They repelled monster and bandit attacks by a hair's breadth, reinforced and reorganized the escort squad at relay points, and pushed on for a full week.
Hugh was worn to the bone from the constant handling. What should have been a routine mission — escorting a Level 8 who'd surrendered himself to prison — had turned into a daily gauntlet of mysterious attacks, plus the equally mysterious Princess Selen who teleported in every single day no matter how gently he refused. Together they gnawed at Hugh's spirit from every conceivable direction, despite having been forged through two brushes with death.
If Commander Franz had been in a similar position all along, then the role of Knight Commander might carry more hardship than its lofty rank suggested.
But at last, that hardship was about to bear fruit.
They were about to enter the Domain of the Calm — the region encompassing East Seal Prison Island. By tomorrow, everyone would be confined to the prison island.
East Seal Prison Island sat in the most remote frontier of the vast Zebuldia Empire. Officially it fell within the territory of Marquis Alter, but in practice it was managed in name only.
A cursed land. Its inherent property of stripping Mana Material served as a natural wall — powerful fantasy beasts and magical monsters alike, indeed any living creature, could not approach, and because Mana Material was absent, no Treasure Halls existed in the vicinity either.
It had been so thoroughly abandoned that even Hugh hadn't known this, but before East Seal Prison Island was built, this area had truly been a place where nothing existed and nothing could take root. The fact that a plan to construct a prison in a location where neither resupply nor surveillance was feasible could actually be carried out was a testament to Zebuldia's national power alone.
Now, barely outside the edge of the Domain of the Calm, a monitoring base existed for handling the various arrangements related to the prison island — the sole artificial structure in the vicinity.
The fortress-like edifice sitting alone in the barren wasteland gave the impression of some collapsed civilization.
The escort squad, centered on a single transport vehicle, filed into the monitoring base.
Once they reached this point, there would surely be no more attacks. They still weren't inside the Domain of the Calm, but Monsters no longer inhabited this area. Only the sparse plants that still sprouted here and there indicated that Mana Material still trickled through this place.
Bathing in the cold wind atop the outer wall surrounding the monitoring base, Hugh gazed in the direction of the prison island — their destination.
Where the Domain of the Calm began was immediately obvious. Within its borders, the sparse vegetation that grew right up to this point vanished entirely.
But even without such a marker, Hugh would have recognized that something was fundamentally different about that place.
"I see, I see... just as Commander Franz said, it's unmistakable."
Frowning, Hugh nodded.
Wrong. Even from a distance, the alien atmosphere came through clearly — something that repelled all life. Even low-intelligence Monsters and animals instinctively avoided approaching, and not even plants could take root. A perfect void.
He felt a chill distinct from what he'd sensed from the "Cursed Spirit Stone" or the "Box Garden of the Star God." His body itself must have been sounding the alarm, sensing what that land did to living things.
The prison guards who worked on East Seal Prison Island were drawn from the capable — knights, former high-level Hunters, and the like — with compensation that was off the charts compared to other postings, and a rotation of three months. Even so, the position reportedly had no takers. That was only natural, since the strength they'd honed at the risk of their lives would be stripped away.
The Knight Order participating in this escort would set foot on that land for only a very short time, yet they still received special hazard pay and leave. The quality of the Empire's Knight Orders was high compared to other nations, but even they couldn't match the Mana Material retention of high-level Hunters.
Hugh of the Zeroth Knight Order was the cream of the crop among knights, but just how much of his power would he lose — ?
Even Princess Selen, who came every day, would surely think twice about teleporting near the imprisoned Thousand Transformations once she witnessed the spectacle of the Domain of the Calm spread before her. Mana Material was the source of mana, and naturally, her strength in magic was intimately tied to it.
Only a monster of the Thousand Transformations class could say something as absurd as voluntarily entering East Seal Prison Island — and have it tolerated.
By now, those being imprisoned alongside the Thousand Transformations were surely going pale as they felt the terror of East Seal Prison Island on their skin.
§ § § "Tomorrow's the big day. Are you all mentally prepared?"
"I've been dying of boredom, really. Honestly."
How many days had it been now? Released from shackles and blindfold, I let out a sigh at Hugh's words during the usual mealtime.
I'd mostly slept during transit, so subjectively it hadn't been too painful, but I certainly hadn't expected to travel this far. The Empire was big, sure, but... they were only supposed to be processing my release paperwork.
Since Selen came every day, my information must have reached Citry and the others, but... I was starting to seriously miss the sweets back in the capital.
