The SSR Spearman (Doesn’t) Hide His One-Shot Damage - Chapter 15

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 15

* * *

Every time Finley opened his mouth after that, a torrent of withering mockery came pouring out.

“It’s a pity about the Underground City. But I don’t consider them Ailanders.”
“…”
“Slaves who hide underground and submit to injustice instead of fighting back, I’d call them livestock…”

Crash!

“Ailin, control yourself!”
“Let go of me!”

The room erupted in chaos.
Rian tried to hold her back, but he was such a weakling that Ailin dragged him along by the arm, his feet skidding across the floor.

…Thud!
I stepped in and blocked her.

“Hm? Setanta, was it? You’ve got a fine build.”
“Most SSR heroes tend to look like that, basically.”
“…Ess-ess-ar? What on earth did you just pronounce?”

So this man doesn’t understand game terminology at all, either.
It struck me as a little absurd.

“Setanta, let go of me!”
“Ailin, aren’t we on a covert infiltration mission? If you make a scene, we’re the ones who’ll end up in trouble.”
“…”
“We have to rescue Perdi.”

A reminder of our objective did the trick.
Only then did she calm down and fall silent.

“Ha! I like that a handsome young man can also stay so composed.”
“I didn’t do it to win your approval.”
“And you speak your convictions exactly as they are! Truly, a talent too precious to be wasted in the ‘Underground City’!”

…Finley.
Strangely, he had placed himself on some lofty pedestal and treated everyone around him like his underlings.
That old-man way of talking, prodding and needling since earlier, was also downright irritating.

‘Did he used to play department head somewhere before he got reincarnated or something?’

And what’s more…

“By the way, what’s your relationship with Ailin? I was sure she had no interest in men at all, but how delightful!”
“…”

Even going so far as to play matchmaker for the staff.

‘What’s this guy’s problem?’

To think that the additional DLC character would turn out to be a hero this unlikable.
A sigh slipped out of me.

“Anyway, let me be clear. I have no reason whatsoever to lend a hand in this affair.”
“……”
“Hmm… but who knows. Your friend may yet meet his end in a rather glorious fashion.”

Finley’s words carried a sinister air.

“Look forward to it. I’ve prepared something good.”

Ding!

[Emergency Quest triggered!]

At that moment, a message announcing a new quest flickered into view.

◈ Emergency Quest ◈
【Acquire the Magitech Bomb】
-Search Finley’s residence and secure the Magitech Bomb.

[Time Limit: 2 minutes 59 seconds]
[Clear Condition: Obtain the Magitech Bomb within the time limit]
◆ On quest success: Gain 1 Player Point

“……!”

A three-minute time limit.
A search quest that eats through items.

‘Magitech Bomb? Don’t tell me the bombing attack on the Imperial Capital from the original work… was this guy’s doing?’

In the original work, a Magitech Bomb had gone off and targeted civilians.
From that point on, the Ailand Faction had firmly established itself as a hostile force.
If things went on like this, a catastrophe was sure to follow.

‘For now, I’d better swipe that Magitech Bomb from this insufferable bastard.’

It was also the purpose of the confiscation.
A bomb with such destructive power would be useful in one way or another.

‘Hmm… I wonder where he hid it.’

I glanced around casually, checking the location of the chest of drawers.
Meanwhile, Finley seemed to have sent Rian and Ailin off, and was once again picking fights with everyone in sight.

‘Just when I need it, I happen to have a useful privilege.’

【Mind Reading】
-You can read the Hero’s inner thoughts.

Not much time was left on the clock.
I decided to activate the privilege right away.

[First use of 【Mind Reading】! No points consumed.]
[Hidden Route privilege, 【Mind Reading】, activates!]

Hmmmmm—.

In an instant, my vision locked onto Finley.
In a jumble inside my head, Finley’s inner thoughts began to come through.

「So he played the lofty hermit, abandoning me to shut himself away underground. And this is where it all led? How laughable.」
“Very well. Tonight, your comrade will be the spark.”
“I’ll blow up every last Imperial citizen gathered at the Execution Grounds, without leaving a single one.”

‘…You intend to kill everyone? Perdi included?’

As I listened to Finley’s plan a little longer, I managed to get the information I needed.

‘That chair in the corner, covered by a cloak… so that’s where he hid it.’

But if I take it right out in the open, I’ll get caught, won’t I?
Someone needs to draw their attention.

[Time remaining: 1 minute 32 seconds]

Psst, psst.
I immediately moved behind Rian and slipped him a hint.
Go on and kick up a fuss.

