Deep in the forest, Adler received the strange, luminous gemstone from Uno, who had returned after successfully completing the mission. He raised it to eye level, stared at it intently, and let out a sigh of admiration.
The mysterious gemstone tied to a string—the guide spun round and round before stopping, pointing resolutely in one direction.
"Well done, Uno. So this is the guide that Thousand Transformations was talking about..."
"That's—that's impossible! There's no way Thousand Transformations wouldn't notice a woman who just suddenly showed up!"
Adler shrugged at Uno, whose face had gone pale as he protested.
They did need that key, whatever it was, to achieve their objective. He understood that much.
He'd never heard of it, but if it was true that a place existed where ancient beasts and divine beasts roamed, then that aligned perfectly with their own goal.
They'd been constantly monitoring Thousand Transformations' movements, so tailing him would have been possible. But letting someone else claim the monsters first would defeat the purpose.
Still, that didn't make this any less of an absurd plan.
Adler licked his lips and spoke in a tone that was almost reproachful.
"But see, it worked out splendidly. Turns out, the mastermind type is surprisingly vulnerable to absurd schemes."
"That's—you only say that because you're not the one doing it!"
"Uno, you'd have been able to escape even if you'd been caught. Your Holy Spirit's dimensional dive is the perfect ability for getting away."
"Wouldn't matter if I got taken out before I could dive, though. That guy's no ordinary Hunter—he's Level 8."
Quint, sitting cross-legged nearby, snorted. In response, Uno violently yanked off his hood and scowled openly.
A Level 8 Hunter.
Uno had trained himself as a monster lord, but he wasn't a combatant. Still, to be classified as a high-level Hunter required a certain degree of fighting ability.
It galled him, but Quint was right—there was no way to win without combat monsters. And even with monsters, one person alone wouldn't be enough.
Their opponent was also a pathfinder, but of an entirely different caliber. He'd straddled a treasure chest of monsters never before seen, and when an army of monsters appeared in the forest, he hadn't even shown the slightest hint of exerting control.
For a pathfinder, numbers were power. If Uno and the others had been in his position, they would have gladly incorporated the forest's monsters into their own forces.
No—beyond even that, there were far too many mysteries surrounding that man.
Adler furrowed his brow and looked intently at Uno.
"Still... as expected, you couldn't get the compass. I wanted that too."
"No way we could have! Just getting this was a huge win! Besides, if we used a misfortune-bringing item, it'd probably just show us a path where no monsters appear!"
The countless strange items that poured from the treasure chest. The overwhelming number of monsters that attacked. And yet, he alone showed not the slightest inclination to participate in combat—the sheer composure of it all.
He'd even pulled out something like handcuffs attached to a hundred and six links of chain.
Handcuffs for a Star-Eater? What a joke. A centipede didn't actually have a hundred legs, and at that size, they'd never fit a Star-Eater anyway.
But he hadn't seemed like he was joking. In a way different from Adler, who always played it bold and reckless to keep Uno and the others on edge, this was something far more unsettling.
They still hadn't shown their full hand. Despite having the numerical advantage themselves, it had been a long time since he'd felt this anxious before even clashing with someone.
"From the start, Adler—didn't your assessment say the opponent had spotted us through the Mirror of Truth? The fact that it went so smoothly... I still can't believe it."
The Mirror of Truth, which granted far-seeing vision, was an extremely rare monster still virtually unknown in this world.
The fact that their eyes had met even though he shouldn't have felt any gaze was already hard to believe. But if that was true, why had he handed over the guide?
Uno wore an expression of complete bewilderment, and Adler curled the corner of his lips into a grin.
"You see, Uno—this is what I think. This was Thousand Transformations' composure, plain and simple."
"...Wha—what!?"
While stroking the head of his favored contracted monster—the Star-Eater centipede—Adler pressed his index finger to his black-rouged lips.
His deep indigo eyes, cold to the very bottom, were as fathomless as the abyss—stare into them long enough and you'd feel yourself being pulled in.
