"………Leader… What are you planning to do today?"
"Hmm? Right now, I'm…resting up."
"!? You were resting up yesterday too!"
"Well, well…"
I deflected her displeased gaze in my usual way. The imperial capital was peaceful today too.
Lucia was earnest by nature. When we were children, she used to show me more smiles, but her personality itself hadn't changed since then.
She was good at keeping things organized, always punctual, and unlike Luke and the others, she didn't enjoy breaking rules. She never slacked off on her studies either. And for her, one day off per week was more than enough.
The one who'd probably changed was me. Being perpetually stone-faced was partly rebellion, but it might also be because I was such a disappointment to her. Really, it was merciful of Lucia that she hadn't abandoned me yet. If I were in her shoes, I couldn't honestly say I wouldn't have given up on a useless older brother.
"I bet all my diligence and talent got sucked up by Lucia."
"!? We're not even related by blood!"
Her gaze grew several degrees colder in response to the words I let slip while suppressing a yawn in my usual spot in the Clan Master's office.
Well, I mean, come on — having a reliable younger sister around naturally makes you go soft. It's all about balance.
And having a Grand Mage in the family means you develop a critical eye toward other mages. Part of the reason I get scolded so often by Chryse and the "Abyssal Fire Extinguisher" mage faction is Lucia's fault too.
I checked the newspaper she'd brought. Thanks to Franz's arrangements, the Decadent District attack that had made the front page yesterday was conspicuously absent from the paper — suspiciously so.
I see… So it turned out that noble political pressure was more effective than the network Eva had spent years building.
I gave the rest a quick once-over to make sure nothing else caught my eye, then set the paper down. Good. Today was going to be peaceful.
"Still, having Lucia as my escort two days in a row — that's pretty unusual, isn't it?"
"………None of the other members were available. We're all busy, you know. We'll switch it up tomorrow."
Lucia pouted as she spoke.
Well, I was more than happy about it. With Lucia around, I could use the Treasure Weapon as much as I wanted, and lately there hadn't been many opportunities. Besides, it was good for us to spend some time as siblings.
Right before I became a Hunter, our parents had told me to protect Lucia with my own body if anything dangerous came up.
Hmph — not to brag, but when it came to taking a hit first, there was no one better than me. Anthem had reflexes and agility that were unbelievable for someone his size, but I was the one who'd trained him in that regard (in a manner of speaking).
But despite being just the two of us, Lucia was in a sour mood. So I came up with something clever and clapped my hands together.
"Since you're here today anyway, Lucia, maybe I'll finally make a new spellbook after so long…"
"O-oh, also, I never know what an attacker might pull, so I'm the best choice! Mom specifically told me to keep a close eye on you too."
"Let's see, where did I put my pen and notebook…"
"R-right! The Master said he wanted to bring you to visit once! Could we go together sometime soon? He seemed really upset after the Martial Emperor Festival last time when the examination was canceled right before…"
"…I've got it! …A spell to turn the Master into a frog?"
"!? Stop it! Hey!"
Lucia's face turned bright red as she lunged forward, trying to snatch the pen. I shifted my arm slightly and dodged.
As a Mage, Lucia wasn't a physical powerhouse like Riz or Luke, but her physical abilities far surpassed mine. Her talent, training volume, and Mana Material absorption were all on a completely different level.
However, being a young woman, Lucia — unlike Riz or Citry — tried to avoid touching me as much as possible, which made it relatively easy for me to dodge. She couldn't move faster than a blink the way Riz could either.
"I'll turn you into a frog…I'll turn you into a frog, I swear. The Master actually wants to see me? His standards really are shockingly low."
"Stop saying incomprehensible things!"
Lucia's Master was different from Luke's and Riz's — he was gentle, which was precisely what made him terrifying when angered. It wasn't the kind of fear that came from a scary face or violence, but rather the crushing pressure alone that could flatten you. He was a rare type among everyone I knew.
The only way to deal with him was to become comfortable enough — but that was the last resort. Lucia was on good terms with him, and I wanted to handle things as smoothly as possible. My absence at the examination had ultimately led to preventing the Key of the Earth, so he shouldn't be that angry… and Lucia had made significant contributions to stopping the damage too.
"!! I've got it!"
"Hey, don't dodge me! Seriously!? Wh-what did you come up with! Hey! Brother!? Hey!"
Maybe I could ask Franz to put in a good word for me? No matter how powerful a mage the imperial capital had, no one could refuse a word from a great noble.
Franz's goodwill toward me probably couldn't drop any lower, and today I was — on my game.
Lucia was circling around, so I quickly turned my back and kept the pen out of reach.
Besides, even if she snatched the pen, it wouldn't matter — if she really wanted to take it, she could just use magic. But I wasn't going to dwell on that. Right, right, we used to play like this when we were kids too.