“…?”
“What’s the matter, Rian? Why have you suddenly gone quiet?”
“Ah…”
“Tell me, is your Mana Nerve still wrecked beyond repair? I have so many questions for you…”

Rian fell silent for a moment.
Then he knitted his brows and, in a stiff, awkward tone, began to scold Finley.

“F-Finley! Have some shame!”
“…Hm?”
“You… you wicked… wicked man…”

‘Huh?’

That performance was like
a schoolboy stumbling through a passage from his textbook…

[Time remaining: 47 seconds]

Time was running out.
At this rate, I won’t clear the Quest.

…Should I just steal the bomb right now?

“Rian, has your mind gone off the rails as well? I once thought of you as a rather clever talent.”
“Y-yes… the… the medicine…”
“To have your head go wrong too… it’s truly regrettable.”
“….”

I was slowly sneaking toward the bomb’s location, carefully reading the room, when it happened.

“…Fiancée…”
“Hm?”
“So Finley’s fiancée ran off… didn’t she… after all-!”

In the thundering shout that followed,
Finley froze for an instant.

‘Now!’

I quickly slipped over to the chair in the corner, pulled the cloak aside, and swiped the bomb.
Luckily, it was just the right size to fit snugly inside the Storage Bag.

[You have acquired the [Magitech Bomb].]

Ding!

[Emergency Quest, [Acquire the Magitech Bomb], complete.]
[You have gained 1 Player Point!]

Quest success.
Now it’s time to get out of here.

“…That guy’s not going to help us anyway, so let’s not waste our strength on him.”

I pretended to step in and stop the fight.
Shouting that I’d come back another time, I hurried everyone out the door.

“S-Setanta, why did you have me make a commotion…?”
“I’ll explain later. For now, we need to run.”
“Huh…?”
“Let’s go!”

I led Rian and Ailin straight onward.
How long did we walk at that brisk pace?

“All right, take a look at this.”

Once we reached a spot with no one around,
I casually opened the storage bag and showed them the confiscated goods.

“…The terror bomb Finley prepared. It’s ours now.”
“…?!”
“This is…!”

But when I checked the bomb’s condition more closely,
four High-Purity Refined Magic Stone Batteries were hooked up to it.

[TIP! – One battery inside the Magitech Bomb is more than enough.]

And right on cue, a tip message popped up.

‘If all four go off, does it really wipe out even the civilians, just like in the original storyline?’

Then I’ll leave just one and take out the rest.

Click, click-.
I pulled out the other three batteries and stashed them separately in the storage bag.

Not that I was doing it only to prevent civilian casualties.

‘Every single one of these is money.’

The holy relic I’d meant to turn into cash had already been spent on making Hero Rat, so these Magic Stone Batteries had better be sold.
Once I unload them at the Black Market, they should bring in a fair bit.

‘I need to get ready in advance.’

Around the latter part of the chapter, the Labyrinth will start showing up, and if I want to lead a party and take on the guides, I’ll need starting capital.

Besides, the Hidden Route is told from the perspective of the persecuted Ailanders…
So I’ll need even more preparation.

I was calculating the daily necessities and the cost of food, clothing, and shelter we’d need going forward when it happened.

…Ding!

‘Huh?’

[The Checklist has been updated.]

“Setanta? Why that face?”
“…”
“Is something the matter?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”

A new checklist surfaced before my eyes.

* * *

According to the legend.
Cu Chulainn’s method for defeating Ferdiad, the scaled-skinned warrior that no weapon could pierce, went like this.

‘…The spear…’

He drove it up the man’s backside.

Why?
If you can’t get through the skin, you just thrust the spear into the one spot that’s already open…

I’m not joking.
This is actually in Irish mythology!

‘But skewering a man’s rear end with a spear…’

Even if I am Cu Chulainn.
I really, truly did not want to do that.
Not at all…

“Setanta, shouldn’t we ask for a water bottle…?”
“I was going to go with a lunchbox bomb originally, but a water bottle bomb seems less likely to draw suspicion.”
“Ah…! So you plan to use the bomb to create chaos and rescue Perdi!”
“…”

I stuffed the bomb into the water bottle.
Luckily, I’d only kept one refined magic stone, so it was small enough to fit in without much trouble.

“…It’s done. Now all we have to do is sneak into the Execution Grounds without getting caught.”

A lunchbox…
No, the water bottle bomb is complete.
All that’s left is to get past the checkpoint.

But.

“That guy over there, doesn’t he look familiar?”
“Oh, come on. So his face is a little forgettable. There’s nothing particularly strange about him, is there?”
“No, no… He’s suspicious. I’ve got to check him. He looks exactly like the kind of bastard who’ll ruin the country! Traitor’s face, that is!”

