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

Chapter 386.1: Royal Guard

I have heard that in Advanced Physical Civilizations Treasure Shrines, there are places that have something like teleportation devices that connect certain sections of the city, but does this city not have anything like that? Olivia-san says with annoyance.

“…… This is the most reliable method to move. As the Spider can move in three dimensions, we won’t be attacked.” (Olivia)

“!? Attack, you say………… We are inside the city, right? Who would be attacking us?” (Cry)

“There are rebels among the lower classes. They are fools who are indiscriminately attacking citizens who are Class 1 and above, trying to seize control of the city system of Code, which they will never be able to obtain. I should warn you, but be careful when you go out. Class 1 citizens only receive the minimum protection from the city system. Even if they are lower class citizens, if they carry a weapon you will not stand a chance against them. It will be a pain to find a replacement.” (Olivia)

Based on prior information, I thought the security would be bad, but…… It is a lot worse than I expected. Rebel you say~~.

The inside of the vehicle, which they apparently call the Spider, is comfortable. I don’t know what material it is made of, but it is covered with soft cushions, and even though it is moving at an incredible speed, there is no vibration at all. The fact that there is no vibration even when it is jumping shows the technological prowess of an Advanced Physical Civilization.

The almost completely transparent windows offer me a good view of Code.

I thought it was just a bunch of tall buildings randomly disposed of, but when I looked at it from the sky it turned out to be different.

Apparently the city is shaped like a mountain. A mountain made of buildings――Taller in the center and lower on the periphery. The buildings that stick out almost without any empty space are a sight to behold. Even though it is a city, it is still quite large. It may even be bigger than the Imperial Capital of Zebrudia.

Several floating buildings can also be seen in the sky.

“Olivia-san, are you a noble?” (Cry)

“………… You are wrong.” (Olivia)

Olivia-san frowns at my question. She *chirari* glances at her watch, sighs, and begins explaining somewhat quickly.

“I would like to tell you to ask your superiors for the details after you have arrived…… But let me tell you the bare minimum. This is common knowledge in this city――It is about the class system established by Code’s city system, which is essential to survive here.” (Olivia)

There is no such thing as a detailed hierarchy in Zebrudia. There is an emperor and nobles, but everyone else is free to choose their occupation, and slavery, which still exists in some countries, was abolished long ago.

But it seems to be different in Code. The staff members have also registered my rank first, so it seems to operate on a different logic than the outside world.

“In Code, a rank is assigned to all citizens. This rank determines the rights within the city, which in Code is synonymous with strength. Classes range from 1 to 9, with Class 1 to 5 being ordinary citizens, 6 and 7 being the nobility, 8 being royalty, and 9 solely being the King of Code. Classes are represented by the number of stars. In other words, it would be impossible for anyone other than an outsider to mistake me, a Class 5, for a noble.” (Cry)

It is pretty complicated…… It seems like it would be hard to remember all of that as there are nine ranks. Well, I don’t plan on staying here for long, but the Explorer Association didn’t have any information about this either.

“I see………… And what about the lower class people you talked about earlier?” (Cry)

“The lower class are Class 0――In other words, they are not people according to Code’s city system.” (Olivia)

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Those who are not people. I open my eyes at those disturbing words.

“The first King of Code used the city’s power to absorb the surrounding countries. Among those he captured, those who were obedient and not at risk of rebelling became Class 1, while the rest became Class 0. They cannot use any of the city’s systems, and are the weaker members of the city, but there is not much difference between them and a Class 1. I called them rebels, but most are harmless. If you ignore them, they won’t come near you.” (Olivia)

The spider jumps very high but is pulled by gravity and lands on the road. Similar buildings are clustered together in all directions. Several figures are peering in our direction from the gaps between the buildings. They are not skinny, nor are they dirty. However, their eyes looked extremely wary of us.

Olivia, noticing what I am looking at, frowns and says.

“Even if they can’t use the city system, they can still get food, clothing, and shelter. However, they are just not protected by the city system. For example, even if I killed them, I wouldn’t be held accountable by the city system, and as a Class 5, I could even request the system to exterminate them. Although I won’t do that because it is pointless.” (Olivia)

Like a swarm of spiders, the people who have been looking our way start to flee.

It is quite a frightening story to hear. It seems like their lives are completely based on the city system of an Advanced Physical Civilization. I have to be careful not to get exterminated too……

However, just learning the city’s system will likely take time. Sytry and Lucia are good at remembering these kinds of rules. After all, I can’t do anything without my friends.

“We have arrived. This is the headquarters of the “Princess (Ohii-sama)” where you will be serving as her Royal Guard.” (Olivia)

The spider stops and I step outside. What stands there is a rugged building that is almost indistinguishable from the other buildings that surround it. There are no particular symbols of authority, and unless someone tells me, I would never guess that a princess is here.

Following Olivia, I enter the building. The doors slide open without a sound, and strange devices I have never seen before are installed here and there. The building is made of metal that is not cold to the touch and it is hard to imagine how it was constructed.

As I am *kyorokyoro* looking around, I hear a man’s calm voice.

“You have returned, Olivia? Is that the last one……?” (Man)

An elderly man in a black tuxedo appears. He has full white hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His wrinkled face looks very gentle, and his manner gives off a sense of refinement. I have visited the mansions of nobles several times before, and I have the impression that he is a somewhat softer version of the butlers who served there. He has five stars on his chest.

“He is an exceptional individual with an overall rating of 4. His name is Cry Andrich. He is weak, unmotivated, and has no ambition. No one would normally choose him, so if we brought him in, no one would complain. In fact, I would like to have 28 of a man like this. Just in case, I have placed some prohibitions on him.” (Olivia)

Is that………… A compliment? Or am I being insulted?

I have been thinking this since our first meeting, but her words and evaluations don’t match. Is it possible that she is expecting someone incompetent? It would be terrible if there were 28 of me.

Thanks for reading! A wild Sebastian appears! What will Cry do!? And having 28 Cry… Looks like Code’s citizen do not know fear With only 1 Cry and you can already have world calamity descending, so I cannot imagine what will happen with 28 Cry