Even walking around like this, I couldn't help but find this city truly fascinating. I took moderate breaks as I strolled along at a leisurely pace.
The city seemed to be quite large, but I didn't need to worry about the sun setting while I walked. As long as I accessed the City System, I could get food and drinks anytime, anywhere.
Most of the building clusters were empty, so I could just wander in, summon a bed, and rest comfortably. The fact that even the High-Mobility Fortress City Code, which the Guild feared, was comfortable once you got inside — it felt like I was peeking at the other side of the world.
However, even as I walked, I couldn't spot a single shop.
Maybe shops were unnecessary when the City System provided most daily necessities, but... this was a problem.
I'd already confirmed that I couldn't pull out my smartphone through the City System. Maybe I just didn't have sufficient permissions, but should I ask Nora about this? She seemed to know the city well. But I'd just gotten scolded yesterday for asking about chocolate.
On top of that, there was still the unresolved issue of Klah having gone off somewhere. In this state, I couldn't really ask anyone for favors... I needed to throw a tantrum, a proper tantrum.
After walking for several tens of minutes while checking the map, I finally arrived at the boundary that had appeared black when the three-dimensional map was displayed.
I checked the three-dimensional map again. But the black area on the map remained black.
I'd thought it might brighten as I got closer, but apparently my assumption was wrong.
From what I could see, there was no difference between this side and the other side of the boundary. The black display was... maybe a malfunction?
"You guys wait there so you don't get damaged."
I'd gone to the trouble of borrowing them from the boss, so it would be trouble if something happened.
I still had my Barrier Ring.
I instructed the Mech-Soldiers to wait, then nervously stepped across the boundary. The foot I extended planted itself firmly on the other side.
Nothing happened, and there wasn't even a sign of the Barrier Ring activating.
So it really was just a malfunction... As I watched the Mech-Soldiers standing by obediently and thought this, a voice suddenly came from behind me.
"This area ahead is under Prince Morris's jurisdiction. What business do you have here, Thousand Transformations?"
"!?"
I hurriedly turned around. Without my noticing, a tall woman had been standing there all along.
A cool voice, black hair tied up. And — quietly glowing ruby-red eyes.
She wore a loose-fitting, yukata-like outfit, and at her waist hung a single long sword. Her appearance was clearly not that of someone from this city.
The woman radiated an alien aura that even I could somehow sense.
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm... Prince Morris, Prince Morris, is it?"
I'd never heard the name, but with "Prince" attached, even I could figure it out.
In other words, Prince Morris meant that Morris was a prince!
There should be six members of the royal family aside from the king, and this had to be one of them. One of the people I was supposed to protect.
"...Was it bad that I entered?"
"Hehe... There's no such rule. But everything has its proper protocol, doesn't it? Generally, a royal guard suddenly entering another royal's territory — you wouldn't have grounds to complain even if you were attacked."
The woman drew her sword in one fluid motion.
It was a cursed blade — I understood that at a glance.
It was large enough to be called an ōdachi. A deep blue blade that evoked the depths of the sea. It gleamed as if wet, radiating a quiet luminescence that drew the viewer in.
I didn't know if it was a Treasure Weapon or the work of a master smith, but it was undoubtedly an exceptional blade.
And then, the woman swung the sword horizontally in a slow motion.
A high-pitched ring echoed, and — one of the buildings along the street split apart at the midpoint.
My eyes went wide. The bisected building slid downward and collapsed.
A thunderous crash. But the woman didn't so much as twitch an eyebrow, a smile playing on her lips. All I could do was freeze in place.
They say the swordsmanship of a superior swordsman approaches magic. A flying slash that cut through a building made of special metals was unquestionably in the realm of the absolute elite.
My Barrier Ring activated. I was under attack.
But the moment of the attack, the descending blade — I couldn't even perceive it.
It was too natural — all I could do was remain frozen and be cut down. I was supposed to be receiving an attack in real-time, yet the blade was invisible.
How many seconds had I been under attack? The woman let out a soft breath and spoke in an exasperated tone.
The sound of a sword being sheathed. The woman spoke.
"Thousand Transformations' absolute defense. I felt the impact, yet you're unharmed... I thought it was the same ability as that one, but I guess not."
"W-what are you doing all of a sudden? That's dangerous! And — I'm sorry if you've just forgotten, but who are you?"
Thank heavens I had enough Barrier Rings. Barrier Rings could essentially maintain a barrier for only an instant. Even with more than ten of them, they could withstand continuous attacks for about ten seconds at most.
