"Welcome back, Krai. How was the Church?"
"It was alright. It's been a while since I last went, but Anthem seemed to be fitting in just fine…"
I ran into Eva on the stairs leading to the Clan Master's room in the Clan House, and we chatted for a bit.
Everyone else keeps dragging my reputation through the mud, but Eva never changes—she's truly healing. I wish the rest of them would take notes.
"Alright… alright? …………Krai, don't tell me you think I don't know anything?"
"Alright."
As I tried to smooth things over with my usual noncommittal attitude, Eva let out her usual exasperated little sigh.
But seriously, Anthem was incredible. His size would be one thing for a Hunter, but for a member of the Church it had to be a real hassle—yet he'd managed to blend right in with the congregation. Maybe the inside truly does transcend the outside.
What's more, according to Anthem—not just us, but quite a few others had noticed the Black Knight emerging from the pendant. He said that when he went to tell the priest about the Black Knight coming out of the pendant, that was what he was told.
In other words, every single witness had kept their mouths shut without blaming him. The pillar he'd broken also went unpunished. How much merit must you accumulate in a past life to get treated like that… As someone who's constantly getting suspected for things he didn't do, I'm genuinely envious. Getting caught up in Lucia's advanced attack magic as a matter of course, though—that part I could do without.
Maybe I should follow Anthem's example and start living honestly… I am living honestly! I really don't know anything!
At that point, Eva's expression shifted to one of doubt as she looked at me grinning to myself.
"Krai… you seem weirdly cheerful, don't you?"
"Ah… you can tell?"
"………………The Church of the Radiant Spirit just went into a huge uproar over an incident, and yet—"
It's not like I'm in a good mood because of the incident—it's because I got a souvenir at the very end. The thing you want is an outstanding childhood friend. I'm always on the receiving end, so I want to return the favor someday.
"The Church's mess is going to be handled by the Star's Holy Thunder, apparently. They've been making a big deal out of prophecies and whatnot lately, but it seems like things are settling down now."
"………………"
So many things kept happening one after another that I'm exhausted. It's not like I was the one doing anything impressive, but I have no stamina, so just watching from up close left me dead tired.
That's when I noticed Eva staring intently at me.
Sharp, intelligent eyes with furrowed brows. The way she was scrutinizing my face as though something were written on it made me instinctively take a step back.
"Wh-what is it?"
"It's nothing……………… Really. I've just been reading your expressions to gauge your mood, Krai… Lately the curse incidents have been a complete mess. I've been doing my best to escape from the Imperial Capital. Truly, if things settle down… it would be a chance, but…………"
Hmm… I probably shouldn't dig too deep into that. It's easy to forget since she's so perfectly settled into the role of Sub Clan Master, but she used to be a merchant at a major trading house.
The Imperial Capital had been hectic lately too. From the Akasha incident to the dragon attack to this prophecy—when troubles pile up in such rapid succession, anyone would want to flee.
"Eva, you can escape too, you know?"
I'd come with you.
The words came out half-serious, and Eva's eyes went wide before she quickly held up her right palm. On her ring finger was a ring I recognized.
"I won't be running. Not after you gave me the Barrier Ring… I've steeled myself."
Way too cool. Meanwhile, I've got more than ten Barrier Rings on me and I haven't steeled myself at all…
Well, this time around should finally be the last of it… I'm completely full. I returned the Resonance Stone too, so this time I'm going to properly relax.
Lucia and the others had also had their schedules disrupted by the various incidents, so they'd have free time—I should just invite everyone over and lounge around.
That's when Eva composed herself and, somewhat unexpectedly, said something I'd anticipated.
"Come to think of it, Riz is here. She's in the Clan Master's room with Tino."
"!! Everything… is going exactly according to my simulation."
"She's in an extremely good mood… apparently she's expecting some kind of present or another… Are you okay?"
"Heh heh… An unfailingly precise reading, unlike my usual self—my own talent… frightens me."
