"Whoooooa, it's flying! It's actually flying!"
"Well, it's an airship, so obviously it is, you know!"
Krus shot me the kind of look a country bumpkin might give and said as much. Honestly, to be stared at like that by a Spiritfolk who'd been living quietly in the depths of the forest... Krus really had gotten way too used to the big city.
Anyway, the airship's takeoff went smoothly. The momentary sensation of floating was quieter than any flight I'd experienced before.
So artificial objects really could fly through the sky... Technology really had come a long way...
I leaned aimlessly against the enormous staff and gazed down at the ground growing farther and farther away when Krus frowned and asked me.
"By the way, what is that staff? What is it, you know?"
"It's a Treasure Weapon staff. Pretty impressive, right?"
I said smugly. Krus, who used a plain wooden staff, glanced at his own as I boasted. Relics of the past, Treasure Weapons often had unusual shapes.
*Round World* was no exception. Normally, a Mage's staff would be wooden for optimal magical medium properties, but this one had a metallic sheen. And yet, it wasn't made of the mithril commonly used for magical weapons.
The round orb floating atop the staff's head—there was no telling why it floated, or what purpose it served. That mysterious, inexplicable quality was arguably very fitting for a Treasure Weapon.
Staff-type Treasure Weapons were far rarer than swords and other physical weapons, and thus extremely expensive. Even high-ranked Hunters seldom possessed one.
This particular staff had zero magic amplification effect, which was the primary function expected of a staff, so it was completely useless as a weapon. And yet, it had still cost a considerable sum.
Incidentally, the bracelet Termu wore on both arms was probably a Treasure Weapon too. Most likely a bracelet-type staff Treasure Weapon—even more expensive than a pure staff-type. As expected of the top-tier magic organization in the Imperial Capital; they certainly had quality goods.
"...You've had this the whole time, you weakling? How come you never brought it out before, you know?"
"Because I didn't need it."
"............"
Krus's well-shaped brows twisted, as if he wanted to say something.
I'd held it again for the first time in a while, and the staff was quite heavy. The design was cool enough, but just carrying it around was exhausting.
Treasure Weapon gear was often surprisingly light for its appearance, but this staff was disappointingly heavy, looking exactly as massive as it was.
I should've asked Litz to bring a weight-reduction Treasure Weapon along too. For Litz and the others, a weight like this was practically nothing, so unless I asked, they'd never think to bring it.
The ability that *Round World* possessed was translation. Or rather, interpretation. Nothing more, nothing less.
It conveyed conversations in real time in an understandable format, but since it only converted sound, it couldn't facilitate communication with things like carpets that didn't speak words. We'd already made up with the carpet, so that was fine, but it was a rather limited tool.
However, there was one thing this staff excelled at: ease of use.
The procedure for activating *Round World* closely resembled the process a Mage used to cast magic. Anyone who had ever used even a single spell could operate it without issue.
"So you had a staff-type Treasure Weapon all along, you know."
"I've got sword Treasure Weapons and axe Treasure Weapons too. They're just part of my collection."
"I see. That's too valuable to keep as a mere collection, you know. But it's a strange staff... Is it true that staff Treasure Weapons have incredible magic conversion rates, you know?"
"Mm-hmm, that's right..."
Being a Mage, Krus was clearly fixated on the staff. He kept glancing between his own staff and *Round World*. Unfortunately, this was less a staff and more a staff-shaped interpreter, so I thought his staff was probably the better actual staff.
Feeling Krus's gaze on me, I looked around and spotted Kechachachka sitting alone, staring intently out at nothing in particular. Who knew what she was thinking.
I'd gone to the trouble of having Litz return all the way to the Imperial Capital to fetch the staff specifically so I could have a conversation with Kechachachka.
Holding the staff in a hardboiled manner, I swaggered over to Kechachachka. A figure in a deep hood—an obviously suspicious-looking sorcerer—turned to look at me.
"Hey, Kechachachka. Something on your mind?"
"Hee hee... hee hee hee..."
"Fire? Are you thinking about fire?"
"Ke ke ke ke ke..."
As always, impossible to communicate with. But that was all about to change.
I activated *Round World* and spoke with a smile.
"Sorry, could you say that one more time?"
"U ke ke ke... ke ke"
Kechachachka's words were deeply suspicious, but the eyes hidden beneath that hood were remarkably calm. She nodded slowly and answered.
"...Hee hee hee hee."
"U hihi!?"
"Ke ke ke... ke ke"
"Ke ke! Ke ke ke ke ke!"
"...I see... I see, right."
