And so, that day had arrived.
I woke to sunlight streaming through the large window.
I rose from the slightly firm bed and stretched wide.
My condition was perfect. The prospect of visiting a high-level Treasure Hall for the first time in a while had me quite restless mentally, but that too could be solved with the "Perfect Vacation."
It would be fine. The wind was blowing in our direction. Treasure Halls were dangerous regardless. There was no better timing than now to dispel Luke's curse.
What I needed was resolve. Even if I accompanied the group to the Treasure Hall, there was nothing I could do — but since everyone was going, there was no option for me, their leader, to stay behind.
I slapped my cheeks and psyched myself up. I'd already finished charging the Treasure Weapons last night, so preparations were complete.
I straightened my outfit and donned the "Perfect Vacation." Leaving the bedroom, I headed for the living room.
The living room was already empty. Only Mimikun, left abandoned in the corner, greeted me — though it was just playing the part of an ordinary treasure chest, of course.
They'd probably woken early to prepare for battle. Beyond gathering necessary items, conditioning yourself was an important part of surviving.
For Lucia it was meditation, for Liliz light exercises, for Anthem prayers, for Luke shadow-striking — top-tier Hunters all had their own rituals for flipping the switch to full power.
"Mourning Specter" often ended up fighting due to sudden accidents, so everyone was accustomed to flipping that switch in an instant. But this time, we might see a "Mourning Specter" going all-out beyond their usual level.
Everyone would gather on time. With nothing else to do, I took the slightly-early departure and headed to the meeting spot with Mimikun in tow — well, Mimikun was alone in the living room too, so it wasn't much of a departure together.
The meeting spot with Selen was at the edge of Ygdra.
It was a small, luminous spring surrounded by lush greenery. The nearly impurity-free transparent water surface glittered in the sunlight.
This was apparently Ygdra's greatest power spot.
Spiritfolk drew their power from nature. Selen stood at the center of the spring, its sacred air swirling around her, gazing up at the sky.
A tranquil atmosphere, undisturbed by anyone. It was a harmonious scene, like a masterpiece painting.
Even someone like me, who had little interest in Spiritfolk, couldn't help but widen my eyes and hold my breath.
That was likely Selen Ygdra Frestel's pre-battle ritual.
Powerful mages radiated a different aura entirely. Even I, who couldn't properly appraise anyone and had felt nothing when I first saw her, could clearly sense that Selen's power was brimming.
A small crystal bottle sat by the spring's edge, already empty. Perhaps noticing what I was looking at, Selen kept her gaze on the sky and explained.
"It's a secret potion made from leaves of the World Tree. We Spiritfolk of Ygdra can temporarily gain immense power by absorbing the World Tree's energy into our bodies and becoming one with nature. Klye Andrich — I'm truly sorry for dragging you into something like this, after you found the Shero Curse Stone and returned it to our homeland."
"You're too formal. Don't worry about it. I'm just... doing what I want to do."
In other words, once the curse was dispelled, I'd push Ark off to return to the Imperial Capital. But was that getting across? Of course not.
If she'd come at me aggressively like Spiritfolk in the outside world, I wouldn't have felt anything. But hearing her sincere voice like this made me feel almost dirty by comparison.
"I am also a member of Ygdra's royal family. To repay at least some of that debt, I will dispel the curse Shero placed on you — I swear it."
"You don't need to take it that hard... if it doesn't work, we'll think of another way."
I'd checked Luke's inner voice with "Round World," and it seemed like he could hold on a little longer.
Apparently even while petrified, he could see what was happening outside — the voice from within the stone statue had been frantically screaming about going to the Treasure Hall.
You could say something else for once, you know? A message to us, maybe...
"By the way, does that secret potion work on humans too? We're fighting strong enemies today — I don't think there'll be problems, but I'd like to be fully prepared."
Even if it didn't work on Lucia, it would probably be effective for Krus and the others, and Citry would be plenty interested too.
