In the plaza, construction of the magic circles was progressing at a rapid pace.
They carried a table to a position above the gate in the courtyard—high enough to monitor Marin's Lament, which had been sewn into the sky—and held a meeting.
Amid the state of high alert, the priest let out a deep sigh and looked around at everyone.
"My, my... we're all connected by but a single thread of skin, aren't we? I certainly didn't expect an irregularity like that. If Franz hadn't advised us to prepare a Treasure Weapon, I don't know what would have—"
"No one could have predicted something like that. It can't be helped. Right, Thousand Transformations?"
"Huh? Oh... yeah, yeah, that's right."
I was spacing out when Franz suddenly put me on the spot, and I hurriedly nodded. Ark, Krius, Lucia, Gaark, and the rest let out audible sighs.
I mean, I've prided myself on having seen all sorts of things, but a knight coming out of a cross pendant? I guess the world is still far wider than I thought.
Well, I won't say that out loud... nobody seemed to notice anyway.
"But still... aren't the people in this country hiding way too many dangerous things?"
"........................"
Franz fixed me with a silent, murderous stare.
Even if you look at me like that... shall I prostrate myself, if it's all right?
That was when our Ark spoke up.
"However, fighting a curse for the first time—it far exceeded our expectations. Lucia Roje's high-level attack magic, along with my lightning, seemed to have no effect beyond holding it in place..."
"The knight's attacks were getting through to some extent, but Marin's Lament slipped right through them. The effect wasn't zero from the looks of it, but it didn't seem to be the same type as spirit-type Monsters either."
Gaark, a former Hunter well-versed in subduing Monsters and Phantoms, said with a twisted expression.
It was certainly hard to imagine something shrugging off Ark's lightning strikes and Lucia's hailstorm like they were nothing. Ark wasn't a professional Mage, but Lucia had reached a level where she could even bring down dragons.
She was acting like nothing happened, but wasn't she responsible for roughly half of that barrier pillar collapse?
"Indeed... it seems our Church of Radiant Spirits' secret arts will have to be our trump card. Of course, while we're holding it in place with the 'Pillar of Light,' outside interference is impossible. Even if we were to resume the operation, the method... we'll need to think of one. In that airspace, even layered barrier magic circles would be weakened, and beyond that, having two curses of that magnitude converge in one place is completely unheard of."
"I see... so it's as the Astrology Division's prophecy indicated."
By the way, I couldn't help noticing Franz glancing over this way from time to time... but I don't know anything about that.
It was probably best not to interject too much this time. With such an illustrious group assembled, and you know what they say—loose lips sink ships...
I crossed my arms and nodded along vaguely when, as if they'd been waiting for their moment, Lapis and Krius's group—the Star's Holy Thunder—finally spoke up.
"Magic has almost no effect on curses. The best way to counter a curse is with a force similar to another curse."
"In our forest, it's Spiritfolk who have aged and accumulated spiritual power who take on that role."
"They're Hexers with unique abilities different from ours. You need to be born into a bloodline with that aptitude, or be a Spiritfolk who's lived long enough for the power to dwell within you!"
"Suppressing a cursed object of that class through direct confrontation is extremely difficult. The grudge hasn't faded in the slightest."
The Spiritfolk offered their opinions one after another. Their personalities weren't exactly easy to get along with, to put it mildly, but they were reliable in times like these.
...And sure enough, was Krius being messed with?
He'd apparently been told to use honorifics and ended up like that, but why was he the only one using weirdly stilted language?
The priest nodded deeply at those words, gazing up at Marin's Lament with a look tinged with pity.
"...The grudge hasn't faded in the slightest, has it? I suppose it can't be helped... Marin's Lament has a tragic origin as well. In a sense, even that thing is a victim."
I didn't know what had happened, but that rampage was still pretty alarming.
Pretending to think while letting the conversation wash over me, Lapis narrowed her eyes and spoke.
"Having humans purify that would be an overwhelming burden. We too have received much from Zebuldia, so if need be—curse arts are our domain. We could call upon the Hexers of our forest..."
"A Spiritfolk... Hexer, you say?"