As I was thinking that, I happened to lock eyes with a "Pigeon Chain" that had just flown in right outside the window (the Pigeon Chain didn't have eyes, of course).
It was a letter from Marchis. It looked like my playtime with Lucia was over.
"Here, hold this for a sec."
"!? Ah…sure."
I placed the pen in Lucia's outstretched hand and opened the window. She'd just sent me a letter yesterday saying she couldn't come for an appraisal — what was this about?
With a bewildered expression, Lucia stared at the pen while I opened the letter with a serious face. I read it, read it again, read it a third time, confirmed once more just to be safe, thought about it for a while, then gave a firm nod.
"………All right, Lucia, get ready to go out. We're heading to the Sword Saint's place. Right now!"
"Huh? Wait — I thought we weren't going outside!? What does that letter say!?"
"………That was the plan too, but the situation's changed. I think it'll probably be fine, but — I need to get ready."
"………Understood, Leader."
The letter from Marchis was a warning.
In short — the sword I'd given as a present apparently turned out to be a dangerous Treasure Weapon, and a large number of the Sword Saint's disciples had been injured.
Marchis had originally asked me about having the sword appraised. She'd received a commission from the Sword Saint to investigate an incident by appraising Treasure Weapons, and upon learning it was a sword-type Treasure Weapon, she'd gotten excited and sent the letter.
If I hadn't received the letter, I never would have noticed. The Sword Saint was a master of the blade, but he was also a man who valued courtesy. If someone had suffered because of my gift, I needed to apologize as quickly as possible. You really can't beat having good friends.
The newspaper didn't have any articles about it, so it apparently hadn't become a major incident, but now was not the time to talk about not wanting to go outside. I'd get cut down. Thorne Lowell, the Sword Saint, was a relatively decent person, but among his disciples, there were plenty of brutes who would attack anyone without hesitation. The Abyssal Fire Extinguisher could face a thousand enemies alone, but the Sword Saint's disciples numbered well over a thousand. If I made them angry, I wouldn't be able to live in the imperial capital.
"It's dangerous and time-sensitive, so let's fly there. We could take the 'Flying Carpet' or your broom —"
My control over the "Flying Carpet" still wasn't perfect. Lucia's broom wasn't a Treasure Weapon, so I'd have to ride behind her, but shy as she was, she rarely let me.
When I asked, Lucia hesitated for a moment before saying in a small voice: "…F-fine. You can ride behind me. But not the carpet. Just this once."
"Thanks. Get ready quickly — I'll go change, and you prepare the broom —"
The opponent was Luke's Master, so I didn't think there'd be any real problem, but who knew what could happen. I needed to prepare my Treasure Weapon and — right, I'd contact Franz and ask him to put in a good word for me.
The mere thought of walking into that kind of ordeal again made me feel nauseous. But the Sword Saint respected martial warriors — if I carried myself with dignity, things would work out.
Taking a deep breath, Resonance Stone in hand to contact Franz, I dashed down the stairs to my private quarters.
§ § § It was a beautiful sword with a radiance so captivating it seemed to pull your very soul in — a sight that even Nadri and the others, who had seen countless renowned weapons among the Sword Saint's disciples, the empire's strongest swordsman, had never encountered before.
In Zebuldia, it wasn't swordsmen who wielded powerful swords — it was Hunters.
Zebuldia, the holy land of Treasure Hunters, gathered a vast number of Treasure Weapons, but sword-type Treasure Weapons were rare. Narrow the field to those with truly formidable abilities, and only a handful existed. Moreover, the sword was among the most popular weapon types among Treasure Hunters, so in most cases, the Hunter who discovered a sword-type Treasure Weapon ended up using it themselves.
On the rare occasions one did appear on the market, prices skyrocketed beyond all bounds — and there were plenty of rivals, from major merchants to nobles to high-Level Hunters. Even among the Sword Saint's disciples, obtaining one of those Treasure Weapons was impossible unless a miracle occurred.
Of course, many excellent swords had been forged by modern smiths as well. They were weapons more than capable of fighting Phantoms and Monsters. These modern swords were reasonably priced, and Nadri and the others owned them, but a Treasure Weapon sword remained the dream weapon for the empire's swordsmen. Precisely because, as disciples of the Sword Saint, they had opportunities to see such weapons during their training, their longing was even stronger than that of ordinary swordsmen.
The one who had brought the sword was a fellow disciple — the biggest troublemaker in Thorne's school, a maverick of a man.
Luke Saikol, "Thousand Swords." The man most beloved by the sword in the imperial capital, and who loved the sword in return. He had shown up at the Sword Saint's doorstep unannounced to request apprenticeship and had swiftly become one of the school's top practitioners. He carried the almost absurd tale of having his real sword confiscated due to his indiscriminate habit of cutting people down, but he was also a member of one of the top Treasure Hunter parties in the capital.