At my casual suggestion, Selen turned to look at me with a slightly sorrowful expression.
"Yes, I believe it would... but unfortunately, there are no more potions. The one I drank was the last. If the World Tree returns to normal, I could make more, but..."
"...Eh!?"
The last one...? Could that mean it was an incredibly precious item?
She'd used such a precious potion for us? Shouldn't it have been used to deal with the World Tree?
As I furrowed my brow, Selen smiled.
"There's no problem. Even with one more potion, it wouldn't change the current situation. I've tried many times already. If a potion that serves no use can be given to a new friend, then it was well spent. Shero's curse is powerful. There won't be many opportunities to attempt a dispelling — but with how I am now, I should be able to dispel even the curse Shero cast."
"Oh, right... thanks."
"...? You seem a little down?"
I couldn't help but avert my gaze. Of course I'd feel down. I'd been planning to return to the Imperial Capital once Luke's curse was dispelled. Having used up the last potion made it hard to say "see you" after a successful dispelling.
But it was too late to refuse now. She'd already drunk it. I appreciated the gesture, but I wished she'd mentioned it before using such a precious item.
Selen emerged from the spring. Her slender, bare feet, the fabric clinging to her body, touched the ground with a soft step.
"Thank you for waiting. Let's go — to the Source Temple."
...Well, what was done was done. I'd deal with that problem after everything was over. For now, I'd pour all my focus into dispelling Luke's curse.
§ § § At the entrance to the forest leading to the World Tree, the members of "Star's Holy Thunder" were already assembled.
"Star's Holy Thunder" had always been famous in the Imperial Capital as a dazzling Spiritfolk mage Party, but Ygdra — their homeland — really seemed to suit them. They looked particularly lively since arriving.
It seemed their power as mages had actually increased. The Mana Material that was too dense for humans must have been just right for Spiritfolk with their lower absorption capacity.
With this being the highest-difficulty Treasure Hall, everyone was more tense than usual, but none seemed fearful.
They weren't taking the Treasure Hall lightly, though. Just as Selen had used the last secret potion, they too had steeled their resolve.
Spiritfolk might be hard to get along with in human society, but once you bonded with them, they were honest and easy to deal with. Lapis snorted upon seeing my face.
"Hmph... you're late, Thousand Transformations."
A tall, slender figure. Sharp, keen eyes. Hair that reached all the way to her feet. Her height gave the illusion of looking down on people at first glance, but I already knew it was just an illusion.
A member of "Star's Holy Thunder." Excluding Krus, the one I saw most frequently was Lapis Fulgor, who spoke while tapping the ground with her long staff.
"Our preparations are all complete. We don't normally do this, but — don't hold back. Our power, the power of Star's Holy Thunder — this time, we entrust it to you. Hmph... come to think of it, we had a wager about this, didn't we?"
"! Lapis!"
Astol, whose name I'd only recently learned, looked at Lapis at those words. Lapis snorted and — in a rare moment — smiled faintly before rallying everyone.
"I know. I won't say something tasteless like 'this is the result of the wager.' This is Ygdra's problem — and by extension, ours. Show them! Show the people of Ygdra our power! Not just as mages — we have the experience we've honed as Hunters."
At Lapis's words, the members of "Star's Holy Thunder" quietly burned with fighting spirit. Their expressions didn't show it clearly, but their intensity came through just fine.
"Star's Holy Thunder" had a Party classification Level of only 4, but that was due to Spiritfolk's characteristic social ineptitude. Their actual ability was beyond question.
But for "Star's Holy Thunder" — the ones who kept causing problems and acted as though anyone who wasn't a mage wasn't human — to say something like this... they'd really changed.
Watching Lapis and the others with a warm feeling, Lapis spoke with a displeased look.
"...What are you looking at?"
"Nothing? Just thinking you seem reliable..."
Whatever their personalities, their magical skill was unquestionably top-tier. In terms of offensive capability, they were said to be among the very best even within the Imperial Capital's upper echelons.
