In this golden age of Treasure Hunters, the prosperous Zebuldia Empire draws all manner of things from across the world.
Excellent personnel, precious Treasure Weapons, and criminals who come as if drawn by a bright light.
The Empire possesses many great cities, but none could rival the Imperial Capital Zebuldia, where the Imperial Palace stands.
The temple-type Treasure Hall that once reigned here as an inviolable domain — the Star Temple.
It was a famous tale: the emperor of that era rallied Treasure Hunters to assault it, and though they suffered tremendous losses, they succeeded in repelling the god.
The emperor then built the Imperial Palace on the site where the Star Temple had stood and made it the new capital. That was the beginning of Zebuldia's glory.
The Imperial Palace, at the heart of the Imperial Capital Zebuldia.
Inside it, in the headquarters of the Zeroth Knight Order, the Order's commander — Franz Arugman — reviewed the report that had arrived and furrowed his brow.
"Absurd… You're telling me that in this very capital, people are being spirited away?"
"We're rushing to verify the contents, but… the rumors appear to be spreading gradually. The Third Knight Order is investigating, but they seem to be short-handed —"
The Empire maintained several Knight Orders, each assigned to different duties. Incidents occurring within the capital fell under the purview of the Third Knight Order, whose responsibility was maintaining public order. Matters were only brought to the Zeroth Knight Order for events of exceptional difficulty, such as the prophecy incident from the other day.
But right now, the situation was dire.
Word of the visit by Spiritfolk Princess Selen Yggdra Frestel had drawn crowds from outside hoping to catch a glimpse of her, causing the number of incidents and accidents in the capital to skyrocket. On top of that, several troublesome cases had piled up simultaneously, leaving everyone short-staffed.
Even the Zeroth Knight Order was not idle. Just days ago, they had been fully occupied guarding the sheltered and free-spirited Selen, and the aftermath of the prophecy incident still demanded attention.
However, the materials sent over made it clear they could not refuse to cooperate.
The Imperial Capital Zebuldia was the center of the Empire. Near the outer walls existed a rough neighborhood known as the Decadent District, but the Knight Orders had already factored that area in, and people did not simply vanish from there without notice.
Moreover, this time the number of victims was different.
"Why did it take until this many people had gone missing before anyone noticed? And many of the students at the Zebuldia Academy of Magic are nobles, aren't they?"
He slammed the report down on the desk and looked at his subordinate.
It would be one thing if Hunters went missing. Hunters worked dangerous jobs and sometimes got involved in rough business. They had plenty of opportunities to make enemies. It would be no surprise if they died somewhere out in the wilderness.
But the missing persons listed in the report this time were not only Hunters.
The most conspicuous among the missing were students of the Zebuldia Academy of Magic — the pinnacle of magical academia in the Empire. The list alone numbered in the dozens, and among them, though only a small number, there were teachers as well. This was clearly an abnormal situation.
The Zebuldia Academy of Magic was an institution attended only by mages with exceptional talent — the elite among the elite. Many of its students were children of nobles, and quite a few were foreign students who had enrolled from abroad. If even a single student went missing, it would normally cause an uproar, yet information about this many disappearances had not even reached Franz until now — "That is, until just recently, no one had detected that anyone had gone missing at all. It was only afterward, upon checking, that it was discovered this many people had vanished — Professor Sage of the Zebuldia Academy of Magic has concluded that some extraordinary power is at work."
Sage Crasta was a half-Spiritfolk mage personally invited by His Majesty the Emperor. Naturally a first-rate mage, he also boasted an impressive record of conquering numerous high-level Treasure Halls. His knowledge and experience were unquestionably among the top tier in all of Zebuldia.
Come to think of it, Sage Crasta had been the teacher of Thousand Transformations' sister — All Forms Free — hadn't he?
"An extraordinary power, huh… Following the cursed artifact the other day, this is troubling news. For Professor Sage to say as much, this is no ordinary thief's handiwork… Could this also be the influence of the ley lines?"
Several thick ley lines surged near the Imperial Capital Zebuldia, which stood on the former site of a temple-type Treasure Hall. This was one reason Zebuldia, surrounded by numerous Treasure Halls, was called a sanctuary for Hunters, but it also indicated the possibility of unavoidable accidents.
The Mana Material flowing through ley lines was still a poorly understood force. Recent research had shown that the volume of power circulating through the ley lines was on an upward trend. The Empire had taken countermeasures, but there were limits.
"Professor Sage believes… that part of it may be caused by the rule-altering effects possessed by high-level Treasure Halls."
