The Zebuldia Empire. One of the world's greatest nations, its territory sitting atop thick Ley Lines — and for Treasure Hunters, it was considered sacred ground. Home to countless Treasure Halls, it was said that with sufficient strength, one could obtain wealth, fame, and power — everything.
Saya had heard about this country long ago. Or rather, the city was so famous that its reputation had reached even the remote fortress city of Terrace, far away.
But she never expected to actually visit like this. For the Level 9 Certification Exam alone, Saya had needed to set aside time and recruit skilled Hunters from surrounding nations. The Demonic Wastes of Terrace were no joke — the sole Level 8 couldn't be away for long.
At the very least, traveling to Zebuldia wasn't realistic given the distance alone.
So being able to come here was surely a once-in-a-lifetime stroke of luck.
The distinctive dizziness of a Teleportation Magic Circle.
Provisional Level 9, "Nightfeast Festival Hall" — Saya Cromiz descended upon the Imperial Capital Zebuldia.
The Mages gathered to activate the magic circle turned to look at Saya with a mixture of wariness and curiosity. Saya exhaled softly and clenched her fist.
"So this is... the Zebuldia Empire."
"Welcome, Nightfeast Festival Hall. The Explorer's Guild Zebuldia Branch welcomes Saya Cromiz."
A large, bald man with tattoos on his head who had been waiting at the front flashed a wild grin and spoke to Saya.
The Explorer's Guild Zebuldia Branch Chief, Gaark Velter. A former Hunter himself, he was the very person who had invited Saya Cromiz to the Imperial Capital Zebuldia.
"Welcome — I'm honored. Branch Chief Gaark. I'll be careful not to cause too much trouble, so don't worry."
"I wouldn't mind you causing a little, honestly. It'd be good stimulation. A Level 7 from Nebulnes came through the other day, and that was a nice change of pace. Just try not to kill anyone."
As expected of Zebuldia — the Hunter population was clearly deep. If the Branch Chief himself was giving his seal of approval, there probably wouldn't be problems as long as she didn't cause serious trouble. And Saya generally didn't use force unless attacked.
Most importantly, the timing was bad. Having broken through one wall during the Level 9 Exam, Saya's "Sarasara" was currently in an unstable state.
Saya nodded with a serious expression, and Branch Chief Gaark shrugged.
"This is a city where Hunters from all over the world gather. You might not have much time, but take your time looking around. If you need anything, come to the Branch."
§ The results of the Level 9 Certification Exam: Saya Cromiz received provisional qualification.
During the exam, Saya had barely been able to contribute. All she'd done was capture two fox bosses. She had mixed feelings about becoming a Level 9 ahead of "Thousand Transformations," who had single-handedly completed the main objective — but the biggest issue was the reason for the provisional status.
A certain level of danger was anticipated from "Sarasara." When explained, it was something you could understand.
Sarasara was an unknown ability. Saya didn't even know who or what the beings that sided with her actually were.
They had stayed by Saya's clan, supporting them for a long, long time. That was why she had continued using them. As a result, Saya had reached Level 8.
But they didn't completely obey Saya's commands. To put it charitably, they were flexible; to put it harshly, they were self-willed. They moved as they pleased.
In practice, all Saya could do regarding them was watch. Watch them appear at night.
Yes — until that time during the Level 9 Exam, when, using Thousand Transformations' words as a hint, Saya had forced the ability to activate in the morning.
Since then, Saya's eyes had become far stronger than before. By activating the ability in the morning sunlight, she had probably broken through another wall, and her power had grown.
Saya hadn't been present at the review board, so she didn't know the exact details, but Branch Chief Gaark had apparently told the concerned reviewing members: In the Imperial Capital Zebuldia, where high-level Hunters and intelligence gathered from around the world, they might find clues to controlling Sarasara's power.
The proposal was accepted by the review board, and Saya received the status of Provisional Level 9 along with a ticket to the capital.
As for the concern of who would handle Terrace in Saya's absence — what a surprise — Kaiser Jiglud of "Heavenly Dance of the Shattered Army," who had also challenged the Level 9 Exam, agreed to fill in for her.
