"Keh heh... I've got no interest in war. The only thing I research is this thing right here. It's still in the experimental phase and hasn't even passed safety checks yet — but consider it an apology. It's yours."
That's what Tony said, and what he handed over was a spider even smaller than I'd imagined.
It was less than a fifth the size of the ones I'd been riding. No armor, only three legs — a compact frame with rod-like handles sticking out left and right. Grip the handles, straddle the seat-like section, and rest your feet on the stirrups. That was the riding posture.
According to Tony, it was small but could reach the same top speed as the full-sized versions. He was willing to lend me something that wasn't even finished yet. Tony really was a great guy.
This compact spider was single-rider — or at most two if you crammed, so I decided to have the mechanized soldiers His Highness had loaned us carry Zaza and Ruru instead. There was only one mechanized soldier with flight capability, but since they were both kids, one could be held in each arm and it would still be able to fly.
"Big brother, are you really going to use that spider? Tony's reaction didn't exactly scream 'meets safety standards.'"
"...Klye, you're braver than I thought. Can you even imagine what Ruru and I went through while you were asleep? Seriously, I thought I was going to die. To royals, someone like me at Class 2 is basically garbage. Forget Tony — there was a real chance Nora would have had us disposed of."
Ruru and Zaza, both being carried, looked over at me and spoke one after the other.
I really did feel terrible about dragging them into this. They'd been stuck babysitting me this whole time while I was unconscious...
"It's fine. Tony wouldn't give me anything that dangerous, and Nora wouldn't dispose of Zaza or anyone. It's not like you guys did anything wrong."
"...Klye, you're really something with the optimism. Seriously, you should probably fix that? It's borderline disrespectful. Actually, calling Nora and Tony by name with the honorific already puts you squarely in the rude category."
"If that's the case, then the people pulling Nora and Tony's strings are way more disrespectful."
"...Huh?"
Ah... my mouth slipped. Let's forget I said that.
In a city with this level of physical civilization, you never knew who might be listening to what you said at any given moment.
"Uh, um... grip the handles and will it to move, right?"
Starting something with just a thought sounded like incredible tech, but it was pretty common for Treasure Weapons. I used to fumble with activation myself back in the day, but it had been five years since I'd become a Hunter now.
I tightened my grip on the handles and willed it to move.
And then — I left the sound behind.
For a split second, I had no idea what had happened. There wasn't even time to scream.
Instantaneous acceleration. A floating sensation, wind pressure across my entire body. The scenery blurred past at breakneck speed.
All I could do was desperately cling to the handles. Maybe it felt even worse because there was nothing enclosing me, but this felt way faster than the large ones. It only had three legs — how was this even possible!?
Tony's area, as he'd said, was packed with people. I could barely make out the panicking pedestrians through my dynamic vision.
My thoughts couldn't keep up with the speed. I'd flown through the air in various ways before, but this was definitely the worst.
Could it even turn at this speed?
That thought hit me the exact instant a building wall loomed into view right in front of my eyes.
I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for Barrier Ring consumption — and then my body was yanked upward. When I opened my eyes, the little spider was gliding up the face of the building.
What happened to inertia? What was Tony thinking when he made this thing? It was so crazy it was almost funny.
No, well, it did have a certain thrill to it. As long as you didn't slam into a wall, it might actually be more capable than the Dark Wings of the Night.
The little spider scaled the high-rise in a matter of seconds, then launched into the air before gravity pulled it into a freefall. It seemed... it didn't have flight capability after all.
The tiny spider bounced several times off the ground from its extreme height and then casually continued on as if nothing had happened.
Come to think of it... I never asked how to get off.
"Big brother, that was amaaazing! I wanna try too! That's not dangerous, is it!?"
"Does it... look not dangerous? But this way we can scope out the area pretty quick, right?"
"...I'm just saying, Klye, you really have no regard for your own life."
Zaza stared at me with a look that questioned my sanity, even as I was putting on a brave face.
Right beside us, the mechanized soldiers carrying Ruru and Zaza flew along. Compared to this tiny spider, being cradled by a mechanized soldier had to be the comfortable option.
"Still, Tony's area really is something! This is the first time I've been outside Nora's domain!"
"The number of spiders is something else. Tony's love of spiders was famous, but now I get it."
Why were you two sightseeing instead of me? I managed to lift my head against the wind pressure and squint at the scenery. The insane speed hadn't changed, but now that they mentioned it, there really were a lot of spiders.
Some had different colors, like the one Tony had been riding.
"Apparently Tony gives spiders to people who've worked hard for him. Special ones with custom colors. Normally even nobles can barely get their hands on a personal spider, so it's supposedly a real honor. The one you got is the latest model, which makes it even more incredible. No idea why Tony gave it to you, though."
That... was something I wondered about myself.
Come to think of it, between the creator of the Dark Wings of the Night and this, was there some unwritten rule that high-speed vehicles couldn't have brakes?