"Did something happen along the way?"
"Well... nothing major from your perspective, but we were attacked about fifteen times."
"...I see."
Fifteen times was... no big deal! But if it was because of my bad luck, I'd feel terrible!
I changed the subject.
"So, the paperwork — what do I need to do?"
"Nothing on your end. Commander Franz should have arranged all the details, so..."
"That's... a relief. Tell him thanks for me."
Then why did I have to come all this way?
Well, not having anything to do was better than the alternative, and I wasn't about to complain.
I was worn out from the long journey, and once I got back to the Clan House, I planned to laze around in my room for a while. Maybe write a letter of self-reflection about the whole incident where I'd been lured by a Treasure Weapon and done something outrageous... Being useless was a crime too, for a Hunter.
While I was thinking this over, Hugh spoke up.
"Oh, by the way — we arrive at our destination tomorrow, but there's one thing I should mention. Almost no one knows about your special treatment."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"That Commander Franz has pulled strings behind the scenes — most people around here don't know about it. The bandits, certainly, but even among the Empire's people, those who know are few. Outwardly, showing favoritism wouldn't look good, so..."
"??? ...Hmm hmm, I see...?"
The explanation was incredibly confusing. But yeah, I could see the logic... A crime was a crime. If you violated Imperial law, you should be arrested even if nothing bad ultimately came of it. If you dodged punishment, the people of Zebuldia living honest lives would bash you for sure.
But the fact remained that I was being acquitted... So from everyone else's perspective, I was someone who'd committed a crime, been arrested, and yet somehow wasn't being put in prison and was walking freely around the capital?
"...Wouldn't it be a problem if I moved around freely? People would wonder why I'm not restrained, right?"
"Indeed. Well, you are Level 8, so it would be manageable either way... but do keep that in mind."
Some countermeasure would have been nice. "Do keep that in mind," he says... Well, once we were back in the capital, I could consult Eva or Citry, and they'd sort it out. I could hole up in the Clan Master's room until things blew over anyway.
"Oh, Princess Selen isn't coming today..."
Come to think of it, yeah... She'd been showing up every day recently...
"Well, Selen is busy, you know. She's probably just not coming today. She never came before I got arrested in the first place."
Besides, Selen never actually did anything when she came. She didn't discuss anything important — she'd just chat, eat, and leave. What she was actually here for was truly a mystery (she claimed she was worried, but still).
"Bad timing... and tomorrow we arrive at East Seal Prison Island."
"!?" ...Oh, right. Bad timing indeed.
And I was heading to the prison island! First I'd heard of it.
I'd heard rumors about the prison island from Citry, which was why even I knew about it. Apparently it was a prison for violent criminals, created in response to a mass escape incident.
It supposedly held a bunch of high-level Hunter-class criminals, and Citry had once expressed disappointment that she wanted to visit but all outside contact was completely sealed off. Strange hobby, but Citry was curious by nature.
I had zero interest in prisons, but I was sure she'd be delighted if I told her about everything I'd seen.
Still, I hadn't realized the release procedures would take place at a prison.
"I'm actually starting to look forward to this prison island."
"!? You're the only one who can say that, Thousand Transformations. The bandits being escorted alongside you have gone quiet — they can sense the prison's presence."
"Are the others being confined on the prison island?"
"?? Of course. They're not in the same league as you, Thousand Transformations, but... and the ones you captured at the High-Mobility Fortress City of Code are being confined there too."
...I didn't remember capturing anyone, but those were probably the ones Saya and Kaiser bagged. If they were locked up, they shouldn't be dangerous, but I'd rather not run into them.
I was feeling somewhat detached from it all when Hugh asked something odd.
"Oh, right — like I said, we'll arrive at the prison island tomorrow. How are you feeling?"
"Feeling...? No different from usual, really..."
The carriage had been smooth and comfortable, and I'd slept the whole way, so my physical condition hadn't deteriorated at all.
"If anything, I feel better than usual..."
Maybe because I'd worn an eye mask the whole time. It was boring, sure, but as long as you could sleep, it was fine.
"That's... well, if you're feeling composed, that's excellent. After we enter the Domain of the Calm tomorrow, if you change your mind, let me know. There's still time."
"Uh... right. Got it."
What did he mean by "change my mind"? Still time for what? And what exactly was the Domain of the Calm...?
I didn't actually understand any of it, but I flashed a hard-boiled grin.