"He let us go first. Uno, I think so too—there's no way Thousand Transformations didn't notice you. No matter how you slice it, if someone's party members suddenly increased and he truly didn't notice, he'd be nothing but an idiot. No Hunter forgets the faces and names of their party members."
"Um, um, Adler... Does that mean you had me do all that as a long shot...?"
"Besides, you're not even a Spiritfolk... I was watching, and it was quite unnatural. That man's quite the actor, truly."
"Nngh! Nngh! Nngh! Th-this is exactly why I hate humans!"
The embarrassment of having performed that ill-suited act—!
Adler slowly rose to his feet in front of Uno, whose face had gone beet red.
A cold wind blew through the trees. The pressure emanating from his body—a physical heaviness you could almost feel—left Uno speechless.
Quint opened his eyes wide and spoke, as if witnessing something entertaining.
"Adler, looks like you're pretty fired up."
"Of course I am. Which means—his generosity means he considers us vastly beneath him, is what it comes down to."
His eyes were calm, his voice didn't waver. To command monsters, one always needed to maintain composure. But from his bearing, Uno could feel a seething, explosive passion barely held in check.
The party led by Adler—Thousand Demons' Night Parade—was undefeated. Their lack of renown was because they crushed their opponents so thoroughly. But even the biggest fool should have been able to understand that upon seeing the horde Adler commanded.
And yet, if their opponent had been just any ordinary Hunter, it would have been fine. But their opponent was almost certainly a fellow pathfinder. To be judged as inferior despite commanding that horde—that would make even Uno seethe with frustration.
Adler gazed into the sky in silence for a moment, suppressing his emotions, before lowering his arms.
"Perhaps we should accept his kindness. Thousand Transformations—I wonder about the divine beasts and demon beasts lurking in the paths created by Spiritfolk. The Divine Tree Circuit, was it? I've never heard of it—"
"But hey, Adler—what if this is a trap? What if those terrible monsters he's got are ones even he couldn't tame, and he's planning to lure us in?"
That was... certainly a possibility.
Adler glanced at Quint, whose rare constructive opinion had caught him off guard.
Not all monsters could be controlled without issue. A pathfinder could only command monsters below their own level of power, which was precisely why pathfinders were so rare in this world.
A failed taming meant death by monster.
But there was no trace of anxiety in Adler's words.
"That's entirely possible, Quint. If I can tame a monster that he couldn't, that proves I'm his superior. Our combat strength goes up—it's a win-win."
"...That's... actually true?"
They really were simple. Neither Adler nor Quint gave any thought to the possibility of defeat.
If their opponent were merely human, Adler would win. But if he was a pathfinder, the outcome hinged directly on the power of the monsters each side possessed. No matter how skilled a pathfinder was, weak monsters meant defeat.
It was simply... unsettling. That man had surely shown not even a tenth of his true power.
He'd proudly displayed the compass that supposedly brought misfortune. That meant Thousand Transformations had swallowed every last bit of that misfortune and grown stronger for it.
His monsters—the source of his confidence—had no doubt been conquered through similar grueling battles.
But the die had been cast. Once the fire was lit, Adler wouldn't stop, even if the opponent was superior.
That, too, was unquestionably the mark of a Demon King.
"We'll get ahead and enter the path first. Let's see these monsters that Spiritfolk unleashed before he does."
What an impossible person. The ability to drag others along seemed to be something both this leader and Thousand Transformations shared in equal measure.
Thousand Demons' Night Parade was an army with Adler as its king. If Adler had decided so, then his subordinates could only give their utmost.
In the worst case, they could use Uno's monsters to escape. Uno sighed once, then stood up with a smile.
"Then let's move quickly! I think we should push ahead while causing interference. Quint—this is your chance to redeem yourself from that last blunder!"
Receiving Uno's gaze, Quint let out an exasperated sigh.
"...Why is it always me getting these kinds of assignments...—is what I'd like to say, but getting knocked out in one blow and calling it quits would be a stain on the pride of one of Thousand Demons' Night Parade's generals."
