As I'd suspected, I wasn't cut out to be a Hunter. My abilities weren't up to par, and mentally it was just too much.
How many times had Franz summoned me now? But getting called in for a debriefing on an escort job was standard procedure, and I'd made more than enough blunders that he'd have no shortage of reasons.
I was getting summoned all over the place, but I never got used to it no matter how many times it happened. Kris was grumbling behind me the whole way.
"Look, the only reason I'm tagging along is because Lapis told me to follow the orders of the Weakling, it is. But even though I'm so dependable, you're the leader here, so you really need to pull yourself together, it is."
"Mm-hmm, yeah, you're right..."
This wasn't going to work. I really did need someone like Citry, or Eva, or Anthem, or Ark to hold the organization together.
What could this even be about? The summit was right around the corner—surely Franz didn't have time to deal with me.
I steeled myself, ready to deliver the most spectacular prostration at a moment's notice, and headed to Franz's room.
A fully armored imperial knight stood before the door like a gatekeeper.
Maybe he'd turn me away...? My hopes were shattered to dust when I was promptly shown inside. Inside the room, not only were Franz and the knights present, but to my shock, the Emperor himself was waiting there.
A body honed in ways unbecoming of royalty, sharp features radiating the bearing of a hero. At this completely unexpected sight, all I could do was lock my expression into a smile.
I thought I'd been summoned by Franz, but the one waiting for me was the Emperor. Why was he here...?
So that was why the knights had been posted outside the door.
Toizant was a developing nation compared to Zebludia, but when it came to lodgings fit for foreign dignitaries, it was in no way inferior to the Empire.
The desert climate gave it a touch of exoticness, but the spacious room was climate-controlled and furnished with what looked like extravagantly expensive furniture. I couldn't even begin to guess the nightly rate.
The moment I entered, before Franz could open his mouth, the Emperor raised his hand to the surrounding guards.
"I'm glad you came, Thousand Transformations. ...Leave us."
All the knights except Franz obeyed the order and filed out of the room. Only Franz, the Emperor, and the Imperial Princess—who stood silently behind him—remained.
Franz glanced at Kris, who had followed behind me, and furrowed his brows.
"I had intended to summon only you..."
It seemed Kris was no longer needed. Why would the Emperor want to talk to me rather than Kris, who was far more competent?
I quickly spoke before Kris could open his mouth.
"No, Kris is useful. And I trust him."
If he listened in, he'd surely stop me if I tried to do something stupid.
"That's not what we were discussing—"
"No, it's fine. Franz."
The Emperor cut off the thoroughly displeased Franz with a single word. To shut down a nobleman like Franz with nothing but a statement—that was some serious charisma.
Radric Aurum Zebludia was by all accounts a die-hard martial type, a once-in-a-generation prodigy, and it seemed that was no exaggeration. Come to think of it, he'd maintained his dignity even when he was turned into a frog. At this point, he didn't seem like the same species as the rest of us.
"There's no time to waste. First, I want to express my genuine gratitude for your escort work up to this point. I called you here to discuss the aftermath of this escort assignment, as well as matters going forward."
So that was it... I hadn't expected him to come before the summit even started, but in hindsight, I should have.
Was I about to be beheaded? Arrested? I really should have stationed the Sheet-ghosts outside so I could escape when the time came.
Franz spoke with a grim expression.
"You allowed a member of the infamously notorious 'Shadow Fox of the Nine Tails' to join the Emperor's escort detail, which resulted in the crashing of the Empire's prized airship, 'Black Star.' Under Imperial law, this warrants the death penalty. Using the Emperor as bait is inexcusable under any circumstances, and luring threats into the Treasure Hall is utterly without precedent."
Nobles were usually high and mighty, never thinking about the common folk. Imperial law was reasonably fair, but you still heard plenty of stories about commoners suffering at the hands of overbearing nobles.
But Franz's words were perfectly reasonable. If I were in his position, I'd have said the same thing.
"...I see."
There was no rebuttal to that. This trip had been brutal, hadn't it? As I nodded with deep sincerity, the veins on Franz's forehead began to bulge.
The reason I was calm was that I'd been through similar situations before. Kris, who'd been standing behind me, spoke up.
"Wait. Yes, the Weakling went overboard, but the fact is we've arrived in Toizant safely. Inviting the fox member was a deliberate move to flush them out, and considering that, there should be grounds for leniency—"
"No... I just didn't notice, honestly."
"!? Huh!?"
Kris let out an absurdly startled cry.
Sorry for being incompetent. But nobody in their right mind would suspect that a member of the illustrious 'Mage's Staff' was secretly part of a covert organization. And Kechachaka had been extremely suspicious-looking too. Who could have guessed that a man who looked that shady was actually a villain?
For that matter, didn't Franz also bear some responsibility for accepting my brought-along party without question?
As I shirked blame in my heart without showing it on my face, the Emperor addressed me.
"Hmm. Klye Andrich. In your assessment, do you believe the Abyssal Flame was a member of the fox?"
"No. I do not."
There was no need to even think about it. The Emperor's eyes widened at my immediate response.
"Can you give your reasoning?"
"If she were a member of the fox, she wouldn't have bothered with assassination."
The Abyssal Flame was an old woman who was like a furious fire dragon. If she'd set out to accomplish something, she would have chosen to burn through it head-on.
My words made the Emperor frown. He pondered something for a while, then gave a large nod.
"...If you truly did not know, then it cannot be helped."
"...As Your Majesty commands."
After a brief silence, these weighty words came forth, and Franz responded in a hushed, suppressed voice.
The tide had turned. Kris's eyes went wide. For some reason, I suddenly felt like throwing up.
