The high-mobility fortress city Code. A city said to house the roots of a Treasure Hall within it — it's an object of considerable interest to me.
The systems this city possesses are far more advanced than those of any existing nation. I don't know all that much about the city yet, but at the very least, I knew that the system handles everything from food to clothing to shelter for its inhabitants.
People don't need to work, and society runs perfectly fine. Could there be another city like it anywhere?
Well, I suppose a setup like that would just produce a whole lot of deadbeats… Could that be why advanced physical civilizations collapsed?
Also, it seems that in Code, you can access a wide variety of systems proportional to your class.
Since I've gone to all the trouble of coming this far while taking on various risks, it might be fun to test out what I can do.
Of course, I haven't forgotten the mission. The reason we came to Code was to rescue the imprisoned royals and neutralize the city's threat. Everything else — sightseeing, hunting for Treasure Weapons of advanced physical civilizations, and so on — takes a lower priority.
But at this point, I'd already finished my job.
I'd become Princess Alicia's personal guard, and I'd managed to meet Princess Nora.
Code's royal family consists of seven people in total — the Code King, plus his princes and princesses. Split that three ways between Kaiser, Saya, and me, and it comes out to about two per person. The remaining Code King can be split between Kaiser and Saya, who actually have the motivation. So my share of the work was done.
On top of that, I'd rescued Kurahi, so asking me to do anything more would be overworking me.
I really should leave some work for Kaiser and Saya too.
Anyway, with Kurahi around, I can head outside without worry. He can charge my Barrier Rings, and if the city's defense systems target me, the Thunder Emperor can handle them. My genuine article really is dependable.
What I should be doing now is simply waiting in dignified silence for Kaiser and Saya to finish their tasks.
All I have to do is sit still, yet — bizarrely enough — even that seems impossible for this Level 8 Thousand Transformations. I have to give it my all to do absolutely nothing.
……Everyone relies on me way too much. You're all competent, so just handle things on your own, will you? I don't even need reports.
"Watching Her Highness" — the job of keeping an eye on the Princess — really might suit me perfectly, in that sense.
The night after rescuing Kurahi and successfully completing my audience with Her Highness, I'd set up a deck chair in front of her room and was sprawled out in it, lazily watching the Princess go about her daily life while doing nothing, when Kurahi showed up with his companions.
He walked up to me — clearly in vacation mode after finishing one job — and the first thing out of his mouth, in an enthusiastic voice, was: "So, Klye. Is there anything I can do?"
Good grief. Competent people always try to find work the moment they have free time. Can he not see me lying here on a deck chair?
Behind Kurahi, his "victims" — Kuhl and the others — trailed along with indescribable expressions on their faces. Elise was the only one absent, which was very much in character for her being like Elisa.
The expressions on Kuhl and the others' faces seemed somewhat less tense than before. With the whole Party reunited, they'd finally been able to relax their shoulders. When you think about it calmly, having your Party leader thrown in prison is actually a pretty serious crisis.
With no choice, I sat up and looked at Kurahi.
"Anything you can do? With your abilities, you can do whatever you want. Go right ahead."
"!! The real deal — my big brother is, ah, very cool and strong and all, b-but, Rusha, um, thinks it might be better not to give him free rein…"
Rusha timidly raised her hand and offered her opinion. To hear that from my clearly smitten little sister… Wait, weren't you way more aggressive before? Have you actually grown up?
At those words, Kurahi shrugged and opened his mouth.
"Well, that's about the size of it. Kuhl and the others say I should ask for your opinion. After all, I still don't know anything about this city. I do at least know the names of the princes and princesses you're after, but—"
"………That's enough. Knowing that much is plenty."
"!?"
Come to think of it, I don't actually know all the names of the princes and princesses. It's not like I particularly want to know, either…
It's true that suddenly throwing Kurahi into the mission isn't the best idea. From Kaiser and Saya's perspective, it would look like a mysterious (and strong) mage suddenly butting in. At the very least, I'd have to go along to explain the situation.
………Well, Kurahi would probably be fine, though?
"It's not like I want you to do anything in particular, but… could you maybe rescue some royals? Any of them would do."
I just wanted to hand everything over to Kurahi at that point.
I'd said it half as a joke, but Kurahi's eyes went wide. Before he could say anything, Kuhl cut in hurriedly.
