Akatsuki Translations

That wound was extraordinary. 

A gigantic scar, as if lightning had struck from the right shoulder, ran straight across the torso, reaching the left hip. It looped around and likely extended to the back as well. Rather than being sliced from the front, it resembled a mark left by a ‘giant monster devouring someone whole.’ 

Ur couldn’t help but gasp at the extraordinary nature of that scar, and he understood. 

“――Are you a Gold Rank, Glen?” -Ur 

“Yeah, 【King Crimson Fist 】, that’s me… it’s a pain to introduce myself like that.” -Glen 

Glen was a living legend, recognized as a Gold-ranked adventurer for his achievement in defeating a great dragon in the depths of the infamous Dungeon of Greed, as a member of the adventuring party 【Scarlet Imperial Mountain】 established over a decade ago. Even to this day, there are many who tell tales of his heroic deeds. 

And yet, this great hero… to be like this, like this―― 

“A grumpy old man with a with a 5-o’clock shadow…” -Ur 

“I’ll smack you.” -Glen 

“You already did.” -Ur 

Ur rubbed his head, struck by Glen’s blow. But never did he expect to find a Gold Rank, the very rank he aspired to, so close to him. He had heard that instructors at the training facility were often retired adventurers who had achieved success, but still. 

“You were able to become a Gold Rank.” -Ur 

“Ended up that way. We――I didn’t specifically aim for Gold Rank.” -Glen 

“Then what was your purpose?” -Ur 

“Revenge.” -Glen 

Ur could never forget the expression on Glen’s face when he uttered those words. It was an expression of such intensity, surpassing the wounds carved into his body, a look of profound suffering. 

“We were a group of people who were desperate to kill dragons, utterly obsessed with it. Every single one of us. My companions, all of them, would have done anything to kill a dragon.” -Glen 

Dragons were an antagonistic species to humanity. 

No exceptions. Dragons would incinerate, curse, torment, and kill various humans that inhabited this world with overwhelming violence. However, few people knew of this threat. Encounter and survive? Such individuals were almost nonexistent. And if there were any, they would curse the dragons, seek revenge, and be mercilessly killed. 

Glen and his comrades were precisely those types of avengers seeking retribution against dragons. 

“Our party encountered a retainer dragon… a servant of a 【Great Sin Dragon】 in the depths of the Dungeon of Greed. It almost tore us to shreds. We searched and searched and searched, desperately seeking revenge until we found and killed it. That’s it. In the process, my surviving comrades, my wife, they all turned to ash, and I alone became a hero.” -Glen 

“What can I say? Sorry for bringing up bad memo ――” 

Ur hesitated with his words. The account given was too brutal. Ur, a Nameless without a family except for his sister, had lost everything, but the man in front of him had lost even more. 

But when Ur tried to apologize, Glen chuckled. 

“No need to apologize. After all, I have no regrets whatsoever.” -Glen 

“Huh?” -Ur 

“I said I have no regrets about my wife and comrades dying. I made the decision to pursue revenge, even if it meant they would end up like that. So I have no regrets.” -Glen 

The entire party understood the dangers that came with the decision to kill a dragon. They were aware of the sacrifices that would be made. Therefore, to Glen, that past was not a “scar” he wished to avoid. It was simply the path he had chosen. 

“Crazy, right? But without being that way, we couldn’t have killed the dragon.” -Glen 

“So you’re saying you have to sacrifice everything?” -Ur 

“It’s not about sacrifices. Sacrifices are just the outcome.” -Glen 

What mattered was not the end but the beginning. 

 When Glen made that decision. 

“To resolutely decide, no matter what, to accomplish something.” -Glen 

“…” -Ur 

“Dragon extermination ain’t a normal task. Usually, it becomes something like a ‘great war’ where even the priests and the whole city are involved, fighting with desperate resolve. It’s not something that a group of adventurers alone would attempt.” -Glen 

Moreover, to delve into the depths and heart of a Dungeon of Sin, to search for and directly confront the dragon, it was madness to willingly provoke the dragon’s wrath. 

“And in the process of preparing for slaying dragons, we gained power, wealth, and stability. Even if I had withdrawn at any point, it wouldn’t have been a problem.” -Glen 

But Glen didn’t do that. He made a decision. He accepted the possibility of losing everything, all peace and tranquility, and chose the path of killing dragons. 

That was the greatest difference between him and other genius Silver Ranks as well as all others who couldn’t reach Gold Rank. 

The fact that his comrades died didn’t matter. What was important was the decision to move forward, knowing full well that he could lose everything. 

