"Hmph... So you're Klye Andrich. I don't know how you did it, but I owe you thanks for rescuing my little sister — Alisha. I'm sure you already know, but just to be safe. I'm Zakari Code. The fifth Class 8 of this Code."
"Ah, yes."
A man with fiery red hair and bloodshot, three-white eyes — the kind of face that belonged on a wild beast — greeted me with a composure that seemed impossible given those looks.
But once again, having received absolutely no prior briefing, I was completely lost.
I'd asked Zuri to guide me to where Klahee was after leaving the building — so I figured this meant the efficient Klahee had quickly located the royals on her own. Was that about right?
Still, couldn't there have been at least a heads-up that they'd found the royals?
The royal who'd introduced himself as Zakari had his base in one of the buildings in the Empress's district — underground, specifically. It was strange that another royal's base would exist in the Empress's district, but the fact that Klahee had managed to find a royal hiding in a place like this really drove home just how formidable her skills as a Hunter were.
While I stood there in a daze, completely at a loss, the Empress had adapted to the situation in an instant. I'd been on edge the moment we entered the building and were surrounded by heavily armed soldiers — maybe I should have taught her a bit more about the dangers of the outside world.
The good news was that Zakari was well-disposed toward us. When I first walked into the room and saw a rough-looking man sitting on a tacky black throne carved in the shape of a skeleton, I'd thought we were in trouble, but it turned out to be a matter of taste — the man himself was perfectly rational. The armed guards surrounding him were fully geared up, but they didn't seem to be bad people. The initially tense atmosphere dissipated quickly thanks to the Empress's greeting, which Lusha had personally taught her, and from there things shifted into a welcoming mood — they even threw us a reception party, in fact. (For the record, I was so overwhelmed by the situation that I just went along with everything.)
I had no idea whether Lusha's greeting was the correct form for a royal, but the end result was all that mattered.
And yet, as I'd suspected, Zakari didn't appear to be taking orders from the nobles. The people surrounding him weren't even citizens — they seemed to be lower-class civilians without citizenship rights. If anything, they leaned toward being anti-establishment.
That was when it hit me.
Could it be that Zakari was the client who had sent the request to the Explorer's Guild?
With the authority a royal possessed, it would be possible to arrange for a request to reach the Explorer's Guild.
"Wait — Zakari, are you the one who called me here?"
"Hm? Oh? Yeah, that's right. I had the 'Thunder Emperor' bring you here because I wanted to see you. Alisha coming along wasn't part of the plan, but—"
So Zakari really was the client. That explained why I was surrounded by these somewhat guerrilla-looking fighters, and why none of them answered to the nobles.
Klahee, who had been standing against the wall, spoke in a tone that was equal parts admiration and exasperation.
"I wondered what you were up to, but to actually unlock the door — Klye, you never fail to exceed my expectations. And not by brute force either, but by the proper method... Even my thunder magic couldn't do a thing against it."
"...The door had extremely high lightning resistance, so..."
"...That's normally impossible."
Kuhl, who looked a bit gaunt from not having seen us in a while, and Elise, who was heavy in her own way with her armor and shield, both chimed in.
At least all of you seem to be in one piece, which is a relief. I would've appreciated a report, though.
"Hey! Don't let Alisha touch the weapons! That's dangerous!"
"Y-Yes... I'm sorry, Lord Zakari. It's like that, so — Lady Alisha, my apologies."
One of the subordinates, who had been cornered by the curious Empress and was showing her his weapons, received a sharp reprimand from Zakari.
Zakari had been watching the Empress intently ever since we arrived. He'd been quite attentive at the reception too — he really had been worried about her confinement, hadn't he?
As I studied him watching her, Zakari cleared his throat and spoke in a deliberately forceful tone, as if covering up his emotions.
"The one who sent for you was none other than me. Klye Andrich, work with me. Everything is for Alisha's sake."
"...Hm?"
"I've already got over a thousand lower-class civilians under my command. With the Thunder Emperor's power, we have a more than fair shot at taking the throne. You're the one who rescued Alisha — I won't do you wrong. Come under my command."
...Wait. This was starting to sound different from what I'd originally been told.
