'I was wrong.

In the lounge of the Clan House in First Step, Gilbert looked around at the members of his temporary party.

The Lair of the White Wolf. A day had already passed since he had returned from the hellish mission.

Gilbert had been carried away unconscious, and I was told later that they had been able to bring the debilitated rescuer safely back to the Imperial Capital.

It can be said that the request from the Explorers Society was accomplished.
The abnormality of the White Wolf's Nest is now in the custody of the Explorers Society and the Empire. A higher level hunter will be dispatched to investigate the cause in the near future.

'I've always thought of myself as strong. I thought I was getting stronger. But I'm not strong enough yet.

He looks at the Purgatory Sword standing beside him.

Gilberto has never had an enemy until now. Even when he had struggled, he had defeated them all with his own strength alone.
He was proud of himself and thought that he could reach the highest level if he only had time. But the glimpse I caught in this quest was too far away.

It was not that he resented the fact that he was suddenly killed half to death. It is because Gilbert does not remember anything about that moment.

It wasn't that he was careless. Rather, his mind was on edge. Nevertheless, he doesn't even remember what was done to him.

It shows that there was too great a difference between us.

In the beginning, he was alone.
I met a strong and talented companion, a phantom that I still had to work together to defeat, and finally, a monster that could destroy them all single-handedly.

And, of course, the leader of all of them, Senkabanka, will go far beyond that.
Even Gilbert, who had seen it with his own eyes, could not fully comprehend its magnificence. Perhaps it was because they were standing in such different positions.

These experiences, though extremely brief, were enough to change Gilbert Busch's mind.
It had been a dangerous mission with little reward, but it had been worth it.

Gilberto looked at his comrades, who had come to understand each other after only a day and a half of fighting, and said.

'I still hadn't seen the top at all. I don't think I'm going to make it that far now. I'm going to ...... apologize to the previous party and start all over again, training from the ground up.

'......So'.



Hunters grow. I'm not sure if I'd be able to do that if I were you.
There are many who fall short of their ambitions. But there was a strong will in their eyes even after they had suffered great setbacks and known despair.

Then there's little Tino can say.

Gilbert stands up with a clear face.

He slung his pack over his shoulder, looked his companions in the face, and finally said to Tino.

'I'm sorry, but you'll have to thank me for all the changes. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you. After that, ...... well, watch ......, you'll be able to grab a bullet soon,' he said.

'I don't think so.

Discouraged expression Tino.
Gilbert thrusts his finger at the obviously disbelieving expression.

He shouts loudly. It's as if he's making a declaration.
The members of the footprint in the lounge looked at Tino's table to see what was going on.

'Don't get me wrong. I'm not giving up on being the strongest yet! I'm just changing my ways. I'll catch up to you soon. You too, Leader! See you later!

'Oh ...... Gilberto, you forgot something...'

Gilberto stood up and was about to leave when Luda stopped him.

She pointed to the Purgatory Sword that was propped up on the table.
It was insane for a treasure hunter to forget the most important weapon of his life.

But Gilbert did not look back. His eyes widened slightly, and he replied in a hoarse voice.

'I don't need that anymore. It's too powerful a weapon for me right now! It's powerful, yes, but you can't become strong by relying on treasure! I'm going to be able to grab bullets with my bare hands, just like the Zekage!

'Yes, .......'

'So, I'll give it to you in a thousand different ways! No, I'm just going to ...... leave it with you, I guess. I'll leave it with you until I get stronger! Watch me, I'll get it back soon!

'Hey, hey, nothing's changed.

Greg's voice was dumbfounded. However, the expression on his face showed that he did not mean what he said.

The Purgatory Sword is a powerful weapon, even without its power as a treasure.
For Gilberto, who had acquired it as soon as he became a hunter and had been wielding it all his life, a battle without it would be hard and harsh.

It's not as if he doesn't understand that. But the boy knew that, and that's why he threw away his weapon.

That was determination. A resolve that only he could understand. No one else would be allowed to sully it.

Tino frowned and was a little lost, but decided to call out to Gilberto's back.

'Gilberto.

'What's ......? Don't stop me.'

'No, I'm not trying to stop you or anything. ......'

I'm sure Gilberto will become stronger.

Tino couldn't see the future of humanity, but he couldn't see it right after he joined the party, after all, he was a hunter who was invited to the party by the master of the devil's plan.

Then Tino took a deep breath, dropped his shoulders and said.
I hope that the future is bright.


'Your sister's mask is specially made with no holes in the eyes, and even when she took the ...... bullets, you couldn't see them for a long time. ...You should also keep that in mind,.......'

'......What?'



§ § § §



It was a mentally and physically exhausting day.

The "safe ring" is only a protective measure in case of emergency. The fact that more than half of it was cut off indicated that my life was in danger--that the danger was too great.

'Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Cry. Searchers' Association. You seem to be in a lot of trouble.



'Mmm.'

She listened to Eva's words as she swayed in her chair in the office, her entire body resting on it.

The anomaly that had occurred in the White Wolf's den was on a scale that rarely happened.

Although everyone had managed to survive this time, it was the kind of anomaly that would normally only become apparent after a number of hunters had died.