Gaark looked at Lapis with surprise. Star's Holy Thunder had once been quite the troublemaking Party among Hunters in the Imperial Capital, so maybe that was a lingering effect.
They didn't have that deep a relationship, but it seemed like joining a Clan had rounded them out a bit.
Come to think of it, speaking of Hexers, there was Kechachakka. What was she up to these days? Still at the Inn of Wandering?
"But the Hexers of the forest despise humans. Bringing one here would require Zebuldia's full cooperation. And besides... hmph. The Church has its own pride to consider as well."
"I see. Well, I doubt even the headquarters has a reliable method for subduing something that even layered barrier magic circles can't contain. In practical terms, the only person at the Imperial Capital Church who could purify that would be Anthem... but given what it's like, it would probably escape."
"Hmm..."
Anthem let out a troubled groan. The idea that a curse radiating resentment and killing intent would choose to flee—even after being released from the barrier—was troubling. Apparently, if it was too strong, that created a whole different set of problems.
"I've been instructed to make countermeasures against the Astrology Division's prophecy our top priority. Whatever's needed to welcome them, we'll take full responsibility for preparing. If that's what it takes to stop the prophecy from coming true, it's a small price to pay."
With a group this stacked, they could handle anything. For some reason, I felt like my presence here was completely out of place.
At Franz's words, Lapis nodded with exaggerated gravity and spoke in a clear, commanding voice.
"Metallic objects are strictly forbidden in the Spiritfolk's forest. Prepare carriages for the escort made entirely of living wood or precious gems. The horses must be unicorns or griffins—they're not comfortable around large groups of humans, so when they arrive, issue a curfew keeping everyone off the main roads. Treat them with the same deference as royal visitors from another nation."
Even for foreign royalty, I didn't think they'd go that far... It was the complete lack of malice that made her all the worse.
Perhaps realizing that imposing a curfew on the Imperial Capital was a tall order, Franz asked in a suppressed voice.
"...Is there no other way? What about other personnel—say, that Sage from the magic academy? How would she fare?"
"...Hmph. Don't be ridiculous. That woman is half-baked. And though humans might not understand this, Mages and Hexers operate on entirely different principles."
Franz had it rough too... But honestly, this time around I really hadn't done anything.
Then again, Lucia, Ark, Anthem, Lapis and the rest were all members of Beginning Footprint, so in a sense, wasn't my contribution rate actually pretty high?
...Yeah, yeah, that's right! That's exactly why my Level went up without me doing anything!
Franz, the priest, and Lapis's group began hashing out the details of their plan.
With nothing particular to do, I was spacing out, gazing at Marin's Lament visible through the window, when Gaark suddenly spoke.
"...Klye, is something on your mind?"
"Huh? Nah..."
I hadn't said anything... or rather, was the fact that I hadn't said anything what made it suspicious?
Everyone's gaze had somehow turned toward me. Lucia's half-lidded stare was especially painful. So she'd also figured out I hadn't been paying attention to the conversation?
Something on my mind, something on my mind... Not really anything in particular, but... well, if I had to say—Liliz, maybe.
Going by the rotation of who got to bodyguard me next, Liliz should be the one showing up. Getting bodyguarded hadn't exactly stopped me from having a miserable time, so the whole thing felt pointless, but "don't bother coming" wasn't an answer she'd accept.
And of course, Liliz knew that Luke and the others had received something from me, so she'd be convinced she was getting something too. In reality, what I'd given out this time had been outrageous, but that didn't matter one bit to Liliz. If I didn't hand something over, she'd throw a fit like a child, I was sure of it.
Now, what to do... I was deep in thought about something completely unrelated when Gaark furrowed his brow and spoke.
"If there's something, say it now."
"...Nah, nothing really."
"Even the tiniest detail is fine! You're always the one who goes and does something outrageous after the fact!"
Franz started spouting off again. What on earth had damaged my reputation in his eyes so badly? I didn't mean any harm. "You didn't mean any harm" being thrown back at me was its own problem, but still.
But the atmosphere clearly wasn't going to settle unless I said something. I gave a light cough, put on an apologetic expression, and spoke.
"This doesn't really have much to do with what we've been discussing, but... how should I put it, um... right. I was just thinking it'd be nice if there was, like, a locked treasure chest or something."
