Strange Grief Wants to Retire ~ The Weakest Hunter Dreams of a Hero ~ - Volume 6 - Chapter 5.1

Chapter Five: The Peregrine Lodge and the Lost Children

“Oooh. We’re flying! We’re really flying!”

“Of course we are! Sir! This is an airship.”

Kris, a being whose natural home was deep in the forest, looked at me like I was some sort of hick. I guess life in the imperial capital had thoroughly urbanized her.

Our takeoff had been smooth, and our flight was the quietest airborne experience I had ever had. I found it absolutely incredible that this was something made by human hands. I leaned on my stupidly big staff and looked out the window.

“By the way, what’s that staff? Sir?” Kris asked dubiously.

“It’s a Relic,” I answered proudly. “Pretty neat, isn’t it?”

Not to mention, it was stylish. I noticed Kris eyeing her own staff. Because their designs came from eras long gone, many Relics had odd appearances. That included Round World. Most staves used by Magi were wooden, but this one was made of metal. It was unclear how the gem at the top floated, or why it was floating in the first place. It was mysterious and defied explanation, both of which were very Relic-esque qualities.

Staves were one of the rarer types of weapon Relics, making them uncommon even among high-level hunters. Round World didn’t fulfill a staff’s usual role of amplifying mana, which meant it was more or less useless as a weapon. Nonetheless, its main function meant it still fetched a high price.

This is a good opportunity to explain that Telm’s bracelets were Relics. Bracelet-type staves, a variety of Relic far more expensive than a pure staff-type Relic. He was in charge of the best Magi clan in the imperial capital, so it only made sense that his equipment was a cut above the rest.

“Why didn’t you have that earlier? Sir?”

“Because I didn’t need it.”

Kris raised a finely shaped eyebrow as though she had more to say.

It was my first time holding the staff in some time, and I had almost forgotten how heavy it was. Sure, it looked cool, which was nice, but carrying it all the time would’ve been exhausting. I should’ve asked Liz to also bring a weight-reducing Relic while she was at it. You see, for people like her, even a big metal staff was as good as weightless, so she wouldn’t think to bring a weight-reducer unless I asked for it.

“I had no idea you had a staff Relic. Sir.”

“I also have sword Relics and axe Relics. This is just another part of my collection.”

“I see. It would be a waste for a Relic like that to sit around in a collection. But what a peculiar item that is. Is it true that staff Relics have incredible mana conversion? Sir?”

“Yeah, uh-huh.”

It seemed Magi couldn’t help but be fascinated by staves. Kris’s eyes darted between Round World and her own staff. The sad truth was that mine was more like a big translation device, and hers was actually the superior weapon.

Still conscious of Kris’s gaze, I looked around and spotted Kechachakka contemplatively gazing out the window. The whole reason I had sent Liz back to the imperial capital was so I could talk to this man. With a hard-boiled grip on my staff, I sauntered over to him. The low-hooded, suspicious Shaman turned towards me.

“Hey, Kechachakka, something caught your eye?”

“Hee hee.”

“He? He who?”

“Hee hee hee.”

As always, I couldn’t communicate with him. But that was about to change. I activated Round World and put on a smile.

“Sorry, could you say that one more time?” I asked.

“Uhe hee. Hee hee.”

His utterances were shady, but his eyes were surprisingly calm.

“Hee hee hee,” I answered with a nod.

“Uhee?!”

“Hee hee hee hee. Hee hee.”

“Hee hee! Hee hee hee hee!”

“Hm. I see. Interesting.”

Doing my best to keep my face from twitching, I gave him my thanks and walked away. I returned to Kris, who had intently watched the entire exchange.

“Kecha’s our teammate, so you shouldn’t mess with him! Sir!”

“Yeah, uh-huh. But I wasn’t messing with him.”

Man, what a strange world it is.

Noticing Kris’s obvious confusion, I held out the staff.

“For the duration of this job, I’ll lend you this,” I told her.

“Huh?”

“You looked like you wanted to try it. Am I right? Just be sure not to lose it.”

“Wha?! Do you plan to do this job without a weapon?! Sir?!”

Her eyes were wide, directed not at me but at the mystical staff.

I put on a hard-boiled demeanor. “It’s fine. My weapon,” I tapped the side of my head, “is this. If anything, a staff would get in my way.”

It’s really heavy, so please carry it for me.

Baffled, Kris took the staff. She didn’t say anything, despite its considerable weight. Even with her tiny frame, she was stronger than me. How depressing.

“Hmph. Even if we are clanmates, I still can’t believe that a hunter would lend out their own weapon. But I’ll take it if you insist.”