"Hmph… so you're saying a Treasure Hall has manifested inside the capital itself?"
That was the worst-case scenario imaginable, and at the same time, it was a possibility that had been anticipated since the capital was first relocated to this location.
After all, this was the site where a temple-type Treasure Hall had manifested. With Solis Rodan's cooperation, they had succeeded in banishing the god and destroying the Treasure Hall, but the fundamental structure of the ley lines running through the earth had not changed, so it was not surprising that another Treasure Hall might appear.
Rather, to put it precisely, that was exactly why the emperor of that era had relocated the capital to this spot.
By having the citizens of the capital absorb and disperse the Mana Material flowing through the ley lines, they would simultaneously prevent the manifestation of a new temple-type Treasure Hall and enhance the abilities of the capital's inhabitants.
Until now, that scheme had worked. A thousand years had passed since the relocation, and no Treasure Hall had manifested within the capital.
"Whether it's 'why now' or not doesn't change anything. But according to information from Princess Selen, the World Tree should be functioning normally. The increase in Mana Material was supposed to have stabilized —"
The successful contact with the Yggdra alliance had been a remarkable achievement. The Yggdra princess had teleported in and done as she pleased, causing various problems, but there was no doubt this event would be carved into the Empire's history.
And through it, they had gained valuable information. Most significantly, learning the current state of the World Tree — said to possess the function of regulating Mana Material — was invaluable.
"However, if a Treasure Hall has appeared, doesn't the number of victims seem rather low?"
"If a Treasure Hall truly exists, the first step would be finding its entrance. If many of the missing are students at the Zebuldia Academy of Magic, then there's a high probability the entrance is within the academy grounds, but Professor Sage should already be investigating that."
If that was the case, what the nation needed to investigate was everything outside the academy.
But the capital was vast, and overflowing with people. They were already short-handed, and searching the entire capital under these circumstances was no small task.
If they compiled the missing persons information, they might be able to narrow things down somewhat…
Franz couldn't help but scratch his head.
"Truly, lately nothing but unprecedented events have been occurring."
"Shall we… request assistance from Thousand Transformations?"
Request assistance from Thousand Transformations…?
At his subordinate's painfully feeble suggestion, Franz glared at him.
"Absolutely not! Categorically rejected! Using that man for His Majesty's escort or the Yggdra matter was unavoidable, but this is a Zebuldia problem! Besides, if we keep leaning on that man so frequently, the Empire's prestige will suffer."
Moreover, Thousand Transformations was a man who did outrageous things for no reason. The reason the Explorer's Guild headquarters was currently half-paralyzed was because he had gone too far, and they could not afford to let him run wild any further.
Franz himself had been dragged around by Thousand Transformations plenty of times. He knew losing his composure was foolish, but he couldn't stop his voice from dropping.
"In the first place, that man is currently under suspension. We will resolve this matter under the Empire's leadership, no matter what. Understood?"
"Understood."
The Zebuldia Empire was a great nation. Admittedly, Thousand Transformations' abilities were somewhat extraordinary, but if the various departments and experts pooled their strength, they would surely be able to identify and resolve the cause of this incident. No — they had to.
As Franz nodded firmly, his subordinate spoke with a serious expression.
"There is… one additional matter I must report. It was only just confirmed — there appears to be a victim among the Zeroth Knight Order as well."
"A victim in the Zeroth Knight Order? Impossible… Who?"
The Zeroth Knight Order served as the Imperial Guard and was composed of a small, elite force. Its numbers were far fewer than other Knight Orders, and naturally, as commander, Franz knew every face and name. If someone had gone missing, he should have noticed immediately.
Franz crossed his arms and furrowed his brow. His subordinate took a deep breath, then spoke the name.
"Hugh Legrand. After the prophecy incident, he was recuperating for a time and had supposedly returned to active duty, but —"
Hugh Legrand. A man who had graduated at the top of the Knight Academy and joined the Imperial Guard.
Overflowing with ambition and somewhat vain, but highly capable — and the man who had voluntarily gone to Thousand Transformations' side during the prophecy-related incident, only to be used and cast aside.
The name struck like a bolt from the blue. Until it was spoken, the thought had not even crossed his mind. As though that information had been erased from his memory.
This was a sensation he had never felt before. Was this why no one had recognized the problem until now?
And he understood why it was called "spirited away." Experiencing it firsthand made it clear.
To make people vanish without anyone noticing — truly, that was the work of a god.
"When we questioned other members of the Order, it appears that just before he disappeared, Hugh was investigating some kind of rumor. No one knew what the rumor was about —"
§ § § Life under suspension was wonderful. No urgent commissions came knocking, and no scolding calls arrived from Gaark — only peaceful hours flowed through the Clan Master's room.
