I, Who Was Criticized as the World's Weakest S-Rank Explorer, Am Actually the World's Strongest Explorer - Episode 29

Episode 29 

(Note: Special for this chapter, dialogues through the telephone are in ‘….’)

I could tell I wasn’t exactly welcome, but I pressed for answers anyway. 

“Yeah, that’s me. Are there abnormal species around here?” 

If something was going on, I wanted them to share the information. That was my intent, but the explorers were clearly flustered. They answered hurriedly. 

“Y-yeah…! Over there, Kanzaki-san is fighting them right now!” 

“Kanzaki? Then she should be fine, right?” 

“She’s *not* fine! Two monsters with five magic stones each showed up!” 

“What did you just say…?” 

Monsters with five magic stones—definitely formidable foes. 

The explorers in front of me likely hadn’t encountered such creatures before. Their faces were pale, and they trembled visibly as one shouted in a panic. 

“E-even a slacker like you can fight, right!? Go help Kanzaki-san! If you don’t, she’s going to get killed!” 

“…Understood. You all head to the school ahead. There are a lot of evacuees there—make sure to protect them.” 

“O-okay, got it!” 

As the explorers nodded hastily, I immediately dashed toward Kanzaki’s location to assist her. 

Monsters with five magic stones… 

In other labyrinths, they only appear on the higher floors. But here in the Kamino Town Dungeon, you see them occasionally. 

While they’re undoubtedly strong foes, they’re not terrifying to the point of despair. 

Kanzaki should be able to handle them. 

At least, that’s what I thought—until I enhanced my hearing again. 

And then I heard it. 

——Someone, please save me. 

It was a desperate plea, filled with anguish…….. Kanzaki’s voice. 

—

Rin Kanzaki never wanted to live as an explorer. 

She longed for a normal life. 

To spend peaceful days with her family, enjoying the ordinary happiness most people took for granted. 

But that dream was shattered. 

At the age of five, Rin suddenly manifested overwhelming magical power. And everything changed. 

“Amazing, Rin! You’ve been chosen!”

“Rin! As expected, you truly are our daughter!”

Back then, those words made her happy. She felt proud. 

But what followed was endless training to become an explorer. 

While attending elementary school, her after-school hours were consumed by rigorous drills. 

Day after day, former explorers dispatched by the government trained her relentlessly. 

While other children watched TV, read comics, or played outside, Rin spent her time swinging a sword. 

There was no joy in it. 

She wanted to play like a normal child. 

Even though she wasn’t particularly good at studying, she wanted to go to school like everyone else, laughing with friends. 

But her family and everyone around her demanded that she become a great explorer. 

“You’re chosen, so you must work hard.” 

“You must fight as an S-Rank explorer.” 

Those words weighed heavily on her. 

Those days became a prison, from which there was no escape. 

The expectations of her family, society, and everyone around her left her no room to breathe. 

By the time she entered middle school, Rin was already working as an explorer full-time. 

As she cleared dungeons, enormous sums of money started pouring in. 

That’s when her family began to fall apart. 

They fought over Rin’s money, squandered it, and spiraled into chaos. Her father, her mother, her grandparents, and even her relatives—all became consumed by greed for the wealth she earned. 

Rin distanced herself from her family. 

She arranged for only a small portion of her earnings to be deposited into her personal account, leaving the rest for her family. 

Her once-loving family was gone, leaving her with nothing but her title as an S-Rank Explorer. 

“If only I didn’t have this power…..”  

Time and again, she cursed her own existence. 

“Would it be easier if I just… died?” 

That thought crossed her mind countless times. 

— 

One day, Rin was on her way home after indulging in pancakes she’d been curious about in Akisaki City. 

A notification from the Explorer Association popped up on her phone. She frowned slightly as she read it. 

She couldn’t ignore it. 

‘Is this Kanzaki-san? My name is Nakamura, branch chief of the Akisaki City’s Explorer Association…’ 

“What do you want?” 