Everything's right in the palm of my hand? Could this be the blossoming of divine strategy and fiendish scheming?
This is it, this is it! Right now, I'm allowed to act hard-boiled and get carried away. My eyes may be dead fish, but I know my childhood friend's personality inside and out. We've been together for far too long for nothing.
I turned to Eva, who was looking at me the way you'd look at something unsettling.
"I've got a favor to ask… Apparently a top-tier treasure chest from the Church should be arriving downstairs soon. Could you have someone—let's see, how about having it brought to the Lounge?"
"That's… fine, I suppose. A treasure chest?"
Eva would probably be shocked when she saw it too. I'd rarely seen a treasure chest that looked so much like a treasure chest in all my time as a Hunter. Riz would definitely be thrilled.
But still… I never imagined the Church of the Radiant Spirit's warehouse would have that many treasure chests stored away. They'd told me to pick whichever one I wanted since I couldn't tell what was what, but I had absolutely no idea and just ended up laughing.
§ In the Clan Master's room, Riz had Tino in a submission hold. She must have been bored while waiting.
The moment she spotted me, she let go of Tino—who was on the verge of unconsciousness—and launched herself at me. Just as Eva had said, her energy was through the roof.
"Kraaaaaaaiiii!"
"There, there, Riz, there there!"
I fended off the beaming Riz with one hand while checking on Tino, who was sprawled on the floor.
Her hair was all messed up—they must have been sparring while waiting. Being bored is no excuse for doing mock combat in someone else's room.
I was worried that if I scolded her too openly it would backfire onto Tino, so I just glared at Riz with my eyes alone, but she didn't look remotely sorry. Meanwhile, Tino's fingertips twitched, and she promptly came back to her senses.
She sat up, shook her head vigorously, and blushed when she saw me.
"Mastaa… you were here! What a shameful sight—"
"N-no… Tino, there there there."
Compared to the old days, my junior's resilience lately was insane. Mentally insane and physically insane. As Mastaa, I'm not sure whether I should be happy… or ashamed that I can't stop Riz.
What if Tino specializes in durability and ends up as big as Anthem?
Riz grabbed the arm of the freshly risen Tino and shoved her toward me.
"It's my turn to be your bodyguard soon, right? I couldn't wait, so I came a little early! I'm going to give it everything! Feel free to put Tino to work too! Although, since that attack in the Lounge, there haven't been any particularly strange movements—"
"…………Ah, that was a thing, wasn't it?"
"Mastaa, th-that was just the other day!"
Right… the daily rotation of bodyguards was an anti-surprise-attack measure.
But so many things had happened since then that it had gone hazy. Though actually—Gaark had been sent flying by that explosion and bounced right back! What is going on with that guy?
………Well, I'll gloss over the details. For once I'd actually been sharp.
I spoke solemnly to Riz, whose eyes were sparkling and who was fidgeting like a dog told to stay.
"Ahem, actually, Riz… there's something I want to give you."
"!!"
"I thought it wouldn't be fair to keep giving things to Luke and the others without giving anything to Riz."
"Kyaa! Krai, I love you!"
"O-onesama… that's improper…"
Riz bounced up and hugged me from behind, nuzzling against me. A body so hot it could make you sweat just from contact.
I'd more or less expected this kind of reaction, but being this happy about it was… well… I had no idea what was inside the treasure chest, so I'd assumed she'd be overjoyed even if it was empty—but being this appreciated was starting to make me nervous.
I'd forgotten about Tino's share, but Tino didn't seem to have any complaints. More concerning to her was Riz, who kept pressing her nose against the back of my neck.
"It's being brought to the Lounge right now—"
"Kyaa! I'm so excited, let's go! Come on? Hurry hurry!"
Riz somehow teleported in front of me in an instant and grabbed my arm. Her smile was dazzling enough to reach right into my heart.
This… she won't cry even if it's empty, right?