“Yeah, thanks a ton. Oh, right. That staff is fairly powerful, so don’t test it out inside the airship.”

“I know that. Sir.”

Grinning, I glanced over at Kechachakka. I hadn’t been able to parse a single thing he had said. Apparently, he really was just saying “Hee hee hee.” Round World didn’t work by deciphering the rules of a language, but by understanding intentions, and it was a Relic, which meant its powers were absolute. It worked on a similar principle that Tears of Truth used to discern fabrications.

Hunters really were nothing but weirdos.

Aside from the occasional turbulence, the airship journey was pretty easy. Perfect Vacation probably had something to do with that, but mostly it was because of the lengths Franz had gone to. During those three days, he had made sure everything was in order. The passengers had all been checked and the airship got another inspection. A look at his haggard face was all I needed to know how much work that must have been.

“Not a single rat aboard,” he said. “So, Thousand Tricks, do you still think the airship will crash?!”

“I think it’ll be fine. But if it crashes, then it crashes. Where was the emergency exit again?”

“Head out and it’ll be on your left. Damn it, didn’t you receive a map of the ship? Are you trying to get under my skin?!”

Oh, that’s right. I got a map.

Franz was really high-strung. It’s not like being on edge would help, and there was no use overthinking matters.

“I’m sure everything will be fine,” I said reassuringly. “Safety Rings protect you from falls. I know this from experience.”

“Is this a joke to you?!” Franz slammed the table. I guess he didn’t appreciate my comment. I took a step back, and he stepped forward. “Your job is to prevent that from happening!” he roared as he thrust a finger at me. “How can you be so nonchalant?! Act like you care about this job!”

“Th-That’s, uh, simply a matter of experience.”

“What was that?!”

I had been through all sorts of ordeals. Protecting the emperor was a first for me, but I had experience with dragon attacks, and also with being yelled at. I also had experience when it came to crashing, and that wasn’t even the worst of it. I had a history of misfortune and knew when to not fight fate. At least this had made me the world’s foremost expert in the use of Safety Rings. But that didn’t involve much more than just activating them.

“I’m sure it’ll work out,” I said.

“This ship is a fortress. It’s equipped with monster repellents. Nothing will approach us on land or in the sky!”

Franz almost sounded like he was talking to himself. The next moment, a frantic knight burst into the cabin.

“S-Sir, we’ve received word from the surface. There’s signs of a storm forming—”

“Damn. This wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t delayed our departure!” Franz yelled at me, before turning back to the knight. “Tell everyone to stay alert. Neither wind nor rain, not even lightning, will bring us down!”

It seemed silly to get angry at me when storms were just a part of traveling. Just recently, I had been hit by a storm during my vacation. Knitting my brow, I thought back on my previous experiences.

“I hope it really is just a storm,” I said with a small smile.

***

The airship shook violently. Kechachakka looked out a window and clenched his teeth when he saw the black clouds. His head and stomach were both suffering stress-induced aches. He had never experienced anything like this since joining Fox. He knew what was causing this. It was the man claiming to be of the thirteenth tail, Krai Andrey.

Nothing about him struck Kechachakka as impressive. Before and after his identity had been revealed, he came off as flippant and even the gentlest descriptions couldn’t disguise the fact that he was a goof.

He simply did what he wanted. Kechachakka had never seen someone “Hee hee hee” at him, not to mention that man turned the emperor into a frog and summoned bedsheet elementals. It was impressive that Franz hadn’t yet kicked the Thousand Tricks from the guard. Kechachakka was willing to believe this was all calculated. He had assumed the imperial guard to be morons, but now he was reevaluating.

Deep down, Kechachakka wasn’t sure if he wanted to stay in Nine-Tailed Shadow Fox if this was what their top brass were like. But was that man really one of the top? From the moment the Thousand Tricks claimed to be of the top brass, doubts had swirled in the back of Kechachakka’s mind.

He was certain that Telm was a fellow Fox, but he couldn’t be sure about the Thousand Tricks. Hexes were a variety of magic that were given form by enmity and other strong emotions. As a user of hexes, Kechachakka was very keen at discerning the nature of people. As far as he could tell, the Thousand Tricks was simply, or rather, extremely laid-back. He wasn’t driven by any ill will, but more than that, he didn’t have the scent of death that clung to all hunters. But just how could that be?

As he watched the large drops of rain rap against the window, Kechachakka let out a pitiful “Hee hee.” His evaluation told him that the Thousand Tricks wasn’t a member of Fox. But that same evaluation also insisted that he couldn’t possibly be a Level 8 hunter! It said he was just a normal person and a weak one at that!