"Please stop asking him to do dangerous errands as if it were nothing! T-This is going too far. Everyone must already know that Kurahi has been freed, and security will have been tightened—"
Yeah, that probably would be going too far. The Princess, who'd been studying as part of her daily routine, was staring at Kuhl's pale face.
……Anyway, let's take things one step at a time.
"Then… Kurahi, could you… open this door?"
I pointed at the door sealing the Princess's room.
It was made of an unknown metal and didn't look particularly sturdy at first glance, but it was the same door that the previous occupant — a thief — had tried to destroy without leaving so much as a scratch.
Whether I could break it was self-evident, but Kurahi might have a shot.
Well, even if he did manage to open it, we couldn't exactly escape until Kaiser and Saya finished their work…
"Hmm……… I see. It's not exactly my specialty, but let me give it a try."
Kurahi rolled up his sleeves and stood before the door while his companions wore uneasy expressions.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath for a few seconds, and then snapped them open.
Brilliant gold and silver eyes. His black hair, just slightly longer than mine, lifted faintly as lightning energy took residence in his body.
Purple electricity scattered from every inch of him. The weapon that had attacked him in the prison couldn't even touch him in this state. If the city of Code was weak to lightning, then perhaps destroying the door's mechanisms and opening it was possible.
Even through the overcoat, his trained physique was obvious. Comparing us calmly, Kurahi and I really only differed in hair color and gender, didn't we?
Kurahi's body blazed with light as he extended his arm.
And then, just before his fingertips touched the door, he leaped far backward.
A deafening roar shook the corridor. Rusha let out a high-pitched shriek, clamped her hands over her ears, and crouched down.
Only then did I finally notice the turret-like structures that had sprouted all over the area around the Princess's door.
The turrets moved silently, targeted Kurahi, and spat out projectiles. The countless rounds fired looked like a glittering storm.
The sheer volume of sound and vibration made my head spin. The moments of silence were probably the Barrier Rings blocking sounds that exceeded acceptable levels.
……Come to think of it, the subordinate of that Biker fellow who'd attacked the door had been wiped out entirely. Turned into cinders… I'd forgotten about that.
I mean, sure, Kurahi bears some blame for immediately trying to smash the door when told to open it.
Kurahi's footwork was spectacular. He dodged the projectiles — fired at speeds my dynamic vision couldn't even track — using nothing but body movement.
The dodged projectiles, oddly enough, were absorbed into the walls and floor as if vanishing. The building was apparently set to not be destroyed.
But there was one problem. The corridor wasn't that wide. If we stayed here, we'd get caught in the crossfire.
Kuhl and the others had already started running down the corridor. Rusha, who'd been crouching, was being dragged away by Zurii.
Kuhl, who'd scrambled away first, shouted back at Kurahi, who was still under relentless attack: "Kurahi-san, run! Kinetic projectiles are your disadvantage!"
"Gu—… No, not yet. Not… yet… NOT YEEEEEET!"
With Kurahi's roar, the light inhabiting his body blazed even brighter. A man who carried no staff and relied on a trained physique didn't look much like a Mage.
But the storm of projectiles would not allow Kurahi a single step closer.
A bolt of lightning, launched desperately from Kurahi's arm toward the door, was drawn toward the ceiling and floor midway and dissipated. That looked like it was getting rough for him…
More importantly, sparks of electricity had been flying toward us this whole time, which was terrifying. They barely weren't reaching us, so the Barrier Rings hadn't activated, but if I hadn't experienced lightning before, I'd have been screaming.
The Princess on the other side of the door was staring with wide eyes, frozen solid. That's it. I'm done.
"I guess breaking through the door really does require Sarara after all…"
I have no idea what Sarara is. In any case, if he can't break it, further attacks are pointless.
"Kurahi, that's enough. I get the idea."
Still, he sure can dodge. Without my Barrier Rings, I'd be minced on the first hit. As expected of a man with the skill to compete in the Martial Emperor Tournament.
At my words, Kurahi jumped back several meters, putting distance between himself and the door.
—But the defense system wasn't giving up on pursuing Kurahi.
As if chasing him, turrets sprouted from the floor, from the ceiling, row after row of them. A shape-shifting defense system. I see — this was a headache. Even high-level Treasure Halls rarely had traps this vicious.
