Strange Grief Wants to Retire ~ The Weakest Hunter Dreams of a Hero ~

Chapter 395.1: A Man Who Is Too Lazy

Code, the highly mobile fortress city. It is said that the city was originally just one tower. The city system activated by the first King of Code gave birth to countless buildings, roads, and land around the tower, creating a city that imitates an Advanced Physical Civilization.

Although Code has now spread into a complex and mysterious area where countless people live, its core remains in that tower――The King’s Tower.

Class 9. The tower, which is under the direct control of the King, the ruler of Code, is far taller than any other building in the city, and even the King’s children are not allowed to enter its grounds without permission.

There is nothing the King of Code cannot do within this city. The city system is an extension of the King’s body. All the soldiers the city produces are his servants, and all the weapons are his swords. The inhabitants are merely borrowing his power.

For the inhabitants of Code, that place is, so to speak, the place where god resides.

A temple where a god reigns silently but with unwavering power, and commanding Code. There used to be people who worked in the tower, but over the years, they gradually dwindled one by one, and now there are no visitors.

In the King’s Tower that no one enters anymore. In the throne room on the tower’s top floor, I, the current King of Code――Cross Code, narrow my eyes and mutter.

“………… You have been studying hard. Go ahead and kill each other to your heart’s content. My children.” (Cross)

There is almost nothing there, just a large space. The only thing installed is a simple armchair without any decorations――A throne. The high ceiling is lined with countless rainbow-colored boards, giving off a mysterious light.

There is nothing around me, but as the king sits on the throne, the entire scene of the city flashes vividly through my mind.

The appearance of my five children ruling each area. What are they thinking, what are they planning, and what do they intend to do after becoming king.

The first child set a trap for the Explorer Association to attract powerful soldiers, and aim to conquer the world, something that the first King of Code never managed to achieve, Angus Code.

A talented princess who, although does not have the ambition to conquer the world like Angus, gathers soldiers for her own gain and to prevent Angus from taking the throne, the second child, Nora Code.

A playful man who got carried along by the nobles of his faction to seek the throne, and the most beloved by the nobles, the third child, Tony Code.

A timid and already defeated man who is only thinking about how to survive, but deep down he is hoping to take the throne if possible, the fourth son, Morris Code.

Born into a disadvantageous position as the fifth child and plagued by feelings of inferiority and anxiety due to this, his only goal in seeking the throne is to seize it as an outlet for his emotions, the fifth child, Zachary Code.

Although with various degrees of emotional intensity, and varying degrees of advantages and disadvantages, all of them are aiming to take my place.

No, I intended for that to happen and manipulated everything to make it happen that way.

――To place a king more powerful than anyone else at the top of Code.

The first king, my father, was fortunate enough to find the King’s Staff in a Treasure Shrine and succeeded in activating the city system of an Advanced Physical Civilization. He built a city with his companions, subjugated the surrounding countries, and became the king of the city that everyone feared――And then he stopped without accomplishing anything more.

The achievements of the first king are great. He incorporated the citizens of various countries who had agreed with Code, which had only a king and his few companions, as Code’s citizens and gave Code the appearance of a city. Even though the world was hostile towards him, he solved the endless problems that continually arose with his power as king. That must have been a heavy burden for a man who was just a Red Hunter.

It was only by chance that I ascended to the throne after my father’s death.

I had many siblings who were better than me. However, circumstances were in my favor.

During the first succession to the throne. Until the moment my father died, no one knew how the next king would be decided. A traitor appeared and the Explorer Association attacked. Amidst all the chaos, the first person to stand at the top of the Royal Tower was me, the weakest member of all the Class 8 at the time. That was all.

The infiltrated Hunters were trying to kill me. Some citizens were opposed to my succession to the throne. Some cried for a better king, and some of my siblings even thought that I should give them the throne.

I purged the foolish rebels who had taken up arms against the king without moving a single step from the throne room.

The common point between the first king and me is that we both ascended to the throne through luck, not ability.

My father, who had sneaked into the Treasure Shrine and used the King’s Staff, hadn’t exactly been the most skilled member of the Red Hunter Party. And there is no point in talking about me. Code’s royal authority is strong, but it is only wielded by humans. To lead Code and become king of the world, a king with the vessel of a king is needed.

Now, a hundred years later, Code is finally ready to welcome its true king.

My body has reached its limit. Even with the medical technology that Code boasts, I will not last much longer. No, if I use whatever means necessary, I might be able to extend my life, but――That is enough. I have worked long enough. Shortly after I took over the throne, the few odd friends who had supported my plan had all reached their life expectancy and passed away.

With the death of the king, my plan will be fulfilled. I will never see who will be the next king, but no matter who becomes king, a big change will come to Code.

Upon my death, all the restrictions I have imposed with my authority will be lifted. The restrictions imposed on the princes and princess regarding killing each other will also be lifted. Most of the children will surely die. Since Code’s kingship is absolute and unique, this is inevitable.

Even though I am dying, my body is still fully mobile. The city supports the king so that he can move freely until the moment of his death.

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Is there anything else I have left to do. Just as I am thinking about this, I suddenly receive a message.

It has been a really long time since I have received any contact.

I am the king. Only a few people have direct contact with the king. The city system handles the basic management of the city, and Class 8 also has the necessary rights to manage the city system.

I strictly ordered those around me not to make any unnecessary contact. It is because the battle for the throne I planned does not require the King’s interference. What could this message be? Only the royal family and a small portion of the upper-ranking nobles can contact the king. If it is something trivial, then the king’s authority will need to be made known once again.

I frown and check the message, then my eyes widen when I see the sender’s name on it.

Alisha Code. The sixth in line to the throne.

“…… The spare, huh…… I forgot about it.” (Cross)

Alisha is a princess with a special status.

At the request of the upper-ranking nobles, in case all the heir to the throne dies――A spare, a daughter was created as a backup.

Normally, I would have rejected such a troublesome plea, but it was created to test the power of the city system. There is no doubt that it is my daughter and has inherited my genes. However, Alisha has no mother.

If one has to say, Alisha’s mother could be said to be Code itself.

Alisha is the daughter created by the city based on my information. The technology to create new humans based on other people’s genes is certainly impressive, and it did inherit the right to the throne, but that was all. The city’s rules restricted that technology. It required multiple direct orders from the king to even use it once. It was not something I would use multiple times, and there was no reason to use it.

After creating Alisha, I gave her only the bare minimum of authority and locked her away in a random building until needed. After that, I wasn’t particularly monitoring it. And Alisha had never contacted me before now.

I check the contents of the message and become confused.

“………… I want to eat the pitch-black snack? What is this?” (Cross)

I don’t understand………… What does it mean. Is it some kind of code? What in the world is a pitch-black snack…………

Alisha’s role is simply to live there. If it was something trivial I would have just ignored it or punished it, but Alisha’s first request is far too incomprehensible. I have no choice but to access the city system and use my authority as the king to retrieve the videos. All information inside the city of Code is stored without exception, including past information.

Then, images of Alisha’s room, a place I have only seen a few times before, begin to flow through my mind.

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Thanks for reading! So the King is planning to do a game of throne… But what he does not know is that all shall fall against the mighty pitch black snack! XD