Setting aside the matter of whether or not he was a Fox, there was no denying that that man was a Level 8 hunter. He had wondered if this man was actually a body double, but surely if the Thousand Tricks wanted to do that, he would have picked someone else. Besides, a normal citizen couldn’t possibly have known the code signs used by Fox, nor could that have been a coincidence.

Nothing fit together. Kechachakka had no clue what was true and what was false. Though it was a mind-numbing process, there was an emergency system that Foxes could use to confirm a person’s membership. Not for his duty but for his own sake, he planned to make use of it once he got back to the imperial capital.

The storm raged outside the airship. This wasn’t enough to bring down a vessel like the Black Star, but even still, the interior was abuzz like a beehive. Neither Kechachakka nor Telm could control storms. This storm was just a coincidence. While it was an incredibly convenient coincidence for them, it was still just that.

“I’ve heard that the Thousand Tricks can summon storms,” his superior, Telm Apoclys whispered to him. “Has the time come? Now wouldn’t be an odd time to crash.”

Kechachakka refused to believe someone had summoned this storm. Those sorts of spells existed, but they always had distinct forewarnings. Kechachakka hadn’t seen any such omen, and that man didn’t have any mana to begin with. Normally, the Shaman would’ve been able to confidently say this wasn’t the result of magic, but they were talking about the Thousand Tricks, someone who was capable of instantly turning the emperor into a frog.

Kechachakka let out a weak laugh.

“I see you’re uncertain, Kecha.” Telm rubbed his bracelets. “Worry not, this vessel’s magic defenses will do little against attacks from the inside.”

With a Magus this powerful at his side, their goal was within reach. In terms of both discretion and power, Telm Apoclys was the strongest Magus Kechachakka had ever seen. When it came to antipersonnel combat, he probably even surpassed the Abyssal Inferno.

And there was the water clone. By borrowing the power of his Relics, Telm had the unique ability of creating a clone that he could control at will. It didn’t matter how many guards the emperor had, killing him was well within the realm of possibility for Telm.

One month prior, Telm’s words of reassurance might have put Kechachakka at ease. But not anymore. There shouldn’t be any problems. Their chances of failure were practically nil, and they could call for dragons if they really needed to.

Just then, the Thousand Tricks entered their cabin. When he saw Telm, he gave that slightly dopey smile of his. Telm began to stand up, but he held out his hands.

“Ah, no need,” he said.

“Hm. So you’re saying it’s not time yet?” Telm asked.

“Huh? Oh, Franz said he and his knights will move.”

“What? He’s one of ours?!”

“Hm? Well, yeah,” the Thousand Tricks said with surprise. “Anyhoo, it’s not time for us to move just yet.”

Kechachakka wanted to yell that that was absurd, but bit his tongue. It was his impression that Franz Argman was clean, completely entirely clean. He had of his own volition proven his innocence with Tears of Truth. There was no way such a man was a Fox. On the other hand, the same Relic had shown the Thousand Tricks to be innocent as well.

If this job goes well, I’m going to take a break from all this, Kechachakka told himself.

“Hm. So be it,” Telm said as he sat back down. He began to stroke his chin. Unlike Kechachakka, he was maintaining composure. Just how did the Thousand Tricks appear from his perspective? “That reminds me, there’s something I’d like to confirm with you. What do you plan to do about Kris?”

“Hm? What do you mean by that?”

“You two seem quite close. Do you mind if she’s eliminated?”

“What?!”

The Thousand Tricks looked and sounded absolutely taken aback. But they had to do everything they could to reduce the risk of failure, and that Noble Spirit was an obstruction.

“We’re not particularly close,” he continued, “but we’re not going to eliminate her. Do you two have something against her?”

A pro knew to keep their personal feelings from interfering with their work. If he said they weren’t particularly close, then did that mean his friendly banter with her had been an act? And if so, then to what end?

“I wouldn’t say that,” Telm replied. “But am I correct in assuming that we should leave her to you?”

The man of the thirteenth tail briefly tilted his head side to side, before nodding to himself. “Yeah, I guess I should do something leader-like every now and again. I’ll give Kris a verbal warning.”

“Verbal?” Neither Telm nor Kechachakka knew how to respond. “V-Very well.”

They found this immensely concerning. Was this man serious? Did he really think a verbal warning would silence her? It couldn’t possibly work. But being Foxes meant that they had to obey their superiors.

They heard noises outside. It sounded like they were checking for damage from the storm. There was no way this fortress of an airship could be affected by a bit of inclement weather. But if the airship were to go down now, the crash would be attributed to the storm. This was an ideal opportunity for sabotage, and how could they possibly hope for anything better?

