The Mourning Specter had many enemies.
This was mainly because Luke and Liliz were constantly picking fights or getting into them everywhere.
When they heard there was a skilled swordsman in the west, they'd go test their mettle. When they heard a band of vicious thieves that had routed a knight order had appeared in the eastern frontier, they'd spend days traveling just to go fight them.
If Hunters didn't have a tendency to revere the strong, our reputation would have been terrible by now.
The Party name sounded particularly ominous, so back in the day, we'd sometimes be mistaken for a criminal Party that only took on thief guild jobs and shady commissions, and get attacked.
Now that misunderstanding didn't happen in the Imperial Capital anymore, but apparently when we went on expeditions, we still sometimes got looked at with cold eyes.
"Gaark's lost his edge too. Age is so cruel."
Walking beside me, Liliz—who had just challenged the Explorer's Guild to a fight for the first time in a while—said this with a wistful tone.
There was no mockery in her voice.
She'd clearly riled Gaark up on purpose, but her voice sounded lonely, as if she'd lost a sparring partner.
"…You probably shouldn't use yourself as the benchmark."
"Okaaay."
Gaark wasn't as weak as she made him sound. He still regularly broke up drunken brawls between Hunters by beating both sides senseless, and his face was still as terrifying as when we first met.
Still, it wasn't fair to compare him to Liliz, who was still active on the front lines.
In the Hunter world, stopping activity meant an irreversible decline in strength. Even Liliz, who was striding forward now, would eventually lose her power.
That's why many retired Hunters changed their base of operations away from their hometowns. Some Treasure Hunters supplemented their income as mercenaries or bounty hunters. Many had earned grudges along the way.
As long as you were strong enough to brush off the flames of retribution, it was fine, but being ambushed after you'd weakened was no joke. It was even worse for those who threw themselves headlong into blazing infernos.
Liliz and the others had no plans to retire for now, but they'd quietly been considering places to move to for when the time came.
But Gaark's expression was far more than just a little bothered. He understood Liliz's personality, yet he must have been truly fed up—given how competitive he was, he might just charge into a Treasure Hall on his own.
Walking through the streets while chatting with Liliz, I noticed the Explorer's Guild seemed to be in quite an uproar, but the town itself was peaceful as always.
Liliz, wearing a revealing outfit with robotic-looking leg armor, really stood out. She was drawing stares, but she didn't seem to care at all, just smiling away the whole time.
I wish she'd be this well-behaved all the time.
Our conversation mainly revolved around the hunt Liliz and the others had gone on this time.
The City of Ten Thousand Demons.
Among the Treasure Halls, there were some that Hunters rarely visited. The location was remote. The terrain was brutal. The Phantoms that appeared were strong. The types of Treasure Weapons obtainable were skewed—there were various reasons, but Treasure Halls that hadn't been cleared for a long time and had accumulated too much Mana Material tended to become significantly more powerful.
The City of Ten Thousand Demons was one of those.
In a word, it was a massive castle guarded by numerous powerful demons. It seemed to be based on mythology, and between the diverse variety of Phantoms, the difficulty of preparing countermeasures, and its remote location far from civilization, no one had challenged it for a long time.
The White Wolf's Den had also been an unpopular Treasure Hall, but the City of Ten Thousand Demons was on a different level. The former's unpopularity was simply because there was no profit in it; the latter's was because of its difficulty.
No Hunter had successfully cleared it recently, and there was almost no information about its interior. Hunters lured by rumors of numerous Treasure Weapons sleeping inside would take one look at the castle from a distance and give up—a genuinely formidable stronghold.
Actually, when it was first named as our next target Treasure Hall, I was really anxious, but I couldn't stop Luke and the others from explaining it with eyes sparkling with excitement.
I was technically the leader. The Party's decisions were mine to make. I could have said something and stopped them, but how could I, as their friend, obstruct the heroic journey of adventure that my friends sought?
Liliz's tale of the hunt was even more heated than usual.
The names of the Phantoms that appeared—Level 8, no less—were truly impressive.
Dragons and Griffons I recognized, but after that, the names became unintelligible. I just smiled and nodded along.
Something called a Squonk, and something called a Yakulus. What even were those? What kind of creatures?