The original plan was to protect the royals and stop the Code's tyranny — not to seize the throne. Well, if Zakari took the throne and drove the nobles out, the goal would still be achieved, but still — this was a different conversation entirely.
Had Klahee said something? I glanced at her, and without having been asked anything, she launched into a cheerful explanation.
"Well, even with weapons, each individual's ability is mediocre at best. I did a bit of training with them, but strength doesn't improve in a short time. So the success of the operation will depend on the enemy's combat power too — but even if everything goes well, there will probably be considerable casualties. Against lower-class civilians, you could just sweep them away with the city's infrastructure, though."
The atmosphere, which had been warm and friendly thanks to the Empress, grew heavy.
By the way — I never asked Klahee to say any of this.
"I can shut down the city's security system... but I probably can't shut it down completely. Klye Andrich — from what I've heard from Kuhl and the others, you're known as some kind of master strategist who's solved every difficult case thrown at you."
The rumors about my supposed strategic genius kept spreading without my knowledge... I was helpless against it.
"I thought it was some kind of joke — but you opened Alisha's door, which was supposed to be impossible to unlock without the king's authority. Besides, you're Alisha's benefactor. I can trust you right now. Do you have some kind of plan?"
Zakari's expression was dead serious.
No, no — plans aside, the whole premise had shifted.
I'd come here to protect the royals. Kaiser and Saya felt the same way. I'd been prepared for combat if necessary, but smashing everything and seizing the throne was a completely different story.
Besides — did Kaiser and the others even agree to this? Was Zakari getting overconfident just because the Thunder Emperor was on his side?
In the Hunter trade, clients changing their minds was a common occurrence. They usually demanded results bigger than the original request, and the Explorer's Guild didn't approve of accepting those kinds of changes.
If Zakari was the client, he must have spoken with Kaiser, Saya, and the others during the meeting time I'd missed because I didn't know the location. But they shouldn't have agreed to a change in plans.
For that matter, coming under Zakari's command was a bad idea in general. If I were given an impossibly demanding task befitting a high-level Hunter's abilities, I'd die instantly, and I'd certainly end up causing trouble for Zakari and his people.
I looked Zakari dead in his fierce face and said clearly.
"Sorry, but I can't come under your command. I don't have a plan, but I have my own strategy."
"...What did you just say?!"
Zakari's threatening voice sent a murmur through the crowd. The Empress's eyes went wide, and Kuhl and the others held their breath.
Intimidating me was pointless. I flashed a hard-boiled grin and straightened my spine.
Klahee was here. The Empress was here, which meant Royal Guard mechs were available. And I had the Barrier Ring.
"I won't do anything cruel. There will be far fewer casualties than in your operation, Zakari."
"...And what happens to me and Alisha under that plan?"
Good grief, what was he talking about? The person who'd come up with the plan to protect every royal with city-system authorization and escort them outside was Zakari himself — the client.
What happened after they were escorted outside would be the Explorer's Guild's responsibility, but they certainly wouldn't be treated harshly. After all, the whole point was "protection."
I glanced at the wide-eyed Empress and chose my words carefully.
"Well, the future is up to you — but I expect you'll get to see a much wider world. A world far broader than this Code."
"..."
"!! Big brother Zakari, Alisha wants to see a wider world! Brother Zakari!"
Zakari fell silent. The Empress immediately seized his arm and began shaking it in a classic plea.
Well, I was the one who'd picked out words she'd like, but had this turned her into a spoiled brat?
Big brother Zakari was wearing a pained expression as his body was shaken back and forth, but eventually he let out a deep sigh.
"...Fine. I'll go along with your plan. Even with the Thunder Emperor's power, our operation's chances of success aren't that high... I'd gladly die if it meant making those bastards pay, but I can't drag my sister into it."
"Lord Zakari!?"
His companions stirred at his strained voice. Zakari finally pried the Empress's hands free, then fixed me with a frown.
"But the decision isn't final. I'll go along with it after I've reviewed your plan. If it looks like it's going to fail, we'll move on our own. You're not a royal. If you want to have your way, show me the power to back it up."
"I'd love nothing more."
Show me my power? Who does he think he's talking to?
The people carrying out this plan were Class 8s — heroes who had stepped into the realm virtually at the very top of this golden age of Treasure Hunters.