As though reading Kechachakka’s mind, the Thousand Tricks suddenly turned his way. Kechachakka’s heart pounded and he felt a shiver down his spine. With a stern expression, the Thousand Tricks got up and walked towards Kechachakka. Then he walked right past him. He gazed out the window, so Kechachakka did the same.

Outside, flying in the middle of the brutal storm, was a massive kite. Kechachakka rubbed his eyes, but when he looked again the kite was still there. Clinging to the kite were those ridiculous bedsheet elementals.

“Not half bad,” the Thousand Tricks said, looking a bit bewildered.

Then, as if it had been waiting for the perfect moment, a bolt of lightning struck the kite. There was a loud boom and down it went. With a look of mild surprise, the Thousand Tricks watched it go.

Kechachakka let out a low groan as he made his way to his room, where he threw himself onto his bed.

***

“Hey, Kris, did you do something rude to Telm?”

Kris folded her arms and gave me an unhappy look. “Huh? If anyone’s been rude to him, it’d be you. Sir.”

Not the nicest way to put it, but I couldn’t argue with her.

The weather was still stormy. I was used to storms and lightning, but only on a few occasions had I dealt with them while in the air. There were flashing lights, loud noises, and the airship was rocking from side-to-side. Without Perfect Vacation, I would’ve been very uncomfortable.

The Carpet, however, was jovial as ever and was dancing around with the carpet I had purchased back in town. That carpet had set me back a bit. While it was a normal carpet that couldn’t move or anything, the Relic Carpet didn’t seem to mind at all. I was actually worried those two might elope.

What mysterious things Relics can be. And those two sure have a serious height gap.

“Why are you always having me come to your room?” Kris griped at me while I watched the carpets dance. “I get why you might want to rely on me, but calling me over every single day is too much! Sir! Could it be that you like me? Sir? Well, give up on that. I’m here on Lapis’s orders, not because I like you. Sir.”

I hadn’t even confessed, yet she rejected me.

I’m sorry for calling you over every evening. But don’t get the wrong idea just because I’m always relying on you.

It’s not that I disliked Kris. I was fond of everyone who charged my Relics for me, and Kris’s attitude wasn’t as bad as some that I had dealt with. With her, Telm, and Kechachakka, I had really won the teammate lottery this time. You might even say I was on a winning streak.

“Oh right,” I said, “I think Telm still has the wrong impression about us.”

“Ugh. This is the problem with you humans and your year-round mating sea—”

“Don’t say that in front of the emperor.”

“You don’t need to tell me. Do you think I’m an idiot? Unlike some people, I can watch my mouth. Sir.”

Once this was over, I would have to show my gratitude to her. I considered sending her a big bag of amiuz nuts. She seemed to like those, and they didn’t hurt her so long as she didn’t use her mana.

We seemed to have gotten through the worst of the storm because the ship stopped shaking. By the sound of it, we had gotten by without any serious damage. My precious bedsheet elementals had been hit by lightning, but it took more than that or a plummet to the ground to kill them, so I didn’t worry.

Then I heard rapid footsteps, and then the door flung open.

“HA HA HA HA!”

It was Franz, drenched in sweat.

I could see that he was tired, likely from directing everyone around, but there was a shine in his eyes. He didn’t seem to notice Kris’s shock as he pointed a finger at me.

“See that, Thousand Tricks?!” he roared madly. “We did it. We made it through the worst of the storm! Bad weather is nothing to this ship. Your predictions were wrong. This ship is unstoppable!”

“Um, yeah, uh-huh.”

Wasn’t he a bit too ecstatic? After all, I had said we had a ninety-percent chance of not crashing. He looked like he might start dancing. If he wanted a partner, I would’ve been willing to lend him my Carpet.

“You really like to pick fights wherever you can. Sir.”

Strange. I had no recollection of picking this fight Kris was talking about. But after seeing Franz so certain, some part of me felt compelled to argue back.

“We’re not out of the storm just yet. We need to be cautious,” I said.

“Ha ha ha! Say what you want, sore loser! I’m done playing your games, so just stay out of the way! Now, I must report to His Imperial Majesty.”

With that confident declaration, Franz puffed up his chest and strode out. His demeanor reminded me an awful lot of a noble. Then I remembered that he was a noble. Even Kris seemed like she had been blown over by a storm.

“He has a lot of pent-up stress,” she mumbled at length. “When that happens, you should drink some herbal tea. You humans should take after us Noble Spirits and not get so worked up. Sir.”

“Herbal tea, huh?” I nodded. “Sitri loves to make those sorts of teas.”

Kris looked dismayed for some reason. “I don’t think that’s what you need. Sir. You’re already more stress-free than most Noble Spirits.”