Since Selen needed to focus on the dispelling, the success of this operation hinged on "Star's Holy Thunder" and "Mourning Specter."
Just then, Krus — who'd been listening to my words — raised her head as if noticing something and poked my arm.
"Weakling, weakling."
"What?"
"...D-don't go relying on us too much, okay? I have confidence in my magic and my condition is at its peak, but there are things we can do and things we can't, right?"
"..."
Krus spoke timidly, lacking confidence. Since when were you so humble? Was something worrying you?
Also, at this point I still hadn't spotted a single member of "Mourning Specter." Where had they gone?
Liliz and Tinno had gone to do final checks with Elisa, sure, but the fact that Lucia, Citry, and even the always-conspicuous Anthem were nowhere to be seen was strange.
This Treasure Hall was comparable in difficulty to the ones "Mourning Specter" had tackled before. Maybe they were being extra thorough with their preparations, but if so, they should have let me know.
Looking around, Elisa returned from her final reconnaissance.
Her steps were leisurely — not what you'd expect from a top-tier Thief. Elisa came up to me and reported in her usual drowsy, expressionless manner.
"Mmm... still can't see any Phantoms today. But... I've got a bad feeling. We should hurry."
A bad feeling, huh? Elisa's intuition was usually spot-on.
But more than that — where were Liliz and the others who'd been scouting with her recently? They weren't here today.
"Oh. Good work out there. So, Liliz and Tinno aren't with you today. I can't see the other members either — do you know where they went?"
"...Sorry. I forgot."
Elisa blinked, then pointed at Mimikun trailing at her feet.
Mimikun wasn't just an ordinary treasure-chest-shaped "Space-Time Bag." It was an unprecedented Space-Time Bag that could freely store living things and even contained an entire town inside. Treasure Weapons and other equipment were stored within, and the plan had been to bring it along so we could retreat inside in case of emergency.
"Inside Mimikun? Everyone? Why?"
"...Preparation, they said."
Preparation, I see. The inside of Mimikun was quite a spacious pocket dimension. Even Lucia could use wide-range attack magic to her heart's content in there. Supplies were also stored inside. It would be perfect for preparations.
But they sure were inconsiderate... They could have at least told me beforehand. Mimikun's weakness was that someone else had to open it from outside for anyone to get out. What if Elisa had forgotten that everyone was inside?
Well, I'd save the scolding for later. I opened Mimikun's lid and spoke to Elisa and the others.
"I'll go call them. We'll set out as soon as they're back. Mimikun, it's Liliz and the others. Take me to where Liliz and the others are."
"...Got it."
It'd been a while since I'd gone inside Mimikun. I took a deep breath and leapt into the darkness within.
§ A gentle, floating sensation lingered in my memory. Where I landed was a single large building.
"Huh? Wh-where is this...?"
I looked around. This was probably the same town I'd escaped into when Shero had cornered me.
Mimikun was an exceptionally capable Treasure Weapon. Its pride as a Space-Time Bag was remarkable, and it would bend the rules quite a bit to provide comfortable storage.
I opened the door and entered the building. It appeared to be an inn.
Thick carpets on the floor, elegant furnishings that balanced function and aesthetics. Citry and the others must have set things up — lamps on the counter held flickering flames, casting a dim glow over the lobby.
Looking at it now, Ygdra was nice, but a regular inn had its own charm too. Mimikun's internal town hadn't been fully explored yet. Once Luke's curse was dispelled, maybe I'd stay here for a while?
While mulling that over, I explored the building searching for Liliz and the others. They were found quickly.
—Liliz and the others were sprawled across beds in a spacious bedroom, utterly drained.
I couldn't make sense of it at all.
Faint groans echoed through the room. I froze for a moment, then rushed to the beds.
First, I touched Anthem — lying across multiple beds pushed together to form a massive one — patting her carefully to make sure I wouldn't accidentally get crushed, then moved to a slight bump on a nearby bed.