The forest rustled, as if agreeing with Quint's words.
The Dark Cyclops swordsman who'd been sitting heavily cross-legged—Zork—glared down at Quint with sharp eyes.
The largest contingent in Adler's army was the monsters under Quint's command. There were so many that it was impossible to bring them all along at once.
When they'd encountered the Mourning Specter on the plains, he'd only had a tiny fraction with him. Numbers were power. Whatever the quality of those monsters, the ability to command such vast numbers was worthy of a general of the demon army.
"Quint, buy us as much time as you can. They're nothing but numbers—reinforce after."
"...Zork stays with me, though. He's my favorite."
Quint stood and blew a sharp whistle. The piercing sound echoed through the forest.
The key to commanding a large army was how to relay orders to the entire force. Quint's technique of using whistles for detailed command was something even Uno and Adler couldn't replicate—an extraordinarily rare skill.
The ground trembled, and strong winds tore through the trees. In the distance, roars rose up—the battle cries of warriors, heavy with fighting spirit.
Quint let out a small sigh, looked straight at Adler, and spoke.
"I've ordered everything in this forest besides us to split into small units and attack the enemy in scattered waves. Doesn't matter if they're Mages—they fight to the death. But... you understand, right? I've thrown away my army. I expect results to match."
"Of course, General. I'll give you an even stronger army before long."
Adler shrugged under Quint's intimidating gaze.
§ § § Misfortune is always irrational. Incidents come without warning.
For example, a dragon's carcass suddenly lying by the roadside, or a chance-encountered criminal mistaking you for an ally, or flying through the air and unexpectedly crashing into a legendary Treasure Hall—and then, being asked for help by Spiritfolk who shouldn't exist, and handing over a gemstone you'd only just received from Elisa.
After resting, we pushed forward at full speed.
Traveling at breakneck pace over rough terrain, the carriage had already become so jarring that riding it without a Treasure Weapon was out of the question.
I changed into my "Relaxing Vacation" outfit and rode atop the carriage, pretending to take command.
The atmosphere among the group was at its worst. Especially the looks coming from the rest of Star's Holy Thunder, minus Klyus and Lapis.
From their perspective, I'd handed over what was essentially a Spiritfolk treasure to someone who'd just appeared out of nowhere. They had every right to glare.
I'd thought that showing my face might alleviate some of the dissatisfaction, but that didn't seem to be working either.
Klyus, running alongside the carriage, spoke exasperatedly.
"Weak Human, you really do go and do outrageous things without any warning, yes."
"N-no, that was definitely a Spiritfolk. She called me 'human'—and besides, there was no way anyone besides us would be in a place like this."
For that matter, I'd received that gemstone from Elisa at the forest entrance. Was there anyone besides us who would know about that?
Alternatively, it could have been interference from Yggdra's Spiritfolk. I'd heard that Spiritfolk who hadn't gone out into the wider world tended not to be fond of humans. How could I rule out that this wasn't a conspiracy by some small faction among them?
Above all, I had a tendency to get dragged into conspiracies...
"Either way—we should hurry, just in case something happens."
Elisa, who'd been running alongside the carriage, spoke up.
Despite the strange chain of events that had led to the loss of the item she'd specially given me, Elisa didn't seem particularly angry. She might have already resigned herself to it.
I'd already demonstrated my uselessness when we first met, so she was probably used to it.
I was always causing trouble for everyone... I really needed to reflect on that a bit.
She'd disappeared in the direction we'd come from. Even if we assumed she was an enemy, it shouldn't be difficult to reach Yggdra before she did. We had Elisa, who'd actually dealt with Yggdra before.
No one was approaching—perhaps because Anthem was at the front, plowing through the path with heavy, stomping steps. He lacked Liliz's speed, but his physical stats stood out above everyone else in the party.
When he ran, the ground shook and clouds of dust rose. He could even clear a path through the forest by toppling trees. The destruction was so spectacular that he usually kept it sealed away.
