"This is perfect, Klye. I gave it a light check, and there's no notable damage at all. It's ready to use immediately."
"Oh, nice."
Citry, who visited the Clan Master's room for the first time in several days, was in remarkably high spirits. She was almost always smiling, but right now she couldn't quite conceal the joy bubbling inside her.
Her loose, khaki-colored robe that hid the lines of her body was the same as always, but the quality of her expression was different.
"Because we left the venue early, I was able to recover it safely. You may already know this, but it seems someone broke into the auction warehouse. Nothing was stolen, so it never became public knowledge, but..."
"Someone broke in...? It wasn't Lids, was it?"
I didn't know where the auction items were stored, but the Zeburdia Auction was a state-run event. The security would be proportionate, and imperial prestige was on the line. Breaking into a place like that — whoever did it had to be out of their mind.
To my half-joking, half-serious question, Citry answered with sparkling eyes.
"It wasn't my sister. Klye, we took down Not Koclea, but he was merely the head of one research division. That means the roots of that organization are still in this country. Akasha is structured so that each research division operates independently — even if one collapses, it has no effect on the others. I've only heard about other laboratories through rumors myself. But Not Koclea was a brilliant guide. With his research division gone, movements surrounding his legacy are already emerging! This might be our chance to gather information on the other laboratories!"
Honestly, I couldn't care less. It was irrelevant.
While Citry talked excitedly, I gave half-hearted nods as we headed toward the meeting lounge.
I was happy that Citry was so pleased, but right now the only thing on my mind was how to get my hands on the mask.
Eva had managed to pass my message along to Ark, just as I'd instructed.
The meeting place was the lounge. From here on out, it all depended on my skills.
Citry walked alongside me, did a full spin, latched onto my right arm, and let out a sultry voice.
Was her tension getting weird? I was about to go into a negotiation, and she was being distracting.
"This is all thanks to you, Klye! Akasha, which was nothing but a money pit of a laboratory, we acquired for a mere billion — and it's even opened up a whole new path for us — ah, should I try infiltrating again, or should I crush them and just seize the results — — — but they're a massive organization. Next time they'll be on guard against you, Klye, and the empire will be watching closely too. I also have my regular work, so it's really quite vexing."
It seemed Citry was fully prepared to take on a secret society that even had wanted warrants out for them.
Citry had apparently been tracking Akasha all along. Was this what all Hunters were like? I couldn't read her at all.
Noticing that I was struggling to walk, Citry released her hold on me.
Personally... I didn't want Citry doing anything too dangerous. She wasn't a combat-class.
"Come on, calm down, Citry. We got what we were after, so it's better to lay low for a while."
The other side was a secret society, and we were a major clan. They wouldn't recklessly make a move.
And if possible, just forget about Akasha entirely...
At my words, Citry cleared her throat softly, as if regaining her composure.
"I see... keeping our distance to make them anxious. We might be able to overwhelm them if we strike all at once, but our defenses would be just as vulnerable on the offensive. It does feel a bit overly cautious, but... with you here, Klye..."
She glanced up at me from below. I got the feeling that she'd understood maybe half of what I was actually trying to say, but I nodded sagely.
"For a Hunter, being overly cautious is just right. More importantly, I need your help with something. Well, when I say 'help,' there's not much to do besides the money side of things."
Even if the lady passed the mask on to Ark, Ark wouldn't just hand it over to me for free.
The basics of being a Hunter was equivalent exchange. If he gave it to me for nothing — that would mean I'd owe him an enormous debt.
I was already deep in debt with half the people I knew, but I wanted to avoid piling on more.
Without a trace of displeasure, Citry replied to my completely unmotivated tone.
"Of course. Gladly. As for the money, I was going to move on it even without you telling me."
Right... she'd even spent her wedding funds.
Both Citry and I were broke right now. If I hadn't gone into debt, things would've been so much better. I was truly sorry.
I'd pay it all back someday, so please forgive me.
Citry smoothly extended her arm and took my hand. Her touch was delicate, as though she were handling a work of art.
She let out a warm breath, cheeks flushing, and looked up at me.
"So, Klye. As thanks for this time — I've been thinking about it, but would you like to come stay at my place? I have time, and I'd love to host you."
"Mm... let's do it another time."
"...That's a shame."
Citry's eyes dropped, genuinely disappointed. It was painful to refuse an invitation given with such a melting smile, but if I accepted Citry's hospitality, I'd turn into a complete good-for-nothing, and there was nothing I could do about that.
I lived at the Clan House, but every member of the Mourning Specter had their own base in the Imperial Capital.
My sister Lids was a wanderer with no fixed abode, but Citry owned a reasonably large standalone house on the edge of the capital. It doubled as a laboratory and residence — nothing extravagantly luxurious or spacious, just a comfortable, laid-back home that Citry was proud of.
And I'd accepted her invitations several times before. Citry's "hospitality" was a complete good-for-nothing manufacturing machine.
There, I had no need to do anything. I was freed from all obligations and responsibilities — Citry handled everything around me. Every desire was thoroughly satisfied, my sense of time was completely numbed, and I didn't even have to think or exercise self-control about anything.