The airship continued smoothly on, which wasn’t something that happened very often when I was around. The ship didn’t shake much, and while my Relic kept me perfectly comfortable, I could tell this was a first-rate vessel if Kris wasn’t complaining.

Being made to transport the empire’s elites, our cabins were just as nice as the inn rooms we had stayed at. The furnishings and furniture were superb and the beds were nice and fluffy. Liz was adventurous, so I was sure she would’ve wanted to explore the entire ship if she were aboard. What a shame she’d gotten hit by that lightning bolt.

I kept looking out my window, but all I saw were dense black clouds. No sign of a kite or any sheetwraiths. My childhood friends were totally reckless enough to make another attempt at flying through the storm, but maybe they had accepted that it was impossible. But if they had such a solid grip on reality then they wouldn’t have tried to challenge the storm atop a kite in the first place.

Sir Killigan was standing contentedly (I suppose) in the corner, more docile than the Carpet. Lying on my bed, I watched the Carpet and the carpet twirl around.

“I wonder if we’ll crash,” I wondered aloud.

Given my terrible luck, it seemed possible. But if Franz was to be believed, this airship was tough. He said we would be fine even if dragons came for us, and I guess he could say that with confidence because he had previous experience with dragons. Of course, I was hoping for no crashing at all.

When we landed, it would be in the capital of the desert country of Toweyezant. It was a small country, but a stable one, so we would be safe there.

“So the next few days will be decisive.”

But if we hadn’t seen any signs of Fox recently, it was possible they had given up on pursuing us.

My muttering was interrupted by a knock on the door. I heard Telm’s voice on the other side, so I hopped out of bed and tried to look like I was working. Telm stuck his head in, looking perfectly awake despite the late hour.

“Forgive me for suddenly intruding in the middle of the night,” he said. “However, I felt there were some things we should confirm. Kecha is of the same mind.”

I wavered, then put on a hard-boiled front. I couldn’t help it when Telm was so hard-boiled. “I figured you’d come sooner or later.”

He wanted to confirm things! What a diligent hunter. This sense of responsibility, this was Level 7, this was what a battle-hardened veteran was like. I wished Luke and my other uncontrollable friends would learn a thing or two from him. I could barely believe someone this collected was a friend of that old lady.

“I’ll have to pay the Abyssal Inferno back,” I whispered.

Telm’s eyes widened when he heard me. “Very confident of you, but Rose is second to none when it comes to destruction, and you won’t be able to catch her off guard. She’s destruction incarnate, and I’m not sure you truly realize that.”

Huh? She’ll incinerate me if I say thanks? What for? God, what a fiend. 

If anything was going to get me scorched, not saying anything seemed the more likely cause. Yet it didn’t seem like Telm was joking. So I made a mental note to make sure my Safety Rings were all charged up before I went to her.

“So you wanted to confirm some things, right? I don’t think that’s necessary, I’ll just follow you as I always have.”

“What?!”

Perhaps I was shoving too much off on him. But I had no fighting or command skills. If we needed someone to take charge, then that should be left to someone with a wealth of experience, like Telm. If I were to start issuing orders, then I’d likely be blamed if anything went wrong. I mean, I’d probably be blamed even if I didn’t issue any orders, but I’d still feel better with somebody else in charge.

“Sorry, but this is my way of doing things,” I told him. “Oh, and about Kris. I’ve talked with her, so you don’t need to worry about her.”

“Hm. So you’re leaving the execution to us?” Telm asked.

“Is there a problem with that? If something happens, I’ll support you.”

I hadn’t shown much in the way of leadership, but I saw nothing wrong with leaving this in their hands.

“No objections. If this is your way of doing things, we’ll adjust accordingly. With the stage set so perfectly for us, this will be an easy task.”

He looked awfully solemn for a man saying he expected an easy job, but I guess a proper sense of responsibility does that to you. And he mentioned the stage being set, but I hadn’t done anything of the sort. Even his lip service was top-notch. What a fearsome fellow. I only hoped I could age as gracefully as Telm had.

Then I remembered something: Telm had a tail. Those were hunks of mana, so they immensely expanded a Magus’s abilities. Without thinking, I grinned and said, “Right. Now, show me the power of the seventh tail.”

After that, the airship proceeded uneventfully. Once we had passed through the worst of it, our voyage had been surprisingly uneventful. At our briefing, I noticed Franz’s complexion had improved. And just as I was wondering if we might complete our journey without any more trouble, it came. I was in my room hanging around with Kris, when Franz dashed in. He didn’t look afraid or panicked, just confused.

“Thousand Tricks, His Imperial Majesty requests your presence.”

