Escort requests. They were, by nature, commissions issued only to trustworthy Hunters or high-level Hunters.
The world outside was dangerous. There were Monsters, there were Thieves, and sometimes Treasure Halls would even appear. The Mourning Specter wasn't exactly the most well-regarded Party, but its members had a high average Level, and there was a period when Luke got really into practice-slicing Thieves, which earned the group a fearsome reputation among their kind. Because of that, escort requests had come our way several times, and I'd gone along as an escort more than once.
But when the escort target was the Emperor himself, the stakes were clearly on a different level.
When we were led to where the Hunter team had assembled, what awaited us was a large carriage emblazoned with the Zebuldia crest.
The Emperor hadn't arrived yet. The one in charge of this escort operation—the commander of the Imperial Knights—was Franz, who spoke in a solemn tone.
"It's made of mithril and adamantine. Bullets, swords, and magic—nothing gets through."
These were premium materials used for weapons and armor. Mithril was highly resistant to magic, and adamantine deflected all physical impact.
Adamantine in particular was powerful but extremely heavy—only Hunters with melee-focused classes could handle it properly. I never imagined someone would build an entire carriage out of it.
A normal horse would never be able to pull something this heavy, but the horses hitched to the carriage were the Platinum Horses Eva had prepared for us during our last vacation. And there were four of them.
If burly, aggressive Platinum Horses were pulling the carriage, even Monsters wouldn't dare attack.
"But if a volcano erupts right underneath us while we're moving, we'd die, right?"
"..."
"And if lightning strikes, we'd die, right?"
"Don't say such reckless things! His Majesty Radric has been equipped with that Barrier Ring as a precaution against any and all contingencies."
As expected of the Emperor of a great nation—his security was airtight. I nodded approvingly and looked at the Platinum Horses, who had been trained into relative docility.
"That's reassuring. By the way, how many is he wearing?"
"............"
"But if the air runs out, we'd die, right?"
"......!"
"And if we're submerged in water, we'd die?"
"Silence! Don't compare this to the Treasure Halls you visit! The safety of this escort route has already been largely guaranteed!"
Well, I don't go to Treasure Halls that dangerous anyway.
My carpet slapped me repeatedly. Looking over, it shrugged with exaggerated nonchalance. Even my carpet was fed up with me. If I kept it moving too erratically, it would run out of mana...
Franz, face crimson red, pointed at me accusingly.
"And another thing—what is with that outfit! You're not going on a holiday!"
"No, this is my combat style and..."
"Don't lie to me! No such combat style exists!"
The shirt-type Treasure Weapon, "Perfect Vacation," was, true to its name, a Treasure Weapon that provided the perfect vacation experience.
Many types of armor Treasure Weapons existed, but I had never seen one as useful as this.
Its ability was total adaptation to any environment.
Its defensive capabilities were virtually nonexistent, but anyone wearing this shirt could live comfortably in any situation—sky, sea, mountains, the ocean floor.
The only downsides were its garish pattern and the fact that layering anything over it negated its effect. But other than that, it was truly perfect. And when combined with the Barrier Ring, it became literally flawless.
I couldn't help but wonder just how harsh the era must have been when the origin of this shirt existed.
Rumor had it that the series also included beach sandals and sunglasses, but unfortunately, I didn't own them. If I had, I would have loved to wear them on vacation, but sadly, I had been out of mana at the time.
"Very well. We don't expect elegance from Hunters. Your job is to serve as insurance for when things go wrong. If anything were to happen to His Majesty during this meeting, the consequences wouldn't be limited to Zebuldia alone. You understand that, don't you?"
"Of course, I understand. But if I were Emperor, I wouldn't put myself under my own protection. I have too many enemies."
I was unlucky, and as the former leader of the Mourning Specter—a group that had once struck terror into even hardened criminals—I might have earned more grudges from criminal organizations than the Emperor himself. And since I traveled without bodyguards, I was a convenient target.
But when you thought about it, being the Emperor's bodyguard wasn't all bad.
Right now, I had the carpet. And right now, with my newly acquired carpet, I was itching to soar through the skies.
Participating in the Emperor's escort meant that attacking me now would equal an act of treason against the Emperor. The formidable Zebuldia Knights and the Number Two of the Magic Staff would stand in the way.
It was a reversal of perspective. In a way, this was incredibly convenient.
"Just so you know, I trust Franz and his people completely. If we joined the fight, your forces would only be thrown into confusion. We intend to stay out of the way."
This high-level excuse—one that took into account the other side's prestige—made Franz frown and respond with an air of authority.
"That's fine. We'll secure the perimeter around His Majesty. We have Knights, Mages, and Healing Technicians on our side. You lot—stay out of His Majesty's sight. Make sure your suspicious companions understand that too."
Harsh words. But if I were in Franz's position, I'd say the same thing. Kechachachka was way too much of a wildcard.
"Roger that, leave it to me."
"...We've prepared horses for you. Take the long route and guard the carriage. And don't forget—staying out of sight doesn't mean you can slack off."
Franz pointed to where five sturdy-looking black horses with wild temperaments were tied up. They weren't Platinum Horses, but they were formidable.
