I turned around at the sound of a gentle tapping. Outside the window, a chain-formed pigeon was pecking its beak against the glass.
There were no other tall buildings around the Clan House of *Beginning Footprint*. The location had been chosen specifically with that in mind when constructing the place.
The top-floor Clan Master's room, unlike the lounge, was difficult to snipe from outside, and the window had already been upgraded—after Liliz had shattered the original—to bio-glass, the strongest and most expensive type of glass, made using Mana Material. Even so, a high-level Hunter going all out could probably still break it, but criminals wouldn't dare pull such an attention-grabbing stunt on a main thoroughfare. They *had* thrown explosives in, though…
I turned the handle and opened the window just a crack, and the Pigeon Chain, which had been desperately flapping its wings outside, fluttered inside.
It was one of Marchis's collectibles. Among the countless chain-type Treasure Weapons, ones with flight capability were rare—even I didn't own one. With the wisdom to protect itself from external threats, usable as a carrier pigeon, and remarkably fuel-efficient thanks to its small size, the Pigeon Chain boasted top-tier convenience among chain-type Treasure Weapons.
I quickly untied the cylinder fastened to its ankle and pulled out the letter inside.
I gave the contents a quick scan. The letter was, as expected, from Marchis.
It seemed he wouldn't be able to do appraisal visits for a while. Perhaps even an appraisal master with boundless love for Treasure Weapons couldn't beat the ravages of age.
Well, I didn't want Marchis caught up in this either. He was my mentor in all things Treasure Weapon, but at the same time, he was just as much a non-combatant as I was.
I was reading through the chaotic mess of a letter—complaints about being scolded by his son and daughter-in-law despite preparing for an appraisal visit, boasting about his grandchildren, gossip from outside contacts—with a grimace, when Luke, who was today's bodyguard and polishing a new wooden sword on the sofa, spoke up.
"So, Klye. When are you going to go give them the bloodbath?"
"…Excuse me?"
"Master heard about the attack, and—though he didn't really get it—he kept saying, 'Don't kill them, absolutely do not kill them.' Which means… he's saying *do* kill them, right?"
"Hmm?"
"Not me doing the killing. They're coming to get themselves killed willingly. A first-rate swordsman is someone his opponents line up to be cut down by."
I had absolutely no idea what he was saying or what he was trying to convey, but he was clearly raring to go.
Luke wasn't as quick-tempered as Liliz, but he was every bit as combative—and then some. Being belligerent without being angry might actually be worse than Liliz's case.
"I discovered a secondary effect of the Thunder God Sword. Wounds from its cuts become scorched, meaning the risk of death from blood loss is reduced. In other words, I can cut down a whole bunch of people. I'm ready to go anytime. Oh! I'll cut down Liliz's share too!"
I was fairly certain that at the moment of a lightning strike, both the opponent *and* you would take massive damage, but what did he think about that? And apparently, the part where I'd stopped Liliz hadn't gotten through to him at all.
The Pigeon Chain was hovering right in front of me as if demanding an immediate reply. I alternated glances between Luke and the pigeon, then said something vague.
"Not yet. The time isn't right. I'm busy too, so just behave for now. Good things will come if you do."
There hadn't been a second attack so far. There might not be one at all.
Thinking about it calmly, the attackers had made one big mistake this time.
They'd dragged Gaark into it—the branch chief of the Explorer's Guild. He might look like that, but he was a man of real power. In this golden age of Treasure Hunters, making an enemy of the Explorer's Guild was a death sentence.
Right about now, Gaark was probably tearing the countryside apart looking for the attackers. The only option was to wait.
"Damn it, still no go… Really, keeping everyone in suspense is Klye's worst habit. Aaah, my demon sword is thirsting for blood…"
It had been "no go" this whole time, and the demon sword had probably just been reforged after getting charred black by that lightning—there was no way it was thirsting for anything.
Luke muttered under his breath.
"One slash… want to go on a killing spree…"
…Just how bored are you?
Fine, I'd humor him a little. As I was thinking that and starting to stand, there was a sudden knock at the door.
Luke stopped polishing his sword instantly and looked over.
"It's Eva."
"…? Yeah, I know."
Even knowing that, the man still looked dangerously close to swinging.
I answered, and in walked Eva, immaculately put together from head to toe, just as always.
Her demeanor was completely unchanged from before the attack. Normally, being caught in an explosion at close range would leave you reeling for a while, but Eva was back to normal the next day. Her nerve was nothing short of extraordinary.