But the situation hadn't improved. I had a rough idea of how long my Barrier Rings lasted.
If I were attacked like that again, I probably couldn't block it.
My complaint drew a smile from the woman. But her eyes weren't smiling. She stared at me as if sizing me up.
"I don't know why you're here, but — well, I'll let it go this time. You have a 'debt' with me, and I'm in the middle of major work. Besides — hehe... the King would scold me."
Safe!
And... I had absolutely no idea what was going on. And as expected, no matter how hard I thought, I couldn't place the person in front of me.
Her clothing was clearly not that of someone inside the city, so she was probably a thief from outside. A highly dangerous individual.
Given the visual impact, I should have remembered someone like her if I'd met them even once... but well, if I couldn't remember, then that was that. (Resigned.)
Really, the one time a swordsman like this showed up, Luke wasn't here.
"Well then, let's meet again. Next time, I'll carve up those Mech-Soldiers behind you too."
Please don't. The woman turned her defenseless back to me, but obviously I couldn't attack.
A lunatic swordsman who could split a building in half — someone like that existed besides Luke...
Could it be that Prince Morris was being held captive by this female swordswoman? If I were in the prince's position, even if I had the advantage in authority, I would probably obey when such a terrifying swordswoman showed up.
Things had been going so smoothly, and now a major problem had arisen. For now, what I knew was — the ones who could deal with her were Kaiser and Saya.
She seemed to know me, so she was probably someone I'd fought somewhere before. The Mourning Specter.
I let out a small sigh and looked at the Mech-Soldiers who stood silently without any intention of protecting me.
I'd brought them along as escorts, but they were completely useless... Well, that was because I'd given them the stupid order to wait there.
That female swordswoman had appeared at the worst possible timing.
"I'm done with this place. Let's move."
So Prince Morris had a dangerous swordswoman attached to him. I'd leave this to Kaiser and Saya.
In the first place, I should have gone sightseeing where Nora was. That area had been quite lively.
Besides, Nora probably wouldn't attack me even if I entered her territory uninvited.
I didn't feel like walking anymore. I accessed the City System and summoned a spider for transportation.
§ § § So that was Thousand Transformations... the Level 8 who stopped "Sky Tail." An even more inexplicable man than I'd heard.
"...H-hey. This is a problem... Why are you attacking other royals' guards?! That's against the rules, right?! Do you understand, Kenbi?!"
"............Hehehe, I understand perfectly, Prince Morris. He was the one who stepped into our territory, and that level of attack wouldn't even qualify as play for him."
The panicked voice came from behind, and Kenbi — Sword Tail — stroked the beloved blade at her waist.
The highest rank within the secret society "Nine-Tailed Shadow Fox." One of the bosses who had overseen a wide area including Zebuldia — the incident surrounding the Treasure Weapon "Earth's Key" that "Sky Tail" had set in motion at the Martial Emperor Festival was still fresh in memory.
But in just a few months since then, the situation had changed dramatically.
At the time of the Martial Emperor Festival, the organization had considerable power. Multiple members had been planted in key positions across various nations, and the organization's existence had been barely detected.
Therefore, the plan had been to make a grand declaration of war at a high-profile event like the Martial Emperor Festival, demonstrate the organization's strength, and use that to propel future operations.
All of that had been undone by Sky Tail's recklessness.
The "Earth's Key," which had been envisioned as one of the organization's trump cards for future operations, was lost. Furthermore, by actually activating a Treasure Weapon capable of destroying the world, major powers had begun to seriously pursue the organization. That Treasure Weapon was the kind of trump card that should only be used as a last resort.
If the Treasure Weapon had remained, it could have been used as leverage for deterrence. Infiltrators could have been used to delay the response against the organization. All of it was now a meaningless hypothetical.
Forced to retreat from Zebuldia and the many other nations where the organization had been gradually expanding its influence. Several secret organizations with which they had built friendly relations had delivered notices of severing ties. The impact on the organization was beyond anything that could be measured in gold.
Even now, the organization's chaos had not subsided. Above all, no successor to "Sky Tail" had been decided.
In such a situation, the timing of the change in the Code King — was it fortune or misfortune?
Since the era of the first Code King, the organization had continued its dealings with the High-Mobility Fortress City Code.
The power of Code's City System was remarkable. Manufacturing capabilities for weapons and food supplies, including the Mech-Soldiers, as well as military force sufficient to easily destroy several nations. That power remained overwhelmingly dominant even two hundred years after its creation.