Kuhl and the others were speechless at the unexpected development. Kurahi sprinted toward them, dodging the attacks. The projectiles pursued him from behind. All I could do was blink.
The turrets that had sprouted near the door had vanished. I hurriedly checked with the Princess.
"……Your Highness, can you shut that down?"
The Princess blinked at my words, then slowly shook her head.
"It is what the King decreed."
Oh, you've got to be kidding me… Sorry about that, Kurahi.
I'd made a careless move. I didn't mean for this to happen. I swear.
I'M SOOOOOORRRRYYYYY!!
"How far will it chase?"
"Within the building."
"HAAAAAHHHHH?!"
Lightning flashed through the corridor. The reason there was no sound was that the Barrier Rings were blocking it. I'd already gone through seven Barrier Rings just for the sound…
When the light faded, a massive hole had melted through part of the large windows flanking the corridor. Kurahi didn't hesitate — he threw himself through the opening. This place is absurdly high up…
The gaping hole repaired itself in an instant. The speed was unreal.
"KURAHIIIIII!!"
"Bi-Big brotheeeeeeer!!"
Kuhl and the others rushed to the window and peered down. It seemed the defense system had been targeting only Kurahi, because the turrets that had been relentlessly attacking moments ago had all vanished.
A terrifying defense system. Kutori looked my way and said in a dry voice: "Hey, boss — that guy's insane, huh? Even someone as pathetic as me is blown away. Not that our leader's the kind to die from something like that."
"………I think I actually kind of like your character."
"………If you return, the defense system will activate again. No matter how many times."
The Princess, who'd been pressed against the door studying the corridor's state, murmured softly.
He'd just been freed from prison, and now it was confirmed he couldn't even enter this building anymore.
Sorry, Kurahi. I'm truly sorry. Would prostrating myself earn his forgiveness?
Kuhl and the others noisily headed out, presumably to check on Kurahi.
I should go confirm he's safe too— I stood up from the deck chair, and the Princess, knocking on the door from inside, said with a beaming smile: "Klye, it's almost……… snack time."
"………I'll give you one if you fix the defense system."
Wanting a chocolate bar in this situation — what incredible nerve. Could this also count as a quality befitting a princess? If it had been anything other than a chocolate bar, I might have been genuinely impressed.
The Princess blinked for a while, then said with a hint of disappointment: "I checked, but the King rejected it. The King breaking rules he himself established would set a poor example for the people."
The Princess rattled off her answer smoothly. Her voice was beautiful, like rolling bells.
……Oh, so you can contact the King. That's news to me. She'd mentioned getting the jamming lifted, but so the King himself had done it.
Well, thinking calmly about the city's systems, it made sense.
"But Your Highness, you already got them to send you chocolate bars, didn't you? Isn't that also a rule violation?"
"The weight of the rules is different. Drawing a bow against royalty is a grave sin. A royal absorbing vast amounts of knowledge is useful. The chocolate bars brought significant benefit. The King was probably curious about them too."
I could never have predicted, no matter how brilliantly I schemed, that chocolate bars would be evaluated so highly in Code.
This is going to make a great story. If I ever get back to the Imperial Capital safely, that is.
I sighed and said to the Princess, who'd started speaking with an oddly serious expression: "So you sent chocolate bars to the Code King? He was curious, wasn't he?"
"………Huh?"
§ § § What was he to do about this.
At the very top of the central tower of Code — the only place the King was permitted to exist — the current Code King, Cross Code, was perplexed.
His longstanding plan to produce a stronger Code King was, for the moment, proceeding smoothly.
The children's efforts surrounding the Thunder Emperor had exceeded Cross's expectations.
Nora's passion for acquiring powerful pawns by any means necessary, Angus's cunning in attempting to use the spare guard to thwart her, and Tony, who had sided with Angus of his own volition.
Whichever of them became the next King, Code would undergo enormous change.
Unfortunately, Cross would never live to see the shape of the new Code, but at this point the three of them were undoubtedly more capable than the candidates from Cross's era.
The only problem — the only unexpected element — was the existence of the spare, Alicia Code, who had recently begun making contact.
Cross had granted Alicia's request and loosened the freeze on her permissions slightly, but not for any great reason. Her role, created for the eventuality that the royal family was wiped out, was half complete. Until she'd sent messages, he'd practically forgotten she even existed.