‘W-we’ve confirmed a massive outbreak of abnormal species in Akasaki City! I believe your residence is relatively close to the area—may I ask where you are right now?’ 

“…I’m nearby. I’ll head over.” 

‘Ah, thank you so much! We’re also planning to request backup from Kiryu-san and a man named Amakusa! Though, as you probably know, we can’t expect much from Amakusa. So we’re relying solely on you and Kiryu-san! Please, we’re counting on you!’ 

Rin let out a small sigh and ended the call. 

By chance, she happened to be nearby, and she sighed again at her misfortune. 

If she had been farther away, she could have come up with an excuse to avoid the situation. 

She had only stopped by for a brief break at a pancake shop she had heard about, hoping to relax. She didn’t want to be dragged into explorer duties. 

But Rin couldn’t run away. She knew that if she refused to fight, she would face harsh criticism from those around her. 

As an S-Rank Explorer, she had no right to decline. She was forcibly made into an S-Rank Explorer and burdened with everyone’s expectations. 

She was the most constrained explorer in the world. 

With a swift leap, Rin froze the ground beneath her feet and used the ice as a platform to propel herself through the air. 

When she arrived in Akasaki City, she immediately saw abnormal species scattered throughout the town. 

Rin stretched out her hand and activated her ability. 

Moisture in the air froze instantly, forming ice spears that shot through the abnormal species. 

“Ka-Kanzaki-san!?” 

“Kanzaki-san has arrived!” 

“Kanzaki-san, please handle the monsters!” 

Rin cast a brief glance at the citizens and fellow explorers who were shouting her name. 

“Evacuate to a safe place immediately.” 

That was all she said before continuing to eliminate the aberrant monsters. She dodged incoming attacks and sliced through them with the ice blade she had conjured. 

Since she didn’t usually carry weapons, she relied solely on her ability. But even so, she systematically annihilated the monsters. 

As wave after wave of monsters approached, Rin created more ice blades on the spot. She cut them down one by one. The ice froze the monsters mercilessly, then shattered them. 

She detected magical energy in the vicinity. While her precision wasn’t as sharp as it would be inside a dungeon, it was easier to sense monsters’ magic outside. 

Spotting a response, Rin rushed toward it. 

A small child was about to be attacked by a monster. 

Rin instinctively moved to attack the monster, but she stopped herself. 

(…I still tend to prioritize monsters.) 

One of the evaluation criteria for S-Rank Explorers was the elimination of abnormal species. Her body reacted automatically, aiming to neutralize the threat as quickly as possible. 

(…Back then, Amakusa was able to focus on helping a child. I… I couldn’t do the same.) 

As this thought crossed her mind, Rin formed an ice wall around the child, blocking the attack. She deflected the monster’s claws and then used her ice blade to cut it down. 

“Th-thank you… big sister!” 

The child’s words of gratitude made Rin freeze for a moment. 

It had been so long since anyone had said “thank you” to her. 

“Be careful.”

“…Okay!” 

Rin tried to respond with warmth, but her lips didn’t quite manage to form a proper smile. 

“…Un, let’s do my best.” 

Fighting to fund her family’s extravagance was unbearable. But fighting to save children like this was something she could endure. 

After retrieving the black magic stone from the monster, Rin began scanning for more enemies. That was when— 

“—!” 

She felt an overwhelmingly strong magical presence. 

“…What is this?” 

Her body trembled slightly as she bit her lip. Nearby, she could sense the dwindling life forces of other explorers. 

If she didn’t act, they would die. 

“……I have no choice but to go.” 

Exhaling briefly, Rin set off toward the source of the disturbance. 

And when she arrived, what she saw made her blood run cold. 

“Ka-Kanzaki-san! You came to save us!?” 

“Kanzaki-san is here! We’re safe now!” 

The battered explorers’ faces lit up with relief, as if they were looking at a hero who had come to their rescue. 

(…There are no heroes here.) 

Before Rin stood two monsters so powerful they filled her with despair.