“As adventurers grow and progress, what they gain and carry become significant. They become difficult to let go. Though you may not possess anything at the moment, the more you continue your adventurer’s path, the more you will acquire and the less capable you will become.” -Glen 

Glen’s words carried weight, understanding, as if he had witnessed it all. Not just the adventurers who failed and fell apart, but also those who succeeded and then stagnated, withdrawing from the path of adventure. 

To fail is to become nothing. However, if one were to become successful and then stop progressing, they would not become a Gold Rank. Therefore, no proper adventurer would not be able to attain the rank of gold. It is because the need for it vanishes. Hence, it is necessary to possess the audacity, an almost insane, seemingly deranged, resolute decision. 

“Do you have that?” -Glen 

When faced with that question, Ur could only repeat the words he had said to Glen countless times before. 

“I have to save my sister.” -Ur 

“Just that won’t be enough. Eventually, your spirit will break.” -Glen 

“Why?” -Ur 

“Because you are acting based on someone else as your ‘reason.’ You haven’t clearly defined your ‘purpose’ within yourself.” -Glen 

Glen outright denied the thing which had supported Ur’s existence from the day he arrived at the training facility until today. 

“Choices dependent on others are fragile. When you fail, you end up entrusting the responsibility to others, blaming them for your suffering. ‘It’s their fault that I’m in pain’.” -Glen 

“I would never do that.” -Ur 

“Can you say that for certain? In all the hazing I’ve put you through until now, have you never harbored even the slightest hint of resentment toward your sister?” -Glen 

There was no way that was true. As Ur tried to retort, his words halted. They stopped completely. He had no confidence. Glen’s training had been brutally intense. Amidst that, could he truly have held no negative feelings toward his sister, even for a fleeting moment? 

At this very moment, Ur couldn’t directly refute Glen’s words. 

“If you lack confidence even in my training, you will never make it as an adventurer. Especially after becoming one, it will be even more impossible. You will inevitably stop in the face of hardship, harboring misplaced resentment toward your sister, and that’ll be that.” -Glen 

“…I don’t want that.” -Ur 

Ur loved Akane. That feeling was undoubtedly genuine. He couldn’t bear the thought of crushing that emotion with his own hands. 

“In that case, you gotta reexamine yourself. Clarify your purpose rather than relying on reasons. Why do you want to save your sister? Don’t muddy it with terms like ‘family.’ Express it clearly. Without that, you can’t reach Gold Rank.” -Glen 

Attempting to achieve the Copper Ring was all in vain. Glen asserted while Ur fell into silence. Ur had come this far for Akane’s sake, and his entire life had been solely focused on surviving with his sister.  

Most people were like that. Desperately living for today, without any opportunity to reflect on themselves. Even if they wanted to, they couldn’t afford to because they couldn’t put food on the table. They lacked experience. They couldn’t afford to look back at themselves. 

In response to Ur’s silence, Glen snorted. It wasn’t disappointment but more of an ‘I knew it’ kind of air. 

“Well, never mind. Time is short anyway. Whether you go mad or not, I’ll make sure you don’t regret it when the time comes.” -Glen 

With those words, Glen reached behind him and produced a bundle of papers. It bore the official stamp of the Adventurer’s Guild, a sight familiar to Ur. It was the very same notice posted right next to the bulletin board in the Adventurer’s Guild, a proclamation declaring wanted individuals—【bounty targets】. 

“Copper Rings are a lot simpler compared to Gold. You don’t need grand resolutions. Just accumulate achievements diligently, and you will naturally acquire it. Well, those who die in the dungeon will die.” -Glen 

Rustling through the papers, Glen scattered them haphazardly. Among them were the bounties for ferocious monsters that Ur couldn’t possibly handle at the moment. However, among them, there was one that Ur recognized. 

“To acquire the Copper Ring, you would normally need at least a year of adventure experience. I’ve mentioned it before. But to override that condition, you need achievements that surpass a year of experience.” -Glen 

And so, Glen seized a wanted poster of a familiar monster, holding it out for Ur to see. Depicted upon it was the enormous humanoid figure with a sparkling body, a created Ur and Shizuku had crossed paths with before, forcing them into a desperate chase.  

“Hunt this Crystal Golem.” -Glen 

Bounty: Crystal Golem 

Classification: Golem Species, Large-scale Monster 

Rank: Tenth Rank 

Reward: 10 gold coins 

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆ 

Complete the training, familiarize yourself with magic. 

As usual, Ur was kicked away by Glen, being made to leave the documentation room. And… 

“So?” -Glen 

“Yes?” -Shizuku 

Glen called out to Shizuku, who was trying to follow behind Ur. With a suspicious expression, Glen stared at Shizuku, who seemed puzzled by being called out. 