If pressed, he supposed it was whimsy. Alicia Code — born from the machinations of the nobles, imprisoned in the tower's highest floor, educated by the city's systems and grown — what was she thinking? He'd felt a mild flicker of curiosity, and that was all.
The first time, he'd indulged that whim. But there would not be a second.
"'Release the defense system,' she says? What a pointless request."
Cross understood perfectly well why she'd sent that message.
There was nothing that happened in Code that the King couldn't ascertain.
But there was no reason to entertain such a request.
Alicia's movements had no place in Cross's plans. How that man with a pathetic ability rating of just four had infiltrated using a false identity to rescue the Thunder Emperor, how the city system had accepted his application and released the Thunder Emperor, how Nora — who had been so fixated on the Thunder Emperor — had given up on him: all of it was beyond calculation.
The ability to handle accidents was itself a quality of kingship. Cross had no intention of directly intervening in the succession battle, but the Thunder Emperor was undeniably a dangerous irregular of immense capability.
Just like — those highly skilled mages from the Explorer's Guild who had attacked Code right after Cross assumed the throne.
Because of that incident, Cross had been forced to issue, shortly after his coronation, the authority that only a King could use once in a lifetime — the Royal Decree.
It was a bitter memory, though unavoidable.
Today's Code was not the Code of that era. The current city, by Cross's Royal Decree, was a place where mages could not exercise their power.
The Thunder Emperor had been an exceptional mage, but Code had already analyzed his abilities and completed its countermeasures. In fact, the Thunder Emperor had been unable to breach the door of Alicia's room. Even if another mage of Thunder Emperor caliber were sent from the Explorer's Guild in the future, they would be powerless before Code's combat weapons.
But it was better to keep irregulairs away from Alicia.
He doubted that the spare, who barely knew anything about the outside world, could accomplish anything with the Thunder Emperor — but still.
Alicia received Cross's rejection and reported it to her guard (self-proclaimed Klye Andrich) in a flat tone. There was no dissatisfaction visible on her face. The guard, for his part, showed no particular anger at the response either.
She had just rescued the Thunder Emperor, who had nearly died because of her — what on earth was she thinking?
Even Code's systems couldn't read thoughts in that much detail.
If the Royal Decree still remained, Code could have concentrated all its capabilities to build such a system — but…
Having confirmed that much, Cross dismissed the image displaying Alicia and the others.
This was no time to be preoccupied with a spare's eccentric behavior. His children were weaving their strategies at this very moment over the throne.
Besides, the last time, the Explorer's Guild had attacked at the moment of the succession. It was impossible to rule out a similar event this time.
Angus's stratagems should have limited the Explorer's Guild's movements, and there was no one who had fled the city to seek the Guild's help like last time — but he absolutely could not be forced into using the Royal Decree right after his coronation again.
Just as he was about to re-examine the city's status, a new message was delivered into Cross's mind.
The sender was — Alicia Code.
With an exasperated feeling, he checked the message, and Cross couldn't help but shout: "!? W-What? A chocolate b—?! What the—!?"
A quiet hole opened before Cross's eyes, and the mysterious snack that the spare had been so fixated on rose into view.
There was one. It had been carefully unwrapped and placed on a pedestal as if it were treasure.
The message contained a single line: "From Alicia to the Code King."
Any object that could pose even the slightest danger to the King was screened out at the point of transfer (not that anyone could even send objects to Cross in the first place), but this dark object was — apparently — just a snack. Code's system confirmed it was not hazardous.
Resigned, Cross picked up the mysterious snack. A strange sweetness he'd never smelled before. Cross didn't care for sweets all that much.
He summoned the image of Alicia's foolish antics once more into his mind's eye, and the King couldn't help but widen his eyes.
The image showed Alicia, smiling happily while holding dozens of chocolate bars.
"She had… that many, and she only sent… a single one…?"
Well, he hadn't wanted any in the first place. But it truly was unlike any snack he had ever seen.
Perhaps his father — the first Code King, who had known the outside world — would have recognized it…
Cross stared at the snack for a while, but could not bring himself to eat it, and tossed it onto the floor.
"A chocolate bar, hm… I always thought the outside world was inferior, but perhaps there are things it has that Code does not, after all."