It had been over five years since I came to the imperial capital, but this was my first time seeing the castle up close.
The Zebuldia Empire boasted the greatest national power among all its neighboring countries. Zebuldia Castle, situated in the imperial capital, was enormous and beautiful—a testament to that power—and even though I had gazed at it from afar countless times, seeing it up close still made me instinctively hold my breath. It was that majestic.
The massive moat surrounding it looked almost like a lake. Once you crossed the enormous bridge, you could see the imperial castle in its entirety.
The gray walls encircling it were low, but that was merely an appearance—rumor had it that a powerful barrier was maintained at all times through the power of Treasure Weapons and magic.
Besides, for some Hunters who served Zebuldia, a wall of a few meters was practically nonexistent. Other means of defense were needed.
On both sides of the bridge stood soldiers clad in polished black armor.
Zebuldia valued strength and practicality. These sturdy soldiers didn't so much as twitch an eyebrow at the carriage bearing the national crest passing proudly through the center. I let out a small sigh, stopped gazing out the window, and turned back to face forward.
Apparently, there was no opportunity to dump my gift somewhere unnoticed.
Eva said in a serious expression. Her well-shaped brows were furrowed behind her glasses.
"This is a prestigious event! Could you please think a little more carefully?"
"You're the one who advised me to bring a gift..."
"...Kurai, how would you feel if someone handed you Hot Spring Dragon Eggs at a party?"
"..."
It was a gift that wouldn't even trouble the recipient to think about a return present. I was actually somewhat happy about it, but maybe I shouldn't say that.
Maybe chocolates from their favorite shop would have been better.
But at this point, I had no choice but to go through with it. There was nowhere to throw it away.
"By the way, who were you planning to give it to?"
"The Emperor himself."
If you're going to suck up to someone, you start at the very top. It's not like I'm being rude or anything.
At my words, the already pale Eva drained of what little color remained.
"Absolutely not. Kurai, are you being serious right now? This is completely unprecedented!"
"I heard he's a fairly tolerant person."
"There are limits."
Eva whispered to me, careful not to let the coachman hear.
Fine, fine. I understand that my behavior is out of the ordinary. I'm so glad I brought Eva along.
Oh, right! If Lord Gradius were here, I could give it to him instead.
We did have some connection through Surus, and his subordinate wouldn't have gone and bought Hot Spring Dragon Eggs to bring home.
I took a deep breath. I was so nervous that I was starting to feel like things might actually work out.
"Anyway, do Hot Spring Dragon Eggs... are they okay in terms of expiration?"
"Yeah, I had Lucia put a preservation spell on them, so... no worries."
"...Haa... Please be really careful, okay?"
I'd try my best not to do anything unnecessary. If I played it by the book, I shouldn't stand out. After all, this was a gathering of Hunters. There were plenty of more conspicuous people here.
The carriage passed through the gate. The number of knights increased. If these were enemies, even a hundred of me wouldn't help.
Nervously, I followed the driver's instructions and disembarked. From there, I was guided along, walking through the castle.
Strangely enough, I didn't undergo any body check.
I had heard that Zebuldia Castle's security checks were extremely strict. In particular, it was supposed to be the case that even Hunters were not permitted to bring weapons when having an audience with the Emperor.
I quietly asked Eva, who was walking beside me with perfect composure, and she furrowed her brow before giving me a succinct answer.
"It's tradition. At the first Gathering of White Swords, the reigning Emperor trusted the Hunters and allowed them to attend armed. That tradition continues to this day—I told you at the beginning that some people would come armed."
I see... that "reigning Emperor" must have been quite the bold figure. But a tradition, huh? Man, those are the hardest things to deal with.
The castle corridors were spacious, lined with deep crimson carpets. Even the air felt different from the city streets.
I was tempted to look around everywhere, but I held back and matched Eva's pace.
As we progressed, I began catching glimpses of other nobles and the selected Hunters.
The nobles looked imposing, and the Hunters looked powerful. And they truly were both. I wanted to go home already.
The knights standing in neat rows wore white armor, unlike those outside. They were probably the elite.
Then, from a distance, I heard a familiar voice.
"Ooooooh! I am in the grandest castle in this country! Not a bad place!"
"Hey— Hey! Shut it! Do you even know why you're here!?"
"Yeah, to cut down the wrongdoers. So, who are the wrongdoers? That guy? That one? Everyone?"
"Don't you dare point your finger! Damn it, you're the wrongdoer! How did it come to this—letting an outsider into the security detail for the prestigious Gathering of White Swords!"
"It can't be helped. It's an order from the Chief of Security. Apparently, the Sword Saint somehow forced his way in. Even if it's temporary, giving Zebuldia's prestigious white armor to the 'Man-Slayer'—"
"I don't need armor. Because I'll cut them down before they cut me. My arms are itching."