If the city could reclaim its lost mobility, there would be no openings left. Nations around the world would come to fear this city.
If the "Nine-Tailed Shadow Fox," which boasted numerous skilled operatives and had connections in various countries, allied with Code — world conquest would be far from a dream.
The organization would swiftly regain its influence.
The fact that "Sword Tail," one of the bosses, had personally come in response to Code's request was proof of the organization's high valuation of Code.
If they could lend their support to the next king, an even more robust cooperative relationship could be built. Depending on the situation, even more could be expected.
"And — moreover, cutting a building in half —"
"It's fine. There's no one around anyway... Besides, the City System can repair it quickly, can't it?"
"W-well, that may be true, but..."
Prince Morris looked around nervously before gazing up at Sword Tail. This young man — always of short stature, perpetually fidgeting as if frightened by something — was Sword Tail's current master.
Dark circles under his eyes, a face devoid of any spirit. Terrified of the approaching succession battle, he had been frequently changing locations lately.
He hardly seemed suited to be king, but Sword Tail's objective was the power of the City System alone. There was no intention of coming under Code's wing — rather, a great king was not wanted.
Looking down at Prince Morris, Sword Tail raised the corner of her lip into a smile. She whispered her warning.
"Prince Morris, you need to — only think about becoming king. You don't want to be killed, do you?"
"..."
At Sword Tail's subtle threat, the color drained from Prince Morris's face.
This happened frequently in outside nations as well — a succession battle was a fight to the death. Princes and princesses who failed to become king with absolute power had to settle all their previous relationships.
The foundations they had built were reset, and they lost even the Class 8 authority — the privilege — they had been born with. Even the nobles who had followed them in the name of making that person king would turn against them.
When you thought about it, Code's succession system was exceptionally cruel.
What was performed at the very end was a scramble for the Scepter of Royal Proof — something not necessarily related to how much power one had built up.
"It's certainly not a favorable battle. But if that thing is finished, things should work out, right?"
"Ugh..."
Morris Code was temperamentally unsuited for conflict. He tried to hide it, but his timid nature showed through in his mannerisms, so the nobles who supported Prince Morris were extremely few — and they were all minor nobles of Class 6.
Those who had bet on Prince Morris becoming king, dreaming of a sudden reversal. The capable ones (not that many people in Code were particularly capable, mind you) had attached themselves to Prince Angus or Princess Nora, so the Morris faction could only be described as a motley crew.
The only thing that might give them a chance of victory — was the ultimate weapon Prince Morris was manufacturing, pouring all his vast Class 8 resources into it.
The weapons that Code's City System could produce were varied. And what Prince Morris had chosen was the one with the finest capabilities among them, and — the worst cost-performance.
Unlike what Prince Angus and Princess Nora were researching — weapons created solely for an individual.
Simply having resources concentrated into a single focal point, it should possess power exceeding even Prince Angus's diverse arsenal of weapons (built with the backing of a broad support base through extensive research) and Princess Nora's enhanced knight order.
What decided the king in this country was whether you could obtain the scepter. If he wore that weapon himself and aimed for the scepter with single-minded devotion, perhaps — Forged from the terror of death, it was ironically the only strategy that could bring Prince Morris — who was disadvantaged in every respect — closer to the throne.
Of course, outmaneuvering rivals to obtain the throne was no simple feat — but in the last succession battle, Cross Code, who had been unremarkable among the princes, had ascended to the throne.
You never knew what would happen in a succession battle. And Sword Tail's mission was to maneuver whichever king took the throne into the most advantageous position for negotiation.
"So... Kenbi, do you know that man? We received a communication from the King to be wary of sweet talk, but..."
"That matter is of no concern to the Prince. I will handle him personally... You have no objections, I trust?"
"O-of course not. I trust your abilities. The Mech-Soldiers, the enhanced knights, the mercenaries — none of them could match you... After all, you tore apart my modified Mech-Soldiers."
"Hehehe... Well, they attacked me without warning, so it was their own fault."
Recalling her first contact with Prince Morris, a smile played on Sword Tail's lips.
Prince Morris's guard Mech-Soldiers had attacked her without hesitation, having deemed Sword Tail a dangerous individual.
That had surprised her, while also making her realize the high level of Code's technological capabilities. Even among high-level Hunters, very few would have taken one look at Sword Tail, recognized her danger, and immediately assumed a defensive posture.