The fact that he didn't know about the 'Heavenly Dance of the War Breaker' and the 'Night Banquet Festival Hall' — honestly, ignorance of the world could be a terrifying thing.
Well, considering we were being watched, Klahee probably deliberately left those things unsaid... But Zakari would soon learn the true power of a high-level Hunter.
§ We spent the night at Zakari's place, then set off for our next destination.
The next stop was Nora's turf. I'd already been there once, and acquaintances like Zaza and the others were there too, so it should be smooth sailing. The Empress would surely enjoy the arena far more than I had.
This time I could bring Klahee along, so Nora would be in good spirits too.
After just one night's stay, the Empress had apparently gotten close enough to Zakari's people that they surrounded her as she prepared to leave.
"Empress, please take care."
"Please come back anytime. When the Empress is here, even Lord Zakari is gentle."
Some were tearful as they shook the Empress's hand. Their expressions looked as though they were saying a final farewell in this life, which left the Empress looking rather troubled.
"Alisha. If you ever tire of your position, come back anytime. I'll shelter you."
As a final word, Zakari looked down at the Empress and said that.
When we first met, I'd gotten the impression of a bloodshot-eyed delinquent through and through, but now his demeanor seemed a little softer.
"Thank you, big brother Zakari. But Alisha is still royalty — I won't abandon my position."
"...I see. Hey, Klye. Take care... of my little sister."
Zakari glared at me as he said it. In a way, I could totally see him being the type to call her 'cute little sis Alisha' — it'd be easy as pie. When Lucia became like a little sister to me, I doted on her too, but seeing it from an objective perspective... I'd gained a new perspective.
Except that this particular Alisha had undergone a character change thanks to Lusha's meddling.
I summoned the spiders outside the building and we climbed aboard. Since the Empress, myself, and the members of the 'Grieving Evil Spirit' made this a large group, I called two.
The Empress's eyes sparkled at the sight of the summoned spiders. She'd ridden one yesterday on the way to Zakari's building too, but apparently there was a difference between knowing about something and actually experiencing it.
As the spider carried us along and she gazed out the window, the Empress asked.
"Klye... where are we going today?"
"To Nora's place. You know — the one who made the enhanced equipment and supplements I gave you as souvenirs."
"Oh... this one?"
Alisha pushed her bangs up and touched her forehead. There was a faint click, and when she removed her hand, she was holding a pendant-like object — the enhanced equipment I'd given her as a souvenir.
...Huh. So enhanced equipment goes on your head.
Well, that had nothing to do with me — when I'd been told to focus my will on it, it had bounced right off. Wait — she's been wearing it this whole time?! I never even noticed!
"It interfaces with the head and weaves a specialized neural network throughout the body to enhance physical capabilities."
"...Isn't that dangerous?"
"...If there were any danger, it should have bounced off. The Code's technology accounts for safety."
I see, I see — it bounced right off me. The Code's technology was seriously impressive.
The Empress pressed the enhanced equipment to her forehead once more. When she removed her hand the second time, the equipment had vanished without a trace. The Empress used unknown technology without the slightest hesitation — that took real guts.
"That ability-boosting supplement too... the person who made it must be incredibly skilled. It feels like they pushed themselves a little too hard and overused their resources, though..."
Come to think of it, you were drinking supplements during meals, weren't you?
The broken little spider had accepted its gift with great joy too. Maybe the Empress was just the type who was happy with anything.
"But, big brother — is it really okay to bring him to see Princess Nora? I'm not really her type, you know..."
"I don't think she likes us very much either," Lusha and Kuhl said from the same spider.
"That's not true at all. She's been considerate in various ways and flexible about things, even if she's prickly about it. She's not a bad person at heart. In the end, she accepted the situation with Klahee on her own, too... I don't know the reason, but still."
Besides — you all seem to have forgotten, but Nora is one of my protection targets. Kaiser and the others are handling the main work, but since I've got the time, I should keep up appearances.
"I want to meet her. Lady Nora."
"But the pleading technique I taught her will probably backfire on that one, you know."
Lusha, you really are quite calculating. But I wasn't too worried about the Empress.
For someone who had been confined for so long and almost entirely cut off from communication with the outside world, she was doing remarkably well.
There was no point dwelling on things that might go wrong. Let's stay positive.