None of those complicated details mattered. They'd process my release and I'd head back to the capital. That was all there was to it.
§ § § The transport to the prison island was an unrelenting string of shocks for blood-soaked Jack.
The abnormally frequent attacks. The former Level 8 Red Hunter who maintained total silence throughout the ride in the same carriage. When that Red Hunter had ordered a dragon to appear during Jack's dinner, he'd been stunned that a prisoner could command knights like that — but even that astonishment paled beside the sensation he was feeling now.
A chill like plunging into cold water. The senses honed by Mana Material were screaming maximum danger.
No — he'd known since the day before. An inexplicable tightness in his chest. The others being transported probably felt something similar, to varying degrees.
And the moment they arrived, premonition turned to certainty.
"Hey — where the hell are you taking me?!"
Shouting was pointless. It only wasted energy. But before he knew it, Jack was screaming at full volume.
He instinctively tried to break free. The restraint suit creaked, and the handcuffs rattled.
"Stay quiet, Jack, Grant, Zack! Making noise won't help."
His power — the Mana Material he'd painstakingly absorbed — was draining away.
Well, yes, Mana Material did drain when you were outside a Treasure Hall, but the speed was different this time.
In normal cities, Mana Material drained so slowly you wouldn't even notice. But what he was feeling now was — At that moment, Jack understood what kind of place the Empire had built for its most dangerous criminals.
He didn't know the mechanism, but it was a prison that forcibly stripped Mana Material from the body to physically weaken violent criminals — an inhumane facility.
Even Jack, a former Level 6 with decent Mana Material retention, could feel his power draining at a pace he was consciously aware of. Even a top-tier, high-level Hunter-class criminal wouldn't escape deterioration if kept here long enough.
Truly the worst prison imaginable. As Jack stood frozen in horror, a knight spoke up.
"Don't get any ideas. This phenomenon is entirely due to the geography — there's no way around it. Even if you tried to break out, it'd be pointless. The prison staff and soldiers rotate regularly to keep their strength intact."
"...That's a bold move."
Running a prison that stripped its operators of Mana Material was an enormous cost that money couldn't compensate for. But if that claim was true, the prisoners confined here were truly beyond hope. Even a high-level Hunter couldn't do anything about geographical effects.
"That just shows what a threat you lot are. Regretting your crimes now is too late. You'd best sit tight and wait out your sentences."
Wait out their sentences? That was absurd. By then, all their Mana Material would be completely gone.
Even if they were released in that state, revenge from those they'd wronged would be all but certain.
He had to escape somehow... Jack alone couldn't do it. Jack shouted.
"Hey, Level 8! Let's break out — cooperate with me! You must understand — this is bad! If they take us all the way there, it's game over!"
The former Level 8, who wore only handcuffs because restraints were deemed pointless — with his power, he could kill every knight present and escape.
— But as expected, the former Level 8 showed no reaction whatsoever to Jack's words.
Not only did he not reply, he didn't even stir. As though... he couldn't hear a thing.
The sudden outburst didn't faze the knights in the slightest. One addressed Jack in a condescending tone.
"Give it up. This man isn't the type to fall for some half-baked escape scheme. If he were going to run, he'd have made his move last night at the latest. This man — Jack — is a far more dangerous criminal than you, but he also commands a certain level of trust. The Thousand Transformations is a former hero of Zebuldia."
"...Damn it."
It made sense. Escorting a former Level 8 with this few personnel was insane. The fact that the knights had accepted the Thousand Transformations' demands suggested there was a reason he was staying docile — a reason that overrode even this gut-wrenching sensation of having your power ripped away.
If he knew that reason, perhaps it would be possible to act alongside the man.
The constant draining of Mana Material was making him nauseous. The voices of the escorting knights sounded heavy, and the carriage seemed to be slowing down. The horses pulling it must have been losing Mana Material too.
Then the carriage stopped.
The smell of water. The escorting knight's voice.
"From here, we travel by boat. Finally, the destination. Thousand Transformations — wake up."
He'd been sleeping through all this?! In this kind of place?!
Was he so bold that he could stay calm while his Mana Material was stripped away, or did he possess enough Mana Material retention to be unaffected even in this environment?
At the very least... it didn't feel that overwhelming to Jack — but — "Yaaawwwn... are we there yet? I've been dying of boredom. Looking forward to the prison island."
Along with the sound of a yawn, the dopey voice of the Level 8 Red Hunter was heard for the first time.