My stomach ached with a nasty, unpleasant feeling.
Radlick Adlum Zebuldia — the undisputed pinnacle of the Zebuldia Empire, and the extraordinary figure who had brought prosperity to the empire.
The empire was an absolute monarchy. All power was consolidated in the emperor, and from the perspective of that power, a single hunter was the kind of existence you could blow away with a puff of breath.
And yet, at the same time, the fact that the nation functioned without major problems under an absolute monarchy spoke volumes about the king's competence.
Even Treasure Hunters, once they reached high levels, ended up dealing with nobles. I'd heard that families who had contributed to the country since ancient times, like Ark Rodan, could even secure audiences with His Majesty the Emperor — but I was a cautious person by nature, so I'd lived my life trying to avoid getting involved with nobles as much as possible. I'd turned down every invitation from nobles and merchant guilds alike.
And now I was suddenly being summoned by His Majesty the Emperor? I wasn't remotely prepared for this.
Right now, I understood exactly how Tino felt. Franz was our reliable escort, wasn't he? For His Majesty to want to meet a grimy little hunter like me — that was taking eccentricity a bit far.
When I conveyed this sentiment with utmost sincerity, Franz looked at me with the kind of horrifying glare you'd reserve for your parents' murderer and said: "Just come."
What on earth had I done? Nuts were delicious, though.
Fortunately, His Majesty Radlick was famous for being magnanimous. If I played it friendly, I might just make it through...
"I'm bringing Telmu and the others too. Okay?"
"No. Only you were summoned."
Face the emperor alone? Were you telling me to die? That wasn't his intention, but if I happened to do something rude, who was going to have my back?
Mental stress couldn't be blocked by the Barrier Ring. This was a serious problem. I declared firmly: "No. I'm not going unless my companions come with me."
"Weakling, don't go out of your way on our account. Just go by yourself and come back, you know."
That wasn't it. I wasn't being considerate. I wanted to drag Kryus and the others along as shields. I couldn't do this alone. Franz would bludgeon me to death.
I didn't know what this was about, but it was probably work-related. I couldn't think of any other reason to summon me. And in situations like these, Telmu was capable of making better judgment calls than I was.
I crossed my arms and said to Franz, who was visibly irritated, in my most hard-boiled tone: "...It's fine. Telmu and the others are trustworthy. Please ask His Majesty."
"Grr... damn it, you hunter trash."
With Kechachachaka and Kryus there, my rudeness would surely be softened. Kechachachaka was obviously extraordinary, and Kryus wouldn't go easy on anyone just because they were the emperor. Of course, if we got rejected and couldn't have our audience, that would be fine by me too.
Franz stomped off with heavy footsteps and the clanking of armor.
Kryus, having forgotten his earlier anger, said with a look of exasperation: "Weakling, you really have zero teamwork, you know. At least your guts are Level 8, though."
I didn't want to hear that from Kryus of all people, and my guts were average at best.
Words were cheap. I gave a big shrug.
"I only said what needed to be said. I am the Clan Master, after all. Actually, maybe I should've told him to come to us instead if he wanted something?"
§ I followed Franz, who was clearly agitated. Kryus and the others came along too, of course.
My wishes were in vain, and the request was accepted immediately. His Majesty the Emperor apparently absolutely had to see me. This was the downside of an absolute monarchy — no one could stand in the way of the emperor's will.
Kryus, for some reason, looked impressed.
"I see... Even among human nations, once you reach the scale of Zebuldia, the top leader's caliber is truly extraordinary, you know."
"Just so you know, if you're rude to His Majesty, you won't get off easy."
"Hmph. Wouldn't that apply more to the Weakling than to me? You know."
"I'm saying it to BOTH of you!"
"Heh heh heh..."
Was it too late to question whether I'd assembled the right team? Nobody but me seemed nervous at all. All my companions except Kirunite were present, yet I'd never felt more alone. Why was it that every talented person in my party was so headstrong?
I bowed to the knights standing guard outside the room, requested permission, and went inside.
This time, the room where His Majesty the Emperor was staying was a bit unusual. The furnishings were luxurious and the room was spacious, but there were no windows. Perhaps they were still thinking about the Chil Dragon attack.
His Majesty the Emperor sat with regal bearing. He was surrounded by numerous stone-faced knights.
Not just his attire — his stern features and his very posture radiated the intimidation of a true ruler. If I performed my prostration skill in front of him, it would make quite the spectacle. Near the Emperor, I spotted the familiar figure of his daughter.
Telmu was scanning the room alertly, probably verifying the room's security.
His Majesty Radlick glanced briefly at the tense Franz, then looked at me.
His blue eyes were sharp, reminiscent of a warrior, yet at the same time, deep intelligence gleamed within them — the kind that could see straight through to a person's inner thoughts.
His Majesty Radlick nodded once and spoke in a clear, carrying voice: "Good work, Franz. And pardon the late introduction. Thank you for accepting the commission — you of the Thousand Transformations, and you brave hunters."