"Say, Citry said something about pulling stuff from the legends of the Black King Grapsus… There were also a lot of intelligent humanoid ones, so it was probably a mix of several legends? The terrain was crazy too—"
"Huh… Were they tough?"
I held back all the things I wanted to ask and confirmed just one thing.
The Black King Grapsus was the name of a tyrant who had supposedly ruled this continent thousands of years ago. He could freely manipulate countless beasts and had created numerous beasts that should never have existed through evil rituals.
He'd existed long before the Empire emerged, but he'd apparently wreaked such havoc that his servants—now appearing as Phantoms—were still frequently sighted in Treasure Halls across the land.
He was one of the most disliked figures among Hunters.
Liliz pressed a finger to her lips and thought for a moment, then broke into a wide smile.
"Hmm… Probably the toughest so far. They really felt like Level 8. The Black King's beasts are so tough… They've definitely been strengthened compared to back then. Physical attacks barely worked, there were tons of them—honestly, it was rough. We could manage if we just ran, though."
Don't look so happy about it…
These were Phantoms that even Liliz—who I no longer fully understood the limits of—deemed too much to handle. I couldn't even imagine their threat.
What kind of opponent could make someone who could swat down countless bullets struggle?
"How did they compare to the boss of the White Wolf's Den?"
"Huh…?"
The boss of the White Wolf's Den—that wolf knight clad in nearly complete human bones—had stood out even among the Phantoms of a Treasure Hall where the Phantom levels had jumped dramatically.
It was an opponent that had pushed back a party led by a Level 5 veteran Hunter.
Liliz had taken it down so quickly that I'd never fought it directly, but just remembering those glowing eyes made me want to retire right then and there.
At my question, Liliz stopped in her tracks.
She furrowed her brow and thought hard for about ten seconds, then said apologetically: "…Was there… a boss?"
"…Ah, yes."
"Sorry, sorry? If you say so, Krai-chan, then there must have been, right? Sorry. I don't really remember trash very well… I remember Tinno being useless, and that we were looked down on, but…"
Apparently, that boss was so insignificant compared to the Level 8 Phantoms that it wasn't even worth remembering. I'd definitely never be joining their hunts again.
It wasn't that I was bitter, and I didn't regret forming a Clan and stepping away from the front lines, but when the gap in our perceptions was this wide, it felt a little lonely.
Seeing my subtle expression, Liliz grabbed my hand and said urgently: "Oh, but! Even though it was weak like trash, a whole bunch of different weapons came out! I think it'd be useful for training! The fact that it only had physical equipment is a concern, but don't you think it'd be perfect for Tinno?"
That wasn't really the point.
"Yeah, yeah, sure."
"Right?! Next time I'll take you along! I was so frustrated because you can't go all out when the opponent is human! You really need to put your life on the line for it to work."
Oh no. I should have stopped her there.
Tinno was about to be put through life-or-death training. …I'd better take him out for ice cream next time.
This date was mainly Liliz's idea. I was just being pulled along as we strolled through the Imperial Capital.
Liliz was fierce. She loved fighting, and as a Hunter, she was intensely curious.
But when she went out with me around the city, she preferred a regular date itinerary—browsing boutiques and jewelry shops, having tea at a café.
She didn't want to go to taverns, peek into weapon shops favored by Hunters, or deliberately walk down back alleys where no one would see to lure in riffraff.
From an outside perspective, it would really look like an ordinary date.
Liliz couldn't stay on edge forever—it would be exhausting. Perhaps by occasionally spending time in these gentle moments, she was maintaining her balance.
The coins at Liliz's waist jingled as she walked. The pouch—far too large to be a coin purse—was stuffed to the brim.
The income from the Mourning Specter's hunts was divided equally among members, minus expenses for equipment. Unlike me, who immediately spent everything on Treasure Weapons, Liliz was wealthy since she had few material desires.
My coin purse contained only five Imperial gold coins that Eva had prepared for emergencies—five hundred thousand Gill—and my own remaining ten thousand Gill. The difference was staggering.
Watching her splurge in upscale tailor shops and jewelry stores that we wandered into was actually enjoyable.
The only annoyance was that she asked me if things suited her every time she tried something on, but I supposed this was fine once in a while.
I didn't really know, but they looked good. They really suited her. She should buy them. I felt bad that I couldn't give them as presents.