“Has something happened?”

I was surprised. I hadn’t heard any commotion.

“Look outside,” Franz said with consternation. “I’m sure you’ve noticed, but even after all this time, we still haven’t left the storm.”

I turned towards the window. Outside, the sky was dark as ever.

***

Telm Apoclys looked out the window and sighed. A full day passed, yet they still hadn’t escaped the storm.

“To think the gap between our skills is this wide...”

This storm was undoubtedly abnormal. The wind was slow and the rain was thin, but the darkness wouldn’t dissipate. Maintaining a spell over a long period was difficult. Telm specialized in water magic; he’d earned his title Counter Cascade when he brought a massive waterfall to a halt. But even the expertise he had spent his whole life developing didn’t help him identify the nature of this storm.

This was the third time Telm had been forced to recognize someone’s superior abilities. And this time, those abilities belonged to a man much younger than him. Reminiscing, Telm rubbed the bracelets on his wrists. They were called Hydrogod’s Grace, and he had obtained them through a stroke of good luck in the Level 6 treasure vault Hydrogod’s Hermitage.

The bracelets applied a strong water-based blessing to their wearer, which greatly enhanced Telm’s powers. Selling them at the right place could ensure that the next three generations of his family wouldn’t have to work.

Telm was far more powerful than he had been when he stopped that waterfall twenty years ago. Yet he couldn’t discern how this storm was being created. And it wasn’t just the storm, that spell that turned people into frogs had also been incomprehensible to him.

This was no doubt beyond his realm of expertise, but what he found so scary was that that man could cast suddenly, without warning. Telm had been confident in his ability to cast swiftly, but that young man’s abilities likely far outclassed his own.

“Rose, then the Master of Magi, and now him.”

The imperial capital’s strongest Water Magus had two previous rivals. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say two had been considered his rivals. To a mediocre Magus, Telm might have seemed comparable to them. But Telm’s middling abilities allowed him to understand just how vastly those two surpassed him.

One became a hunter like Telm, specialized in fire spells, and became the Abyssal Inferno. The other remained in academia, where he continued his research and was eventually kicked out for daring to gaze into the abyss. Telm wasn’t saddened by that. For those who pursue power, the confines of the law were far too constricting. But there was an undeniable irony to the fact that a woman like Rosemary Purapos, who was feared for her fury, was still a free member of society.

Telm had become as powerful as he was by using every means possible, including joining Nine-Tailed Shadow Fox. If the Thousand Tricks had accumulated so much power, he must have also crossed the confines of the law. Yet Telm didn’t find himself envious. Perhaps this was a sign he was getting old. The thought brought a bitter smile to his lips and he pulled himself together.

Failure was only a remote possibility, but that was no reason to get complacent. The imperial guard were well trained, but Telm’s rapid spell-casting meant they were no obstacle. He could sneak up and kill his target before anyone realized what was happening. He had obtained Hydrogod’s Grace decades ago. He could use the Relics as though they were an extension of his body.

Telm created a pool of water before him, which began to change color and shape. After a few seconds, it took the form of a humanoid wearing a fox mask. This was a supreme display of water magic made possible by mastery of his Relics. It was an original spell and the only way in which he surpassed the Abyssal Inferno.

At first glance, the humanoid was indistinguishable from a real person. But it wasn’t a living being, so it had no presence. Nobody had yet seen through this spell, except the Thousand Tricks. He had called it a “fake,” but he was an outlier.

If one of Fox’s top members had directly asked for Telm’s help on this job, that implied they had high expectations of him. At the same time, that showed just how important this duty was. Failure was not an option. The man of the thirteenth tail had chosen to let Telm choose when to strike. The time was right and there wasn’t going to be anything better.

“Kecha, let’s go. Have you prepared?”

“Hee hee hee.”

Kechachakka reached into his pocket and showed Telm the gem wrapped in black fabric. As always, Telm couldn’t tell what was going through Kechachakka’s mind, but there was a certain glint in his eyes. He seemed a bit tired after being teased by the Thousand Tricks, but that wouldn’t prove an issue for them.

Dragon’s Reprisal was even rarer than Telm’s bracelets. The gem’s power was unlike any other and was very useful for their current situation. It would take more than dragons to bring the Black Star down, but if the ship were to go down under such circumstances, everyone would jump to the same conclusion.

It was then that Telm noticed another object Kechachakka was holding. “What’s that?” he asked.

“Uheh. Uhe hee hee hee.”