That very first time — if Lids hadn't come to drag me away when she noticed something wrong midway — I'd probably still be living happily in that hellish paradise. For someone with weak willpower, it was like a bottomless swamp.
Yeah. Saying it like that made Citry sound like the bad one, but it was entirely my fault. She had zero ill intent.
Now I treated her hospitality as a form of mental training. I'd already been lounging around these past few days, and if I went to her place, I'd finally become a total shut-in.
In the lounge, Ark and his companions were already waiting.
There was the shy yet strong-willed priestess, Yu Shiraigi, Level 5.
The mage Isabella Mernes, Level 6, who came from a far northern land and had a somewhat hostile attitude toward me.
The warrior, Level 6, Armel Hellström. And the Level 6 thief Benedetta, who was always being pestered by Lids and harbored a wariness toward me because of it.
And then, the single dark point amid the dazzling Party members — one of the strongest in the Imperial Capital. The leader of the Holy Spirit's Children, Level 7 — the Silver Star Ten Thousand Thunders, Ark Rodan.
Well-groomed features, bright personality, and overwhelming power. A man born to become, and who would inevitably become, a hero.
Unlike his usual adventurer style or the Beginning Footprint uniform, today Ark was in civilian clothes. Yet his bearing held no opening. His expression was a cheerful smile, but there was an indescribable dignity about him. He was supposed to be busy, but there was no trace of fatigue on his face.
Across from them, Lids — whom I had no memory of inviting — was sitting with her arms crossed in an imperious posture. When she spotted me, she straightened up and waved vigorously with a broad grin.
"Klye-kun! Over here, over here! Not inviting me to something this fun — isn't that just cruel?"
Ark aside, the looks his companions were giving me were far from friendly. They'd had plans too, only to be summoned out of nowhere and then forced into a face-to-face with the socially dysfunctional Lids. They couldn't be blamed for that.
"This is... going to be rough. It's not like this is supposed to be fun or anything."
"Leave it to me."
"I can handle a negotiation on my own. The other party is Ark — it'll work out."
I'd come early to avoid keeping them waiting, but Ark's party's punctuality had backfired.
If it were my Party, showing up on time meant half of them were still late. But the Holy Spirit's Children were different.
I forced a smile and raised my hand. Ark, in turn, smiled as bright as always.
"Sorry for calling you out of nowhere, Ark. Forgive me — it was an emergency. And it shouldn't be bad news for you either."
§ § § An interesting man.
If Ark Rodan had to sum up Thousand Transformations in a single phrase, that was what he would say.
The Imperial Capital Zebuldia — the holy land of Treasure Hunters — drew a great number of Hunters and aspiring Hunters from outside its borders every year.
And the vast majority of them would retire before ever making a name for themselves. Some died failing to explore the Treasure Hall. Others sustained injuries severe enough to cripple their Hunter activities, or were so mentally scarred they could never leave the city again.
And even among those fortunate enough to avoid such fates, most lacked the strength to make it in the capital and relocated their base to another city.
Klye Andrich had been just such an unremarkable country bumpkin.
Moreover, he wasn't even an experienced Hunter who'd been active outside — before coming to the capital, he had never set foot in a Treasure Hall at all.
The quality of Treasure Hunters in the capital was extremely high. Only a tiny handful with genuine talent could rise to prominence there.
Even with some prior training, the capital's environment was far from forgiving.
The sheer abundance of Treasure Hall dungeons. Rivals forged and tempered by competing within them. Veteran Hunters with no grace for the young and talented, eyeing them covetously. Criminal Parties that preyed on newcomers.
More supplies and people meant more villains drawn to them. The capital was only livable for Hunters who possessed enough skill to repel such external threats.
It was, in a sense, a crucible that tested every Hunter lured by sweet fantasies of the big city.
But the Mourning Specter had repelled all of it. They crushed the Treasure Halls, the uncharitable senior Hunters who viewed talented youth as targets, and the criminal Parties that preyed on rookies. They raised their reputation at a staggering pace.
Their rise caught Ark's eye, and that was almost inevitable.
The Mourning Specter was always covered in blood.
For a Hunter, the core element that underpinned their strength was Mana Material. A man with talent seen once in a century who had only a year of Hunter experience was weaker than a mediocre man who had spent decades steadily accumulating Mana Material.
And that very fact spurred those who sought to snuff out the spark of talented newcomers.
Every member of the Mourning Specter blazed with extraordinary talent — and that earned them the envy of those around them.
There had been countless obstructions. Attempts on their lives. Nasty rumors in abundance. But all of it only strengthened the Party.
Without anyone noticing, they had gone from being prey to predators.
They transformed from provincial dreamers with unrealistic ambitions into a terrifying Party with fearsome talent that showed no mercy to any enemy.
Ark Rodan had also become a Hunter in the capital, but his foundation was entirely different.
House Rodan had know-how. It had prestige. From the start, its members underwent rigorous training befitting a Hunter, and even before officially becoming Hunters, they had cleared numerous Treasure Halls. They had the backing of nobility, and gathering companions was easy.