In his words: "Hahaha, don't hold back — go ahead! I've actually been meaning to take the stage in Terrace for a while now. Since there's nothing left for me to do in my homeland, I can go to Zebuldia anytime. As for your hometown, just sit back and relax... but don't blame me if the Hunters of Terrace end up unable to forget this hero, Kaiser Jiglud!" — That man was just too good-natured.
Anyway, with everyone's help, Saya had made it all the way to distant Zebuldia. She had to find at least one clue, or she couldn't go home.
Saya stepped out of the Explorer's Guild building — which had a different atmosphere from the Terrace Branch, where battle was constant.
And her eyes went wide.
"Incredible... this is the famous Imperial Capital."
Stepping just outside the Explorer's Guild building, Saya's vision was met with a sea of people stretching as far as the eye could see.
Armed Hunters traversing the main streets, merchants going about in large carriages.
Tourists in traveling clothes, students. The bustle under the pouring sunlight was dazzling to Saya, who had only ever known Terrace.
Most of all, there was no shadow on people's faces. Though things had gotten somewhat easier after years of fighting, it still drove home — whether she liked it or not — just how different Terrace was from other cities.
Among people in all manner of attire, Saya felt oddly out of place in her navy uniform. But this uniform was one of the few things she had inherited from her actual parents. She couldn't just throw it away.
Saya shook her head to dispel the helpless feeling, then steeled herself and set out to sightsee in the capital.
§ Her first stroll through a major city was enjoyable. She hadn't come for leisure, but the city had a grandeur worthy of being called one of the world's finest.
Everything was different from her hometown of Terrace. Culture, population, civilization level — if there was one area where Terrace surpassed it, it would be practical combat experience.
In Terrace, conscription was carried out to defend the city, so regardless of age or gender, not a single person was unable to fight. But if one could live without fighting, that would naturally be preferable.
As befitting a place called sacred ground for Treasure Hunters, the number of Hunters here far exceeded that of Terrace.
The number of Treasure Halls in this land far surpassed those around Terrace. Hunters must have gathered here seeking them. This world truly was unfair. If even a fraction of the Hunters in this capital came to Terrace, battles would be so much easier.
Saya peeked into several shops, and the goods traded were far more diverse than in Terrace. Most notably, entertainment goods lined the shelves. In exchange, though, Monster corpses weren't sold at street stalls.
Branch Chief Gaark had told her beforehand about places where she might find clues.
The Grand Library of Zebuldia, which housed rare texts collected from around the world. The Academy of Astrological Mysticism, an imperial institution researching the unknown and arcane. And Hunters who operated out of the Empire.
She should also visit Klye Andrich, who had challenged the Level 9 Certification Exam alongside her. He was currently under suspension for misconduct involving codes, but he was the only person she knew in Zebuldia, and she was curious about the Clan the young man had created.
Lost in these thoughts as she walked along the bustling street, someone approaching briskly from behind bumped into Saya and then passed right by.
Saya was small and slender, but she was a Hunter. Not a melee combat type, but she had absorbed a fair amount of Mana Material, so a collision from an ordinary person wouldn't so much as budge her.
But the sensation was entirely new, and her thoughts froze for an instant. Being bumped from behind — that was a first. In Terrace, her face was well-known, and everyone held her in such awe that not only did no one bump into her, a blank space formed around her wherever she went.
She quickly recovered her composure, but by then the thuggish-looking man who had collided with her was nowhere to be seen.
—But they were already on him.
A scream rose from the crowd. Dull sounds of impacts. Others nearby couldn't see it, but Saya could — a giant, painted pitch-black, standing amid the throng.
The source of Sarasara's power. Visitors from the unknown darkness. Whether they were even living beings was uncertain — entities belonging to principles beyond this world.
Their long hand was pinning the man who had bumped into Saya flat against the ground.
The giant tossed a leather wallet toward Saya. It was Saya's wallet.
The man had been a pickpocket. Of course, she had noticed the wallet was stolen — she would have retrieved it herself eventually — but for the man, there was no way to describe it other than catastrophically unlucky. His eyes, pressed so deep into the ground he was nearly embedded in it, were twisted in terror, unable to comprehend what was happening.
Saya furrowed her brow involuntarily.
Having broken through a wall and grown, "Sarasara" no longer summoned only the night. Perhaps it was because Saya had come to understand that it could activate in the morning as well.