Some people might find the restriction of not being allowed to leave the room stressful, but not me.
There was financial compensation, and in a way, this lifestyle might have been the very endpoint I had been seeking.
The only thing I felt sorry about was that, since I absolutely could not leave the room, someone had to specially bring me my meals at mealtimes.
According to Eva, people from the nation and the Explorer's Guild came by periodically to check whether I was actually in my room. What a bother.
…Wait, could this be not suspension, but imprisonment?
The range of actions permitted to me was limited to the Clan Master's room, the private quarters connected to it, and Mimi-kun's interior. If "sufficient" was the word, then it was sufficient. If "comfortable" was the word, then it was comfortable. But if "stale" was the word, then it was certainly that.
Code's room had possessed all sorts of revolutionary features, but I wondered if Ohi-sama — who had been cooped up in her room all that time — had felt this way too?
Well, I had childhood friends who came by fairly often despite having no particular business.
Eva brought me newspapers and magazines every morning, so I could read those if I wanted to know about the outside world, but I really didn't feel like it. I had just finished polishing my Treasure Weapon, too.
I was just considering whether to take a lazy afternoon nap when one of the magazines Eva had brought caught my eye.
*Monthly Lost Inn*. It was a tabloid magazine that collected urban legends and trivial rumors.
It was a major publication in that genre and one of the reasons the urban-legend-type Treasure Hall known as the "Lost Inn" had such high name recognition. (Incidentally, there had been a similar magazine called *Monthly Yggdra*, but it had apparently been discontinued after fierce protests from the Spiritfolk.)
I picked it up idly and flipped through the pages. The large sections were dedicated to Yggdra, the hot topic of the moment.
Until Selen had come to the capital, Yggdra had been a legendary city. The thought that Yggdra — once a staple of *Monthly Lost Inn* — was now stealing headlines in mainstream newspapers felt rather surreal.
Come to think of it, maybe all those indescribable rumors out there, if you dug deep enough, held some truth. After all, no one knew better than I did what could happen in this world.
Flipping through *Monthly Lost Inn* for the first time in a while, the contents were as absurd as ever.
If anything, the stories seemed even more sensational than the last time I had skimmed through — probably because the prophecy incident and the Yggdra princess's sudden arrival meant reality had overtaken fiction.
It seemed this month's *Monthly Lost Inn* was running a feature on spirited-away incidents.
Following a stranger and disappearing, mysterious holes scattered throughout the capital that you vanish into if you enter — all sorts of things were written, but honestly, if you were following a stranger or climbing into a hole, you were asking for it!
Being sucked in when you peer into a mirror, or being chased by monsters in a dream and vanishing from the real world if they catch you — I was more curious about who could have witnessed such scenes. People heading into the sewers or the Decadent District and not returning was a separate issue entirely from being spirited away. They even listed the Zebuldia Academy of Magic as having missing students — were they really allowed to print the names of actual institutions like that?
The magazine also listed countermeasures for when you were spirited away, and I could only pray that I would never find myself in a situation where I needed to try any of them.
It was a frivolous magazine, but perfect for killing time.
Besides, at least the gods and godlike beings I had encountered so far didn't seem like the type to pull such a silly spirited-away trick… Although, wait — Term and Kechachacca of Still Water being trapped in the Lost Inn could technically be called a "spirited-away" incident, couldn't it?
The feature ended with a warning urging readers to be cautious — don't follow suspicious invitations, don't approach dangerous places. That was common sense, really.
The magazine also contained stories about being attacked by invisible things, treasure chests that swallowed people infinitely, and flying cities of a super-ancient civilization. I had a disturbing familiarity with all of these… Were they just gossip?
Oh, right — speaking of gods, there was something I had been meaning to do.
I picked up the smartphone — a Treasure Weapon I had received from Ohi-sama — and retrieved a memo I had tucked away in my desk.
The smartphone was a Treasure Weapon with various functions, one of which was similar to a Resonance Stone: the ability to deliver voice and images to someone far away who also possessed a smartphone.
The difference from a Resonance Stone was that to make a call, you needed to enter a number that identified the recipient's smartphone. This meant that without the number, you couldn't call anyone — but conversely, with the number, you could call from any smartphone.
And I had carefully memorized the numbers of both Little Fox's and Big Fox's smartphones. They were the only people I knew who had smartphones, and if I lost the numbers, one of the device's functions would be rendered useless, so naturally.
