These days have been pretty peaceful, honestly.
I lean back in my chair and lazily prop my legs up on the desk, letting out a yawn.
A grounding period was perfect for getting some rest, but it was starting to get genuinely boring.
I'd already polished most of my Treasure Weapons and napped a fair amount. Even so, I still had time to spare.
What bugged me most was that on previous vacations I could at least go outside, but this time even that was off the table. Even a thoroughly useless guy like me eventually runs out of things to do. I know it's a pretty luxurious problem to have, though.
At this point, reading was pretty much the only option, but lately I hadn't even been buying books. I used to love getting lost in daydreams and read all sorts of stuff, but once I set my sights on becoming a Hunter, I pretty much stopped reading entirely.
I used to be really into urban legends and horror, come to think of it… Well, I guess the things I've actually run into as a Hunter are way more horrifying than any story.
My phone buzzed on the desk right as I was idling through these pointless thoughts.
"!! Finally—something to kill the time!"
Only Brother Fox and Sister Fox had my phone number and email address.
Last time we talked on the phone, it had gone unanswered for ages, but it seemed like they'd finally forgiven me.
Well, I didn't exactly remember doing anything wrong, but if they were willing to forgive me, I was ready to grovel on demand at any moment.
I picked up the phone and checked. Apparently, it was an email.
"What's this…? 'Treasure Vault of Another Dimension'?"
I read the subject line aloud. The sender didn't seem to be Brother Fox or Sister Fox.
And the email contained more incredible information than I could have ever imagined.
"Great news, only for the lucky recipient of this email! In the Imperial Capital, there exists a Treasure Hall where you can obtain any Treasure Weapon you desire. It's safe, and there are no Phantoms! If you're interested, call the number below ↓"
No way!
I'd never received an email like this before. A Treasure Vault of Another Dimension? A Treasure Hall that's safe and Phantom-free?
My heart started pounding. This was too good. If there were no Phantoms, I could go search for one by myself. Well, I couldn't leave during my grounding, but I could always send other members to check it out for me.
Still, who knew a phone could have a feature that sends you sweet deals like this… I'd better jot this down.
Maybe it was because this was the latest phone I'd gotten from the lady?
I dialed the number. This was the first time I'd called anyone besides Brother Fox or Sister Fox.
A few seconds after dialing, the call connected.
"Hello? It's me."
"Huh??? No way??? Why?? I mean, I got a call out of nowhere!???"
The voice on the other end was flustered. It wasn't Brother Fox, and it wasn't Sister Fox.
To think I'd end up with a third person in my phone contacts—today was really my lucky day.
"I saw the email and called. Is it true there's a Treasure Hall where I can get Treasure Weapons safely, with no Phantoms?"
"Whaaat!? You called because of THAT!? You actually fell for it!? Really!? Why!?"
Well, anyone would want to check out a Treasure Hall if they heard about it, wouldn't they?
I understood being surprised by the call, but… I mean, practically nobody in the Imperial Capital even had a phone.
I could hear a commotion on the other end. Then a girl's calm voice came through.
It was a different voice from before. A little shaky.
"Hello? Can you really hear me?"
"Of course I can! I'm fully charged!"
Lucia had charged it, but keeping the battery topped up during a call was basic phone etiquette for any self-respecting phone enthusiast. The voice on the other end spoke timidly to my confident reply.
"…H-hello. I'm Mary."
"Huh? Mary? Who's that? Mary from The Magic Wand? Or just someone with the same name?"
"!! I'm Mary! I'm right behind you right now!"
"Too fast, too fast! You need to build up to it!"
The phone was getting noisy. Still holding the phone, I glanced behind me.
There was—absolutely nobody there.
Well, of course there wasn't. This room had only one exit, and it was being watched by a whole crowd of people.
Incidentally, the only window was also being monitored from outside.
"Nobody's here, though?"
"I'm Mary! Huh!? What!? You can't see me!? I'm right here! Look, I'm waving at you!"
"…? I don't see anyone."
Straining my eyes didn't help—I couldn't see a thing. The commotion on the phone was getting worse.
"I'm Mary! No way—don't tell me you have no spiritual perception!? This is a perfectly legit rumor, there's no way you shouldn't be able to see me!"
"But nobody's ever failed to see someone using the rumor before, right? What does that mean?"
"It means he has even less spiritual perception than anyone else! Damn it—he's got a phone and everything—"
I had no idea what they were talking about.
But the important question was whether the information in this email was actually true.
"So, is the stuff in this email for real? I'd like to hear the details."
"!! H-hold on a second—"
More rustling and commotion. It wasn't like I had anything better to do… well, actually I didn't. I really was bored.
While I waited with eager anticipation, a calmer male voice took over.
"To get to the 'Treasure Vault of Another Dimension,' you need to go through a simple process. It's really simple—even a child could do it. Ready?"
"I'm ready, but… I can't go outside right now. Will that be a problem?"
"!? Wait—let me look for a way you can do it without leaving—found it!"
So there were multiple methods? More importantly, who exactly was I talking to?
"It's a bit complicated, but if you follow the steps, you'll be fine. It's easy, so I really hope you try it. Okay, first, prepare a large mirror."
"A large mirror. How large?"
"Large enough for a person to fit in. Can you get one?"
Gotcha. If I asked Eva, she'd get me one. I made sure to take careful notes.
"Then, peer into that mirror at exactly 4:44:44 in the morning. When you do, a phone call will come in. Pick it up, and you'll be pulled into the mirror. That's the place you're looking for."
Incredible… Could it really be true? Getting pulled into a mirror sounded absurd on the surface, but trying it wouldn't cost anything.
…I hadn't left the room, and as far as the people watching me went, this should be fine…
"Is it really safe?"
"I-It's totally safe, absolutely safe! You really don't even need a weapon. It's absolutely worth coming. If you want to leave, you can just leave whenever…"
"And there really are Treasure Weapons?"
"There are! Not just Treasure Weapons—you can find anything you're looking for. And it's first-come, first-served, so you'd be losing out if you don't go!"
That meant… I'd better hurry. Would I make it in time for the next window?
Underneath where I'd written "mirror, 4:44:44, phone," I added that everything you wanted was obtainable.
"Got it. I'll get ready, so I'm hanging up. Thanks."
"I'm Mary! W-wait!"
The voice switched back to the girl's again. I waited, and after a deep breath, she spoke.
"I'm Mary. I'm right next to you. You can see me, right?"
Her voice was almost pleading.
I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked to my side, but sure enough—there was nothing there.