Tino murmured as she watched me, who had gone from sharp to looking like I was about to be crushed by anxiety.
"The Lounge………… isn't it still under repair?"
Ah, right. I'd指定指定指定 the Lounge as the destination because I wanted to show everyone a perfect treasure chest, but I'd completely forgotten it was half-destroyed.
§ Even the contractors who were accustomed to repairing our Clan House apparently found it difficult to restore the half-destroyed Lounge in a short time.
The Lounge, once our pride and joy, was still in shambles, just as Tino had said. Large cracks ran through the floor, and the tables had been cleared away. In its current state, it clearly couldn't serve its function as a gathering spot, and there was no sign of the usual crowd of Clan members.
But for Riz, none of that mattered.
Her eyes lit up at the thing placed prominently in the center of the Lounge, and she let out a voice brimming with delight.
"Kyaaa! What is this, it's amaaaazing! A treasure chest!"
"It is a treasure chest, onesama! And this looks like…… it's from a Treasure Hall?"
"An authentic Treasure Hall product. It has that distinctive impact."
With Eva's seal of approval, Tino cast a slightly envious glance toward me.
It was a treasure chest that wasn't particularly flashy—basic, but utterly flawless.
A wooden body with a rusted metal frame. A large padlock secured it shut. It was just big enough for Riz or Tino to squeeze inside, and far too heavy for someone like me to lift.
The very image of what a treasure chest should look like—and no Treasure Hunter would ever hate a chest like this. Especially not a Thief whose job it was to pick the lock.
Treasure chests are among the most exciting things to find in a Treasure Hall.
Treasure chests exist in the modern world too, but the ones that appear rarely in Treasure Halls are themselves Treasure Weapons—unlike other Treasure Weapons found individually, these are discovered already containing multiple Treasure Weapons inside.
The concept of treasure inside a box had presumably been reproduced through Mana Material, resulting in this particular form. There's a theory that the Treasure Weapons found inside chests tend to be high-level, and indeed there have been those who discovered large chests filled with rare, powerful Treasure Weapons and amassed enormous wealth. (Incidentally, there's also a small chance they contain nothing at all.)
Finding a treasure chest in a Treasure Hall is a dream for every Treasure Hunter.
But at the same time, treasure chests carry enormous risk. Most are fitted with sturdy locks and powerful traps.
Since treasure chests are themselves a type of Treasure Weapon, the box is incredibly durable—smashing it open and snatching the contents isn't an option. This is why Treasure Hunter parties seek out Thieves with excellent lock-picking and trap-disarming skills, and also why unopened heavy chests circulate in the market.
In the Imperial Capital, where skilled Hunters abound, you don't see them much—but in other countries, apparently abandoned chests outnumber opened ones. Well, when a trap disarm goes wrong you just straight-up die… our party nearly died a few times ourselves.
In the Church's underground vault that Anthem had shown me, treasure chests of all sizes and materials were stored in massive quantities. Apparently they'd been donated by Hunter congregants—too precious to treat carelessly, too dangerous to open casually, so the Church had been at a loss.
The best of the best treasure chest I'd selected from among them was this one. There were several others with wooden bodies and iron frames, but this one had the most character and looked the most authentic.
Even if it turned out empty, it'd make a great trinket box… large storage box? Something. It would be good for something. It was insanely heavy, though.
"It's such a cool-looking treasure chest, right? The moment I saw it, I knew—this is the one!"
"Yay! It's been so long since I opened a treasure chest! Come here, Tee!"
"Wha!? Me too? Is that okay!?"
Riz kept beckoning, and Tino hurried over to her side.
She looked adorable, genuinely unsure whether she was really allowed—but Riz probably saw this as training. Picking the lock of a treasure chest was genuinely dangerous…
I lightly tapped Eva's arm and moved a little away from Riz and Tino. Traps on treasure chests tended to be single-use. I thought the Barrier Ring should cover it, but better safe than sorry.
