The impossible actually worked. This was beyond absurd. What did they think escorting the emperor entailed?
...Yeah, yeah, you're right. It's all my fault.
At this point, I had no choice but to steel myself.
"Klye, here's what you asked for. Since it was urgent, I could only gather the information that was available, but..."
"Ah, thanks. You're a lifesaver."
Feeling nauseous from stress, I accepted the file from Eva, who had done her job properly despite everything.
It was a list of bandits terrorizing the route to Toizant—the Sand Country.
Toizant was the countryside. There would be well-maintained highways for the first stretch, but beyond that lay wasteland.
As befitting the name "Sand Country," the nation sat right in the middle of a desert. I had no idea why the emperor of a great power like the Zebuldia Empire would want to go to such a place, but I supposed great nations had their own burdens. Apparently, about half of the previous summits had been held in Zebuldia itself—and so on.
The number of names on the list was far fewer than I'd expected.
For a rural area, the public safety was surprisingly decent.
Was it worrying that this many known bandit groups were being left alone, or should I be grateful it was only this many? ...Then again, most bandits weren't even known to exist.
While I pored over the list with wide eyes, Eva made a face that suggested she had something unexpected to say.
"I don't think you need to worry that much... This time we're escorting the emperor, and judging by the schedule, we'll likely be flying part of the way. For past summits too, they've used airships for long-distance travel."
"......Sky pirates could show up."
"Wh-Wh-What?! What do you mean, sky pirates?!"
Fair point—the emperor certainly wouldn't be crossing the desert on foot.
But relying on a vehicle to fly through the sky—was the emperor suicidal? Land and sea were dangerous enough, but the sky was just as hazardous. Humans couldn't fly, but plenty of magical beasts could.
Even if I fell with no protection, the Barrier Ring would reduce the damage to zero, but maybe I should get on good terms with the Rampage Rug (my name for it) first. Perhaps that was why His Majesty had given me the carpet?
Could the Zeroth Knights fight in the air? I couldn't fight on land, sea, or sky, but would that be okay?
Just to be safe, I paced around holding my head and made a big show of panicking.
"No, but seriously—bandits might show up. Magical beasts might show up. And on top of that, a Treasure Hall might appear, we could get caught up in a disaster... This is bad, Eva."
"!? ...What's gotten into you, suddenly saying all that... Where's the usual composure?"
"Well, I figured if I said it out loud, maybe it wouldn't happen."
"Haa..."
Not to brag, but my predictions had never once come true. This was a form of prayer.
Even if saying it did make something happen, it wouldn't be bandits, magical beasts, Treasure Halls, or disasters—so I was satisfied.
Now then, let me carefully select the Treasure Weapons to bring along, just in case.
I'd left travel preparations to Citry. Since I had the Knights and Kechachachka for combat, all I needed to handle was everything else.
My role was to manage the Hunters effectively, and since I'd only selected high-level veterans, that shouldn't be a problem.
§ § § 《Beginning Footprint》.
In one of the Clan House's conference rooms, the members of the 《Mourning Specter》 had gathered.
Standing before a blackboard plastered with documents was the usual facilitator for these occasions—Citry Smart.
Surveying her companions, Citry called out in a bright voice.
"The thirty-fifth—and-a-half Mourning Specter meeting! Our next stage is—the sky and the desert!"
"Ooooooh! The sky! The desert! Sand Dragons!"
"Klye's such a busy bee... There's never any time to train. You should take a break once in a while. Go on a date or something!"
"Mm, mm."
Luke Saikol's eyes lit up, Liliz Smart lounged with her legs thrown across the table and shrugged in exasperation, and Anthem, clad head-to-toe in full plate armor, nodded with deep emotion.
"The daytime temperatures in Toizant are extremely high, but we've already built up heat resistance from the volcano training, so there's no issue. The day-night temperature differential isn't a concern anymore either."
"Heat training? Is it heat-based training?"
"The real problem this time is the sky. There aren't supposed to be any airships operating out of Toizant. Honestly, it's not the kind of country that regularly runs airship services."
"The sky! Even I've never slain a sky-bound monster before!"
"Luke, calm down. For the sky, we either have Lucia handle it somehow, or we sneak aboard the airship... Just me might be doable, but sneaking the whole group aboard would be rough. If killing them was an option, maybe, but security'll be tight."
"Like the Gathering of White Swords, infiltrating as members is out of the question. They wouldn't let outsiders in as guards."
Lucia, the one who'd been nominated, furrowed her brows.
Lucia Roje was a powerful mage, but magic was no panacea. Every mage had strengths and weaknesses. She pulled out a tattered book and began flipping through it.
