Now that I think back on it, I don’t know what went wrong.
However, even if I say that, work is work. I was aware of the risks. At least I thought I was aware of it.
I was a fool, was what Gray absentmindedly thought in the corner of a luxurious room all by himself.
Black and White left the room with an escape plan that couldn’t possibly succeed against a Level 8 opponent. The look of pity and contempt they gave to Gray at the end didn’t even make Gray’s feeling waver.
I am a villain. Despite Hunters being a group of rough humans, I have been expelled from its ranks and have been doing all kinds of bad things as a Red Hunter.
I have seen all kinds of darkness in the Imperial Capital. I’ve seen horrible things, ugly things, pathetic things and ―― Things that shouldn’t be seen. Some of them were from people who had no regard for human life.
However, 《Infinite Variety》 is different from them.
First, what Gray felt when he saw 《Infinite Variety》 was a sense of discomfort.
Even among Red Hunters, Gray has a particularly good eye. This is also the reason why Gray, who doesn’t have high physical abilities, has been able to survive and become a somewhat famous Red Hunter.
That man didn’t have the aura of someone who had been through multiple deadly battlefields. He didn’t even have the characteristic of someone who had seen the darkness in the world.
More than everything, that man ―― Unlike 《Absolute Shadow》 or 《Deep Black (Worst of the Worst)》, he doesn’t smell of blood.
Even if you are not a particularly vicious Hunter like 《Absolute Shadow》, if you are a Treasure Hunter, then one way or another, whether you are weak or strong, your body will be permeated with a scent of blood. And what Gray called smell was something that can never be wiped away, even if you washed it off with high-grade soaps.
It was the first time I couldn’t feel it. That’s why, at first, I didn’t know what I was doing and mistook his attitude, but now that I think back on it, it was a stupid thing to do.
There was no way, not even a single chance that a Hunter who has reached Level 8, lead 《Absolute Shadow》 and other vicious Hunters, never been involved in some kind of nefarious affairs.
In other words, that was the proof that this young man with an unmotivated atmosphere was a monster beyond what Gray could ever handle.
You should never draw his attention to you. As far as what Gray could see, when that young man tried to cut off Gray and the others before the start of the trip, he didn’t show any malice or ill will at all.
In other words, it showed that for him, Gray and the others’ life was as unimportant as a pebble on the side of the road. 《Absolute Shadow》 captured Gray and the others, but even that fact was probably a trivial matter to 《Infinite Variety》.
Black and White were skeptical, but we would probably be released if we did nothing.
As if I was waiting for the disaster to pass, I shrunk down and stayed silent.
Like a shellfish, I closed my mouth and let the time pass while pretending to be invisible. That was the most likely way for Gray and the others to survive.
For him, the crimes Gray and the others committed weren’t grave enough to be called crimes, it wasn’t enough for him to raise his hand or to even have an interest in it.
Like a stone, I held my knees in the corner of the spacious Japanese-style room1. I focused my attention on the environment, but I couldn’t hear Black and White scream.
Of course. Even if something happens, Black and White would be defeated without being able to let a single scream out.
And then, as if he had timed it, there was a knock on the door.
“Black-san, White-san, are you here?” (Cry)
“Uh!?” (Gray)
I thought my heart was going to pop out. For a moment, I thought I was hallucinating from despair, but the sounds and voices showed no signs of disappearing.
I stand up in a hurry. My knees almost felt like breaking, but I managed to hold on and hurriedly unlock the door.
In front of a level 8, the lock on the door of this Ryokan would pose no problem and be the same as not having any lock at all, and given his name of 《Infinite Variety》, there was no choice but to open the door.
Black and White went out to steal the key to their collar from 《Infinite Variety》. I don’t know how it turned out, but I am sure it wasn’t a coincidence that 《Infinite Variety》 called their names.
And the fact that he only called out the names of Black and White ―― Meant that he only aimed at Gray when he talked.
I opened the door. The young man who appeared had a strange expression on his face when he saw Gray. As usual, his appearance was full of openings, there was no violent atmosphere coming out from his body.
Behind him, Sytry Smart was the complete opposite of the young man, she had a dark and violent atmosphere coming out of her, and, as ever, she was looking at Gray with a cold smile.
“Areh? What happened to Black-san and White-san?”
How can you be so obvious ――.
There was nothing unnatural in his tone or expression. He looked as if he didn’t know anything about it, but he won’t fool Gray’s eyes now.
