Hazure Skill ‘Mapping’ wo Te ni Shita Ore wa, Saikyou Party to Tomo ni Dungeon ni Idomu

Chapter 2

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Chapter 2
Chapter 2 – The whereabouts of his fate

Translator/Editor: Mana
Special Thanks: Rinkage

I am a useless man. It was only natural for Miya to throw me away. She’s not the one at fault. If anything, I should thank her for sticking with such a worthless man for 15 long years.

Such self-depreciating thoughts ran through my mind as I drowned myself in alcohol for the umpteenth time.

The location was a pub famous amongst adventurer circles for having the cheapest alcohol in town. Members of the makeshift party formed for a job earlier in the day sat around the same table as me.

Half a year had pa.s.sed since I parted ways with my childhood friend, Miya.

Since then I have never settled with a fixed party, instead wandering from group to group as a fill-in member. It doesn’t sound so bad when put that way, but the reality was that I had no place in any party. There were no parties that would welcome me when I had nothing but a trash skill, nor did I bother to familiarise myself with any party.

It wasn’t like I outright dismissed them. I kept a reasonable distance and was pa.s.sed around all sorts of parties, somehow managing to maintain my reputation within this adventurers’ guild.

As an adventurer without any ability, I would stop receiving jobs if I had a bad reputation within the guild. Which meant I wouldn’t be able to earn my livelihood. That’s why I suppressed my emotions and forced an awkward smile on my face, somehow managing to get by until now.

At times I abandoned my pride and happily accepted jobs as a luggage carrier for other parties. After being thrown aside by Miya, I honestly didn’t care about my pride anymore. That’s why I was here now, drinking away my woes after a quest. The same as every night.

Casually chatting over drinks with the party members of the day. It’s a strange thing how acquaintances are made just like that, sometimes even leading to further party invites.

Furthermore, the story about how my childhood friend threw me away over a trash skill was a huge hit at most gatherings. The surrounding reactions were great. Somewhere down the road, this m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.tic story of mine had turned into my ultimate joke.

Some people burst into laughter, while others would express their sympathy. Some even cried with me. Honestly, I didn’t mind any of that. As long as they listened to my story.

However, the person I wanted to listen the most wasn’t here. That alone was agonising.

What would Miya think if she saw my deadbeat self now? Such thoughts came to mind every night. Would she burst into laughter, or feel sorry for me? I get the feeling it would be neither.

Why would she feel anything just by seeing my miserable self? On that day, she threw me away. Abandoned me.

No, that’s not right. I was the one who made her abandon me.

—Half a year ago.

“Note. We should go our separate ways.”

I had a feeling. I knew that this would happen someday. I understood it in my head.

I had relied on Miya too much.

As the owner of a trash skill, it couldn’t be helped. That thought had made me give up on our dream of becoming successful adventurers together.

For the first month, even I gave it my all. But I lost motivation. There was no point in someone like me trying, I thought. After seeing Miya’s abilities.

It broke my heart to see Miya master things I would never reach with such ease.

It broke my heart to see Miya always try her best despite that.

Even though I had lost my motivation, I kept pretending that I hadn’t.

Miya’s always been intuitive. She probably realised it. For over five months, I deceived Miya. And Miya continuously pretended to be deceived.

There’s no way a relationship

like that would end well.

There was no particular trigger. We never even exchanged words about it. It just seeped out into the air, wrapping around the two of us.

If only there had been a specific trigger. Then she may have put it into words, and I may have changed my heart. The relationship between the two of us might have improved. But Miya was too good of a person. She was someone who could endure it.

And endure it she did. Until she reached her limit. Past the point of no return.

I had a feeling. I knew that this would happen someday. I understood it in my head.

But my heart did not obey me.

I don’t remember much from there.

No. I remember, but I don’t want to.

Is it okay to just say I don’t remember if I don’t want to?

The only thing I’m sure of is that she was crying as she left. That I said words that hurt her. The ugly truth.

I was the worst. Utterly pathetic.

It was my greatest regret.

Even if we didn’t suit each other, I wanted to at least see her off with a smile. I wanted to burn the sight of her final smile into my eyes.

I couldn’t do something as simple as that.

I probably won’t see her again.

She left the town where we started our adventure—this town, Broad—as if running away.