"...Still, 'Immovable and Unchanging'... is he really a human, yes?"
"He's not even going all-out yet, is he?"
"...Eh?"
Because he was still being careful not to destroy everything around him... When Anthem went truly berserk, no one could get close.
Just then, Liliz—who had climbed onto Anthem's shoulder to avoid being accidentally stepped on and was looking ahead in the direction of travel—turned toward us and shouted.
"Klye, something's coming!"
"...Eh?"
Something coming... what?
Anthem was mild-mannered and honest, but having grown to such an enormous size, he now looked like nothing but a monster at first glance. The only reason there hadn't been a fuss in the Imperial Capital was that he'd gradually grown bigger proportional to his achievements since arriving, so everyone already knew him. Even so, newcomers sometimes made a fuss.
Running like this, what could possibly be approaching? If it were some Phantom that ignored self-preservation, I'd understand—but was there a Treasure Hall around here?
...No, was this perhaps an official welcome? Elisa would have described Anthem's characteristics to them beforehand— "Anthem, stop. We might have a welcome party."
"Mm—"
I shouted toward Anthem. At the sudden request, Anthem—with a speed surprising for his massive frame—dropped his center of gravity and slammed on the brakes.
The sudden stop left enormous footprints dragged across the ground. Trees he'd bumped into toppled with loud crashes.
As always, the sheer scale was something else.
I was still marveling at it when the foliage rustled, and the "welcome party" appeared.
What emerged was a bizarre creature.
It wore seamless dark-blue armor and carried a sword in its hand. Bipedal, with a head like a full-face helmet featuring two large eyes.
And they were compound eyes, at that. Citry furrowed her brow and murmured softly.
"...Battle Ants."
Now that she mentioned it, they did look like ants. Which meant the "armor" was likely their natural exoskeleton.
The stopped Anthem and the creatures that appeared to be called Battle Ants stared at each other. From behind them, even more Battle Ants emerged.
Smooth, hard-skinned bodies, compound eyes crowning their heads. All of them bore similar swords, and their armor was uniform.
A completely different appearance from any monster they'd encountered since entering this forest. In their bearing, one could sense not only battle intent but genuine intelligence.
Could these even be called monsters...? I'd heard that Spiritfolk maintained friendly relations with the forest's animals. Perhaps despite their unusual appearance, they were actually Yggdra's guards...?
But even as I was thinking this, the ant soldiers suddenly turned their gaze toward me. With Anthem standing right there as an obvious target—and with Lucia and Elisa positioned between us—for them to focus on me meant this really was a welcome party.
I took a deep breath and, from atop the carriage, addressed them with a broad smile.
"...Welcome. I've been waiting for you..."
"..."
"Huh? Waiting for us? What do you mean, yes?"
Klyus's eyes went wide. The glittering compound eyes of the Battle Ants were fixed on me.
And just as I was about to step grandly down from the carriage, without any warning whatsoever, something burst from the bushes behind the Battle Ants.
I couldn't react in time. Before my wide eyes, Liliz—who had somehow gotten in front of me—caught the arrow that had been fired, held it up dangling loosely, and spoke.
It appeared that, if my deduction was correct, I'd been shot at.
"Klye, can I attack them? There seem to be a lot of them. A 'welcome party'—this is what they mean, right?"
...Huh? Were these just ordinary monsters?
While a strange atmosphere circulated through the surroundings, Battle Ants emerged not just from ahead but from the undergrowth on all sides. We appeared to be surrounded.
Members of Star's Holy Thunder let out small screams. Visibility was poor, so I couldn't get an exact count, but there were at least several dozen.
It seemed they were a swarm-type monster. Well, ant monsters, after all... But the fact that they'd dare approach with Anthem here showed some serious bravery on these ants' part.
The monsters closed in, tightening the ring. I cleared my throat softly, sat back down, and spoke.
"O-of course. Anthem, since we've got the chance—go all out and scatter them."