What happened you ask? If something had happened, then it was either you or the 《Worst of the Worst》 who is glaring at me from behind you that caused it!
I wanted to yell so at him, but my voice wouldn’t come out. Only a weak, quivering voice came out of my mouth.
My heart was beating like crazy. I am convinced that 《Infinite Variety》 wasn’t interested in me, but even so, scary things are scary.
It was scary that I have no idea what he is going to say or what he is going to do.
“I-I, tried to stop them, sir…… Black, and White, w-went to steal the key from you ――”
The more I recall, the more sloppy the plan was. Black and White’s plan involved a lot of wishful thinking and used a lot of good luck to succeed.
It was a plan that I would normally laugh off without even considering. The fact that Black and White went along with it can only be described as them being daredevils.
No, were they, in a different way, also being controlled by the man in front of me?
The black-haired young man blinked a few times with a curious expression on his face when he heard what Gray said, and slowly lifted the chain on his waist.
On the chain, mixed with countless jewelry were two collars identical to the one that was on Gray’s neck.
As if Cry Andrich just understood right now, he *pon* hit his hand. It was a gesture so blatant that it made you want to laugh, but there was surprisingly a lack of acting on his part.
It was the kind of movement that if Gray was someone who didn’t know anything about him, he would have spontaneously decide that he was a helpless idiot.
《Infinite Variety》 smiled bitterly and asked behind him. Unlike 《Infinite Variety》, Sytry’s eyes were filled with cold and terrifying emotion.
“Sytry, it seemed I let them go. …… Would there be a problem?” (Cry)
“No…… Not particularly. They surely haven’t gone too far yet. If there is the need to finished them off, I can ask Onee-chan to go after them ――” (Sytry)
“No, it’s fine, fine. I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t need it, it isn’t something that needs to be dealt with to the point of calling Liz who is resting ―― Aaah, un. It’s just the plan that had changed a little bit. By the way, this is just out of curiosity, but ――” (Cry)
Then Cry scratched his cheek, frowned, and looked at Gray.
You can see Gray’s haggard face reflected on his jet-black transparent pair of eyes.
And then, 《Infinite Variety》 said.
“Why didn’t Gray-san run away?”
Now that I think back on it, I don’t know what went wrong.
However, even if I say that, work is work. I was aware of the risks. At least I thought I was aware of it.
I was a fool, was what Gray absentmindedly thought in the corner of a luxurious room all by himself.
Black and White left the room with an escape plan that couldn’t possibly succeed against a Level 8 opponent. The look of pity and contempt they gave to Gray at the end didn’t even make Gray’s feeling waver.
I am a villain. Despite Hunters being a group of rough humans, I have been expelled from its ranks and have been doing all kinds of bad things as a Red Hunter.
I have seen all kinds of darkness in the Imperial Capital. I’ve seen horrible things, ugly things, pathetic things and ―― Things that shouldn’t be seen. Some of them were from people who had no regard for human life.
However, 《Infinite Variety》 is different from them.
First, what Gray felt when he saw 《Infinite Variety》 was a sense of discomfort.
Even among Red Hunters, Gray has a particularly good eye. This is also the reason why Gray, who doesn’t have high physical abilities, has been able to survive and become a somewhat famous Red Hunter.
That man didn’t have the aura of someone who had been through multiple deadly battlefields. He didn’t even have the characteristic of someone who had seen the darkness in the world.
More than everything, that man ―― Unlike 《Absolute Shadow》 or 《Deep Black (Worst of the Worst)》, he doesn’t smell of blood.
Even if you are not a particularly vicious Hunter like 《Absolute Shadow》, if you are a Treasure Hunter, then one way or another, whether you are weak or strong, your body will be permeated with a scent of blood. And what Gray called smell was something that can never be wiped away, even if you washed it off with high-grade soaps.
It was the first time I couldn’t feel it. That’s why, at first, I didn’t know what I was doing and mistook his attitude, but now that I think back on it, it was a stupid thing to do.
There was no way, not even a single chance that a Hunter who has reached Level 8, lead 《Absolute Shadow》 and other vicious Hunters, never been involved in some kind of nefarious affairs.
In other words, that was the proof that this young man with an unmotivated atmosphere was a monster beyond what Gray could ever handle.
You should never draw his attention to you. As far as what Gray could see, when that young man tried to cut off Gray and the others before the start of the trip, he didn’t show any malice or ill will at all.
