Troublesome People
Translated by GXYRU
Edited by GXYRU
“Hey, Arius, there’s a slightly bothersome matter and a really bothersome matter I wanted to discuss with you. Which one do you want to hear first?” Alisa asked.
“I don’t want to hear either,” Arius replied.
“Come on, don’t say that. It’s for your sake, you know,” Alisa said, with a meaningful smile.
“Let’s start with the slightly bothersome one. I apologize for bringing up the topic again, but Hero Abel is asking to meet you again,” Alisa said, no longer using an honorific for the hero’s name.
Well, that’s fine. Arius has already decided not to join the Hero’s party, so that’s not an issue. However, he is curious about the ability the Hero possesses to bestow skills on others.
The skill Hero Abel granted Chris, “Brave Heart of the Hero,” can stir up her fighting spirit and enhance her status. Although skills in this world are usually acquired through training and battles, the Hero can give them to others.
Chris had a somewhat aggressive nature to begin with, but her behavior became extremely aggressive after activating the “Hero’s Heart” skill. It’s intriguing to think that the Hero can bestow skills like the “Berserker” skill.
Arius has been gathering information about both the Hero and the Demon Lord. The Demon Lord hasn’t done anything yet, while the Hero has declared that he will save the world from the Demon Lord. Surprisingly, the Hero’s influence seems much greater than Arius had expected.
Still, that doesn’t make Arius afraid of the Hero; he merely finds him troublesome.
“You should consider meeting him at least once. Even if Abel resorts to ridiculous means to restrain you, you can handle it by force, right?” Alisa suggested.
“Is Alisa trying to provoke a fight between me and the Hero?”
“Well, that would be amusing, but you wouldn’t stand a chance against Abel in a fight. But I’ll do my best to stop him if anything happens.”
Alisa seems to find it entertaining to imagine the outcome of such a fight. Although she calls it a fight, it would probably be more of a one-sided confrontation, with Arius as the loser. Still, he appreciates her intention to help.
“By the way, Alisa, you said you’re only involved with the Hero as a business deal. But isn’t the reason other countries support the Hero related to their interests in the demon territory?” Arius asked.
“Hmm… You’re quite sharp. Indeed, I’m becoming more interested in you,” Alisa said, amused. While Alisa often speaks in a flattering manner, Arius can tell that her words aren’t entirely insincere. She desires his power, after all.
“I knew you were the son of Ronoudia Kingdom’s Prime Minister. With a little investigation, it was easy to find out about your relationship with Prince Erik and the trouble with Duke Jordan. I’ve also been monitoring both Prince Erik and Duke Jordan, using my own secret methods. I can’t reveal how I did it, though. I originally planned to join the battle depending on the situation, but you managed to handle their forces quite efficiently,” Alisa explained.
So Alisa had been fully aware of everything, including the attack on Duke Jordan. She must have been monitoring from the moment Arius returned to the capital.
Arius’ “Search” skill has an effective range of over 5 km, so it’s natural that she noticed if she was physically present. However, there are various methods, such as using others or magical tools, so it’s not surprising.
“I see, you seem a bit displeased. You didn’t like that I didn’t inform you first. But you see, I considered you as my enemy only after I analyzed Duke Jordan’s strength and decided that you weren’t a threat. I had no intention of undervaluing myself by meddling with insignificant people,” Alisa said.
Arius understands Alisa’s intentions, but he still wanted to protect everyone from potential danger. If Alisa had informed him earlier, he might have reconsidered his stance on her.
“… I understand. So that’s how it is. I underestimated you,” Arius admitted.
Alisa’s expression looked slightly frustrated. It seems like she understands what Arius is thinking.
“Well, there’s no point in regretting what I’ve done. Now, Arius, let’s move on to the ‘really bothersome matter.’ You know about Karlheinz Steinhardt, the adventurer, right?” Alisa intentionally changed the subject.
“Yes, I know. Steinhardt is an SSS-ranked adventurer.”
Although Arius reached SSS rank almost by default, Karlheinz Steinhardt is a true SSS-ranked adventurer. Still, his personality is problematic.
“That Steinhardt guy seems to be searching for you,” Alisa said.
I don’t quite get it, though. Steinhardt is what you’d call a ‘warrior.’ He pursues strength in a different direction from me. Unlike me, who enjoys getting stronger in the midst of close battles, Steinhardt focuses on mastering techniques and proving his strength by defeating adventurers stronger than himself.
Well, it’s not like Steinhardt is weak; it’s just that Gray is too strong. Every time we were together with Serena and Gray, Steinhardt challenged Gray repeatedly. He lost each time, though. Not because Steinhardt is weak, but because Gray is overwhelmingly powerful.
However, I can’t fathom why Steinhardt would be looking for me. From his perspective, I’m beneath him. I mean, I joined Gray and Serena in conquering the fifth most challenging high-class dungeon. I even solo-cleared the ‘Ancient Gods’ Fortress,’ which no other adventurer knows about. Gray and Serena don’t boast about their achievements; they prefer to avoid attention and haven’t even reported their dungeon conquests to the adventurer’s guild.
So my ranking remains the lowest among SSS-ranked adventurers. To Steinhardt, I might be seen as an insignificant sidekick to Gray and Serena.
“Oh, I see… That’s the case, huh?” Alisa’s smile became enigmatic.
It appears Arius isn’t aware of the reason behind Steinhardt’s search. According to Alisa, Steinhardt was defeated once again after challenging Gray. Well, that’s nothing new.
But what caught Arius’ attention was what Gray said to the battered Steinhardt: “Steinhardt, you never learn, do you? But I’m tired of dealing with you every time. Come back when you’ve honed your skills and become like my student, Arius… no, the current Arius might be stronger than me.”
It’s hard to believe Gray would say something like that… then again, it’s entirely possible, given his personality. Moreover, three days ago, Gray and Serena sent me a “message” through some means of communication. It must have meant… this.
“Arius, for someone like you who has solo-cleared the most challenging dungeons, daily life must be boring. That’s why I’ve prepared the perfect gift for you. Well, I don’t know when he’ll show up on your end, though.”
“Gray seems to have gone wild and sent a ‘message.’ You don’t need to deal with Steinhardt or anyone else who’s bothersome. Leave it to me.”
The puzzle pieces of incomprehensible information finally fit together. Gray acted on his own, and Serena is clearly angry about it.
Anyway, Steinhardt is known to dislike “Transference Magic – Teleport” and “Flight Magic – Fly.” We don’t know when he’ll show up here.
“I know where Steinhardt is right now, but I don’t intend to use him as a bargaining chip in negotiations with you,” Alisa revealed Steinhardt’s whereabouts, but it turned out to be an unexpected location.
Hey, Alisa. Why is Steinhardt with the Demon Lord?
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