Star God’s Miniature Garden】.

“Uooooooooooooooh! Preyyyyyyyyyy!” (Luke)

“Luke-chan, not fair~!” (Liz)

“Please catch it!! I will reconstruct it!!” (Sytry)

“!?” (Phantom)

Even those who had been sealed in the Treasure Shrine that Cry had freed were unable to save us.

It is not that those who were sealed away were weak.

That can be summed up to three main factors.

The first reason was that the Hunters in the Imperial Capital were too strong. No――It wasn’t that they were too strong, but rather, they were too used to it. The fact that they were not even shaken by the sudden appearance of a Phantom is completely at odds with the common sense that I have been given when I manifested.

The second reason was that, for some reason, the Imperial Capital was perfectly prepared. If we had been able to attack the civilians first, we would have become a little stronger, but we were ambushed and couldn’t do anything.

And the third and worst thing is that――There were already monsters in the Imperial Capital that were even worse than us.

The monster wearing a paper bag on its head is one of them, but also a four meter tall man in full body armor, and the witch who tries to burn you the moment she sees you. A bloodthirsty swordsman who attacks without a moment of hesitation. We are completely outmatched in terms of impact.

While I was fleeing and saw an opportunity, I transformed my face into a blood-soaked monstrosity, began to threaten a passing little girl, causing her to stare wide-eyed. However, she doesn’t seem to be more terrified than that.

The ordinary girl said to me, who was genuinely curious as to why she wasn’t afraid of me.

“Eh? Well, something even scarier came out the other day-no. It has the same character as Onee-chan-no. She was called 『Marin’s Wails』――” (Little Girl)

――And now I finally realize.

Just the other day, there were entities that plunged the entire Imperial Capital into the depths of fear.

The cursed sword that turns swordsmen into murderers. The Black World Tree that destroyed Zebrudia Magic Academy, the most vicious cursed item sealed away in the church. The secret Potion that threw Primus Magic Science Academy into chaos. And then――There was the Spirit People curse, who, according to legend, took the form of colossal beasts and paraded throughout the Imperial Capital like a storm of destruction.

The image printed in a newspaper I somehow managed to get my hand on was, frankly speaking, more flashy and terrifying than any Phantoms from my camp. At that time, the supply of Mana Materials to the Treasure Shrine had not yet been interrupted, and I had been quietly Spiriting Away people, so I didn’t know.

If something like that were to appear, it is only natural that one would not be frightened. Rather, we have done quite well so far.

Since the gathering of fear had failed, the likelihood of the Star God returning is low. With no real fear in sight, our future looks bleak.

My abilities are also severely restricted by the merger of the Treasure Shrine with the outside world. I can no longer freely enter and exit the gate, nor can I freely teleport.

The Treasure Shrine itself will not disappear, but due to the nature of the Treasure Shrine, the Phantoms that are no longer feared will disappear. With the supply of Mana Materials also dwindling, it is unlikely that a powerful Phantom capable of breaking this deadlock will manifest. Things might have been different if the Phantom in the statue in the hidden room prepared by the Star God had been released, but for who knows why, Cry Andrich took the crown that was the switch.

Things had been going pretty smoothly up until just a week ago, but ever since Saya was involved, everything had suddenly spiralled into a hopeless situation. That leaves us with few options available.

Either we continue to fight until the end as a Phantom and vanish, or――.

Hearing my story, the man who introduced himself as Franz speaks with a strained expression.

“I-I see…… So, that is why you came to us………… Impossible…… Are you telling me that that man predicted all this?” (Franz)

“It is completely unheard of for a Phantom to come out and talk. Seriously, I cannot believe so many things would happen one after another so quickly.” (Noble) 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

In the end, what I chose was――To negotiate with the humans.

The human’s reactions to our sudden appearance were varied. Shock, suspicion, a hint of fear. However, there was no anger.

To begin with, there is a big difference between the other common Phantoms and us. While the other Phantoms view humans who intrude as merely a nuisance, to us, who feed on human fear, we actually need humans. Even Demon Shark, who has the strongest murderous intent towards humans among us, cannot survive without humans.

Therefore, in order to gather fear more efficiently, I was careful to kidnap people without hindering the city’s development, and I had given strict orders to avoid killing humans as much as possible.

The mission bestowed upon us by the Star God was not to annihilate humanity, but to learn what they fear. For the Star God who possesses immense power, our power is not needed to annihilate humanity. In other words, if we can just throw away our pride, we can coexist with humans.

One of the men sitting down says.

“What if I say I won’t negotiate?” (Radrick)

“It is simple. Phantoms will keep appearing chaotically forever and attack people. You guys are certainly strong. But do you think you can stand up to us, who could appear anywhere, anytime?” (Lady)

The people of this city have a high tolerance for fear, but it does absolutely not mean that everyone is immune to it. The only ones we cannot defeat are those with combat-related skills, such as the Hunters, Knights, and Magi.

The vast majority of this city are noncombatants. There lies our change. A very small chance.

I don’t believe humans will immediately believe Phantoms. Nor do I believe negotiations will be easy. However, given enough time, they will come to understand that there are greater benefits to negotiating with me.

For my comrade, I put on a brave face and said that.

The reaction I got is unexpected.

They are making a serious face, even though what I said should be, under normal circumstances, something that would normally be dismissed.

“I was wondering how he planned to resolve this situation, but so this is what it comes down to, huh……” (Franz)

“To think, there is a way to control Phantoms that is thought to be impossible.” (Radrick)

“Damn 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》 ………… I cannot believe you would actually pull off a plan like this……” (Franz)

“Certainly, with this, it leaves us room for leniency.” (Radrick)

What on earth are they talking about? ………… A plan?

The middle-aged man sitting next to Franz, who is most likely the highest-ranked individual of the group, says.

“…… Very well. Phantom, what do you want?” (Radrick)

“What I want is…… A compartmentalization of habitats.” (Lady)

We will not kill. We will not go outside beyond a specific boundary or beyond a specific time. In return, I ask that you refrain from needlessly threatening my comrades.

Of course, there are those who cannot meet my criteria.

For example――The monstrosities that Saya has made a contract with. They are entities that harm people, do not listen to my orders in the first place, and are fundamentally incompatible with us.

However, to begin with, they are finished. They betrayed Saya and failed to get rid of her.

They underestimated Saya. If they really intended to join forces with us, they absolutely had to put an end to Saya.

We definitely do not want to make Saya Kuromizu an enemy.

Saya’s ability to summon monstrosities and her ability to interact with these monstrosities still have untapped potential.

The monstrosities likely knew this instinctively. That is precisely why they eliminated all of Saya’s family except for her. They are one of the few beings who can summon them into this world, and a clan that is their natural enemies.

Saya’s abilities have grown stronger after facing us, who were beings similar to the monstrosities.

An attack wrapped in black purple lightning that caused devastating damage to us.

In the first place, it is impossible for a power capable of opening a door to another dimension, one that even the monstrosities themselves cannot open, to be limited to just looking at them, no?

Thanks for reading! Thanks tang for the ko-fi! Poor Lady and the other Phantoms, they are just punching bags in front of everyone Lady couldn’t make a little girl scared of her because she had already seen something similar Sasuga Cry, that is why he paraded the Spirit People Curse around the Imperial Capital! Why would you be afraid of some Scary Movie Phantom after seeing Marin’s Wails and the Spirit People Curse? And finally, Lady’s negotiation is to have a Phantom House where they scare people there, I can see Cry promoting it as a ghost house to test your courage!

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