Ugh, I can't take this anymore. I want to throw everything away and run for it right now.
Sitting in the Clan Master's office in my usual sloppy posture, I let out a long sigh.
It had been a few days since Tinno and I went out for ice cream. Nothing in the situation had changed at all.
After getting home, I looked into everything I could, but all I found was alarming information with no way to act on it.
Seriously, this whole thing was completely beyond my abilities.
The Tower of Akasha really did seem to be a well-known Arcane Society, and from where I stood, secret organizations were generally bad news I wanted no part of. Apparently, though, they were an outfit that did all manner of shady things under the guise of pursuing truth — from murder to stealing rare materials and living creatures, mass kidnappings and human experimentation, all the way to summoning ancient gods using human sacrifices. They did things even the worst street gangs wouldn't touch. The genuine article when it came to irredeemable scumbags. I felt sick just thinking about it.
Ark, Luke, and the rest were nowhere to be found, and the other clan members in the capital were already out on Explorer's Guild commissions. I didn't have any Treasure Weapons either.
I had no idea why they'd been hiding in a rabbit hole of all places, but if you're going to be an Arcane Society, I'd have appreciated a few more proper moves on your part.
Well, if I'd known at the time that the other party was that dangerous an Arcane Society, my only choice would have been to flee. The real problem was that Liliz had chewed out Gaark and his crew. And the worst part was that Gaark actually seemed to believe her. I was done for.
We'd known each other for years — why couldn't Gaark see how incompetent I was? My level was high, sure, but that level had been assigned by the Explorer's Guild. Getting a high level rating didn't make you any stronger.
Eva, who had a much better grasp of the situation than I did, poured me some tea while I sat there with my feet up on my desk, zoning out and avoiding reality.
"Ah, sorry. I'm not working, so I don't really need tea..."
"Klye, is everything all right with the Tower of Akasha situation?"
"...It's not time yet."
I recalled the hate-filled face of the Rabi-ken leader and yawned widely.
At the time, I hadn't thought much of it, but if that was the leader of a dangerous Arcane Society, that was very bad news. I had definitely earned her grudge.
I hadn't meant any harm, but that probably didn't matter to that Not fellow.
I was incompetent, but after all the terrible things I'd been through over the years, I knew how to protect my own life. The only option left to me now was simple — not set foot outside the Clan House.
This Clan House was a gathering place for clan members, but it was also my safe spot. I'd set up my bedroom here, the facilities were more extensive than most other clans', and there was even a basement — all of it designed to prepare for a potential assault.
The hunters gathered here were among the best the capital had to offer. Professionals at slaying monsters.
Even if the enemy was an Arcane Society, there was probably no safer place in the entire capital.
It was sturdy enough that if I somehow got killed in an assault here, I'd shrug and say, "Well, fair enough."
So I wasn't going out. Period. Tinno alone wasn't enough as a bodyguard, and having Liliz around would've provided some comfort, but until the culprit was caught, it was better to stay inside.
She'd probably say something like, "They're completely out of our league when it comes to physical attacks." ...They weren't, though.
"So it's not time yet... When will the time come? Gaark seems a little on edge..."
"Hmm... Even if you ask me that, there's only so much I can..."
Besides, wasn't Gaark's trust in me way too much?
The slime appearing had been a coincidence, and encountering the Rabi-ken members had also been a coincidence. Sure, if all those events had been calculated, that level of trust would make sense. But as I'd already made clear, that wasn't the case at all.
He should be able to understand without being told, and even when I told him, he wouldn't listen. Wasn't that the real problem?
"Keeping me on a leash"... What was that even supposed to mean? The only thing swimming was my own gaze.
"You'd have to be stone-blind to trust me like that... What have you even been watching all this time?"
I was powerless. When I stepped outside, a Treasure Hall popped up. I couldn't stop Liliz's rampage either.
Worse than that... yes, Citry. When Citry was branded with that awful nickname — "Worst of the Worst" — I hadn't been able to stop it.
I'd tried to shield her, but I'd been too weak. The pressure from the government had been overwhelming. Being penalized on suspicion alone, with no evidence — that was wrong. The circumstantial evidence pointing to Citry was damning, but there had to be some kind of conspiracy behind it all.
Citry had smiled and forgiven me, but the memory remained with me as my biggest failure since coming to the capital. (Incidentally, at the time, the sister in question had clapped her hands and laughed uproariously.)
Thinking about it made my blood boil. I muttered under my breath.
"Bet her brain's turned to muscle too by now."
"...Klye, that's too much."