Using every ounce of my self-control to keep my face from twitching, I thanked her and walked away from Kechachachka.
I returned to where Krus, who had been watching me intently, was standing. Krus shot me an accusatory look.
"You weakling! Kecha is our comrade, so cut it out with messing with her, you know!"
"Mm-hmm, yeah... I wasn't trying to mess with her, though."
Still, the world was full of strange things.
With my head tilted, I held out the *Round World* staff I'd been carrying to Krus. Heavy.
"Krus, I'll lend you this staff during the escort mission."
"Huh...?"
"You said you wanted to try it out, right? Just don't lose it."
"?!?! You weakling, are you planning to do the escort without a weapon, you know?!"
Krus's eyes went wide, though they kept flicking toward *Round World*, with its faintly mysterious aura.
I tapped my temple coolly with a hardboiled air, striking a pose.
"It's fine. My weapon is... this. If anything, the staff gets in the way. I only had you bring it because there was no other choice."
It's heavy, so please hold onto it...
Krus accepted *Round World* despite looking bewildered. The staff should have been quite heavy, but Krus said nothing once he held it. Despite his slender frame, he must have had more arm strength than me. Sad.
"F-fine... Even if we're the same Clan members, entrusting a weapon to someone is unbelievable as a Hunter... but if you insist, I'll hold onto it for you, you know."
"Mm-hmm, thanks. Oh, right. That staff is a pretty powerful Treasure Weapon, so don't try using it inside the ship."
"I know that, you know."
I smiled and glanced over at Kechachachka.
Kechachachka's words... none of them had been translated. It seemed he really was just saying "u ke ke ke ke" on his own.
*Round World*'s power was absolute. This Treasure Weapon didn't convert words through any logical mechanism—it was a conceptual embodiment of "communication itself." Like how the Imperial Capital's treasure, *Tears of Truth*, was—well, the very concept of "truth."
Hunters really were an eccentric bunch.
§ The airship shook occasionally, but was mostly comfortable. My *Comfortable Vacation* gear probably helped, but most of the credit likely went to Commander Franz.
Franz had spent three days making preparations airtight. He'd thoroughly checked every passenger, re-inspected the airship's facilities and the magic cast upon them for any deficiencies. You could tell just how much of a toll that had taken from his slightly gaunt appearance.
"Not a single mouse could slip in. Well, Thousand Transformations—do you still think this ship will go down!?"
"I think it'll be fine, but when it goes down, it goes down... Where were the emergency exits again?"
"You—! Dammit, left when you exit! I gave you the ship's map, didn't I? Are you being sarcastic!?"
Oh right, there was one of those. Still, Franz was a bit too tense. Worrying about things you couldn't change was never productive.
I pulled the folded map from my pocket and unfolded it as I spoke.
"Well, it'll be fine. Any damage from a fall would be covered within the Barrier Ring's range. That's from personal experience, you know."
"You—don't screw with me, Thousand Transformations!"
Whatever I'd said to rub him the wrong way, Franz slammed the table hard. I instinctively flinched back a step as he loomed over me.
The teacup on the table clattered as it toppled from the impact. Franz jabbed a finger at me and spoke imperiously.
"Your job is to make sure that doesn't happen! Thousand Transformations—why do you refuse to drop that relaxed attitude of yours! Guard with your life!"
"Uh, th-that's probably just... a difference in experience."
"What!?"
I had been through the wringer more times than I could count. This was my first time guarding His Majesty the Emperor, but it wasn't my first time being swarmed by a horde of dragons, and being yelled at like this was nothing new. Falling wasn't new either. I'd been through worse.
Having faced every misfortune imaginable, I had no openings—and I'd long since made peace with giving up.
On top of that, my handling of the Barrier Ring was top-tier. Well, "handling" just meant putting it in standby mode, but still...
"Oh, it'll work out somehow."
"This ship is an iron fortress! Monster-repelling curses have been cast on it too. Even if ground level is one thing, there's no worry about attacks up in the sky!"
Franz's voice sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone.
Just then, one of Franz's subordinates entered the cabin with crisp, brisk movements.
"Commander Franz, we've received word that there are signs of a storm from the ground—"
"...Dammit! It's because you delayed departure by three days! All hands, prepare for heightened alert! Rain and wind won't bring this ship down—not even a lightning strike!"
Franz glared at me irritably. But storms were a natural part of travel. We'd even run into one during that vacation not long ago.
I furrowed my brow, recalling my past experiences, and forced a small smile onto my face at the very least.
"Hopefully it's just a storm."