"Flying multiple people is inherently difficult, and catching up to an airship makes it even harder. I'd need to develop a new technique entirely... Ah, here it is. Ninja Secret Arts, Volume 5. Ninjutsu: 'Sky Escape.'"
"Isn't that the thing from that old manga? The one where they ride a giant kite?"
"...That's the one. I've completely abandoned any claim to originality."
"Whoa, whoa—riding a kite to fly? That's totally badass! Just imagine it, Klye: you look out the window and there we are, riding kites!"
At his heated words, Lucia grimaced and looked at Luke.
Citry clapped her hands, cutting off the chatter.
"Then, following Party rules, we'll take a vote! Elisa is missing, so her vote doesn't count. The three options are: Lucia works hard to fly on a kite, we work hard to sneak aboard the airship, or we work hard to cling to the outside of the airship! First—who wants to fly with Lucia?"
"Hey, don't the options seem kind of... malicious?"
"...Mm."
After that, we proceeded as usual, deciding on our course of action.
People often assumed the 《Mourning Specter》 acted without thinking, but that was far from the truth.
Overcoming trouble required thorough preparation. And with their experience, the 《Mourning Specter》 was well-versed in such matters.
"The members Klye selected are four. There's Term Apocris, the renowned water-attribute mage known as 'Stillwater'; Kechachachka Munk, a Level 6 who just arrived in the capital—apparently a curse-type mage; then there's Clyus, who has low resistance to provocation and is easy to rile up; and lastly, my special Kirunite Version Alpha. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish the background check in time. With no front-line fighters, the Kirunite might be enough for defense, but I'd suggest you stoke Clyus up nicely, Lucia."
"Ugh, she's obviously farming points again! Your scheme is completely transparent, Citri. Klye definitely thinks you're a pain."
"What? No swordsmen? What am I supposed to cut?"
"Kechachachka... Why did the leader make that choice... But with 'Stillwater' on board, security should be fine."
Citry smiled serenely, completely ignoring the words of her obtuse sister and Luke, and turned her gaze to the more receptive Lucia.
"As usual, I'll handle intelligence on monsters inhabiting the route. However, it seems Zebuldia's anticipated enemy this time is the 'Fox.'"
At those words, Lucia's expression turned serious. Anthem straightened his posture.
The air changed. Luke furrowed his brows in response.
"Seriously...? That's rough. You mean that 'Thirteen Foxes' we ran into before? Back then we didn't stand a chance, and honestly, I'm not sure even the current me could take one down."
"Hey, hey, Luke—the one you're thinking of is something different entirely. That monster wouldn't have any interest in human nations. The 'Fox' Citri's talking about is the organization."
The Treasure Hall was, in a sense, a legend. It existed beyond the reach of human understanding.
If it had been hostile to humanity, it would have been called a calamity.
Luke was known for being ignorant about things he had no interest in. Composing herself, Citry continued.
"The Fox is still better than the one Luke mentioned, but the Empire's hypothetical enemy is quite formidable. We don't know the full picture, but the organization's danger level and secrecy surpass even the Tower of Akasha. That's because while the Tower's goal was the pursuit of mystery, the Fox's goal appears to be the subversion of society and the destruction of civilization. They've been behind numerous tragic incidents through their covert operations. The mass prison break at the South Isteria Great Prison is also rumored to be their doing. If I'd known at the time, I would have left evidence... The detailed organizational structure, its members, the boss—none of it is known. But they say it originated as the intelligence agency of a fallen nation."
The specifics were unclear. The fact that even the barest outline of their existence and purpose had come to light was almost certainly intentional on the organization's part.
Stories of disgraced knights and mercenaries turning to banditry with their considerable skills were common enough. The Fox was the same—just on a much larger scale, with grander ambitions.
An intelligence agency that had lost its nation and its cause had become the enemy of the world.
And now, they were taking aim at great powers that had once been utterly beyond their reach.
"They're called the 'Nine-Tailed Shadow Fox.' The abbreviation is 'Fox,' or NSF."
"Huh. Not enough tails, then."
Seeing Luke's disinterested demeanor, Citry chuckled.
"Rumor has it the name derives from the fox you know, Luke. That fox monster apparently commands a following through its inhuman power and wisdom."
Hunters possessed overwhelming individual combat ability, but they tended to lack coordination. When they did team up, it was usually in small Parties—unsuited for large-scale group operations.
The Fox was a terrifying adversary. Beyond their legendary secrecy—pursued by countless nations yet never once caught—their funding and membership numbers were undoubtedly off the charts.