It hadn't been that long since Sword Tail entered Code, but she had grasped the basics of the City System.
A class-based hierarchy system with strictly defined class divisions. A City System that prepared everything. And the military force that maintained internal security and had once burned entire nations to the ground.
Code's weapons and security systems were excellent. Whenever a royal sensed even slight danger, a legion of Mech-Soldiers would rush to the scene within ten seconds, and various city weapons would activate to subdue intruders. But ten seconds was far too long for Sword Tail, who had survived countless split-second life-or-death battles.
This security system only anticipated average opponents. The weak humans who existed in the era of high physical civilization.
The same was true of the military force.
Of all of Code's weapons, including the Mech-Soldiers, only a truly tiny fraction posed any threat to Sword Tail. She had no intention of doing something so pointless, but if it were Sword Tail — no, anyone of high-level Hunter caliber — then as long as they could get close, assassinating a royal would be entirely feasible.
Currently, many individuals with considerable fighting ability had entered Code, but the immediate problem was Thousand Transformations. That man had blocked Sword Tail's blade without batting an eye.
To think that her sword would be defended so easily — since she had first gripped a sword as a child and dedicated over twenty years to the art, this was a first.
In the span of a single breath, she had unleashed slashes from every direction, totaling over a hundred. She had deliberately taken her time to carve him apart, ensuring there would be no way to block even if he had Barrier Rings — yet every single one had been defended.
At first, she thought it might be the same ability as Sky Tail, who manipulated air to defend against all attacks, but the sensation was different.
This attack hadn't been her full power. She hadn't known how the Mech-Soldiers behind Thousand Transformations would react, and while it had been a leisurely attack, if there was anyone in this city who could fight Sword Tail right now, it had to be Thousand Transformations.
Of course — excluding that man, whom they had painstakingly cornered, captured, and sealed away in Code's prison.
Sword Tail had already abandoned any attempt to understand Thousand Transformations' ability.
Mimicry that could fool even scans by Code's City System. Sword Tail had no power to see through such a thing.
All Sword Tail could do was — simply cut.
"...I don't know why you're here — but I won't let you interfere."
Obtaining Code's power was an operation on par with the "Earth's Key" for the organization. She could not allow the change of king to be disrupted.
In Code's City System, all royal authority was equal. However, the territories each managed were assigned in order of birth.
As the fourth child, Morris Code's managed area was distant from the Royal Tower and encompassed a vast area near the outer perimeter. This was not a favorable location for the succession battle, which was another reason for his lack of allies.
But precisely because of that — if Prince Morris became king, the few who had sided with him would gain tremendous power. And Sword Tail, Prince Morris's sole human guard, would be in a position to issue orders to the Code King.
Approaching Prince Morris had been on Prince Angus's orders, but it was a favorable position nonetheless.
"Prince Morris, could you have that man expelled from Code? You can send messages to the King, right? If he can be exiled, things would be much simpler..."
"That's... obviously impossible. Expelling another Class 8's guard — even bringing it up would only worsen my image. Besides, we received word from the King that the man is a nobody and should be ignored. His System evaluation is low too."
"...Hehehe. A nobody, is he."
The people of Code had no understanding whatsoever of what a high-level Hunter was. Let alone a Level 8 hero with a title — one who had stopped the Earth's Key that "Sky Tail" had been about to activate. To call such a person a nobody — perhaps relying too much on Code's City System evaluation was unwise.
After all, a high physical civilization was a civilization that had once perished. Modern heroes could not be measured by the legacies of the past.
She didn't know why Thousand Transformations was here, but if he currently held the position of royal guard, there was a possibility he shared Sword Tail's objective.
Just as Sword Tail had come to obtain Code's power, that man might also be trying to gain the trust of a royal and put a stop to the use of Code's power.
Thinking about it that way, it made sense that Thousand Transformations had ended up under Princess Alicia — a princess with no allies, but who held succession rights within the System. Attempting to single-handedly place Princess Alicia on the throne, bypassing the five competing royals, seemed rather overconfident — "Prince Morris, keep that man and whoever made him a guard under surveillance. Notify me if anything happens. I'll be the one to do the cutting, but everything else — I'll need you to handle."
She owed Thousand Transformations a debt. For stopping Sky Tail, who had tried to use the Earth's Key to annihilate the nation she planned to dominate.
But if he interfered with the organization, she would cut him down. If she couldn't cut him, she would keep cutting until she could.