Even with the Perception-Lowering Magic cast on me, one of the Imperial soldiers manning the checkpoint stared straight at me.

[…Hero Trust has been partially inherited.]

‘Oh no.’

That’s the Hero who joined Setanta’s party a few times in the previous Run, isn’t it?
Since the Trust Level carried over from the previous Run, he must sense something suspicious about me.

『Yes! This way, this way! Hurry and catch these traitors!』

Chirp, chirrp!
Right on cue, the Hero Rat stuffed in my pocket started squealing in a revolting way.

‘You bloody rat!’

I was about to give its backside a good pinch when.
a clever idea flashed through my mind.

‘The Hero Trust inheritance… it applies to the Hero too, right?’

The R-grade Hero trio who had swung their axes at me the other day.
Hadn’t those guys groveled before the Hero as if he were a god?

So maybe…

‘Would they react to the Hero even in rat form?’

“Hey, Setanta! I think that man has caught on to us…!”
“S-Setanta, sir…! I think we’ve been found out…”
“Just wait a moment.”

I told the flustered fellows to hold on for a moment.
Then I decided to put the Hero to use.

『W-what? Setanta, why are you suddenly pulling me out…!』

Snatch!

I grabbed the plump, sturdy little creature
and immediately thrust it toward the Imperial soldier.

“Ah… ahh…?”
“…”
“This… this nostalgic feeling…”

The Imperial soldier froze in place, then gazed at the Hero Rat with a dazed, far-off look, unable to look away.
It worked wonderfully!

“Setanta, sir, what on earth is this…?”
“It worked. Let’s slip away while we can!”
“Eh?”

We broke through the checkpoint at once and ran.
We ran, and ran some more.
Until we blended into the crowd.

“…This condemned prisoner stands accused of spreading Red Steam across the entire Empire—”

Before long, we reached our destination.
I caught my breath and looked up at the platform.

‘…?’

Through the crowd of Imperial citizens who had come to watch the execution,
far off in the distance,
I could make out Perdi, stretched out with his limbs bound.

“Ah…”
“…Perdi…?”

[Ailin’s mental state is deteriorating.]
[Rian’s mental state is…]

Calling them limbs was generous, really.
Both his hands and feet, every extremity, had been removed entirely.

‘…Good grief.’

His once-bulging eyes had been gouged out, leaving only hollow sockets.
His mouth hadn’t been sewn shut, so it kept fluttering open and shut, as if he wanted to say something.

‘They turned a man into this in a single day…’

How many times had they cast debuff magic and cut into him to reduce that sturdy SSR tank to rags? It was absurd.

“…That’s all! This unforgivable traitor’s execution will be carried out over the course of one week!”

Cheers rang out from all directions.
Some citizens spat curses, some wept with emotion, and others cheered outright.

I turned my head and looked at Ailin and Rian.

Bloodshot eyes. Trembling lips.
Their faces looked like they were about to lose their minds…
They looked exactly like the illustrations of them I’d seen as bosses in the original game.

‘If I’m going to see an ending, I might as well see a proper one.’

The more civilians you harm at random, the more sharply the Good-Evil Value tilts toward evil.
And the Hidden Ending I’m aiming for is nothing but a rigid, by-the-book happy ending.
It will be the True Ending, the one I never got to see before my Possession.

“Ailin, Rian. Don’t do anything. Stay right where you are.”

So it’s my turn to step in.

“I’ll go and give Perdi some peace.”
“S-Setanta…?”

I wrapped the cloth I’d prepared around my face like a mask.
Tad!
I leapt onto the building beside us.

…Kwang!
My landing on the roof was swallowed by the feverish roar of the execution grounds.

“…So this utterly monstrous criminal can’t die too easily—”

Tadada-dat—

I kept running, bounding across the rooftops, and before long the platform where Perdi was bound drew near.

“…The Imperial Court’s mages will do their utmost, using recovery magic every day to keep him alive!”

…*Clack!*

Before long, I reached the spot just behind the platform.
I landed atop a towering building.

Right where the Imperial flag was fluttering.

“With this, the execution will be held for a full week, and the grounds will remain open for all citizens of the Empire to observe at any time—”

*Click!*

The Lunchbox Bomb.
No, I pressed the switch on the Water Bottle Bomb.

‘…Perdi, may you rest in peace.’

I hurled it straight down, toward the ground below.

.
.
.

[Loading Checklist.]

[Hidden Route Progress: 4.9%]
-(New!) 『Grant Perdi Peace』

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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