And they didn't choose their methods. There were even rumors that multiple high-level certified Hunters had joined their ranks.
"We need to be cautious. If the incident in the capital was the Fox's doing, this summit would be a prime opportunity for an attack. Klye has dodged their schemes twice now with impressive flair. Personally, it wouldn't matter to us if the emperor died, but since they've made their move, we have no choice but to fight."
At that point, Liliz, who had been listening, swung her legs off the table and stood up.
"So basically, for all the rambling, it's the same as always? The enemy's powerful, anything could happen, Klye's the one calling the shots—same as always. And all I have to do, as always, is do what you say and punch whoever shows up, right?"
Hunters rarely became targets of criminal organizations. They were unpredictable, and unless an organization specifically targeted bounty hunters, they posed no real threat.
But the 《Mourning Specter》 was different. They had steamrolled through every obstacle, using every trick in the book to claw their way to the top.
Where they'd made their enemies was unclear, but there were far too many possibilities to narrow it down.
At Liliz's words, Luke's eyes went wide.
"What, same as usual? Good—I was just thinking I hadn't cut anyone human in a while. My edge is getting dull."
"...Luke, didn't you just cut down three people the other day?"
"Yeah, but they weren't even holding swords, so in my book, that doesn't count."
It seemed that even the name of a nemesis who had shaken the world couldn't foster any sense of urgency among his companions. Familiarity didn't always breed positive results.
Citry let out a small sigh, then said with a smile: "Personally, I'd prefer them alive. If we could capture a Fox member, it would be a tremendous honor."
§ § § And then the day arrived.
Handed travel supplies by a beaming Citry, I left the Clan House with heavy steps, accompanied by Kirunite Version Alpha.
My destination was the Explorer's Guild. I had to rendezvous with the selected Hunters.
Walking through the capital—still shrouded in darkness and chilled by the early hour—felt like descending a staircase into hell. The clanking of Kirunite beside me was deafening.
With the Kirunite and the wobbling Rampage Rug in tow, I would have been an extremely conspicuous sight if anyone had been watching.
And at the Explorer's Guild, I came face-to-face with Kechachachka Munk for the first time.
Kechachachka Munk was a remarkably small man.
Hunched over, his body curled into a ball, and wrapped entirely in a black robe that covered everything except his face. At his side he carried what might have been a weapon—a staff topped with a skull.
All I could do was freeze on the spot. My thoughts couldn't keep up.
Hunters tended toward casual attire, but this man was suspicious to an almost comical degree. He stared at me with gleaming, shifty eyes.
"Ke-ke-ke-ke-ke... Thousand Transformations... I don't know how you found out about me, but hee-hee-hee-hee-hee..."
Kechachachka let out an unsettling laugh.
No, no, no—there was no way this was acceptable. This was an escort mission for the emperor! Did you know that?
Freedom of selection or not, this was going too far. This was seriously going too far. Kaina, you should've removed him from the list beforehand.
At a loss for words, I pointed at his staff.
"Where'd you get that staff?"
"Ke-ke-ke-ke-ke-ke-ke..."
"...Good fashion choice. Perfect for an escort detail."
"Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee... hee-hee... hee-hee-hee..."
I couldn't communicate with him at all... That was genuinely unsettling.
I didn't get the feeling I could get along with this person... He really had guts showing up to an escort mission looking like that.
He was the "dark" portion of a mystery stew. So suspicious that he might loop back around to not being suspicious.
In any case, I set down the large bag I'd tried to have the Rug carry—only to be refused—and placed it on the floor.
That was when the door burst open.
"To think you'd promote me to your escort and then summon me here—the nerve! If you want a favor, the least you could do is come to me—"
That voice, which could shatter the atmosphere like the ringing of a bell, was an absolute blessing right now.
Clyus's appearance was worlds apart from Kechachachka's, even among mages.
A Spiritfolk mage dressed nothing like a human. His staff was made of twisted wood. His short trousers were the kind Spiritfolk preferred for their active lifestyle in the forests, and his long, beautiful silver hair reached nearly to the floor, enough to make one's eyes widen.
Clyus didn't spare Kechachachka a glance. When he saw me, his cheek twitched.
"You weakling human, what's with that outfit?! A patterned shirt like that—you're not going on vacation, you know! If you're going to summon me, you should at least dress the part! My status drops just being seen with you! I'm embarrassed, I tell you!"
"...Huh? No, this is actually a powerful Treasure Weapon—"
Clyus's face flushed crimson as he erupted. I looked down at my own flashy, patterned Treasure Weapon shirt, then compared it to Kechachachka beside me.
Was I somehow worse than Kechachachka?