Someone of her calibre would have no trouble being an adventurer in the highly compet.i.tive imperial capital. She would definitely become a top adventurer.

Once she becomes famous, her name will probably spread across the country. With her stunning looks, she’d probably enrapture everyone in this world, receiving calls for interviews from all kinds of people. They may even ask her for tales from her childhood.

And in those tales, I probably won’t appear.

When I came to, I was on a futon.

Recently, I’ve been lodging in a room at an inn well-known for its cheap prices. The quality of my accommodation had gradually dropped since I separated from Miya and turned to drowning myself with alcohol.

There was a quilt under me. I had no memory of how I got here from the pub.

Seeing that the room was empty and door locked, I must have made my own way back from the pub. Even under the effects of alcohol-induced memory loss, humans are creatures capable of returning to where they need to be, as long as nothing major happens.

In these last six months, I have unwittingly learned this many times over.

I’m going to get cold like this, I thought as I wrapped the quilt around myself.

Maybe I should just catch a cold like this instead… If only I could have a severe hangover tomorrow… Then I would have an excuse not to work.

Thoughts like that ran through my head as I laid on the uncomfortable futon and let my consciousness sink into darkness.

That day started the same as any other day. As always, my morning started early. And as always, I was looking for a vacant party at the guild. The only difference would be when I was approached by a young man shortly after.

“Hey, are you Note Athlon?”

It was sudden. I was caught unawares by the voice behind me. When I whipped around in surprise, there stood a young man who was slightly taller than me.

He was probably aged in his early 20s. Short, black hair. Eyes of the same colour. Narrow eyes which gave off an air of gentleness. His voice was also calm and gentle. Contrary to such impressions, he was clad in black clothes from head to toe. Looking at his equipment, his job was probably a thief or a.s.sa.s.sin.

“That’s me… do you need something?”

Seeing an unfamiliar face in the guild made me cautious. Unbothered by my att.i.tude, the young man continued without hesitation.

“I’ve been looking for you. The owner of the ‘Mapping’ skill.”

At that one remark, my facd scrunches up in a frown. He was looking for an owner of ‘Mapping’? Don’t be ridiculous. Is he making fun of me?

But I shouldn’t create any trouble. After coming to that decision, I quashed down my feelings of irritation and put on a friendly smile. But the young man before me began to explain himself, as if he saw right through my facade.

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I’ve been looking all over for you, because I think your skill is useful.”

“My ‘Mapping’ skill is useful?”

Even I can’t listen to such nonsense without getting p.i.s.sed off. Since my friendly facade was seen through anyway, my gaze naturally dropped into a glare.

But he just smiled back, paying no mind of it.

“Yup, that’s right… We need that skill of yours.”

“We?”

“Come to think of it, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I said we, but I’m the only one here right now…” he said as he scratched his head. “My name is Jin. I’m an a.s.sa.s.sin in a party called ‘Arrivers’.”

—‘Arrivers’.

Though I was still a newbie adventurer, I had heard of that name before. If I recalled correctly, they’re a party that mainly focuses on clearing dungeons.

—Dungeons.

Things that transcend the logic of this world.

They are s.p.a.ces that appear on earth, ignoring all the laws of physics.

Some even believe them to be creations of G.o.d, hosting living inhabitants and ecosystems completely different to those on earth. Furthermore, the monsters that appear within them are extremely powerful, unlike those on earth. The middle floors are a h.e.l.l which most A-cla.s.s adventures would meet their demise.

And yet, people continue to challenge that h.e.l.l.

The reason why people dive in the dungeons is because of the huge trade-off. Precious materials, magic tools, weapons, treasures never seen before. And it is said that in the deepest depths that still remain unseen, there exists something that exceeds all of that.

Amongst the ma.s.ses planning to conquer such dungeons were the ‘Arrivers’, said to be the ones closest to clearing it. It was hard to believe someone like that stood in front of me. But the presence of that invisible aura in front of me was undeniable.

And those words. It was hard to believe that they needed my skill.

As if he read my mind, Jin looked into my eyes seriously and offered me his hand.

“Note. Will you join our ‘Arrivers’? This is a formal party invite.”

That day, my fate drastically changed once again. I wanted to change my fate. I wanted to change this situation. And more than anything, I wanted to change these meaningless days, leaving me no reason to reject that offered hand…

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