Smartphones were Treasure Weapons whose functions varied by model. I still hadn't fully mastered the previous smartphone I had received from Little Fox, but the one Ohi-sama had produced this time was likely the latest model — it should have had more features than the one Little Fox had given me. If I asked Little Fox and Big Fox, I might learn about some new function.
Humming a tune, I dialed the memorized number.
I held the smartphone to my ear, waited a few seconds, and the moment the call connected, I enthusiastically called out.
"Hey, hey! Long time no see — it's me, me! How've you been?"
『!? …!』
A sharp intake of breath. The call was cut off without a word.
I lowered the smartphone from my ear and stared down at the shiny new device, eyes wide.
An abrupt disconnection… Could this be — the phenomenon that smartphone enthusiasts called "bad reception"?
This Treasure Weapon called the smartphone was extraordinarily convenient, but it suffered from several baffling shortcomings. One was the phenomenon of static during calls or sudden disconnections.
It was believed that because the original device had possessed this flaw, the flaw had been reproduced along with it — and this was one reason the smartphone had failed to gain widespread adoption.
What smartphone enthusiasts found amusing or romantic — the disconnection phenomenon — was nothing but a risk for Hunters. A Treasure Weapon that might cut off during an emergency was too frightening to use, and in that case, a Resonance Stone was more reliable. Resonance Stones were also quite rare Treasure Weapons, of course, but it was a natural judgment.
Not that any of it mattered to me, a mere Treasure Weapon collector.
I entered the number again and called Little Fox. The ring tone was slightly longer than before. The moment it connected, I spoke in a hardboiled manner.
"Sorry, sorry! Must've been bad reception — got cut off, it seems—"
『!? I was the one who hung up!』
Little Fox's scream rang out, and the call disconnected again.
…Did I do something wrong?
Well, maybe she was busy. Being able to call anytime was convenient, but the person receiving had their own circumstances.
I composed myself and entered Big Fox's number.
"Hey, hey! Long time no see. How are you?"
『…Hah. Kikikan, what do you take us for? Your sister is trembling.』
"…Pen pals?"
『That's already a dead term. So, you've gotten yourself a new smartphone — what do you want from us? We consider ourselves to be at odds with you, you know…』
At my smartphone-pro remark, Big Fox said with exasperation. "Pen pal" was a dead term among smartphone pros… Embarrassing. I'd have to stop using it.
I gave a small cough to cover my embarrassment and said to Big Fox: "No, I just… wanted to see how you were doing. I don't think of you as enemies or anything."
『…Look, I'm not even going to bother retorting anymore. Mother's wounds from the fight with Keller haven't healed, and we're sick of dealing with you. Let me make this clear: trying to move us with words won't work anymore. We've decided not to engage with you. Humans are short-lived — you'll probably die of old age in three hundred years anyway.』
I didn't remember doing anything particularly objectionable, but what a way to be treated. And for the record, humans don't live three hundred years.
Should I be happy that the Phantom of the dangerous Lost Inn was sick of dealing with me? Well, but still… They were my only pen pals (dead term).
"That hurts, hearing that from people I've built such a smartphone rapport with."
『Honestly, Kikikan, you really need to reflect on your actions — absolutely. If you're done, I'm hanging up. My sister's been trembling this whole time.』
No way — I finally got a phone call and they were going to cut me off?
I glanced down at the magazine I had left open and said: "R-Right! Do you guys know anything about the spirited-away incidents? It's been going around here lately, apparently?"
『We don't. Zebuldia isn't our territory, and the god that once lived there was driven out, wasn't he? He shouldn't have returned yet. We'd definitely know if he had.』
Do gods have territory…? And as expected, the rumors were just rumors. I already knew that.
The capital was peaceful today too. There were so many people that it wasn't as if nothing ever happened, but if spirited-away incidents were actually going around, the people around would be in far more of a panic.
Big Fox spoke rapidly, as though he were itching to end the conversation.
『The master of the Star Temple that once stood there was an invader. He had technology but knew too little about people. That's why Rodan and the Empire drove him out, but if he came back, he'd start by learning people's weaknesses. His nature is fundamentally different from Mother or Keller.』
Big Fox spoke as though he personally knew the god of the Star Temple.
Zebuldia had relocated to its current position a thousand years ago — did Phantoms not age?
And Rodan, for banishing a god. Being able to become friends with Ark was one of my few strokes of luck. He was almost too reliable, which was the only blemish, but next time something came up, I'd rely on Ark again.
"But the god won't come back, right? Ark's ancestor defeated him, and the Treasure Hall no longer exists."
