I, Who Was Criticized as the World's Weakest S-Rank Explorer, Am Actually the World's Strongest Explorer - Episode 86

Episode 86 

My words resonated quietly in the meeting room. It made the sound of the air conditioning seem unusually loud. 

…That was how frozen the atmosphere had become. 

Noticing the oppressive aura I exuded, the President appeared somewhat intimidated. 

“…Isn’t this going too far?” 

It was the President who broke the silence. But his tone lacked confidence. 

“If you think it’s a joke, that’s fine. However, if the Association continues its current course, it’s only a matter of time before it collapses.” 

I responded calmly. 

…If they didn’t see this as a significant issue, that was fine by me. 

All I needed to do was escalate the situation as necessary. 

“…Do you really think explorers alone can accomplish something like that?” 

“Just by making this matter public, there has already been a significant reaction from the public. Distrust in the association has begun spreading among explorers.” 

The President and Aizawa narrowed their eyes. They were staring at me intently. 

The President was clearly annoyed. He spoke slowly. 

“Amakusa-kun. While it’s true there is some opposition, it doesn’t necessarily mean the Association will be shaken immediately.” 

The President’s tone was calm, but I could detect a hint of urgency in his voice. 

…He likely understood the gravity of the situation but had no choice but to feign composure. 

“Of course, it won’t collapse overnight. But the movement has already begun.” 

I lightly tapped the table with my fingers. 

“It’s not just the explorers. The opposition party currently opposing the ruling administration—those critical of Ino—have also approached us for cooperation.” 

The President’s expression stiffened. 

Mentioning the prime minister’s name seemed to elicit a reaction he couldn’t suppress. 

“Critics of Ino…?” 

“They, too, see issues with the Association’s structure. Dissatisfaction with the government’s response to explorers and dungeons is growing, and more citizens are expressing hope for change.” 

Aizawa, scrutinizing me, spoke slowly. 

“…It’s true that the influence of the anti-Ino faction has been increasing recently. However, their number of parliamentary seats is still limited.” 

“Even so, the fact remains that the government is facing scrutiny due to this Association scandal. If nothing is done about the Association, it will heavily impact public approval ratings.” 

I placed my hand on the table and continued calmly. 

“Ridiculous… Are you saying the Association could be destabilized by political pressure?” 

“What I’m saying is that politicians could face demands from the public to take action. That alone could lead to changes.” 

“……..” 

The President wore a bitter expression. 

Until now, they had been able to act freely thanks to the current administration’s support. 

Now, however, their misconduct, including the Association’s scandals, was becoming a significant issue. 

Amelia-san interjected with a soft smile. 

“Public opinion carries more influence than you might think. Even if the government doesn’t act, the involvement of WEA alone would be enough to stir things up. For instance, what if we were to express dissatisfaction with the Japanese Association and withdraw our cooperation?” 

The President turned to Amelia-san, his face betraying clear unease. 

“…Are you threatening us?” 

“Threatening? Not at all. Things could have been fine if you’d done the bare minimum—improving the environment and facilities for explorers and maintaining proper operations. Even if there were some grievances, it wouldn’t have led to this level of outrage from the explorers.” 

More importantly, it wouldn’t have angered me. 

Most people wouldn’t raise their voices over minor inconveniences. 

It was only because they were pushed to the breaking point that they had no choice but to act. 

The President and Aizawa remained silent, their lips tightly sealed. 

…I delivered the final words I wanted to say to them. 

“To be blunt, I don’t care what happens to all the explorers moving forward. However, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from treating me or Rin with further disrespect.” 

…The handling of other explorers isn’t my responsibility. 

There are explorers who want change. And more importantly, Kiryu-san will likely take active steps to bring it about. 

As for the rest, they can sort things out with the opposition party as they see fit. 

“WEA has decided to support both Kanzaki-san and Amakusa-san. If the mistreatment becomes too severe, there will likely be some form of intervention. So please keep that in mind.” 

Amelia-san stated calmly. 

“…Understood.” 

The President spoke slowly and nodded. 

Then his gaze shifted toward me. 

His feelings of frustration and dissatisfaction were almost palpable. 

…It was clear just how much they had underestimated us explorers. 

I gave a quiet bow and left the room. 

…They would have plenty to deal with from here on out. And staying any longer would only be counterproductive. 

Besides, I hadn’t been able to focus on dungeon exploration lately. I was eager to return to it. 

…Especially since Kiryu-san had shared some intriguing information with me. 

He mentioned seeing someone who looked like a young girl inside a dungeon. 

…It might be connected to the information about that unusual dungeon. And I wanted to focus on solving it. 

Dealing with the corruption within the Association wasn’t my job. 

That was something I could leave to Kiryu-san, while I returned to being an explorer. 

Quietly, we left the room behind.