Chapter 483.1: Prison Island ⑦

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

I go back to the prison entrance. Apparently, there are no new inmates being admitted today as the area around the entrance is eerily quiet.

Sitting at the edge of the corridor are several people where it is hard to tell if they are alive or dead from their state, driving home that this is hell.

Sooo, I would like to leave as soon as possible, but…… Gin-san isn’t here tho’?

Actually, let alone Gin-san, I don’t see any of the other prison guards. What, am I supposed to do――.

Knowing that Lucia is supporting me with her Magic help me feel a little more at ease, but this discouraging feeling hasn’t disappeared. Because there are a lot of scary-looking people out there……

But assuming that Lucia is watching me, I cannot keep looking so pathetic forever. After all, I am a badass older brother……

Jack, who has come along, looks around and mutters.

“Even so, there aren’t many people here today. According to Grand’s data, this place is usually packed with a bunch of losers…… S’riously, that guy’s data is useless.” (Jack)

“Well, don’t say that. Data is important. It helps me too.” (Cry)

By the way, Eva and Sytry are the ones collecting the data, I am just receiving it. Moreover, by the time it reached me, it had already been compiled into a report, so all I had to do was look at the data and nod.

Jack says, almost pleadingly.

“Should we give him a hand? Because everything will depend entirely on how many people Grand can gather.” (Jack)

Grand had gone somewhere after breakfast to gather subordinates. I didn’t even have a chance to stop him. Even if you ask me to help him, there is nothing I can do, if anything, it would be a problem if you gathered a group of people.

Why does everyone try to make me, a pacifist, their figurehead?

I dodge the question, just like I always do.

“Come on, let’s trust him a bit more. I will help him out if push comes to shove.” (Cry)

“……………… Ah, roger that. But it’s a promise, ok?” (Jack)

You might think I am just winging, right? Actually, I have been doing it this way for five years. There is no sign of Gin-san coming to pick me up, and just as I am feeling at loss, I hear a voice from behind me.

“!? Y-You bastard, 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》!? What are you doing here??” (?)

“………… Who are you?” (Cry)

“Ooh, don’t you dare say you’ve forgotten about us, the Dontan Familyyy! Ooh, we’re stuck here because of you bastard!!” (Dontan)

They are a small group of five rough-looking people. Even if they introduce themselves, I do not recognize them at all. However, the possibility of them being people I have never met before is low. I am just not interested enough.

“Hih, hih…… Man, that’s it, you’re finished! Because “Sky Tail-san (Kuubi-san)” is absolutely pissed off!” (Dontan)

“?? 《Infinite Variety-san (Senpen Banka-san)》, these guys are――” (Jack)

“Wait a second…… I am trying to remember.” (Cry)

It has been a little over five years since I became a Hunter, almost six years now. During that time, there hasn’t been a single year where 《Strange Grief (Nageki no Borei)》 didn’t fight bandits, nor has there been a single year where I fought bandits myself.

Since they recognize my face, they must have met me before, but unless you make a bit more of an impression, I will not remember you at all. Not remembering painful things is the key to living a happy life.

The man at the front points his finger at me and says.

“Whaaat, are you saying we don’t even deserve to be remembered!? Come on, I dare you to try hitting us with that *Sarasara* again!” (Dontan)

“Oh, those people I met in Code who got *Sarasara*-ed!” (Cry)

“!?” (Dontan)

The first time I encountered *Sarasara* during my hunting career was this year. As expected, I remember it as I was protected by Saya’s *Sarasara*  only for a very short while.

Well, I didn’t remember them earlier tho’.

“Good for you.” (Jack)

“There’s nothing’s good about it!” (Dontan)

The *Sarasara* people protest in a shaky voice. This makes me realize that I need to use my head a little more in my life. Then, at that time, an even more burly rough-looking man emerges from behind the *Sarasara* people.

“Oi, you’re in the way.” (?)

He is a giant, standing over two meters tall. His eyes are clearly not those of the run-of-the-mill bandits you would find anywhere――. The giant man gives a slight wave of his hand. With just that, one of the *Sarasara* people is sent flying and crashes into the wall.

There was no time to react or anything like that. The *Sarasara* people are left speechless by the sudden intruder.

The person slides to the floor and doesn’t *pikuri* move a muscle. The giant man, without even glancing in his direction, looks only at me and says.

“《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》. It’s been a while, hasn’t it” (?)

“…… 《Infinite Variety-san (Senpen Banka-san)》, this guys is――” (Jack)

“…… Wait a second, I am trying to remember.” (Cry)

A giant man with a menacing look, huh? Hunters and bandits are often well-built and many have menacing looks, so that is a fairly common characteristic. I have absolutely no memory of him. If only he had a weapon or something on him, I might have been able to remember him.

“…… First, I need to figure out if he is on our side or not.” (Cry)

“………………………………” (?)

The giant man turns away without a word, his face twitches.

There, clung on his back, are several tree frogs of various colors.

“…………… Do you like frogs?” (Cry)

“……………” (?)

The giant man stares at me in silence, his gaze filled with murderous intent. Stop with this silent pressure.

Frogs…… Frogs, huh. If it was just tree frogs, it could just be that he is just a frog lover, but those are colorful tree frogs. Is he perhaps a member of the Tree Frog Research Society?

Lucia first showed me her frog-transforming Magic earlier this year. And what’s more, the frog wasn’t a toad, but a tree frog…………………… Hmmm?

Could it be that this man has never actually met me, and Lucia just turned his friends into frogs? 《Strange Grief (Nageki no Borei)》 has been steadily completing requests, exploring Treasure Shrines, and capturing bandits while I wasn’t with them. I think there is a pretty good chance he is holding a grudge against me even though he has never met me before.

Thanks for reading! I’m back (for only 1 chapter tho’)! Have you guys seen all the game shows that happened!? OMG can’t believe we got FF7 Revelation and KH4 trailers in the span of a few days, BEST SHOWS EVER!!! FF7 Revelation looks even crazier than Rebirth! That Fortnite drop and job class/skins looks soooo cool! Pleeease give us triple tech in this game! Cannot wait for Spring 2027! And still cannot believe we got a teaser for KH4! Still feels like a miracle! Still cannot believe that Sora is in some sort of Shibuya world. Sora and the Heartless design are so cool and have so much aura! What a crazy timeline we are living in right now! 

Now that’s out of the way, let’s go back to Strange Grief. New Strange Grief cover is out! Seriously, who expected the Dontan Family to come back, lol! Tsukikage-sensei said that as the web novel and the light novel/anime has some difference, he had to change a little bit on the script as Geoffrey has never met Cry in the web novel So we cannot blame Cry for not remembering him as he never met the guy!