If only I had two fewer digits in my savings, I could have given her gifts. But I couldn't use the emergency money.
While walking through town, I quietly observed whether there were any disturbances caused by the Citri Slime, but there seemed to be none.
There had been whispers about disturbances on the northern highway, but the Treasure Hall anomaly that sent Phantoms onto the highway had occurred before losing the Slime, so it was probably unrelated.
"Hey, hey, Krai, what's wrong? You've been low-energy since a while ago."
I thought I was hiding it, but Liliz asked worriedly.
I felt bad for always making everyone worry.
"Liliz, say… this is just hypothetical, but what if the Zebuldia Empire were to fall? What would you do?"
It was an extremely abstract question. If it actually happened, the cause would be me, but I couldn't bring myself to say that.
To this sudden question—one that could easily be taken as a joke—Liliz didn't fire back a barrage of questions, nor did she lose her smile. She answered immediately: "I'd run away with you!"
…No, no, that wasn't really feasible.
"Next time, I'd like to go south… I want to see the ocean… I've never been."
She was incredibly optimistic for someone discussing the fall of a nation.
Watching Liliz's eyes light up as she gazed into the distance slightly lifted my spirits.
I'd do what I could. And if that wasn't enough, maybe running away like Liliz said wouldn't be so bad.
The ocean. The ocean, huh. Not bad.
"You can't run underwater, though."
"Hmm, you won't know until you try!"
You definitely don't need to try. Please don't transcend the laws of physics.
Liliz's tone was light, and her excitement was as if she were discussing travel plans.
"There are supposedly Treasure Halls built on the ocean floor—they must be beautiful. The breathing thing would be a problem, though. The sky could be nice too… Living in the Imperial Capital is convenient, but it's been years since we came here—"
As I nodded along, Liliz's expression suddenly turned severe.
Her body, which had been pressed close to mine, pulled away. The shopping bags in both her hands dropped to the ground with a thud. By then, she was already pinning a man face-down on the pavement a few meters ahead.
She had his arms pulled behind his back and her foot on his spine, completely immobilizing him.
The man had a beard. He was about my height—average and unremarkable, not a Hunter from the look of him.
The man groaned in pain. I was right beside him, but I hadn't seen the moment it happened. From his perspective, he probably didn't even realize when he'd been taken down.
I was momentarily stunned, then hurried over. A Hunter attacking a civilian was strictly forbidden—especially a one-sided attack.
Liliz was violent by nature, but she hadn't hit a civilian recently. I thought she'd mellowed out a bit, and then this happened.
"What!? What are you doing, Liliz?!"
She'd been in such a good mood just a moment ago—what had happened?
I went pale, but Liliz didn't even glance at me. She kept her eyes fixed on the man beneath her foot. His arm twisted with an audible creak.
People who'd been walking nearby were pulling their faces tight and hurrying away. It would only be a matter of time before the peacekeeping soldiers arrived.
Liliz threw a chilling glare down at him, then ground her foot into his head. The man struggled, but the iron grip on him didn't budge.
"This guy… was looking at us just now."
…So what? If someone looked at you, you'd attack them?
Besides, Liliz stood out. I'd noticed the stares too.
What exactly was the difference between those gazes and his?
The unfortunate man who'd been attacked simply for watching groaned. I grabbed Liliz's arm from behind and pulled her off.
"Alright, alright, let go of him for now."
"…"
Liliz released him.
The man, coughing as he turned over, looked up at Liliz and me with a pale face.
No scars on his cheeks, no Hunter-trained physique—an utterly ordinary middle-aged man of average build and no distinguishing features. No weapons either. A perfectly upstanding citizen you'd find anywhere. He was completely the victim.
The Imperial Capital favored Hunters, but it wasn't so lenient as to forgive a Hunter who used violence on a civilian.
I extended a hand and helped the man—who'd gone weak in the knees—to his feet.
"I-I'm sorry. She's… emotionally unstable. Are you hurt?"
"…"
The man didn't take my hand. He let out a small shriek, looking rattled, and darted away. There was a footprint on his back.
…It seemed he wasn't hurt after all. Good, good… No, this wasn't good at all.
You never knew where the trigger would be. That had been nerve-racking.
Liliz frowned, watching the man flee. She looked somewhat dissatisfied.