I was gripping the handles with everything I had to stay on, but one wrong move and I'd be thrown off. I had the Barrier Ring, so maybe getting flung off sooner would actually be the happier option, but...
The spider started scaling another building wall.
That was when Zaza's face went white and he screamed.
"K-Klye! That's bad, that direction — that's the Royal Tower!"
...Wait?
I went wide-eyed. Even as I stared, the spider didn't stop.
For some reason, this building had a slight incline. In an instant the little spider shot up the building's surface and launched into the sky.
And then I finally understood what Zaza had been trying to tell me.
The view opened up, and there, right before my eyes — I saw it. A massive building. A tower.
The most enormous tower I'd seen in this entire city.
It reflected the sunlight, standing cold and still. The area around it was wide open, with no other structures nearby. One glance was all it took to understand how special this tower was.
Countless turrets lined its walls in perfect rows. Several enormous birds circled the tower. On the ground below, mechanized soldiers stood in numbers I'd never seen before — including the large-type ones I'd seen at the prison.
Clearly several times the security of the prison.
The stationary mechanized soldiers all activated at once, looking up toward us. The turrets swiveled, aiming in our direction. The massive birds changed course, circling toward us. A terrible feeling crept in.
"Klye, that's the King's domain — you can't enter!"
The mechanized soldiers carrying Zaza and Ruru were already gone. Before I could even cry out, the gun barrels fired in unison, and my vision was swallowed by light. Lightning rained down from the sky, and the little spider lurched to a halt in a way that was frankly physics-defying.
And then I was spectacularly blown out of the air.
"Big brother, are you okay!?"
"...I'm fine."
"...How are you fine?"
I lay sprawled on the road in a star shape, and Ruru and the others rushed over in a panic. It seemed there was no follow-up attack. At the edge of the road, the little spider I'd been riding was rolling on its side.
It really didn't seem like they were going to pursue us.
Ruru grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet.
"Well, that was close. Thought I was gonna die."
"How are you even alive? Violating the King's domain is supposed to be a one-shot kill..."
Zaza cautiously looked up at the sky. The mechanical giants still hung in the air, watching us steadily. Along the road, mechanized soldiers were lined up as if marking an invisible boundary.
If we crossed that line, they'd probably attack. Not that I had any intention of doing so.
That was an accident. Just an accident.
Zaza clutched his head in confusion and said, "This is definitely wrong! Why weren't you executed!? Why aren't they attacking!? For starters, why didn't that spider stop in front of the King's domain!? Every machine in the Code is supposed to stay out of the King's territory! The mechanized soldier carrying us stopped properly — what did you do, Klye!?"
"Now, now, calm down... They probably realized it wasn't intentional. Maybe leaving the area right away helped too —"
Zaza shook his head furiously and peered into my eyes as if searching my soul.
"Klye, that's wrong. We haven't left... we haven't left! The first thing they teach you about is the sacred ground you must never enter — this is still the King's territory!"
That... did seem kind of off.
I looked up at the rows of weapons and mechanized soldiers arrayed against us.
But if they weren't attacking, that meant we'd been given a reprieve.
"Zaza, shouldn't we get out of here quick? Before the King gets angry —"
"Ruru's right. Sightseeing's over — let's head back."
I'd had enough trouble for one day. I ran over to the toppled little spider and lifted its body.
Whatever material it was made from, it was light enough for even me to pick up.
Ruru slapped Zaza across the cheek, snapping him out of his daze.
We'd seen enough sightseeing for one day. I'd gathered some intelligence, and I was curious about what had happened to Kurahi and the others.
Let's get back to His Highness before anything else happened.
§ After safely escaping the King's domain, I summoned a regular spider and waited. Before long, the mechanized soldiers His Highness had loaned us returned. Apparently they'd stopped right at the edge of the King's territory, dead in their tracks. Would've been nice if they'd stopped me too...
I climbed aboard the spider and finally let out a sigh of relief. I could probably doze off and wake up back at base.
...Right, before that, didn't I need to drop Zaza and Ruru off at Nora's place?
I was pretty sure you needed a certain class level to summon a spider. Otherwise, they'd have to walk all the way back to His Highness's area on foot.
I turned to Zaza, who still hadn't managed to hide his shaking at all.
"Want to stop by Nora's area on the way back?"
"!? What!? How did you know!? That's what I wanted!"
Zaza put on an exaggerated show of surprise. Come on, did they really think I was that oblivious?
I flashed a rare hardboiled grin and struck a pose.
"I don't need to be told — I made my name as a brilliant strategist out there."
"Ahaha, big brother, you're so funny!"
"............"
Ruru laughed, thinking I was joking. Zaza said nothing.
Yeah, fair enough. Calling me a brilliant strategist based on that was pretty laughable. I'd always thought the title was a bad joke to begin with — Zaza stared at me with suspicious eyes for a while, then finally spoke in a small voice.
