TN: Note: With all the title related changes and shenanigans, thank you for finding this and giving it a read!
In the brackets are the meaning of the words in Japanese but author has specified that they should be read another way, but it may be confusing so I've left them there so it's easier to understand. More specifics below.
With that, I'll be glad if you enjoy the story about the process of how the MC gathers the strongest allies and becomes the strongest clan master!
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「Don't let yourself be looked down upon」
That was the catchphrase of my Grandpa, who used to be a Seeker(Adventurer).
A Seeker – like the name says, is someone who searches for things for a living.
Their target could be treasures sleeping inside ruins, maybe even the ruins themselves, unknown creatures or even criminals.
But the most attractive way to earn their keep, is exploring Abysses after all.
Exploring the land and buildings that had turned into Abysses, where the real world and the Void(Demon World) had connected, and hunting the Beasts(Demons) that had crossed over into the real world. That’s the way of life of a Seeker that’s most recognized by the people.
An Abyss will expand endlessly into the real world if it’s left alone, so countries actively encouraged and supported Seeker activities. In order to cleanse the land of an Abyss, the Beast that is the core of that Abyss has to be hunted down, and Seekers are the experts at doing just that.
Moreover, it's also a fact that the many inventions that support the current civilization – the Magical Tools civilization, cannot do without the materials that are obtained from Beasts.
Now, a time when even ships that flew in the sky – airships had become reality, the people lived in extreme prosperity due to the benefits of the Magical Tools civilization. And the stars of this era, the Seekers who could obtain fame and fortune through the strength of their arm, were idolized by everyone.
「Noel, a man can’t let himself be looked down upon」
Grandpa used to be a famous Seeker in Etorai, the imperial capital of the Werunant Empire. On top of that, he was called a man among men – a Hero.
「Noel, become a strong man who can't be looked down upon by anyone」
His boulder-like hand, from which I could feel the traces of his active period as a Seeker, gently patted my head.
Grandpa's Job, which was well suited for his giant body, was Warrior.
Jobs, which are revealed through an appraisal, decide an individual’s potential, the limits of that person’s physical abilities as well as the Skills available to that person.
Everyone starts out with a C Rank Job, but depending on hard work and talent, it’s possible to rank up and reach higher tier Jobs.
Taking the most common combat type Job, Swordsman, as an example, a rank up system like this exists -
C Rank: Swordsman -> B Rank: Gladiator -> A Rank: Sword Master
But in extremely rare cases, there are those who reached the extraordinary EX Rank. Grandpa is one of them. In his case, he ranked up like this -
C Rank: Warrior -> B Rank: Vanguard-> A Rank: Berserker -> EX Rank: Destroyer
The Job itself won’t change just because a person reached a higher tier Job, but the modifiers to that person’s abilities will be increased drastically and the number of Skills available will also increase.
Expressing the strength of each Rank in words, a C Rank is a normal person, a B Rank is a super-human, an A Rank is someone who has surpassed the realm of humanity, and once a person has reached EX Rank, that person will already be almost god-like.
When Grandpa was young, he was really strong. Strong, rough around the edges, and also arrogant.
But, such a person fell in love with and desperately wooed Grandma, who was an extremely beautiful and kind woman. And, she had a weak constitution.
Grandpa, who loved Grandma dearly, retired from being a Seeker and left the polluted air of the imperial capital to move to the countryside. He thought of using the fortune he that had accumulated thus far to buy land, hire workers and build a life making wine.
It was probably what people thought of as an ideal retirement. What is known as a slow life.
In fact, the Grandpa who was feared among Seekers as「Over Death」(Immortal Demon) , became just a typical middle-aged man who was devoted to his wife after moving to the countryside.
Grandpa loved Grandma from the bottom of his heart and Grandma loved him back. They were a happily married couple, supporting each other in their marital bliss.
But Grandma passed away while giving birth to Mum.
Giving birth was already such a desperate struggle by itself, and Grandma's frail body couldn't endure the rigors of childbirth.
Grandpa fell deeply into sorrow with the passing of the person he loved the most. However, he didn't lose himself in despair and was determined to bring up the child his wife had left him by himself.
His efforts paid off and Mum grew up to be a splendid lady. She was the splitting image of Grandma, who was praised as a beauty, with only the color of her hair and eyes being different. Grandma had blonde hair and green eyes but Mum inherited Grandpa's black hair and hazel eyes.
Mum was found to have a production type Job, and once she was an adult, worked in the winery with Grandpa and got married to Dad, her childhood friend.
Then I was born and the family of four lived happily together.
However, I have no memories of my parents.