But that was precisely why I had to make sure the harm didn't reach Eva or even the clan's general staff.
"How are you feeling?"
"Quite well, no issues to speak of. I was uninjured thanks to you from the start, Klye. The lounge repairs will take some time, though—"
"You can take some time off work. It's dangerous, and Luke can handle the paperwork."
"Yeah! Leave it to me, Eva! My arms are itching to go!"
At what was clearly a joke, Luke—who couldn't do office work to save his life—shouted with unearned confidence.
Eva's brow twitched for an instant, and she gave a deliberate cough.
"Please don't worry. I've absorbed a fair amount of Mana Material for situations like this… Also, I'll be staying at the Clan House for a while. It's the safest place here."
…She'd been absurdly busy, so when had she found the time to absorb it?
And come to think of it, was Eva actually… possibly even stronger than me? She certainly seemed to have talent. Life was, by and large, profoundly unequal.
Staying at the Clan House was an excellent idea. The place was stocked for a prolonged siege, and there were more than enough guards.
"Having a pajama party?"
"…I will not be doing that. After word of the attack on Klye spread, a great many letters and get-well gifts have arrived. What would you like me to do? I've declined all visits—"
"Quite popular, aren't I?"
"People probably see it as a rare opportunity since you rarely show your face in public, Klye. You're the talk of the town right now, after all—"
"…"
Eva looked at me with a flat, knowing gaze. But somehow, the fact that she'd been caught in an explosion and was still functioning normally was almost more unsettling.
No matter how much Mana Material she'd absorbed, she was still a non-combatant. Preparations were still necessary.
I pulled the Barrier Ring off my right pinky finger and tossed it to Eva. I had plenty of Barrier Rings anyway; losing one made no difference.
Eva caught the ring and looked at me, puzzled.
"Um… this is—?"
"A Barrier Ring. It's yours. Sorry it's secondhand, but keep it."
"…! A Barrier Ring!? That's far too valuable—no, wait! Why are you suddenly giving this to me now!?"
"Well, hold on…"
And there, for no particular reason, I was struck by divine inspiration.
I folded my arms and looked at the Pigeon Chain, which was tapping at the desk with its beak, going *kon kon*.
If Marchis couldn't come for an appraisal visit, why not send the items to him? If I asked Tinno to bring them over, Marchis wouldn't turn that down.
Tinno was a clan member and had been coming and going from the Clan House frequently already. It wouldn't be unnatural. Today I was—sharp. No, how had I not thought of this before?
I pointed a finger toward the window. The Pigeon Chain, apparently taking that as a dismissal, took flight. Eva blinked rapidly, looking back and forth between me and the departing bird.
"Hehehe… Thanks to you, Eva, I've thought of something wonderful."
"Eh!? Wha—? What is it!? Wait, what was that chain pigeon just now??? Are you up to something again!? What did you realize!?"
There was no need to panic… It was always entertaining seeing the normally cool and collected Eva flustered. Almost soothing, actually.
"Nothing. Everything's fine. Everything's fine."
"And what about Tinno secretly spreading word around the clan that 'Mastaa is planning to slaughter the entire enemy's family and clan'—is *that* fine too?"
That was… absolutely *not* fine.
Even high-level Hunters weren't permitted to annihilate an entire family, and hanging criminal corpses from the gates of the Imperial Capital was certainly not allowed either. Liliz had stopped him with some half-decent excuse, so he probably wouldn't go through with it—but his reputation was about to take another hit.
Lately, my trust in Tinno had been declining.
"The clan members are restless, too. Apparently there are moves to strike preemptively before any other tragedy occurs—"
I… I hadn't said a single word, and yet things were moving forward on their own…
The Clan House *had* been attacked, and if people wanted to go on the offensive, that was their prerogative, but if anything happened, I didn't want it pinned on me.
"…The world sure is dangerous these days."
"Surely you don't intend to leave it at *that one sentence*?"
Lately, even the slightest movement on my part seemed to invite disaster, so lying low for a while was probably the right call.
I let out a huge yawn, and Luke, who had been holding up and examining the wooden sword, suddenly looked my way as if remembering something.
"Oh yeah, Klye, Master said if you've got time, you should show your face. Apparently he wants to discuss something."
"*That* Sword Saint? In times like these—Klye, you really do have an impressive network."