"...Thanks, Klye. Actually, Nora had been sending me messages over and over telling me to bring you. I was hoping you'd noticed, but..."
...Wait? Nora? Why?
Come to think of it, when I'd woken up, Zaza had mentioned contacting Nora too. I was His Highness's guard, not Nora's — but I wasn't going to split hairs over that.
Nora was technically a protected person too, same as His Highness.
From Tony's conversation, I'd confirmed that Kaiser and the others were handling things well on their end. I should at least put on a show of doing some work myself.
The spider pulled up in front of a familiar crimson building. I dismounted, and Zaza immediately grabbed my arm, rushing me inside.
Nora's base was just as unpleasant as I remembered.
Last time I'd been restrained by knights the instant I walked in, so it was technically an improvement, but the stares from every direction were anything but comfortable.
According to Zaza, only chosen members of the Knight Order were permitted inside Nora's base. Zaza and Ruru aspired to be exactly that — Nora's innermost circle. The higher-ranking members were also designated as Nora's personal guards and given noble ranks. They really were the elite.
At the top floor, in the throne room, Nora was waiting.
She wore the same deep crimson dress as when we'd first met — different from last time. It was probably formal attire. Combined with her sharp features, the overall impression was less princess and more queen radiating authority.
Zaza and Ruru dropped to their knees the moment they saw her.
I moved to follow suit, but Nora spoke first.
"Zaza, Ruru — thanks for the escort. And Klye, it sounds like you had quite the ordeal at Tony's. But you brought that on yourself. Don't mistake me for the other royals — I'm far more lenient than you think."
"I don't really know the details, but I think there was some kind of mix-up. I wouldn't say it was an ordeal — I was mostly just sleeping..."
There didn't seem to be any lasting health effects, so I wasn't going to nitpick. More importantly, I didn't want to dig into this.
"Rest assured. I've already told Tony never to let something like that happen again. Tony's always been an odd one. Forgive him."
"? Forgive him? I wasn't really upset about it..."
Nora's eyebrow twitched, and the corner of her mouth curled. But she quickly composed herself and continued.
"Moving on — I hear you toured my domain. How was it? I gave you special treatment on account of our history... Isn't that right, Zaza?"
"Y-Yes... She provided us with equipment that even nobles can't obtain. I'm deeply grateful for Lady Nora's magnanimity. We were even granted permission to tour the arena and the research facility —"
"Huh? The research facility? Did we go there?"
I blinked in confusion. Nora rose from her throne and glared at me.
"......I gave you the clearance, but you never bothered to go, you fool! Don't you dare refuse a tour of my enhanced human technology research facility — the most advanced in the entire Code — with some flippant 'I'm not interested'! Do you have any idea what my generosity is worth!?"
...Sorry about that. Citry was the one into research facility tours. I was more of a dessert shop person.
Nora, who'd been so composed moments ago, was now standing and firing off complaints. While I was still trying to process, Nora pointed a finger at me and declared: "Oh, enough — this is tedious. Persuasion has no place in my conquest. Klye Andrich — I'll cut straight to the chase. Cooperate with me, Nora Code, and I guarantee your spare's life!"
What was this princess going on about now? Considering her behavior at the prison, this was probably just her being normal.
Zaza and Ruru, still on their knees, were trembling. Nora's eyes blazed like those of a predatory beast.
Hmm...
"Sure."
"I won't give you forever. You've already been given plenty of ti—...What did you say?"
"Sure."
Also, I'd been wondering about this since the prison — what made Nora think I was her enemy?
To me, Nora wasn't an enemy.
—She was a protected person.
"So you're saying... you'll coerce the Thunder Emperor into cooperating? Really?"
"Mm-hm. I'd say it depends on the situation, but... Kurahi's probably only capable of blowing everything up, isn't he?"
Well, there was also a decent chance that was exactly what Nora wanted.
"Don't be ridiculous... Then what was the point of you trying to get in my way—"
Nora muttered irritably. When had I ever tried to get in her way? I'd even tried to yield my turn properly. That was when I realized I'd forgotten something.
"But Nora, I do have one condition."
"!! Ha ha ha ha ha, of course — so that's how it is! To think you'd dare set conditions for me, Nora Code — the sheer arrogance! Fine, I'll humor you. Go ahead."
Nora laughed like a fish that had found water. I had no idea why a condition made her this happy, but it wasn't anything major.
"Status? Resources? Or was it a Treasure Weapon you wanted?"
Status? Resources? I didn't need any of that. I did want a Treasure Weapon, but that wasn't what I was about to say.
"No, nothing that complicated. I just want you to stop calling Her Highness 'the spare.'"
"...Excuse me?"
Even the self-proclaimed Code King had used that term, and it was awful. Even if Her Highness really was a spare, they were sisters — there had to be better ways to address her.
"What a pointless condition. Very well — what should I call the spare, then?"
...Wait?
"...How about 'the super adorable Alicia-chan'?"
My joke froze the air solid.