"...Do you actually understand? Listen. Your role is indeed to cut down wrongdoers. But in the last few decades, not a single wrongdoer has shown up! Hey— Don't take off that armor!!"
Eva stared in blank disbelief and looked over at me.
I pretended I hadn't noticed.
...Well, if he got in through official channels, that should be fine, right... By the way, the Sword Saint was Luke's master.
He was one of the few swordsmen who surpassed Luke in skill, but he seemed completely unable to control the free-spirited Luke. Luke not only loved cutting things down—he also loved getting cut himself, so I could only imagine the man's frustration.
But Luke's strength was real, so having him on security meant everything was covered. If anything happened to me, he'd step in. Nice assist.
...Maybe after this gathering was over, I'd have to flee from Zebuldia. Well, cross that bridge when I come to it.
The venue was a grand hall. I wondered what it was normally used for—tables were arranged beneath chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
But compared to the hall's decorated grandeur, there weren't all that many people inside.
As I peered in from the entrance, Eva naturally drew close to me and quietly answered my unspoken question.
"...It's tradition."
I see... tradition. What a convenient word... I'll use it myself next time.
It seemed like not everyone had arrived yet.
Even someone with no eye for these things like me could clearly tell who was a Hunter and who was a noble.
I knew practically nothing about Zebuldia's nobility, but Hunters who had absorbed Mana Material had a different air about them. Especially Hunters invited to the Gathering of White Swords—they were truly the cream of the crop even among this holy land for Hunters, so it shouldn't be difficult to avoid eye contact and keep from drawing attention.
It's fine. I have my Barrier Ring. I won't die that easily.
Perhaps because of how it was founded, the atmosphere in the hall was far more relaxed than I had expected. From what I could see at a glance, it was much better than I had imagined.
For starters, the Hunters weren't causing any trouble. Along the walls, knights stood vigilantly in a row, and near the entrance, maids in impeccably tailored pure-white apron dresses stood alongside equally refined servants with perfectly straight postures, dressed in black.
The servants of Zebuldia Imperial Castle were objects of admiration for the common folk. Apparently, those present at events like this were often well-educated relatives of nobles.
Then, at that moment, my eyes went wide.
"...Not a bad place. I get it, I get it—greetings are important."
Right then, a Hunter who had already entered was making a point of going over to the servants to greet them properly.
A brown-skinned man, wearing a suit that looked slightly uncomfortable. He was probably a melee-type fighter, the kind who fought barehanded.
Looking more closely, the nobles were all heading to greet the servants first, offering their respects. Some were even chatting with them.
So the empire's nobles conversed with servants as well.
I had assumed many of them would be arrogant, but up in this echelon of high society, it seemed they were all gentlemen and ladies. The Hunters appeared to be equally upstanding people. When I thought about it calmly, the Hunters invited here (besides me) were essentially on par with Ark, so it made sense.
I nearly walked inside without greeting anyone. My poor upbringing was showing. Good thing I watched and learned.
"Kurai."
"Yeah, I know."
When it came to blending in with others, no one could match me. Especially among high-level Hunters.
I sneaked along behind a noble who was heading forward, wearing a dignified expression as I waited my turn to greet.
Looking closely, the servants were all strikingly good-looking. I was wearing the tuxedo Eva had prepared, so at least my clothes weren't out of place, but I was clearly outmatched in every other way. As expected of the mighty Zebuldia—even the servants were first-class.
On top of that, some of the servants were obviously younger than me.
What caught my eye most was a girl with sky-blue hair. She looked even younger than Tino, but like the other servants, she wore her apron dress perfectly—it was quite endearing.
Here was this young girl doing her job properly, and then there was me— I straightened my back and put on a smile.
There was no need to be nervous. Eva's expression was unusually stiff, but... stay calm. This was different from dealing with nobles or Hunters.
They probably already knew I was lacking in manners. Eva had said that Hunters didn't need to worry too much about etiquette.
The servants wore gentle expressions, but their eyes weren't smiling. I offered my greetings with a slight bow.
"Um... Thank you for inviting me?"
"Kurai, the one who invited you was the Emperor," Eva whispered.
I frowned.
Then what am I supposed to say?
"...You're absolutely right. I'm deeply honored. Forgive my ignorance... Good evening. It's a pleasure to meet you."
White eyes were directed at me. The look of "What is this country bumpkin?" stared back.
I had expected to be called a country bumpkin by the nobles, but I hadn't expected the servants to look at me the same way.
I cleared my throat and snapped my fingers.
I'd dispose of my gift right here. It was my chance to be humble.
"That's right! Let me give a gift to this hardworking young lady."
"Ah..."
I handed the box of Hot Spring Dragon Eggs to a maid with light-blue hair.