It was a box with a lever and multiple buttons. It appeared to be some sort of controller. Kechachakka gingerly put the item in his pocket and let out another shrill, inscrutable laugh. Telm couldn’t stop the sigh that escaped his mouth. Magi tended to be strange people. Shamans, who converted emotions into magical power, were especially odd. But Telm wasn’t going to complain about someone competent, loyal, and who got results.

Telm gave up on understanding the odd fellow and pointed with his chin. “First, engineering. Let’s be quick. This is supposed to be our job, so we can’t make any extra work for the Thousand Tricks.”

Rain was falling. With an ample supply of usable water, the Counter Cascade was unmatched. He would show the world, the Abyssal Inferno, and the man of the thirteenth tail what he was capable of.

***

I entered a large room where the emperor, the imperial princess, and the imperial guard were already waiting. There was a large window meant to let sunlight flood the room, but all I could see through it were black clouds. The storm was scary even from the small window in my cabin, but seeing it like this made it seem like the world was coming to an end.

“We’re keeping in touch with the surface via comstone, and it appears they’re receiving no rainfall down there,” Franz informed me.

“Hmm. I see,” I said with a nod.

For some reason, everyone’s eyes were on me. That included the emperor and the fretful gaze of the imperial princess. However, there wasn’t a single worthwhile thought going through my mind. So we weren’t able to escape the storm. There was nothing I could do about it. If there were any solutions obvious enough to occur to me, they would have long ago occurred to Franz or someone else. All that was left for me to do was try to ease everyone’s fears.

“This is some, uh, some terrible luck,” I said.

“Bad luck?!” Franz exclaimed. “Is that all you have to say for yourself?”

“C-Calm down. It’s just a storm. They happen all the time.”

“Where is this normal?!” Franz was red in the face, and spittle flew when he shouted.

What was I supposed to say? I didn’t know what I didn’t know, and things that happened all the time happened all the time. Hell, even my Carpet was baffled.

If they were going to call someone over, they should have at least called Telm, the Water Magus. Maybe he could’ve used his magic to make the storm disappear or something. Why did people like Franz and Gark always call on me when something happened? Their judgment of character was awful. Making me the leader proved their eye for people was on par with the rest of Grieving Souls.

“I couldn’t make it as a hunter if I started squealing every time an odd storm came along,” I said. “This ship won’t fall.”

Franz clenched his teeth and sunk into a brief silence. I stood there, quietly waiting, when he began to speak in a strained voice. “I apologize, Krai Andrey, for not heeding your warnings. But right now, our top priority is the safety of His Imperial Majesty! What is going to happen? What should we do?”

The imperial guard were all caught off guard by Franz’s statement. Naturally, so was I. While Franz’s expression didn’t look at all apologetic, his willingness to say he was sorry was still significant. But unfortunately, I didn’t know the cause of this storm, nor what we were supposed to do about it. Even if he bowed, even if he groveled, I still couldn’t offer information I didn’t have. Also, I’m not sure he had done anything to necessitate an apology.

At a total loss as to what to do, I scratched my cheek and said, “Really sorry, but I don’t know.”

“You wretch!” Franz lifted me by the collar and shook me back and forth. “Even after I apologized!”

A scream escaped my lips. “Calm down!” I said as the world shook before me. “If you want to know why the storm is here then you should ask it!”

I was helpless to stop Franz’s shaking, but then a slender arm came between us. My world stabilized, and I saw the arm belonged to Kris, who had been silently watching up until that point.

“That’s enough. Sir.” She seemed to be in a fouler mood than usual.

“What?!” Franz growled.

“Now isn’t the time for this. Sir. You’re stressed, but we need our leaders to be calm more than ever. Sir.”

With a grunt, Franz shoved me away. I stumbled, but somehow managed to stay on my feet. Kris then casually moved in between us.

“For starters,” she said, “I feel bad watching this sap get blamed for a storm that isn’t his fault.”

“Y-Yeah,” I nodded, “she’s right. She’s completely right!”

I was out of the fire at least. The knights all seemed relieved to see their captain’s rage subsiding. Franz was way too high-strung. I could understand that he was bearing a heavy responsibility by being in charge of the emperor’s safety, but nothing good could come from getting agitated by a slightly drawn-out storm.

“But that man obviously knows something!” Franz cried, pointing a finger at me. “He understands what’s going on and he’s mocking us. You heard him, didn’t you? He told us not to let our guard down until we got out of the storm and that he hoped it really was just a storm! How could he think that a cutting-edge airship could crash? How do you explain that?”

Kris turned on me instantly, looking at me with a suspicious glare. “Human weakling, are you really as ignorant as you claim? Sir?”