The reception was warmer than I'd expected. It didn't seem like he'd called me here to scold me.
I straightened up from the prostration-ready stance I'd instinctively assumed. His Majesty's words were surprisingly frank for the emperor of a great nation, and no one around us seemed inclined to interrupt.
"I'd been meaning to speak with you. Ideally, I would have called for you on the first day, but given the circumstances..."
"...Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty."
That was true enough. Things had been chaotic. After the Chil Dragon attack, there wasn't much to discuss, and the situation remained unsettled after that.
Things had calmed down these past few days, but if it was going to come to this, I wished they'd stayed unsettled.
Franz cleared his throat and spoke: "Things have finally calmed down somewhat, but the number of attacks has been far exceeding our expectations. Normally, being ambushed by monsters this many times on the highway is unthinkable. The dragon attack was clearly artificial, but even today we were struck by large monster swarms five times over. His Majesty is concerned that this may be a prelude to something."
I couldn't help furrowing my brow.
What was Franz talking about?
Dragon aside, five attacks during an escort commission was on the low end. And since each group was under a hundred, those weren't large swarms — they should be called small to medium at best. There were no abnormally strong individuals, and we hadn't struggled, so it was practically a non-issue. Well, I'd die if I were alone, but still.
Franz was a noble. He spent his days guarding the emperor. He probably didn't understand the outside world at all.
But I was an adult, so I responded with a pleasant smile: "There's no need to worry. This level of threat doesn't qualify as a prelude to anything. I've experienced countless incidents like this. It can all be explained by bad luck, and I've assembled enough fighting power to handle even ten times the number."
At the word "ten," the expressions of the knights guarding the Emperor twitched.
But while it might sound impressive just hearing the numbers, I wasn't saying anything unreasonable. We had a Mage capable of large-scale attack magic. To someone like that, one monster was the same as a hundred. Well, I'd die, but still.
His Majesty the Emperor let out a small growl. I couldn't read what he was thinking from his expression.
"You seem to be the confident type they say you are."
"I've been blessed with a very talented Party."
I glanced at Telmu, but Telmu was perfectly composed. Kechachachaka was his usual self, and Kryus didn't chime in, though he looked somewhat exasperated.
I wasn't lying. I was nothing but trash, but I wasn't about to say that out loud.
His Majesty Radlick's lips curved upward slightly in a smile.
"Surely it's more than that, Thousand Transformations. The information reaching me is extremely limited — but I've heard the rumors. You've contributed quite a bit to my country, it seems."
"...Just rumors. I haven't done anything."
I denied it immediately, but the Emperor's eyes gleamed dully. He didn't seem to believe me.
Well, it was true that some of my companions' deeds had officially been credited to me on paper...
"Recently, the infamous Barrel Thieves' Guild was supposedly turned into frogs... It's hard to believe, but is that true?"
"...Yes, well... it's not a lie, but..."
Turning humans into frogs was a terrible thing to do. Lucia had really outdone herself coming up with that incomprehensible magic.
Could this possibly be illegal?
"That's an evasive answer. Do you have an objection?"
What should I say...? After much deliberation, I gave a vague answer: "...No. I accidentally turned some hunters into frogs as well... and that caused a bit of a problem..."
"What? Hunters too?"
At some point, everyone was staring at me intently. His Majesty's daughter had wide eyes and was listening eagerly.
"Ah, yes... of course, I turned them back properly afterward. It was non-lethal magic, after all."
Ruda and the others had apparently been turned back by Tino, so there shouldn't have been any loose ends. And for anything that did happen, I'd already sent a letter to Lord Gradius. No complaints had come in, so it must have been fine.
His Majesty laughed heartily at me, as if he'd heard the most entertaining story: "How interesting. How interesting indeed, Thousand Transformations — you live up to the rumors."
"...I'm honored."
What kind of rumors were circulating about me? Really, rumors were a terrible thing. Once embellishments got attached, they couldn't be retracted easily.
To my exasperation, His Majesty nodded broadly and said in a sharp voice: "I'd been wanting to see that legendary power of yours with my own eyes. This escort must have been tedious. Why don't you demonstrate that frog-turning magic right here, right now?"
...Huh?
No, no — that was something Lucia did... What?
Skeptical gazes converged on me. His Majesty's gaze, his daughter's curious gaze, Franz's suspicious expression.
I looked around, but Kryus and Telmu were all staring at me intently too.
What kind of rumors were circulating...? I wasn't a Mage. I barely had any mana — I couldn't even light a single fire.
Kryus licked his lips and said with amusement: "Hmph... It's a ridiculous story, and I've never heard of such magic, but if you can indeed control sheet spirits, turning humans into frogs might actually be rather simple, you know."
"Come to think of it, I still haven't seen your abilities firsthand..."
"Heh heh... hee hee..."
My allies... not a single one was lifting a finger to help me. Whaaat. It was blindingly obvious that a harmless person like me couldn't use magic. Huh? You couldn't tell how much Mana Material was stored in my body? It was bone dry. I hadn't held anything heavier than a fork in recent memory.