Gently lifting the blanket, Lucia's familiar face appeared. But her complexion was terrible, and her bangs were plastered to her forehead with sweat.
"Huh? Wh-what happened? Everyone? What happened!?!"
Could they have gone to the Treasure Hall yesterday because they couldn't wait?
No... that didn't make sense. If they had, there'd be no explanation for them being inside Mimikun.
As I fought against the part of my brain that wanted to blink and retreat from reality, Lucia slowly opened her eyes and spoke in a halting voice.
"Big brother... I'm sorry... I can't move. Mana Material sickness — it hit all at once... I knew it was risky, but..."
"...Eh?"
At those words, I slowly looked around the room. Aside from Anthem, there were four beds, each with a well-defined lump.
They wouldn't joke about something like this. Liliz especially had been looking forward to the Treasure Hall day.
I approached Liliz's bed and gently checked her face. Liliz, who almost never even caught cold, looked at me with languid, glistening eyes and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"I realized something was wrong and hurried to get inside Mimikun, where the Mana Material is thinner... Sorry, Klye. ...You'll postpone it, right?"
...N-no, that's impossible!!
I wanted to postpone too, but Selen had already used the last secret potion, and the members of "Star's Holy Thunder" had their game faces on.
I went bed to bed.
"I had things I wanted to try... Even I'm sick... this is ridiculous..."
"Mmm... ugh..."
"Mastaa, is this also a trial? It must be a trial, right?"
Tinno directed unfocused eyes my way and protested in a voice lower than usual. It's not a trial, Tinno...
From the looks of it, it really did seem like simple Mana Material sickness. If it were some other illness, I — the weakest of the bunch — would have been the first to catch it, and Citry or Anthem could have treated it with their powers.
I let out a sigh of relief. Mana Material sickness wasn't that uncommon for "Mourning Specter."
After a short rest, their bodies would absorb the Mana Material they couldn't process and they'd come back stronger.
"Hmm, but to all collapse so neatly... the amount of Mana Material each person absorbs and their tolerance should be different."
The members of "Mourning Specter" were all talented Hunters, but of course differences in fine-grained aptitude existed.
Everyone except me had experienced Mana Material sickness before, but having everyone collapse simultaneously was a first.
And the timing was the worst. They'd seemed a bit off, sure, but— There, Liliz — who'd been lying in bed groaning — planted her arms and tried to force herself upright, only to slide off the bed.
Oh boy, what are you doing.
"Klye, I'm going too! I can definitely make it!"
"Mm-mm, doesn't look like you can."
"Klye-san, me too... I, I'll be able to move soon if just a little more time passes! The Mana Material here in Ygdra hasn't penetrated as deeply, and my sickness is mild, so!"
"Mm-mm, doesn't look good."
I picked up Liliz, who'd slid off the bed, and placed her back. Her slender body was light enough that even I could manage to lift with some effort.
Our positions were reversed from usual.
No matter how tough your body was, you couldn't withstand the effects of Mana Material sickness.
Apparently, the higher your aptitude, the stronger the effects. Some people experienced severe sensory disruption, so it wasn't a matter of physical durability.
The silver lining was that they hadn't collapsed inside the Source Temple.
With all of "Mourning Specter" down, combat strength was certainly a concern, but Elisa was fine, and "Star's Holy Thunder" was here too.
Reconnaissance had gone smoothly, and we just needed to buy a little time for Selen to perform the dispelling. We had to try.
"It can't be helped. I'll work with Elisa and the others to manage Luke's dispelling. Anyway, since no one can move — about nursing—"
"Kirukilu...!"
"!?"
Along with a shrill cry, Citry's magical creature Kirukilu appeared. Unlike usual, the robust little being wore an apron tied around its sturdy frame and cradled a basin of water.
Come to think of it, I'd been wondering when it disappeared. So it had been here the whole time...
"You're going to take care of everyone?"
"Kirukilu..."
In response to my question, Kirukilu showed off the muscles on both arms.