Iron Horses. Exceptionally capable as military mounts. The fact that they were assigning this caliber of horse to escort Hunters showed remarkable generosity.
But Iron Horses required training to ride. On top of that, they had a nasty habit of refusing to carry anyone they deemed too weak.
Actually, come to think of it, I couldn't ride a horse by myself.
My carpet wandered over as if to say, "Leave it to me." Dependable, that one.
"I don't need a horse. I've got the carpet."
"...Suit yourself. Just don't cause any trouble for us."
Franz said dismissively and ended the conversation.
§ § § "Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee... heh-heh-heh..."
"Don't—don't put me in the middle of this crowd, it is!"
"Kirukilu..."
Were we really going to be okay?
The moment we returned, I was flooded with anxiety, and the only sane man nearby let out a chuckle.
"Hmm... To think they'd assign this kind of lineup to the Emperor's escort—it seems that epithet of yours is no idle boast. I look forward to seeing firsthand the skills that made you the youngest person to reach Level Eight."
He was a tall, elderly man. His gray hair was swept back in an immaculate style, and his manner was mild, yet there was a sharp light burning behind his eyes.
He carried no staff, but on both wrists he wore bangles set with deep blue gemstones.
As a rule, mana, unlike physical ability, did not decline with age. For that reason, Mages tended to grow more powerful in proportion to their years.
Thelm Apocris of Still Water was a man who more than lived up to the name of Level Seven.
The Magic Staff was one of the most established Mage Clans in the Imperial Capital.
Its most famous member was the one known as Abyssal Fire Annihilation, but Thelm Apocris was the second most well-known Mage within the Clan.
Rumors held that he had once been a rival to Abyssal Fire Annihilation. It was said they had once fought each other for the position of Magic Staff Clan Master.
But his demeanor was nothing like what one might expect. If I had been the one choosing the Magic Staff Clan Master, I would have picked him over that old woman. Although, if it came to war, I'd take the old woman.
"I'm sorry for calling on you so suddenly. We truly need your strength..."
As I prostrated myself in flattery, Thelm raised a palm to stop me.
"Think nothing of it. It was Roze's orders. Besides, you're the leader of this operation—you shouldn't bow your head so easily."
"Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh..."
"Kiru? Kill? KILL?"
Well, in a Party like this, it probably didn't matter who was leader. The sentiment was more like, "Go ahead and try to lead if you think you can."
"You weakling, pull yourself together, it is! I look like the fool here for going along with this, it is! Let me be the leader instead of you, it is!"
"Eh? You really mean that?"
"!?"
Ignoring Kryus, who had gone beet red and started sputtering, I got right down to business about the escort.
Even after hearing that we'd be assigned Iron Horses, nobody's expression changed. It seemed I was the only one without confidence in my riding ability.
But that was fine. Because I had a carpet far more comfortable than any horse. A rascal, sure, but a good-natured one.
The crowd was growing. I'd heard they were keeping numbers to a minimum, but an Imperial procession required far more than one or two carriages.
From personal attendants to the nobles who would also be attending the meeting, the total headcount was substantial.
At last, surrounded by guards, the Emperor appeared. He glanced our way briefly, then boarded the sturdy carriage without a word.
There were at least twenty guards, knights alone. Quite the entourage.
Well, if a volcano erupted, they were all dead anyway.
Kryus looked at the vicious face of the assigned Iron Horse without flinching, stroked its neck, and with fluid movements swung himself aboard with impressive grace. He looked slightly pleased as he spoke.
"That's a pretty good horse for humans to use, it is! I might just adopt it, it is!"
"Oh? Kryus, you can ride horses?"
"Haah!? Don't be ridiculous, it is! There's no Spiritfolk who can't ride a horse, it is! Back in the forests of my homeland, I used to ride Unicorns—"
Kechachachka climbed onto a horse with a sinister laugh.
Killnight also mounted up with natural ease, no longer seeming to care about the Controller. Even with that massive (probably male) figure in full armor sitting on it, the Iron Horse didn't budge.
As for Thelm, being Level Seven, my worry would have been practically an insult.
The carriages began to move. The people of the city saw the Emperor off on his journey.
I took a deep breath and turned to the carpet hovering beside me.
"Well then, shall we be on our way?"
The carpet dropped flat to the ground. I climbed on triumphantly, and it shot forward with a burst of speed.
An incredible sense of buoyancy. The scenery rushed by at a pace rivaling the Dark Wings of the Night. Had I not been wearing the Treasure Weapon shirt, the wind would have knocked the breath out of me.
The carpet, now in high spirits, executed a large vertical loop. Strangely, I didn't fall off. It seemed the carpet was designed to keep its rider from falling unless something truly extreme happened.
I felt there should be more safety features in place. Was there perhaps a rule that flight-type Treasure Weapons were not allowed to be safe?
"Ah, you weakling—"
In the blink of an eye, I overtook Kryus and the others who had been walking ahead, overtook the carriages, leaving screams and shouts in my wake.
At this speed, the feeling was absolutely incredible.
If I'd been able to control it, it would have been even better.
And at full speed, I crashed headfirst into the city gate and died once before the journey even began.