My earliest memory was the sight of my elderly but burly Grandpa weeping loudly. And the warmth I felt when the sobbing Grandpa embraced me.
「Noel, what a pitiful child... But you still have me. I'll never let you be alone. I... if it's me, I won't die no matter what happens! I swear on my name Over Death![1]」
Mum and Dad had passed away in a carriage accident before I was old enough to understand what was going on around me.
Those who loved to gossip said that it was a curse from a Beast. That Grandpa had killed too many Beasts, so his family was doomed to die young due to the curse.
Of course, Grandpa did not let those people off lightly. Though he held back as to not kill them, no matter who it was, he beat them up with his iron fists.
Then, without fail, he would say his catchphrase.
「As a man, you can't let yourself be looked down upon. You must absolutely protect your family's honor」
I remember Grandpa saying this on the night after he had gone to and went totally wild in the home of a neighbor brat who had picked on me and called me a cursed child.
Grandpa often told me stories from his active period as a Seeker. Grandpa and his allies, who flourished in those stories, were heroes to me.
Growing up with those stories, it’s only natural that I would come to admire Seekers.
「Noel, you look just like your deceased Mum. But I can tell. Unlike your Mum, who didn’t have it, you have the talent to be a Seeker just like me sleeping inside you」
Just as Grandpa said, at my Job appraisal at age ten, I was discovered to have a combat type Job.
But that Job was very different from the one I had hoped for.
Talker – a Job that specializes in supporting the party.
By speaking words with buffs attached to them, the role of a Talker is to enhance the overall fighting abilities of the party. It’s what’s called a Buffer.
To tell the truth, I wanted to be a Warrior. Not just because I would have the same Job as Grandpa, but because it’s a Job with stable strength and is proficient in both attack and defense.
In contrast, for Buffer Jobs like Talker, while their buffs are excellent, their own fighting abilities are the worst among all combat type Jobs. Not only do they have to rely on their party to do the fighting, they can’t even protect themselves properly. That means that they’re peaky and defective Jobs.
Even with a Tank who could pull aggro present, being unable to defend yourself was a fatal flaw to a Seeker. It appeared that Buffers were often ridiculed as being the weakest Job within the Seeker profession.
Truly, it made me want to cry.
Grandpa gave a hearty laugh and patted my crestfallen head.
「Gahahaha! Don't cry, Noel! Be it Talker or whatever, I'll raise you to become the best Seeker! Trust me!」
There was no way I would do something like doubting Grandpa, a Hero. Trusting the words of my esteemed Grandpa, I began my training as a Seeker.
And so, the training that began was mercilessly harsh. The always gentle Grandpa, who had accompanied me to the toilet at night because I was afraid of ghosts, had completely disappeared.
The one in front of me, a Seeker apprentice, was Over Death, the big shot demon instructor who was feared by his peers in the past.
「Stand up, Noel! Beasts won't wait for you! No matter how many wounds you take, stand up immediately with your fighting spirit! For how long do you intend to sleep? You stupid disciple!」
It wasn't just once or twice that he sent the wounded and collapsed me flying with a kick. With the harsh training from morning till night imposed upon me, I puked every day initially and peed blood numerous times.
But no matter how difficult it was, I trusted Grandpa and could feel the deep love in the harsh training.
It’s just as Grandpa said. Beasts won’t overlook my shortcomings. If I slacked off on training and remained a weakling, even if I become a Seeker, I’ll just die soon after.
That was why Grandpa, who did not want me to die, frantically taught me the fighting methods of a Talker, and I desperately tried to learn them.
And so, four years passed since the start of my training. Grandpa’s teachings were fruitful, my heart, technique and physique were polished up and I was far stronger than I was before the training.
At this rate, even with the problematic Job of Talker, I was sure that I could definitely become a great Seeker that won't lose to Grandpa.
However, to be recognized as a Seeker by the country, I had to be 15 years old and acknowledged as an adult first. Hence, I continued my training under Grandpa and waited patiently for that day to arrive.
That incident, it happened around this time--
「Do you hear me, Noel!? You must never come out from there!」
Grandpa, who had always exuded a manly air of composure, crammed me and the servants into the underground shelter with a ghastly expression that I had never seen before.
That night, all of a sudden, the town we lived in had turned into an Abyss.
Abysses formed when the mana density in the atmosphere reached a certain level. Because of that, human habitats performed periodic ceremonies to disperse the mana, but for some reason the ceremony hadn’t gone well, resulting in a sudden, large back-flow.
On top of that, when Grandpa used his measuring instrument to investigate, the depth of the Abyss that had formed was at the danger level of 12 out of 13. The stronger the connection between the Abyss and Void, the more dangerous it was, and the stronger the Beasts that crossed over to our world would be.