She opened her eyes wide and let out a stunned sound, but I guaranteed the taste, so she had nothing to worry about.
Eva was frozen. The other servants seemed equally stunned by my spectacular display of humility.
Right, right. I may be uneducated, but I'm harmless. I put on my friendliest face.
"It's nothing special. It's Hot Spring Dragon Eggs. They're delicious, so if you share them with friends—"
"Dragon eggs?!"
—that should be great. Just as I was about to finish my sentence, the girl let out what sounded like a startled scream.
The next moment, I was surrounded by the knights who had been guarding the hall.
They moved with the speed of someone who had been watching me the whole time. Swords pointed at me from every direction, and I remained frozen with my smile still plastered on.
The box of Hot Spring Dragon Eggs was transferred from the maid to one of the knights. He gingerly lifted it and pressed his ear against it.
It's not dangerous. And they're not actual dragon eggs. "Hot Spring Dragon Eggs" was just a product name—the contents were ordinary chicken eggs.
The attendees' eyes were all focused on us. Eva had turned pale.
Among the knights who had rushed over, a large man wearing the most impressive armor of all shouted at me.
"What do you think you're doing!? Do you have any idea who this person is!?"
"..."
...Who?
I didn't understand the situation, and everyone around me was staring at me as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing.
Eva was deathly pale. In front of me, still wearing my smile, the man declared in a booming voice.
"This person is Her Imperial Highness, Princess Murrina Athlum Zebuldia, daughter of His Majesty the current Emperor of Zebuldia, Ladric Athlum Zebuldia!"
"...Mm-hmm, I see."
So that's how it was.
This was bad. She was about three tiers above even what I had imagined when I imagined a sword pointed at me.
With my gentle smile still intact, I desperately racked my brain.
She had been particularly young among the servants, and I had thought she stood out.
I knew that Zebuldia had a princess, but I didn't even know her face. But from the looks of it... everyone probably knew her face. That explained why even the Hunters were being so courteous.
The princess in question said nothing, staring at me in stunned silence.
I wish someone had told me earlier... but it was probably common knowledge.
A princess is an incredibly important person, right? You wouldn't expect her to be hiding in the corner among the servants, would you?
Tradition? Is this tradition too? My stomach hurt.
"And... dragon... eggs!? You would hand such a... dangerous item to Her Highness, no less... Even for a guest, this is unconscionable!"
"Oh, don't worry, it's fine. It's nothing special, and it's not dangerous."
Also, they're not dragon eggs. I keep saying Hot Spring Dragon Eggs. The word "dragon" is modifying "egg" as a product name—it's the "Hot Spring" part that describes them, not an actual dragon.
I raised my hand slightly with a grin. My stomach hurt.
"Sorry, can I go use the restroom?"
"...Kurai, is there anything you're actually afraid of?"
Swords were pointed at my neck. I couldn't move a step.
Fortunately, it didn't seem like I'd be cut down immediately, but the atmosphere was terrible. It wouldn't be strange if I were thrown out.
Well, getting thrown out would be the least of my problems—I could be arrested for insulting a princess (if such a crime existed). And I'd be hunted down forever as a criminal who had tarnished the reputation of Treasure Hunters in the imperial capital.
As I retreated into denial, a lifeline arrived in the form of a sharp female voice.
"W-Wait..."
The sword tips wavered, and the knights surrounding me parted.
The voice belonged to Eclair Gradius, with whom I had some friction about a month ago. Unlike last time, she wasn't wearing a sword today—instead, she was dressed in an evening gown with frills.
Her sharp voice carried an authority beyond her years. But her eyes were wavering.
"Th-That man over there is the one who saved the imperial capital from the 'Tower of Akasha.' I understand your duty, but the 'Gathering of White Swords' is a Hunter-centered event—handing over a gift hardly warrants drawing swords..."
"B-But, Lady Eclair..."
"Besides... dragon eggs are an extraordinarily valuable commodity. Far more precious than ordinary jewelry—truly a gift befitting a Hunter. While it was admittedly an outrageous act to hand them directly to the princess... the man himself says they are not dangerous. Why not take custody and verify them for now? ...Indeed, His Majesty Ladric has been looking forward to this prestigious tradition that has continued through each generation since the capital's relocation. Do you intend to ruin it before it even begins? It was already delayed once this time!"
The knights who had been so overbearing toward me moments ago were now being overwhelmed by a girl of around ten or so.
Lady Eclair must have been a celebrity, because even the nobles who had been watching quietly until now began voicing their approval.
The swords were lowered. I was saved. But why had she helped me... Could it be that she wanted the Evolving Demon Mask back?
...Ah, sure, of course. If she really wanted it back, then I would—with the utmost sincerity... consider it.
As I turned my grateful gaze toward her, Lady Eclair shuddered and her shoulders trembled.