"What!? What are you talking about... you..."
The important thing here is that it has to be locked. Old, wooden, and full of character.
Liliz loved locked treasure chests. The more complex the lock, the better, and the closer it looked to the classic treasure chest image, the more she adored it.
Ideally, it could even be empty. If I got her to open it and then praised her to high heaven, she'd be perfectly satisfied.
Ark and the others were frowning. The priest looked bewildered too. I probably shouldn't have said it out loud. Maybe I'd look for one on the way home.
§ After all the discussions were concluded, I left the church together with Lapis and Lucia. I stretched my spine with a sense of liberation, prompting Lucia to let out a deep sigh.
Though I'd made a few tone-deaf remarks along the way, the end result of the heated debate was that they would request cooperation from the Spiritfolk Hexers.
Until then, Marin's Lament would be left where it was—pinned to the sky by a Treasure Weapon. The priest looked troubled precisely because it was in such a visible location, but honestly, I thought it made for rather avant-garde installation art.
Although more Spiritfolk were gradually making their way into human cities these days, Spiritfolk and humans were fundamentally incompatible. And if the other party was a Hexer—a figure held in high regard even among the Spiritfolk—any incident could easily escalate into an international dispute.
Franz, the one who would be welcoming them, wore the expression of someone chewing on a bitter bug the entire time. Being a noble really was tough.
When we stepped outside, Lapis addressed Franz.
"We should act quickly. We'll head to the forest immediately to make arrangements. Franz, prepare for the reception."
"...It will take some time. Once preparations are complete, I'll send word—let's have Resonance Stones ready... Thousand Transformations, hand over the Resonance Stone I entrusted to you. You won't be needing it anymore."
"...What? I was sure you were going to give it to me..."
"Give it to you!? Resonance Stones are rare strategic resources even in the Imperial Capital!"
When I'd first received it, I'd been terrified, but it had been convenient having Franz contact me through it almost immediately. Oh well.
Reluctantly, I handed the Resonance Stone back. Franz snatched it up with flared nostrils and passed it to Lapis.
Lapis examined the Resonance Stone closely before tucking it away. Every single gesture of hers was so refined. She was pure hardboiled.
Then Franz fixed me with a sharp glare.
"Thousand Transformations—you have no other concerns, do you?"
"Hmm? I don't think so..."
Not so much "no concerns" as "I'm not really sure."
I'm not one to brag, but the reason I'd been nodding along so agreeably was simply because I was matching everyone else's energy!
"You—! That's always how you are! That absurd remark from earlier, and now this—what is it!? Has your shameless attitude somehow earned you divine powers!? What's this about a treasure chest!?"
I already said that had nothing to do with anything... Just forget about it, please...
"My, my, Franz. Calm down. Aren't you a little too anxious after assembling the ultimate lineup? You've got Ark, Gaark, Lucia, Anthem—a formation with no weaknesses on offense or defense. There were no casualties from Marin's Lament in the end, and with a party like that, you should be fine no matter what curse comes your way. You're relying on me too much."
"...Grrgh...!"
Turning it around doesn't produce anything either—I'm useless. Did you not see me perched on top of decoration on top of decoration thanks to Lucia!
Everyone came running to me the moment there was an accident, so... I was hardly idle either. I was busy resting. I had to go buy a treasure chest and all...
"I only tagged along this time as a precaution, and I didn't do anything in the end, did I? Since we're being honest, I'm really not nearly as impressive as Franz seems to think. I just cause problems."
"S-So you were aware... you! Are you invincible!?"
Oops... I'd poked the bear!
I reflexively tried to duck behind Lucia—when the ground shook.
I turned around. The one who had called out to me (well, not really) was Anthem. Unusually, he'd removed his outer robe and was flanked by priests of the Church of Radiant Spirits.
Franz, who had been about to berate me, fell silent.
His frame was just barely small enough to slip through the large gate. He had a presence that made most people shut up without question.
He probably wanted something?
Waiting for him to speak, Anthem cleared his throat with a small cough and, in a voice that wasn't restrained for once, spoke.
"Klye, regarding the matter of the treasure chest that came up during the meeting earlier, the Church has something to discuss. Come with me."