What? What was it? What had bothered her? She'd been relatively well-behaved lately…
…Let's get out of here before someone shows up. We'd get that "you again?" look.
As I panicked, Liliz thought for a moment, then tilted her head in bewilderment.
"Huh? Could it be… that you were letting him go?"
What was she talking about? Let him go or not, being looked at was no big deal.
Did it affect me in any way? The reason people stared was because she always wore attention-grabbing Treasure Weapons!
"Liliz, we're going to have a talk later."
"Geez—your acting was too good! I was so sure I had it nailed down but I didn't notice at all… I'll be more careful next time!"
Liliz's mood returned to normal.
Even though I said we'd have a talk, she hugged my arm, showing absolutely no remorse.
I hurriedly led Liliz—stickily attached to me and looking in an incredibly good mood—away from the scene.
I needed to watch out, or she'd end up doing something like a random attacker… Before training Tinno, Liliz really needed to learn some common sense from Tinno himself.
§ § § He ran at full speed. He ran as long as his lungs could hold out. No one dared stand in the way of this unusually agitated man.
The Imperial Capital Zebuldia was like a garden to him. He knew every route—from the main streets bustling with travelers and merchants, to the back alleys that vagrants and ordinary citizens avoided.
But right now, he didn't have the luxury of thinking about any of that.
He fled continuously, like a small animal pursued by a predator. What floated in his oxygen-starved mind was that terrifyingly sharp gaze.
The man stopped only after ten minutes of sprinting, reaching the back of a dim building.
There was no pursuer.
If that woman had wanted to, she would have caught him long ago. No—before that, he wouldn't have been able to break free from her initial restraint at all.
The overwhelming, vice-like force in those slender arms had targeted pressure points to suppress every movement of his body, creating the illusion that his entire being was bound in iron.
Only the faint, hazy sunlight filtering through the gaps between buildings illuminated his flickering vision through exhaustion.
"Hah… hah… What… was that…"
Out of breath, he clutched both arms to himself, enduring the uncontrollable trembling.
He hadn't done anything that should have given him away.
His targets were a Level 8 and a Level 6 Hunter. He'd come prepared with a certain resolve.
Their figures attracted considerable attention, and they'd been walking on a busy road. As long as he hadn't harmed them, there was no way anyone could distinguish his gaze from anyone else's.
His appearance was unremarkable, and he wasn't a Hunter. His movements were natural, he hadn't lingered in their field of vision unnaturally for long, and he hadn't harbored any killing intent. This time, his purpose was merely reconnaissance.
He was always careful to stay in blind spots, out of sight.
In fact, until he was thrown to the ground, he hadn't suspected for a moment that he'd been made.
His restrained arms still ached dully. He pressed down on them and steadied his breathing.
He wanted to believe it was coincidence, but Peerless Shadow had clearly detected his gaze. What he should be thinking about was why Thousand Transformations—despite having restrained him—had let him go.
There was no reason for them to release someone who'd been tailing them. Besides, if they were going to release him without doing anything, there was no need to restrain him in the first place.
Apologies had been offered, but those words had clearly not been sincere.
He'd had no intention of divulging information under interrogation, but simply being released changed everything.
The purpose—a warning? Damn it. How much did they know?
He said nothing aloud, only clenched his teeth.
There'd been no information leak. Their plan was supposed to be flawless.
The strengthening of the White Wolf's Den, too—the anomaly wasn't supposed to be detected for much longer. The White Wolf's Den was a Treasure Hall that few people visited, and even if some unfortunate Hunter stumbled in, the current difficulty had skyrocketed. They wouldn't make it out alive.
But in reality, people had now congregated around the White Wolf's Den in such numbers that continuing the experiment was becoming difficult.
The cause hadn't been identified yet, but if they continued the experiment, someone would eventually catch on.
He'd heard of the Mourning Specter's reputation. He'd been on guard, but they'd shown no signs of awareness so far, so he'd left them alone. Their sudden large-scale move had been unexpected.
Remembering the face of the young man who'd offered apologies, the man's eyes widened to their limits and his shoulders trembled.
He didn't move again until just before sunset.
The White Wolf's Den was finished. Completely exposed. Not enough personnel.
He'd have to report the change in plans.
As the man staggered away, no one was watching.