The Rowdy Carpet was clapping enthusiastically. It was completely egging me on. The atmosphere made it impossible to back out now. Well, I had no choice but to try.
Don't underestimate the master of excuses. I put on a serious expression: "Turning humans into frogs is inhumane. Back then, I was forced by circumstances beyond my control—"
"It doesn't matter. I permit it. You can reverse it, correct?"
"...My control is still a bit rough. The fact that I turned hunters into frogs is proof of that—"
"Doesn't matter. Do it."
His Majesty Radlick's expression was dead serious. Did he actually believe I could turn people into frogs? Give me a break.
I let out a small sigh and looked around, but Telmu, Kechachachaka, and Kryus all seemed unwilling to back me up.
If I didn't show some power, it might affect my authority as a leader. I steeled myself.
"F-Fine... It only works when I'm in peak condition, and even then the success rate is about ten percent. My stomach's a bit upset today, so I don't know if it'll work... No, it'll probably fail ninety-nine percent of the time—"
"Weakling, your stomach hurts? You just gorged on nuts five minutes ago. Just do it, you know."
Well, it couldn't be helped. I really was incompetent, and Telmu could handle the leadership role.
With this many excuses stacked up, surely they wouldn't arrest me for fraud. Let's keep it casual.
I flashed a half-hearted grin, mimicked Lucia, and snapped my fingers: "Oh, forget it — Kryus, become a frog!"
Nothing changed, of course.
I couldn't use magic. I'd tried practicing out of admiration before, but it never worked, and besides, I had almost no mana to speak of.
Back in my hometown, they said I had no talent. I had no talent for anything, but if I had to pick the area where I was most useless, it would be magic.
Franz said nothing. His Majesty said nothing. Kryus said nothing.
Telmu's eyes went wide in shock, and he muttered: "Impossible... Thousand Transformations, what did you do?"
!?!?!?!
What did I do? That was exactly what I wanted to know.
On the very chair where His Majesty the Emperor had been sitting moments ago, there sat a frog. Where Franz had been standing, there was also a frog. In the spots where several imperial guards had stood, there were frogs croaking away. Among the guards, only the female Mage leader had been spared — she stood pale-faced and screamed.
It was like something out of a nightmare.
I looked behind me. Where Kryus had been standing, there was a silver frog. It was trembling, but the moment our eyes met, it latched onto my foot.
It wasn't the kind of tree frog Lucia had turned people into before. This was... a toad. My mind was so scrambled that I'd paradoxically become calm.
"...Looks like Kechachachaka and Telmu are safe."
"Ke-ke-ke!? Ke-ke-ke-ke!?"
"You were... supposed to be eating Amusement Nuts! Impossible!"
My throat was dry. I took a big, deep breath and gradually began to understand what had happened.
Wait — could this be... the magical talent that had been dormant inside me finally blossoming?
Kryus had always said that since Lucia had talent, if I tried harder, I could at least become slightly less terrible... Had the backlash of being incompetent all this time finally kicked in?
For the record, Lucia and I were barely related by blood.
The Emperor's daughter Gael was croaking softly. It was nice that my talent had awakened, but before I could celebrate, this was an utter catastrophe.
Franz-Frog and the Imperial Guard Frogs were staging a chorus of protest. Among them, only the Emperor Frog maintained his regal bearing even as a frog.
The only remnant of his former imperial self was his golden skin, as if his hair color had been directly transferred. From any angle, he looked like nothing more than an ordinary frog. And not the kind of tree frog Lucia had made — he was properly a toad, just as I'd envisioned...
Wait. Having thought that far, I took another look at the Emperor Frog.
...Actually, if it was based on my mental image, he should've been a toad — well, no point being picky at this point. A toad was closer to the image than a tree frog, at least.
So this was my awakened power...
I escaped into nihilism, put on a wry smile, and said: "...Seems like I'm more talented than Lucia after all."
"Is — is — is this the time to be saying that?!"
The only guard who'd escaped transformation — the female Mage leader — lunged at me while trembling. Her eyes were desperate. Well, of course she'd look like that when all her comrades had been turned into frogs.
But His Majesty had been wearing the Barrier Ring. Had the magic penetrated even the Barrier Ring? A lie leading to the truth — that was exactly what this was.
"I — I told you, my control is rough—"
"Turn them back! Right now, turn them BACK!"
The Mage leader grabbed me by the collar and pleaded.
Turning them back sounded like a good idea. The problem was that I had no idea how to do it.
"Um... turn back!"
『!? No way, big brother!』
I yelled, but nothing happened. This was bad. Was I so panicked that I was hallucinating Lucia's voice?
This was no good. At this rate, I was going to become a wanted criminal who'd accidentally turned the Emperor's entire entourage into frogs and annihilated them. Unprecedented. Telmu was an eyewitness, so there was no running away.
When Lucia had turned people into frogs, how had she reversed it...? I dug desperately through my memory, then clapped my hands together with a snap.
"Ah, right. I remembered how to reverse it. You just squash them."