In other words, our town had become a top class disaster area. Even a Seeker apprentice like myself did not doubt that the Beast that was the core of this Abyss, was what Seekers called a「Lord」(Maou or Demon King).
There was no sign of the town that we were familiar with, only a burning hell expanding as far as we could see. A red moon, which shone odiously, hung in the sky. From within the Abyss, the moon looked red because of the mana in the atmosphere.
In this ominous space, we could hear the Beasts howl in ecstasy and the echoes of the agonized cries of their prey.
「Don't worry, Grandpa will protect you with my life」
With his gear fully equipped, Grandpa flashed an encouraging smile, went out alone and closed the shelter doors from the outside, ignoring my cries for him to stop.
The Abyss had expanded throughout the surrounding area, and trying to bring me and the servants out from within would be difficult, even for Grandpa. Also, even if everyone hid and waited in the shelter, a swift rescue was very unlikely.
In that case, Grandpa decided that the chances of being saved was higher if he took out the Beast that was the core while he still had stamina.
Before long, it was the death cries of the Beasts that could now be heard. Their numbers were probably not just one or two hundred. They were the proof that Grandpa’s battle axe was cutting a swath through the Beasts. However, my uneasiness only grew stronger and stronger.
I wondered just how many Beasts had crossed over to our world…
And I feared, from the bottom of my heart, the strength of the Lord that controlled them.
Gradually, the death cries of the Beasts died down, and in its place, battle sounds so fierce that it was hard to believe that they were of this world resounded loudly.
The battle between Grandpa and the Lord had began.
The sounds of the battle that had lasted for hours, stopped cleanly in an instant. And the ominous air peculiar to an Abyss started to clear.
Believing in Grandpa's victory, I dashed out of the underground shelter.
The sun had already risen outside. The surrounding area had become a scorched plain, with the corpses of humans and Beasts littered all over.
Looking for Grandpa, I ran around the ruined town.
And then, I spotted it.
The collapsed, blood-covered figure of Grandpa, who had lost his lower body and right arm.
To me, who had ran over and carried his body into my arms, Grandpa weakly gave a wide smile.
「...looks like I can't win against my age. What a laugh to be called Over Death...」
I could do nothing but cry. I cried like I was trying to empty my body of every drop of water. With his remaining hand, Grandpa gently patted my head.
「Noel is such a crybaby. Just like Grandpa」
Grandpa looked away from me and a worried expression crossed his face.
「...This is the end of the road of a Seeker. As long as you are fighting for a living, you are always walking alongside death. Noel, even so, are you still aiming to be a Seeker? To walk the same path as this senile fool?」
I sucked up my snot and wiped my tears. And, with a wide smile like Grandpa's, I nodded my head vigorously.
The truth was that I was scared to death. I didn't even have the composure to smile. I clung tightly to Grandpa and wanted to cry out loud for him to not die, for him to not leave me all alone.
But I didn’t want to let the current Grandpa see such a weak side of me.
Your grandson is also just as strong as you. I wanted him to have that peace of mind.
...Because I had not yet repaid my debt to him... Not even a little...
「...I see. Then, become a Seeker that will never lose. Become a man that will never bring shame to our Stollen name. That is my wish」
Grandpa looked me in the face and patted my head again.
「Noel, can you promise Grandpa that?」
「...I promise, Grandpa. I'll become the strongest Seeker」
「Hahaha, you're... indeed my grandson... Noel... Even if... you can't... keep that... promise... I will... always... love... you...」
And so, my greatest hero, closed his eyes peacefully in my arms.
Two years after that, having inherited my esteemed Grandpa's will, I -- Noel Stollen, am now living in the imperial capital as a Seeker.
Lots of exposition in the early few chapters, because of world building. But once a few chapters have passed, that style stops and the story gets really good so hang in there! This gem is worth it! d(^_^o)
Kanji can be read differently depending on what the author decides, for example, you could write "好敵手" which by itself would mean worthy rival, but if you put (とも) beside the kanji, you are indicating that it should be read as tomo, or friend instead, which means something different and creates a double meaning. The author does this a lot to coin his own terminology so I put the literal translation of the kanji in brackets for some cases where if I don't, it'll be quite hard to understand.
Did the onion chopping ninjas get anyone? They sure got me, maybe my ducts are getting loose with age.
On another note, the last name of the MC is finally revealed near the end, in the middle of a death scene even, and it turns out to be a type of bread. ＿|￣|○
Of course the romanji is shutoren and I could have translated the spelling any number of ways but go ahead and google シュトーレン and see what's the first result. （；￣ェ￣）
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