Franz spoke. His expression didn't sit well with the current situation, but he didn't seem inclined to object. His sense of loyalty was truly admirable.
"His Majesty has chosen to pardon your mistakes thus far out of magnanimity. This is something that should, under normal circumstances, be impossible."
"That is... quite impossible indeed."
"Shut up and listen."
I had a bad feeling.
Impossible. It was truly impossible. Everything that had happened during this escort job—even if they were all just accidents, even if everything had been neatly resolved (which it hadn't)—there was no way any of it should be pardoned without consequence. Even Kris's eyes were wide with surprise.
I'd braced myself for some degree of punishment. To get off scot-free... there was always a catch. Nothing in life came free.
Franz continued.
"The summit's security will be handled by soldiers from each participating nation. The venue will have an impenetrable security detail. Even if Still Water were to launch an attack, it would be no issue. We're guests here—we can't interfere. Understood, Klye Andrich?"
"Of course. But it's virtually impossible that Still Water or Kechachaka would attack."
They were supposed to be under house arrest at the Lost Inn. I could even call to verify if he wanted—I had the latest smartphone now.
Franz gave an exaggerated nod at my words, then spoke in a dignified voice.
"Therefore—I am entrusting you with a new and critical mission. You will serve as Imperial Princess Murina's guardian during the summit."
"Huh?"
"We cannot take her to the summit venue itself. The knights will serve as her guards as well, but since the fox has already taken direct action, we must take every precaution. Consider this an opportunity to redeem your reputation."
I glanced at the Imperial Princess. She seemed to be the quiet type—when she saw me looking, she lowered her gaze. Come to think of it, had she enjoyed the hot spring egg?
...No, no, no, wait, wait. Why had they even brought the Imperial Princess along in the first place when they had no intention of having her attend the summit? Dragging the Emperor's daughter into a dangerous foreign land for no reason—that was the definition of foolishness.
For starters, the Imperial Princess's protection wasn't part of my contract. That said, I couldn't exactly refuse either. What a predicament.
"Don't forget that you turned the Imperial Princess into a frog. Be grateful that we're giving you a chance to redeem your honor."
"...Ah, so that happened too."
"Grk..."
Franz ground his teeth. I felt bad about turning her into a frog, but I'd warned them beforehand that I couldn't control it, and she'd been restored in the end, so my conscience was clean on that matter.
The real issue was their judgment. They'd hired me as an escort, suffered terribly for it, and yet they were still relying on me. I had to question that logic.
"Wouldn't the knights be sufficient on their own? Or is there some particular threat you're concerned about?"
The imperial knights were the pride of their captain, Franz. They'd been helpless against Termu, but that was because the opponent was a Level 7 Mage. By normal standards, they were more than exceptional—a hundred times more capable than me.
Yet if even they weren't enough, did that mean something was planning to attack? Did someone have a specific reason to target her?
I had some vague information about Emperor Radric—even someone politically clueless like me heard things—but I knew absolutely nothing about Princess Murina. She wasn't a renowned ruler, had no particular expertise, and no notable achievements.
It might be disrespectful to say, but she was practically invisible. I hadn't even known her name until recently. I couldn't think of any reason anyone would want to attack her. A hostage, perhaps? But if that was the case, then I couldn't understand why they hadn't simply left her in the Empire.
To my perfectly reasonable question, however, Franz's expression changed completely. Not from anger—a shadow had fallen over him.
It was the Emperor who spoke next. For an instant, hesitation flickered across his face. It felt like watching a bomb teetering on the verge of detonation.
Then the Emperor spoke in a tone as if he were whispering a state secret.
"Thousand Transformations. This is to remain strictly confidential... but the truth is, Murina is—extremely unlucky."
"Unlucky...?"
Kris blinked in confusion. The Imperial Princess shrank into herself.
As if I'd been told something deeply secretive, it turned out to be a rather anticlimactic revelation.
I couldn't help but smile and addressed the Emperor.
"I refuse."
Franz's face stiffened, but this was one thing I wouldn't budge on.
After all, this was the kind of bad luck that the emperor of a great empire deemed a state secret. She must have been staggeringly, catastrophically unlucky. The kind of bad luck that left visible damage in its wake.
A Treasure Hunter was superstitious, but this went beyond anything normal.
"So you're saying that Kechachaka and Termu slipping into the escort by chance, the dragons attacking in droves, the ship crashing, and running into the Treasure Hall—all of it was because of the Imperial Princess's bad luck? Is that what you're telling me?"
I mean, that was rough, but I'd experienced similar levels of catastrophe several times before, and it had always felt about the same, so I hadn't noticed anything unusual.
To think it was all because of the employer... I'd thought the Emperor was unlucky, but it was the Imperial Princess all along. What a terrible case of mistaken reputation.
How dare she so brazenly pin this on me. You little—! I'd say it to her face, I would! I only bowed and scraped when I was in a weak position.
Looking back now, going unpunished made perfect sense. It was all the Imperial Princess's fault!
The Imperial Princess was trembling. Franz stepped close to me and shouted.
"No, don't misunderstand. When I say unlucky, I mean this level of trouble has never happened before. In fact, that's precisely why we hired you in the first place—to deal with it! You have no right to complain!"
"!?"
I was momentarily thrown by his intensity and the content of his words. But I couldn't back down now and still call myself a Level 8.
I pressed right back against Franz and declared: "...Mm-hmm, yeah, you're right. Luck isn't something you can see, and all the misfortunes this time were just coincidences. The ones at fault are Termu and Kechachaka and that Treasure Hall—neither Her Highness Murina nor I did anything wrong. So this escort detail? I, the Thousand Transformations, will gladly take it on!"