Conquering a Treasure Hall required more than just swordsmanship or raw strength. Success demanded luck, skill, and trustworthy companions. For that reason, Nadri and his group couldn't go searching for a sword-type Treasure Weapon on their own.
A man who had nearly killed multiple fellow disciples during training sessions was flawed both as a human being and a swordsman, but as a Treasure Hunter, he was unquestionably first-rate.
And for Hunters who had conquered multiple Treasure Halls — ones that ordinary Hunters couldn't hope to breach — a sword-type Treasure Weapon, while rare, wasn't something they needed to be obsessed over.
Nadri had learned through everyday conversation that Luke's Party Leader, a Level 8 Hunter known as "Thousand Transformations," was a Treasure Weapon collector who owned several sword-type Treasure Weapons.
That was why it wasn't at all surprising when Luke Saikol suddenly showed up with a sword-type Treasure Weapon.
The Sword Saint, Thorne Lowell, was not a Treasure Hunter, but when it came to swordsmanship, he surpassed even high-Level Hunters in skill.
Many high-Level Hunters had once trained under Thorne, and in the past, sword-type Treasure Weapons had been brought to him as gifts to repay old debts.
"My buddy Krai said since he had a spare, I should bring it to the Master."
The Master happened to have his training hall free. Normally, it would be unthinkable to examine a gift before presenting it to the Master. But Luke, without a moment's hesitation, unwrapped the black cloth covering the blade — Time itself froze. The instant that sword came into view, every disciple except Luke held their breath.
Most sword-type Treasure Weapons traced their origins to the era of magic weapon civilization. And weapons from that age were as beautiful as works of art — if not more so.
Nadri had seen several jet-black blades before, but never one with an edge that seemed to swallow everything in its vicinity. The sword their Master possessed was also a beautiful Treasure Weapon, but it lacked the intense, magnetic pull that made it impossible to look away from the blade before him.
It was truly a blade of dark enchantment. If it ever went to auction, nobles, merchants, and Hunters alike would fight tooth and nail to claim it.
And to hand over something like this so casually — high-Level Hunters truly were terrifying people.
His heart pounded. His hands trembled. His mouth went dry. He forced himself to tear his gaze from the sword and looked at Luke.
"Luke, you love swords more than anyone — how could you bring yourself to give away something like this…?"
Luke was a man who had never been bound by conventional thinking.
If Nadri had been in Luke's position, the idea of giving this sword to anyone else would be inconceivable. He'd heard Luke and Thousand Transformations were close friends — surely if he'd negotiated, he could have kept the sword for himself.
Nadri's words made Luke blink a few times before he replied with a casual air: "Well, Krai told me to give it to the Master, so — and besides, think about it? If I kept it, I wouldn't be able to cut anyone who wielded this sword, right?"
"I see…"
He didn't understand. He couldn't understand a word of it, but Nadri found himself nodding in agreement before he knew it.
Fine. Luke could be dealt with later. The real problem was what to do with this sword.
It was a gift for their Master. The Master was the pride of every disciple, including Nadri. He was deeply respected. Snatching the sword from the side was out of the question.
But the soul of a swordsman whispered within him.
It made no sound. Yet Nadri could hear its voice clearly.
*Can you truly fulfill your life as a swordsman without ever wielding this blade?* "………I understand. I'll deliver it to the Master. But this is a Treasure Weapon sword. I cannot say with certainty that it isn't a cursed demon blade that brings harm to its wielder. I cannot hand over an unverified dangerous item to the Master."
His vision blurred. His voice carried a force that surprised even himself.
Impossible. It was known that some sword-type Treasure Weapons could bring disadvantages to their wielders, but such cases were exceedingly rare, and this was a blade brought by Thousand Transformations — there was no way it could be dangerous.
Luke certainly hadn't said anything, but he had surely already investigated the sword's powers. There was no way some scoundrel would dare present an unidentified Treasure Weapon to the strongest swordsman in the empire.
But even Nadri recognized his own words for the desperate excuses they were. Luke, without showing any particular anger, simply said: "Hmm…? …………Well, I suppose that's fair enough."
A wave of indescribable pleasure surged through Nadri's entire body.
He'd gotten a concession. No — had Luke simply been showing mercy? Had he judged that Nadri would never get another chance to swing this sword?
It didn't matter. He had no intention of stealing it. He just wanted to grip it once — just once — and swing it.
Were the other disciples thinking the same thing? They surrounded the blade, their bloodshot eyes fixed on that jet-black sword.
Before anyone else could speak up, Nadri intimidated those around him the way he always did when drilling junior disciples, and declared: "Then, before we deliver it to the Master, let me try it out. Let us prove whether this sword truly is a cursed demon blade or not."