But come to think of it, maybe it was understandable that Gaark had gotten the wrong idea. Citry was a good kid, but even I, who'd known her for years, occasionally felt a disconnect when we talked. From the perspective of strangers who knew nothing about her, she'd seem like a few screws short of being fully assembled. When she got that nickname, everyone besides me had agreed.
"'Next time I'll make sure the real culprit is properly identified'... What did that even mean?
...You really didn't do it, right?"
Just then, the massive door of the Clan Master's office burst open with a resounding bang.
The unexpected figure that appeared made me hear my own blood run cold.
"Yo, Klye. Sorry to barge in like this when you're busy... Just wanted to confirm the situation in person, y'know... Ah, sorry about this. Showing up unannounced."
Gaark walked into the room with veins bulging on his forehead and a strained smile plastered across his face. Worst possible timing.
I reflexively went to prostrate myself, but my feet were still on the table, so I tumbled off my chair.
While I writhed in pain, Gaark closed the distance before anyone could stop him.
When I stood up, pressing my aching lower back, he was already right in front of me.
This was bad. Terrifying. How much had he overheard?
"Sorry, Klye kid. I'm — a brawling type, y'know. Brain's all muscle, so unlike you-know-everything over here, I can't figure anything out without someone sharing info."
"........."
"And these eyes are stone-blind! Can only see what's right in front of me! Not like you! I'd trade eyes with you if I could!"
Even though he hadn't been speaking particularly loudly, he'd apparently heard everything through the door. This was why hunters were so troublesome — they were practically inhuman.
I forced an awkward laugh while Gaark glared down at me with hostile eyes.
"Ahaha... If only your ears were bad too."
"You making fun of me, boy?!"
"Now, now, calm down! Don't take everything Klye says seriously!"
"We're terribly sorry about our Master! We'll have a word with him later, so please let it go!"
Kaina and Eva hurried in from behind with wry smiles, working to calm Gaark down.
Impressive, as always. They were in perfect sync, like sisters. With them around, I had the confidence to banter even with Gaark. I wanted them by my side forever.
I quickly piled on the apology.
"I-I'm sorry. I-I just let it slip without thinking. I didn't mean it."
"I know. Yeah, I know. That's exactly why I haven't yet used my one good quality — these muscles!"
Gaark laughed, breathing heavily.
This was bad. I'd heard Gaark had mellowed compared to his prime, but he was still the former War Demon. There was no telling when he'd snap.
Apologies alone clearly weren't enough — he was obviously furious. On pure instinct, I tried to smooth things over.
"N-No, really... I think your joke tolerance and patience are incredible too!"
"You making fun of me, boy?!"
Oh, no good. I should just shut up.
Kaina desperately held Gaark back as his voice rose in a threatening manner. Eva shot me a look that clearly said, "Don't say anything stupid."
Any further interference on my part would only make things worse.
When I finally fell silent, Gaark seemed to calm down at last. He took a deep breath and slammed a thick stack of documents onto my desk.
"Confidential" was printed in large letters across the cover.
The veins were still bulging on his forehead, but he spoke slowly.
"Your excellent 'ears' might already have this, but it's the results from the joint investigation by the Explorer's Guild and the Empire. They found several rooms that look like research laboratories. Empty inside, but experts are examining them in detail right now."
I'd heard through Tinno that an investigation was underway, but less than a week had passed since it started.
Even for Treasure Halls near the capital, if you counted every single one from major to minor, there were close to a hundred. Finding laboratories in this short a timeframe showed just how serious they were.
"Wow... Finding all that in such a short time. That's impressive."
"...!"
"Calm down, Gaark. Klye isn't trying to provoke you. This is just how he is — you know that."
Kaina soothed Gaark, who was shooting me looks that could kill.
"Huh? No, no, no, I'm not provoking you! I was genuinely impressed..."
"Klye, shut your mouth!"
I was shut down and fell silent. So I wasn't even allowed to call impressive things impressive.
What was I supposed to say? "Is that all?" Would that be more appropriate? Something befitting Level 8?
"Hmph, is that all—"
"...! Klye, are you testing my patience?!"
See? He got angry anyway. What was I supposed to do?
I sighed deeply and spoke to the seething Gaark. Time for some vaguely constructive talk.
"Come on, Gaark, calm down. Now's not the time to panic. I'll read through the documents right away. Anything else?"
"...! The higher-ups are losing their patience... They want to know your timeline."
Ah... So that was it. I wanted to know that too. I was completely cornered. There was nothing I could do.
But I didn't have the courage to say that to a enraged Gaark. Maybe I'd stall for time...
I tilted my head, pretending to think, and gave my answer.
"...Let me see... I think I'll need... help."
If Ark came back, or if my childhood friends returned from their expedition, things might work out.