They were, in short — complete opposites. At the very least, that was how Ark saw his own Party in comparison to the Mourning Specter.
— And the same held true for the quality of their respective leaders.
As always, an interesting man.
The black-haired man seated across from him was, word for word, the same as when Ark had first met him years ago — "the weakest."
Ark knew he was called a mastermind of cunning schemes. He knew that the label carried an almost prophetic level of accuracy and scope.
But even factoring that in — it simply wasn't enough.
Ark knew several Hunters with higher levels than himself. Among them were some whose combat ability alone was far below his own, not unlike Thousand Transformations.
But it was different. Those high-level Hunters possessed power, strength that you could see and understand.
Yet the man before him — who was indeed supposed to be at a higher level, who was supposed to have an impressive track record — had none of that.
An interesting man. The leader of a Party overwhelmingly too strong for a man overwhelmingly too weak.
It stirred a deep curiosity. That was why Ark's Party — which had received scouted offers from numerous established and powerful Clans — had ended up joining the Beginning Footprint.
And even now, Ark still couldn't see through to his true nature.
People often compared Ark to Thousand Transformations, but the comparison itself was fundamentally wrong.
There was no meaning in comparing them by numbers. Silver Star Ten Thousand Thunders and Thousand Transformations simply couldn't be measured on the same scale.
For instance, no matter how you added or subtracted their power, the two would never be equal.
It wasn't a difference of "rank." The paths they walked — the dimensions they inhabited — were entirely different.
Those around them harbored envy toward that existence. Some felt admiration. Others saw them as enemies.
Ark Rodan was born to win. He was born to walk alone. And so, he felt no envy.
All he possessed was the inexhaustible curiosity inherited from the first Rodan.
Therefore, if one had to describe the relationship between Ark Rodan and Klye Andrich in a word — it would not be "rival," nor "adversary," but simply "friend."
The man who had summoned Ark away from House Rodan business on the spur of the moment sat with his arms crossed in a self-important posture, without the slightest hint of an apologetic expression.
He wore his usual dark-colored clothing, with Treasure Weapon rings adorning every finger. He paid no attention to the hostile glances his Party members were directing his way.
"I'll get straight to the point. I need you to go to Eclair's place right now. Once you're there, everything will make sense. You know that Eclair and I were competing over a Treasure Weapon bid, and that she won, right?"
"Yeah, I heard about it even though I've been busy these past few days. Just to be clear — that was entirely Eclair's doing on her own. It had nothing to do with me. She's surprisingly clever for her age, and she's not a bad person, but she does have a tendency to go off the rails."
Ark was not a man with time to spare. As a member of House Rodan, even when he wasn't exploring Treasure Halls, he had more tasks than he could handle.
While the capital was caught up in auction fever, he'd had no part in it and had been running around to various engagements the entire time.
He'd actually laughed when he heard that the Treasure Weapon Thousand Transformations wanted had driven up its price for that reason. He was surprised when he heard Eclair had inserted herself into the competition, but that was the extent of it.
Lids, who had been sitting with her back straight beside Klye, protested in a shrill voice.
"Huh!? I was going to go myself, and you're sending Ark-kun instead!?"
"Haa!? You're going to make Ark-san your errand boy again!? He's already busy enough — go yourself!"
Ark let out a deep sigh as Isabella, his Party member, immediately snapped back.
Isabella was an excellent Mage who performed well. Her only flaws were that she was easily provoked and couldn't tolerate anyone who looked down on Ark.
"Oh!? You little — you're nothing but Ark-kun's lapdog, so don't you dare speak to Klye-kun like that, I'll kill you! The only word you're allowed to say to us is 'YES'!"
"Lapdog!? ...Fine then, bring it on —"
As the two started to rise, Citry clapped her hands together with a smile.
"Now, now, both my sister and Isabella, please calm down. Ark-san and Klye-san are troubled, you know?"
"...Tch."
The Mourning Specter and the Holy Spirit's Children. Some of their members being at each other's throats was nothing new.
If they stopped the conversation every time something like this came up, they'd never get anywhere.
Klye's expression was different from usual — deadly serious. That expression made Ark steel himself.
"I already said it, but you didn't listen. Ark, that Treasure Weapon is — dangerous, in a certain sense. You're someone who can handle it, Ark. Probably. If you go now, you should make it in time."
As always, words without specificity. But Ark knew that Klye's words always heralded a major event.
Fortunately, Ark was confident in his combat ability. He didn't know what was going to happen, but this wasn't the first time he'd been called upon like this.
Setting aside all questions for the moment, he asked: "...Do you need weapons?"
"Hm...? No, I don't think so. Actually, I think it'd be better if you didn't bring any."
No weapons...? That was unusual. It wasn't a fight, then?
But he'd said it was dangerous. Dangerous, yet... no weapons needed?
"...What if we don't make it in time?"
Ark frowned as he asked. Klye tilted his head, then answered with a troubled expression: "I'll be sad."