Or perhaps it wasn't Saya who had realized this, but them — that sunlight was not something that harmed them.
Once, Saya had been able to perceive them at will. But now, they were always visible. Her pupils, which had only turned red during ability activation, now remained red at all times.
That fact indicated that the Explorer's Guild's concerns were not necessarily unfounded.
The old Saya had been weak against surprise attacks before ability activation, but the current Saya had no blind spots.
Staring intently, the giant pinning the pickpocket released its grip and melted into an alleyway with slow, deliberate movements.
They still listened, more or less. They might move on their own, but they wouldn't kill someone against Saya's will.
She let out a breath of relief. The pickpocket, still twitching on the ground, would surely be helped by someone.
Seeing Saya at ease, the Sarasara Visitors lurking among the crowd laughed like children. But only Saya could hear their voices.
She had to be careful... The reason they hadn't killed the pickpocket this time was that the harm he'd inflicted on Saya didn't qualify as serious. But if it had been a mugger instead of a pickpocket, they would have undoubtedly executed the mugger — and joyfully so.
They enjoyed attacking their targets. That was one of the dangers of Sarasara.
Explaining the ability to others would be difficult. She had no intention of getting wrapped up in a fuss.
Just as Saya quietly tried to slip away from the gathering crowd, she noticed something massive approaching from the distance.
"?!?!?! What is that...?"
Full-body plate armor, enormous. For an instant, she thought it might be a Visitor, but it wasn't.
Her eyes went wide and she froze in place. It was clearly too large. Twice the size of the biggest Hunter she had ever seen — truly a figure one had to crane their neck to look up at.
But what was most surprising of all was how little commotion it was causing. Of course, there were people as stunned as Saya, but for such a massive human(?) to appear and have everyone remain relatively calm — could it be that such enormous figures weren't uncommon in this capital?
What in the world — easily two sizes larger than the black giant that had subdued the pickpocket.
The enormous armor parted the crowd like a ship cutting through waves, sat down near the pickpocket, and turned its palm outward. Then a divine light burst forth.
"?! Recovery magic?! A Healer?! Is that a Healer?!?!"
Moreover, it was overwhelmingly the strongest Healer Saya had ever seen.
A calm and vast Mana Material that evoked the grandeur of nature itself. The pickpocket's severe injuries vanished in an instant. The sheer potency of the healing left Saya with indescribable feelings.
A Healer that big existed... Major cities really were something else.
A male Hunter nearby called out to the armor.
"Ah, Anthem — that guy's a pickpocket. He's been caught multiple times and never shows any remorse. He probably tried to steal something again and got counterattacked."
"Hmm..."
Apparently, the person inside was male. With a heavy nod, the large man grabbed one leg of the freshly healed pickpocket and stood up. Compared to his frame, an average-sized person looked like a toy.
Dangling upside down with no means of resistance, the pickpocket let out a scream of terror. Was this how criminals were punished in the capital — hung upside down in midair?... Major cities were terrifying...
The Sarasara Visitors lurking everywhere had also gone rigid, staring at the large man. In any case, he was far too alien.
The Visitors had never flinched before any army of Monsters — and even among the large Hunters of Terrace, no one came close to this man's size. What on earth did he eat to become that big?
Still dumbfounded by this urban baptism, Saya suddenly felt a hand grab her shoulder.
"Nn—...?"
She flinched and turned around. There stood a female Hunter. Pink-blonde hair tied up in the back, with eyes of the same color. She was staring intently at Saya, peering in close with her eyes wide open.
She was probably a **Thief** by trade — and quite skilled at that. Small in stature, but Saya could feel a blazing, flame-like energy contained within her.
The Visitors that had immediately surrounded her were craning their necks, peering in to get a look at the woman's face.
Saya gave a small cough and asked the Hunter, who for some reason was staring at her as though trying to peer right through her.
"...Can I help you?"
There shouldn't have been any reason for this level of scrutiny. No one would be able to tell that the fallen pickpocket was Saya's doing. The wallet flying through the air might have been spotted, but still...
A few seconds of silence passed. Then the female Hunter blinked, tilted her head, and spoke.
"Could you possibly be... the Saya that Klye-chan told me about?"
"?!?"