They were loved by the goddess of destiny. One day they'd surely be celebrated as heroes.
They weren't just strong — they had incredible luck. I had strong luck too, but in a bad way. Ark and the others, on top of that, had outstanding problem-solving abilities.
They could probably handle this situation too. Though I felt like I'd said this before — if they couldn't handle it, then nobody could.
Gaark's eyebrow twitched at my answer.
"...! Help...? Whose?"
Whose, indeed. Tough question. I wanted to say everyone's, but Gaark would never accept that.
The most reliable choice went without saying — Ark Rodan. He was exceptional in every sense. What a shame he wasn't a member of the Mourning Specter.
On the other hand, among our members, Luke and Liliz were more brawny than Gaark when it came to this kind of investigative work. Elisa was a thief, but she was a recent recruit and ignored my requests, so she was out.
Lucia and Anthem were always cool-headed and dependable, but both were too conspicuous — that was a flaw.
Actually, given the slime situation, it had to be Citry. I wanted Citry to come back. Final answer.
I glanced vaguely at the calendar on my desk and answered.
"Citry. ...She should be back pretty soon, I think."
If anything, she was later than she should have been. The circle I'd marked on her expected return date had long since passed.
If she didn't come back soon, I'd go check on her. If something had happened, I couldn't just leave her.
Gaark's expression turned grim.
"...Citry? ...Come to think of it, I heard she was enemies with the Tower of Akasha... Does it have to be Citry? When is she coming back? If you need an Alchemist, I can call a few—"
"I'm home!"
!?
A familiar voice, and a familiar figure walked through the door.
Gaark whipped around, caught sight of her, and was struck speechless.
Pink-blonde hair and eyes, the same as her sister Liliz. She was slightly taller than her older sister, but draped in a drab-colored cloak and lacking Liliz's boisterous presence, she somehow looked smaller than she actually was.
A large bag hung from her back, and at her belt dangled a potion bag two sizes larger than what ordinary hunters carried.
She had no staff. Citry's role wasn't combat. She was a strategist — the one who handled preparation, cleanup, and Treasure Hall intelligence gathering. The unsung hero of the Mourning Specter.
Citry Smart. The hunter I'd been waiting for had arrived.
Her appearance was spotless, unchanged from when she'd left the capital. She seemed to have made it back safely.
"Welcome home, Citry."
Relieved on the inside, I raised my hand in greeting.
Still, the timing was almost suspiciously perfect. She hadn't been listening outside, had she? Between Gaark and this, maybe I should look into improving the soundproofing on that door.
As I harbored these suspicions, Citry approached with an oddly solemn expression. She gave a small bow before the tense-faced Gaark, passed the speechless Kaina and Eva, and stood before me. With tears in her eyes, she spoke.
"Klye, you're way too overprotective! You don't need to do that — I'm not going to run away!"
"?????????? Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry?"
What was she saying right out of the gate? Had I done something?
"You've ruined everything because of it, Klye. I was trying to persuade them to surrender, but... I need you to ease up. That kind of thing... it makes them sympathetic."
"What are you talking about?"
Before I could even grasp the situation, Citry said something incredible.
"It's about the Tower of Akasha."
Gaark's expression froze. He looked at me, but even I had no idea why Citry, who had just walked in the door, was bringing this up.
While I could only blink, unable to form words, Citry set down her backpack, pulled out a small black bag from inside, and pressed it into the hands of the dumbfounded Gaark.
Her movements radiated something like anger, but unlike her sister, there was far less intensity behind it, so it wasn't frightening.
"I've got the ringleader captured downstairs. Because you went overboard, Klye, we need to hurry or they might die."
"!? Kaina, let's move! You — Klye. I'll get the full story out of you later! Move it!"
Gaark grabbed Kaina and rushed out of the Clan Master's office.
Left behind were me, having no idea what was going on; Eva, wearing a knowing expression; and Citry, who had only just returned but somehow already knew the full situation and had even captured the so-called ringleader.
...Unbelievable. Way too capable. What was going on with our members?
Sure, I'd said I needed Citry's help, but not like this. I'd said she had strong luck, but wasn't this a bit too much?
Citry stood quietly, waiting for my words.
After hesitating over what to say, I decided to forget everything I'd been agonizing over until just moments ago.
I stood up and spread my arms wide before Citry.
The Arcane Society, the slime — all the mess could wait. Right now, I just wanted to celebrate her return.
No matter what anyone said, the only thing I could do was wait for a hero's return. That was all.
I put on a smile and said clearly to Citry once more.
"Welcome home, Citry. I'm glad you're safe."
"Thanks. I'm home... Klye."