I, Who Was Criticized as the World's Weakest S-Rank Explorer, Am Actually the World's Strongest Explorer - Episode 52

Episode 52

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I immediately realized I was dreaming. 

Because, in front of me, it wasn’t my current stepfather…… but my real father. 

Well, I do think of both of them as fathers now. 

The dream was from when I was still five years old. It was a summer evening. 

The sky was dyed red, and I could hear the cicadas intermittently. My father was sitting on the porch in the garden, and he had me sitting on his lap. 

Despite it being the sweaty season, my father’s palm was cold. And I distinctly remember how strangely comforting it felt. 

That day, my father had a rare day off from work. Normally, he didn’t have much time to play with me. So little five-year-old me was really happy to be spending time with him. 

“Haruto, how have you been lately? Are you having fun?” 

“Un! I can use my ability now, and I got a lot of praise!” 

I said this proudly, as only a child would. And my father gently smiled at me. 

That smile, though, looked a bit sad. I wonder if it’s just because I feel that way. 

If my father really did look sad in that smile, I can understand why. 

My father… probably didn’t want me to become someone with special abilities. 

That’s because my father also had special abilities. 

He was a B-Rank Explorer. While skilled, there were still others above him. He had a mid-to-upper tier type of special ability, and I imagine there were many dangerous situations. 

My father worked for the Irregular Crime Agency, also known as ICA. Unlike dungeon work, they partnered with the police to crack down on criminals. 

It was similar to the police but focused specifically on dealing with ability-enhanced criminals. 

Originally part of the police organization, it was later separated into its own unit as the number of ability-enhanced criminals increased. 

The goal of the ICA was to capture those criminals and protect the victims. The work, though, was much more dangerous than regular police work and incredibly harsh. 

Criminals would often use weapons or abilities to harm civilians. Despite there being a decent income from dungeon work, criminals still persisted because it was easier to make money or because some people wanted to show off their power. 

More importantly, the risks were lower. In dungeons, even a single mistake could cost a life. But in the case of robbery, as long as you didn’t kill anyone, the punishment was often less severe. 

Furthermore, the ICA had to subdue criminals without taking their lives. 

Many criminals committed their acts because they were desperate or didn’t think things through. It was a life-or-death situation for those working in the ICA. 

My father, despite being a capable B-Rank Explorer, threw himself into these dangerous missions every day. 

I don’t know why my father took up such a job. But I imagine he had some sense of duty or mission. Since without that, it wouldn’t be worth the risk. 

“Haruto, do you enjoy using your abilities?” 

“Un!” 

“…I see. Haruto, remember not to use your power for the wrong things, okay? Abilities are meant to protect the people you care about.” 

“…The people I care about?” 

“Yes. Like your mother, and those who you will grow close to in the future. You may face many difficult things as an S-Rank Explorer, but you need to use your abilities to protect them. You should never use your power to hurt others.” 

“Yeah, I understand.” 

My father smiled quietly. But even as he smiled, I couldn’t help but notice the sadness hidden behind it. 

Soon after, my father received a message and was called into action. 

Apparently, there was a special ability user who had committed a bank robbery somewhere. 

It was a usual occurrence. My father prepared his equipment and left with a smile—only for that to be the last time I saw him. 

—

The day of my father’s funeral. 

I clearly remember my mother trying to hold back her tears. 

I also clearly remember my father’s words. 

“Use your abilities to protect them.”

“Never use your power to hurt others.”

Those words from my father are still etched into my heart to this day. 

—

(Back to present)

On a quiet afternoon. 

We were cleaning up the apartment I had been living in.

Originally, this was the room I stayed in. But for a while, Rin also stayed here and filmed videos. However, today marks the end of that. 

Rin is going back to her own house. And from now on, Saotome-san will be using this room. 

Apparently, Saotome-san is going to become the leader of a research team for the Kamino Town Dungeon. 

So, the three of us—Rin, Yuna, and I—were cleaning up this room. 

“Sorry… I have a lot of my stuff here…” 

Since Rin had stayed in the room for a while, there were clothes and other things left behind. 

“It’s fine. Actually, you worked so hard for me. So let me do this much for you.” 

…Her recordings of her interactions with the Explorer Association ended up helping boost my reputation. 

I really appreciated how hard Rin worked, especially with the unfamiliar video filming. 

Speaking of videos, it reminded me. 

“By the way, Yuna. You’re really good at video editing, aren’t you?” 

“Eh!? W-Why?” 

“Because, all of Rin’s videos were prepared by you, right?” 

“Uh, well… yeah…” 

Yuna jumped a bit in surprise, her shoulders jerking. 

She scratched her cheek and looked away. She looked a little flustered. 

“Looks like the younger generation is really something else.” 

“………..That sounds old-fashioned, Onii-chan. These days, anyone can easily do it if they just look it up for a bit.” 

(Note: Actually, all this time Yuna calls him “Ogii-chan” which means “Stepbrother”. But I’ll use either “Stepbrother” or “Onii-chan” since it’s more widely known and sound nicer.)

“…Is that so?” 

I exchanged glances with Rin, but she shook her head. …..I don’t think either Rin or I could do it that easily. 

It was a bit dull to be working in silence, so I turned on the TV while we were cleaning up. The news program was airing a special segment about explorers. 

Suddenly, Rin, who had been watching the TV, turned to ask me. 

“…Haruto. Can I ask you something I’ve been wondering about?” 

“Huh? What is it?” 

“…Why are you working as an explorer?” 

“Why? …….I guess because I was raised that way since birth?” 

Rin didn’t know, but for me, my magical power readings were abnormally high from birth. So I was really made to receive specialized training. 

My mother had wanted me to have a normal education, but……….. Well, because of the state of the world, that was never an option.