Eva sidled up to me and whispered.
"……Krai, what's inside that box?"
"………What do you think?"
"…………"
Eva put on a serious expression and thought hard. The answer was… I have no idea!
As of now, the only known method for peering into the contents of a Treasure Hall treasure chest from the outside was a magnifying-glass-type Treasure Weapon called the Treasure Viewing Mirror.
However, the Hunter who had discovered that exceedingly coveted Treasure Weapon was assassinated simply for making its existence public, and the Treasure Weapon itself was destroyed. Since then, a second Treasure Viewing Mirror has never been found.
Riz was buzzing with excitement as she examined the lock, but soon spoke up, puzzled.
"Hmm? Krai, this lock is pretty simple, right? The traps are…………… hmm…?"
Riz knocked on the treasure chest, then lifted it to check the underside. It was so heavy I couldn't pick it up, but Riz was amazing. What strength!
Opening a treasure chest— a Treasure Weapon born from Mana Material—required not just knowledge, but intuition and skill. Perhaps they, wielding all five senses and a sixth to confront the unknown mechanisms within, were the truest embodiment of what a Treasure Hunter should be.
After examining the chest from every angle, Riz said with a difficult expression: "Hmm, why don't we just try opening it?"
"Yeah… it doesn't seem like it has explosion-type traps or anything."
"…………Tee, I'll let you have the lock-picking. You don't get many chances to actually open a treasure chest, so show Krai what your practice has paid off for."
"Really!? Is that okay!?"
Tino's eyes went wide as she spoke happily. Eva looked surprised, but Riz was clearly proud of herself.
Yeah, yeah, that's right! She's really taken on the master role! Even though she was putting her in submission holds just a minute ago!
Tino knelt in front of the dangling padlock, pulled a set of picking tools from her hair, and carefully inserted them into the keyhole.
Just as Riz had said, it must have been a simple type. In a matter of seconds, there was a click and the lock popped open. Impeccable technique worthy of Riz.
But this was just the beginning. Lock-picking was important, but disarming the trap was even more critical. Lives were on the line.
Relieved at having picked the lock successfully, Tino smiled and turned back to Riz, then looked at me. She wore a proud expression that reminded me a little of Riz, and I waved at her. That was when it happened.
—It was too quiet, too graceful, and too absurd for words.
The freshly unlocked treasure chest opened without a sound, sprang into the air, lunged at Tino's back, swallowed her whole, and returned to its original position.
The entire sequence took mere seconds. Riz couldn't react. Eva couldn't react. And Tino herself surely had no idea what had just happened.
"Ah…"
"Wha…?"
Riz blinked, and Eva stood frozen with a vacant expression.
"………………"
That was just as impressive a display of technique as Riz's…… no, that's not it! Thank goodness I'd let go of Eva—but that's not right either!
…………She didn't even scream. Is that not incredibly dangerous?
Treasure chest… no? A Monster…? No… a Treasure Weapon? Huh?
………Come to think of it, they did say people occasionally went missing in the Church's warehouse. That's why they called me— "Tino… got eaten."
Eva, pale-faced and with a hand pressed to her mouth, murmured what no one else had dared to say aloud. She'd been expecting someone to get eaten someday…… no, that's not the point!
…………Why does everyone in this country have something insane hidden away?
"Huh? What!? Tee!? What is this, Krai!?"
Riz shouted in confusion. The treasure chest gulped her down from behind in one go.
"Ah…"
The perfect treasure chest closed its lid and returned to its original state. Eva stared at me blankly. Silence descended over the Lounge.
With its fill of two people, the chest showed no signs of moving again. Or maybe it would start moving if we turned our backs?
………Riz…… she was definitely looking to me for a decision… since I was the one who brought the treasure chest.
For Riz, who was used to accidents, to get swallowed so easily… We should have fought! She should have gone on a rampage like always!