Normally, when the boss of a Treasure Hall was defeated, the accumulated Mana Material would cause it to regenerate — but temple-type Treasure Halls were the exception.
The boss of a temple-type Treasure Hall was one of a kind. Its immense power formed the very foundation of the Treasure Hall itself, so when it was defeated, the entire Treasure Hall vanished with it, and naturally the boss did not regenerate.
The ley lines hadn't changed, so if Mana Material accumulated, a Treasure Hall would likely appear in the same location — but the Treasure Hall that appeared would be a different one. That was why conquering a temple-type Treasure Hall was considered a heroic feat.
But Big Fox responded to my words with ease.
『Not quite. Because the master of the Star Temple was not a Phantom. Drawn by the power that flows through this star, he came from beyond it — and was startled by an unexpected blow from the people he had considered inferior beings, then fled. They no longer underestimate humans. The best we can do is stay vigilant.』
Treasure Hall bosses were essentially Phantoms. However, in rare cases, powerful Phantom Beasts from outside would take up residence and dominate a Treasure Hall.
Such a boss was naturally far more powerful than the Phantoms that normally spawned in that Treasure Hall, and because it was not a Phantom, it could move freely outside the Treasure Hall.
If an invader powerful enough to dominate a temple-type Treasure Hall — where a god's Phantom manifested — existed, then what difference would there be between it and a god?
This world was truly brimming with danger. It was rare information if ever there was any, and I'd have to tell Franz and Gaark about it next time.
I kicked my feet up on the desk and spoke in a hardboiled manner: "A god from beyond, huh. Well, as long as he's not here now, it's fine."
『Kikikan, you really have no sense of danger. Is there anything in this world that scares you?』
Plenty of things scared me. I had been exposed to life-threatening danger more times than I could count.
But I had always made it through somehow, and as Big Fox had said, my lifespan was nowhere near three hundred years — probably not even a hundred. I had thought the same thing when talking to Selen: all those extraordinary beings were blessed with patience.
The people of the future would surely figure out how to handle whatever came. I was neither strong enough nor delicate enough to spend my life cowering before an inevitable catastrophe.
Now then, shall we get to the main topic — how to use the smartphone?
Just as I was about to speak, a voice suddenly came from behind.
"…What were you talking about, Leader?"
"!?" — "W-Well, I'll hang up now. See you later!"
At the familiar voice, I hastily ended the call.
Near the room's door, frowning as she looked my way, was my younger sister, Lucia.
When had she entered the room? I hadn't noticed a thing. She really was a high-level Hunter — even as a mage, she possessed stealth capabilities that ordinary people could never comprehend.
Or maybe my powers of observation were just that lacking.
It wasn't as though I had been saying anything I would be embarrassed to have overheard, but if she found out the other party was a Phantom of the Lost Inn, there was no telling what she might say.
Well, she might have already found out…
I cleared my throat once and asked Lucia, who was approaching: "How long were you listening?"
"From 'Do you guys know anything about the spirited-away incidents?' onward."
Lucia's gaze carried an intensity that bordered on pressure. It held the aura permitted only to those who had survived countless battles.
Her gaze alone was enough to make me falter against my own sister.
I put on a hardboiled air as best I could and said: "…I see. Then I'm in the clear."
No, actually, I was in the clear even if she had heard from the beginning.
"…Leader, do you understand the meaning of 'suspension'?"
"I was just having a pleasant chat. Really."
I closed the still-open *Monthly Lost Inn* and straightened my posture.
I didn't actually believe in spirited-away incidents — it was just one of many topics. And I had been about to have a smartphone conversation.
Well, I could always talk to Big Fox another time.
"So, what brings you here? You just charged my Treasure Weapon yesterday."
"…You think I only come when I need to charge it?"
Lucia's expression was too icy. It was the kind of cool detachment that made her mastery of ice magic perfectly understandable. She had been affectionately attached to this brother of hers only for a few years in early childhood.
I am deeply sorry for all the trouble I have caused.
"N-No, you're always welcome, of course… But see, Lucia, didn't you say you were investigating something you'd been asked to look into?"
She had said something about taking on a job from Sage.
What was it she was investigating, again… I couldn't remember clearly, but when a Level 6 Hunter took on a commission, it was presumably a job of considerable scale. She was already busy enough — she shouldn't have had time to come check on her suspended brother.
"…I came to make sure you weren't doing anything unnecessary! You're officially under suspension — do you understand that if you act up again, things will get complicated?"
"Lucia, you worry too much. It's fine. I won't do anything unnecessary. Even if someone asked me to, I wouldn't move."
The only time I moved was when I was running from something.