“What do you want?” -Glen 

“Are you referring to me?” -Shizuku 

“You’ve been pushing Ur quite a bit. I’m asking what do you want?” -Glen 

Ur’s goal of becoming a Gold Rank may be far-fetched, but it’s clear. However, she only mentioned her desire to become stronger as her goal. It wasn’t uncommon in this circle of adventurers to be hesitant about sharing the details of one’s past. That, in itself, is not uncommon within the worlds of adventurers. 

And her wish to become stronger is undoubtedly genuine. It can be seen from her tremendous determination when she trains. She is even more driven than Ur, who has her sister’s life at stake. One can sense her intense determination. 

However, there was no apparent reason for her to support Ur so much. 

“I simply wanted to help Ur-sama, as it seemed he was in trouble.” -Shizuku 

However, Shizuku’s response to Glen’s suspicion was too… how should he put it… it felt like lip service. Glen’s face contorted as if he had seen something strange. 

“…Seriously?” -Glen 

“Is something wrong?” -Shizuku 

“A woman who arrived here with absolutely nothing to her name spouting saintly words is strange.” -Glen 

When she arrived here, she had nothing. She was a woman with only one tattered garment that exuded a musty smell, claiming to have picked it up deep in the mini-dungeon. It was strange to see a woman like her have the leeway to show concern for others. One could even call it ridiculous. 

Someone who shows genuine concern for others, is willing to help them unconditionally, and is detached from the destitution that currently surrounds her. 

“Weird, is it? I’ll be careful from now on. Thank you for telling me.” -Shizuku 

Knowing Glen’s suspicion, or perhaps not knowing at all, Shizuku smiled softly. Glen felt a relaxation in his heart at that smile. In his daily work, even if he laughed boisterously, he had never genuinely laughed on the inside. It sent a slight chill down his spine. 

“But it’s not merely because I want to help him.” -Shizuku 

“It’s for your own sake as well?” -Glen 

“I want to become stronger. As quickly as possible, and if possible, in the most efficient way.” -Shizuku 

Her words carried a strong determination. The same intense determination Glen felt during training emanated from her once again. It was markedly different from what one would expect from a young girl. 

“But through exploring the dungeon, I’ve realized that I can’t accomplish it alone.” -Shizuku 

Glen nodded at her words. 

Dungeon exploration is not something one can do alone. Complex terrains, various powerful monsters, physical exhaustion, and the need to transport necessary tools—all of these make it extremely difficult to handle alone. Even if this girl before him is a prodigy, it would be impossible. That’s why everyone forms a party. 

And now, the one she is partnering with is Ur. 

“Ur-sama said he aims to become a Gold Rank. That is no ordinary path. It requires extraordinary training.” -Shizuku 

“Well, that’s true.” -Glen 

“Therefore, there is a way forward. It is something I find incredibly reliable as a member of his party.” -Shizuku 

She seemed to mean that having Ur, whose goal aligns closely with her own, is an invaluable asset to her because she understands the abnormality of her obsession with her own strength. Glen could understand that. 

Balance is crucial within a party. Those who simply think about the day’s earnings and those who aim to acquire a ring will not harmonize. If they are to act together, it is preferable that their goals align. She seems to understand that. 

And so, her reasons for supporting Ur were not so different from the usual ones. At least, not “up until now”. 

From her lips came the question, devoid of any emotion, ‘Is it true that one must defeat a dragon to reach Gold Rank?’ 

There was something about the way she mentioned the word ‘dragon’ that caught Glen off guard. It reminded him of the eyes of a familiar avenger, yet it was different. Just moments ago, she showed an ethereal smile that effortlessly loosened the hearts of those around her, but now it seemed distant. 

Glen couldn’t quite grasp what it meant. He didn’t have time to figure it out. The hollow expression she had shown lasted only for a brief moment before she quickly regained her soft, gentle smile, reminiscent of a saintly maiden. And then… 

“If that is the case, then I hope Ur-sama sets his sights on it. If possible, by any means necessary.” -Shizuku 

To defeat a dragon. Glen had explained, in painstaking detail, the arduousness of the path leading to becoming a Gold Rank. He had conveyed the difficulties and challenges, and he was certain that both Ur and Shizuku had understood. 

Yet, this woman stood before him, smiling and wishing for Ur to venture into the depths of hell. 

Glen realized that the woman in front of him was an enigma. 

“…Poor guy, he’s got shit luck with women.” -Glen