In other words, it showed that for him, Gray and the others’ life was as unimportant as a pebble on the side of the road. 《Absolute Shadow》 captured Gray and the others, but even that fact was probably a trivial matter to 《Infinite Variety》.
Black and White were skeptical, but we would probably be released if we did nothing.
As if I was waiting for the disaster to pass, I shrunk down and stayed silent.
Like a shellfish, I closed my mouth and let the time pass while pretending to be invisible. That was the most likely way for Gray and the others to survive.
For him, the crimes Gray and the others committed weren’t grave enough to be called crimes, it wasn’t enough for him to raise his hand or to even have an interest in it.
Like a stone, I held my knees in the corner of the spacious Japanese-style room1. I focused my attention on the environment, but I couldn’t hear Black and White scream.
Of course. Even if something happens, Black and White would be defeated without being able to let a single scream out.
And then, as if he had timed it, there was a knock on the door.
“Black-san, White-san, are you here?” (Cry)
“Uh!?” (Gray)
I thought my heart was going to pop out. For a moment, I thought I was hallucinating from despair, but the sounds and voices showed no signs of disappearing.
I stand up in a hurry. My knees almost felt like breaking, but I managed to hold on and hurriedly unlock the door.
In front of a level 8, the lock on the door of this Ryokan would pose no problem and be the same as not having any lock at all, and given his name of 《Infinite Variety》, there was no choice but to open the door.
Black and White went out to steal the key to their collar from 《Infinite Variety》. I don’t know how it turned out, but I am sure it wasn’t a coincidence that 《Infinite Variety》 called their names.
And the fact that he only called out the names of Black and White ―― Meant that he only aimed at Gray when he talked.
I opened the door. The young man who appeared had a strange expression on his face when he saw Gray. As usual, his appearance was full of openings, there was no violent atmosphere coming out from his body.
Behind him, Sytry Smart was the complete opposite of the young man, she had a dark and violent atmosphere coming out of her, and, as ever, she was looking at Gray with a cold smile.
“Areh? What happened to Black-san and White-san?”
How can you be so obvious ――.
There was nothing unnatural in his tone or expression. He looked as if he didn’t know anything about it, but he won’t fool Gray’s eyes now.
What happened you ask? If something had happened, then it was either you or the 《Worst of the Worst》 who is glaring at me from behind you that caused it!
I wanted to yell so at him, but my voice wouldn’t come out. Only a weak, quivering voice came out of my mouth.
My heart was beating like crazy. I am convinced that 《Infinite Variety》 wasn’t interested in me, but even so, scary things are scary.
It was scary that I have no idea what he is going to say or what he is going to do.
“I-I, tried to stop them, sir…… Black, and White, w-went to steal the key from you ――”
The more I recall, the more sloppy the plan was. Black and White’s plan involved a lot of wishful thinking and used a lot of good luck to succeed.
It was a plan that I would normally laugh off without even considering. The fact that Black and White went along with it can only be described as them being daredevils.
No, were they, in a different way, also being controlled by the man in front of me?
The black-haired young man blinked a few times with a curious expression on his face when he heard what Gray said, and slowly lifted the chain on his waist.
On the chain, mixed with countless jewelry were two collars identical to the one that was on Gray’s neck.
As if Cry Andrich just understood right now, he *pon* hit his hand. It was a gesture so blatant that it made you want to laugh, but there was surprisingly a lack of acting on his part.
It was the kind of movement that if Gray was someone who didn’t know anything about him, he would have spontaneously decide that he was a helpless idiot.
《Infinite Variety》 smiled bitterly and asked behind him. Unlike 《Infinite Variety》, Sytry’s eyes were filled with cold and terrifying emotion.
“Sytry, it seemed I let them go. …… Would there be a problem?” (Cry)
“No…… Not particularly. They surely haven’t gone too far yet. If there is the need to finished them off, I can ask Onee-chan to go after them ――” (Sytry)
“No, it’s fine, fine. I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t need it, it isn’t something that needs to be dealt with to the point of calling Liz who is resting ―― Aaah, un. It’s just the plan that had changed a little bit. By the way, this is just out of curiosity, but ――” (Cry)
Then Cry scratched his cheek, frowned, and looked at Gray.
You can see Gray’s haggard face reflected on his jet-black transparent pair of eyes.
And then, 《Infinite Variety》 said.
“Why didn’t Gray-san run away?”