"Network" was generous—he was probably just coming to complain again. That was usually what it was.
In particular, Liliz and Luke's master had both the highest summoning frequency and the highest complaint rate by a wide margin. He'd come under the pretense of "consulting" but really just wanted to gripe, and it was insufferable.
Incidentally, summonses from Citry, Lucia, and Anthem's side were usually VIP treatment where they genuinely sought my opinion, which was its own kind of problem.
"…Any idea what it might be about?"
"Hmm—nope."
There was no way you didn't know. Think! You're too oblivious.
Eva was looking at Luke with a worried expression. When I gestured with my eyes, Luke furrowed his brow and groaned for a while, then suddenly spoke as if remembering something.
"…Ah, maybe it's this. The other day, Master has two swords he always uses, right? I was curious which one was stronger, so I asked him."
Luke's master, the Sword Saint, was a swordsman's swordsman in a way Luke was not—he had mastered mind, technique, and body. He combined overwhelming strength with an upright character, commanding the respect of every swordsman in the Imperial Capital, and as a renowned sword collector, he possessed countless blades.
There was a sword-carrying ban in effect, but Luke loved swords in and of themselves. I remembered how his eyes had lit up the first time he met the Sword Saint, gazing at the blade in the old man's hand.
"So when Master said he didn't know, I tried testing which one was stronger in secret, and… both of them broke."
"…!?"
"Turns out the Crimson Heaven Sword and the Azure Spirit Sword were both about equally strong. Same length, too—perfect for dual-wielding."
…Yeah, sure.
Breaking two of his master's swords was an act so outrageous it would warrant not just expulsion but outright execution, yet Luke's expression showed absolutely no hint of remorse.
Perhaps this was the terrifying power of a high-level Hunter who had absorbed Mana Material. Treasure Weapons were sturdy, and even regular swords weren't the kind of thing that broke easily, but it seemed that for a genius swordsman of Luke's caliber, none of that mattered.
…Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? With great skill, even a mediocre sword shouldn't be easy to break—wasn't that how it should work?
Then Luke crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.
"…Wait, no—was that about the time I broke Master's precious swords during Thunder God Sword training? Wooden swords turn to splinters no matter how many times you swing them, so…"
How many swords did he have to break to get it out of his system!? The Thunder God Sword training was *recent*! That was definitely the reason for the summons.
Weapons were not cheap. In this day and age, aside from custom forging, weapon prices were astronomical. Treasure Weapons went without saying, but even a sword made by a blacksmith could exceed a hundred million depending on the piece. And for something like the kind of masterwork the Sword Saint carried—the financial value alone was… well, more importantly, a sword was like a soul to a swordsman. Luke, who used wooden swords, might not understand that.
I had no idea why Luke hadn't been expelled yet. Eva looked equally dumbfounded.
What would happen if I casually answered the summons? The Sword Saint wasn't as tactless as Luke, but he was feared across the entire Imperial Capital. He was voracious when it came to strength—I'd once been challenged to a serious duel by him.
I'd rather not meet him if I could help it, and exposing myself before an enraged Sword Saint was completely out of the question.
Was there some way to get him to forgive Luke's transgression? Right… I could gift him some rare Treasure Weapon sword in place of the broken ones to smooth things over…
That was when I looked at the box at my feet. The one containing Elisa's gift.
After a deep breath, I pulled out the sword wrapped in black cloth that had caught my eye the most.
I unwrapped the cloth. Inside was a single straight-bladed sword with a crimson edge. Young Gilbert's Purgatory Sword had also had a red blade, but this sword's red was darker and deeper.
"Oh! What is that sword—?"
I checked it against the Treasure Weapon encyclopedia I had on hand, but in the end, I couldn't identify it. Sword-type Treasure Weapons had been extensively studied, but even so, this one remained a mystery—it had to be an extraordinarily rare piece. I'd been planning to have Marchis appraise it, but beggars couldn't be choosers.
I wasn't sure if it could replace the swords Luke had broken, but perhaps this was fate working in its favor. Besides, I'd just had a terrible experience with sword-related Treasure Weapons at the Martial Emperor Festival.
I took another deep breath, rewrapped the sword in the cloth, and set it on the desk.
"I can't go myself, but bring this to Master instead of me. It's quite a rare piece."
I didn't know its capabilities as a sword, but it was a beautiful blade. Surely this would improve the Sword Saint's mood at least a little.
I wished someone could tell me what its actual power was…