It was nothing but luck that there were no deaths.

If it hadn't been for Liz, who came running back at an unbelievable speed, ten hunters, including me, would have been wiped out.

I look at Liz, who is sleeping on a large sofa with her knees in her arms.

I'm sure she was exhausted, and the way she shrunk down and fell asleep without even moving would have been adorable if she wasn't wearing that creepy mask.

The mask was designed by me. I also made the mistake of forgetting to leave the eyes open, but it's not my fault that Liz and the others continue to use them.

I can't really see anything when I put them on, but they move around without a care in the world.

Their growth rate hasn't slowed down at all since the time they first came to the Imperial Capital.

Maybe it's my fault that I don't go to the treasure house anymore, but the difference between us is no longer a hundredfold or twofold.

I'm usually sitting on the top of the clan house, so I don't really feel it, but actually going to the treasure house for the first time in a long while and having the stimulus pounded into my peaceful head made it clear to me.

I wonder if Liz-chan is really aware of this.

I've already seen her as a hero.

To be honest, my character has a lot of room for improvement, but the fact is that I'm still able to live in human society.

I sighed heavily once, and said with determination.

'I think I'll stop being a hunter.

She looks at me as if I'm Eva saying it again.
They don't believe me because I say it so often.

But this time she's serious.

'I know now that I put Tino and the others in danger. I can't stand on the front lines with my own strength anymore. I'm too blank to be of any use.'

'Tino-san said the Master was a god...'

'Even though I didn't mean any harm, I did something wrong to Tino this time. I don't think quitting is the way to take responsibility, but I've learned my lesson. Hahahaha ...... I guess I'm getting old.

'You're the top youngster, aren't you?

'I have a feeling that if I play the hunter any longer, I'll make a mistake I can't recover from this time. That's what I'm afraid of. I've got some money, I should be able to go back to the country and live in hiding.'

I don't need a lot of money. No need to be extravagant. You just need enough money to live modestly on your own terms.
It's rain or shine, rain or shine. What's wrong with a world where life is not in danger?

I can't deal with illusions anymore. I get the shakes just thinking about it. I don't want to do human missiles again.

Even people like Gilbert and Greg, who seem like such small people, have power.
There's nothing for me to do anymore.

Times have changed.
The golden age of hunters. It's a little too bright for me.

As I spoke with real feeling, Eva lifted her glasses and said with a scowl.

'I'm telling you, Mr. Cry, you'll never have a peaceful life again. You need to change your face.

'That's not nice.

At least if we don't break the reverse face that Ryz is turning into. .......

'But I think you should go so far away that no one will know you. My face is so plain, if you want to pretend I'm dead--'

'Ehehe...... then, if Cry-chan quits, I'll quit with you......'

In the event that you've got a lot of time, you may want to take a look at a few of these.
The chair shakes with the weight of the two of us. I check the top of the couch, but all that's left is the mask.

Huh? You were sleeping soundly, weren't you, until just now. Is it a ghost or something?

'No, no, no, Liz still has a dream, right?

Or rather, the Ghost of Sorrows, the target of all.

Level 10, the pinnacle of treasure hunters.
That's why we became hunters.

I gave up early on, but with Liz and her talents, it's possible to reach something that most hunters can't reach.

Liz's certification level is still 6, but that's because she has transferred some of her achievement points to me, the leader, and without me she would have been at least level 7.

Liz smiles and puts her cheek against mine.
I can feel her body heat, which is much higher than mine. The body temperature of a hunter filled with energy is much higher than that of a normal person.

And that heat shows the big difference between me and Liz.

'Yeah, but if you're going to quit, I think I'll just go. It's boring to be on your own, and I'm already the strongest anyway, right?

Her voice was bright and sweet, but she knew that her dream was not something she could give up for such a simple reason.

Being a hunter is a talent. But that talent can only shine through hard work.
Liz and the others had worked harder and trained harder than any other hunters of their age.

But there is no lie in their words.
If I quit, at least Liz would have no hesitation in following me and choosing to retire.

Do you want to quit? Do you want to stop? No? I have a feeling ...... that I probably won't. No?

'If Liz is gone, the party will fall apart.

'Don't worry. We'll all quit when that happens.

Liz said something unbelievable in a matter-of-fact way. I shake my shoulders involuntarily.

I have no fences, but Liz and the others do.

Their abilities are well known in the Empire, and their influence is quite broad and strong.

Some of them are officially part of the national organization, while others have received offers from some nobles and the military to be their servants.

They will definitely be hunted. There's a good chance they'll send a high-level hunter.

And if they find out that I'm the reason, they'll hate me very, very much. There's a good chance they'll kill you.

No need to think about it.

In the first place, I can't let the efforts of Liz and the others go to waste because of me.

I thought for a while about what I could do, but my poor peace-loving brain couldn't come up with anything.

'............ Let's try a little harder.'

'Yeah. I'll do my best! I'll do my best too!



Liz's cheeks are pressed together, her legs dangle, and she makes a distracted sound.

That's it. Just don't go to the treasure house. Gark's bastard, forcing me to do strange requests.
I'll never accept a request when Ark isn't around again.

I turned away from the reality and made a mental note of that.