I didn’t know what I didn’t know. While trying to think of an excuse to buy time, I looked around—and my mind went blank. Behind the emperor, near the window, was a figure in a robe and a fox mask. Before I could say anything, Franz, Kris, and the emperor all noticed what I was looking at and began to move.

“Where did he come from?!” the emperor yelled. He covered his daughter and moved away.

The knights drew their weapons, Kris raised her staff, and Sir Killigan moved in on the foe. It was incredible synchronization; the only one not moving was me.

“Sir Killigan?!” I cried.

“Kiiill.”

However, even an amateur could tell that Sir Killigan’s attacks lacked finesse.

He’s already getting hit? That’s one of Sitri’s creations!

Sir Killigan withstood the incoming blows and swung its sword down with a wretched shriek. Fox-Mask dodged it with ease. Despite being surrounded by knights and at a severe disadvantage, he didn’t look concerned in the slightest. Then the door flung open. What great timing! In came the world’s greatest allies, Telm and Kechachakka.

“Good timing,” I told them. “I was waiting for you two.”

“Telm, it’s a Fox!” Franz hollered. “Where did it come from?! Just don’t let it get away!”

The emperor was behind me. Franz, Kris, the imperial guard, and the emperor were all looking at Fox-Mask—which meant the only person who saw Telm’s expression was me. His eyes widened just slightly, but then he smiled.

“Forgive us for the delay,” he said. “This ship is quite large.”

The next moment, I heard a series of loud thumps.

“What?!”

I had no idea how it had happened, but the knights and servants surrounding Fox-Mask had all collapsed. Only Franz was still conscious, but he was kneeling and his head was swaying. Fox-Mask didn’t flinch. Kris hadn’t been affected for some reason and was frantically looking left and right. The only people unharmed were her, the emperor, the imperial princess, Sir Killigan, Telm, Kechachakka, and Fox-Mask.

What’s going on?! Why did they collapse?!

I hadn’t heard or seen anything that sounded like it could cause this. And I was unharmed, and I hadn’t sensed any of my Safety Rings activating. I just stood there, still wearing the smile I had made when Telm entered.

“Goodness, I hadn’t expected the conclusion to be so easy,” he said with a sigh. “You’re a series of surprises, Thousand Tricks.”

***

“Huh? Why do I have to cooperate with the human weakling?! Madam?!” Kris protested. “He didn’t even bring me a souvenir from his vacation!”

Noble Spirits were long-lived beings. Not only did they live much longer than humans, they also aged at a slower rate. Their lives were peaceful, almost like those of plants. Humans, however, were born, reproduced, and reached their ends three times as fast, which was downright dizzying to Noble Spirits.

In part, most Noble Spirits didn’t leave their forests because they looked down on the incompetent humans, but it was also because they found the whirlwind lives of humans to be nauseating. With that in mind, Noble Spirits like Kris, who lived among humans of their own accord, could be considered quite lively and curious.

“Kris, this is a wonderful opportunity,” Lapis insisted, a smile on her lips. She was Kris’s party leader and someone the young Noble Spirit respected. “There aren’t many opportunities to work with the Thousand Tricks, as he rarely gets personally involved in matters. This is a chance to gain insight into how Lucia Rogier, the Avatar of Creation, got so powerful. This is an important task. You might say it concerns our future.”

“But, Lapis, I’m not accustomed to protecting people. I might get in the way.”

Kris understood Lapis’s reasoning. She was much more curious and ambitious than the average Noble Spirit. Not to mention she was willing to cooperate with humans, though maybe not as much as the enigmatic Eliza Beck, the Vagabond. But Kris was still a Noble Spirit at heart, which left her uncertain. She was aware of it, but she had a tendency to make people angry no matter what she did. Speaking in polite terms required deliberate effort on her part.

She could get by if she was dealing with a mere merchant, but there was no telling what might happen if she were to interact with a noble, or even the emperor. The consequences of her actions could extend beyond just her party and affect her entire clan. Kris couldn’t begin to guess what drove that idiot human weakling to approach Lapis for this job.

Lapis nodded. “I don’t know what drove that man to ask for our help, but going along with the Thousand Tricks is never a mistake. And we need to learn the source of his power and his methods. Kris, this is something only you can do.”

Kris couldn’t refuse the job after hearing that. This was an important task. Learning the secret of the Thousand Tricks would make her party stronger, and satisfy her personal curiosity. Kris gathered her courage and clenched her fists, but then something occurred to her.

“But, Lapis,” Kris said with a look of skepticism. “Why me? There are definitely better options in our party.”

“Oh, that? It appears you get along with the Thousand Tricks better than any of us,” Lapis said and shrugged.

Lapis was entirely off the mark. By no means did Kris get along with the Thousand Tricks. He would ask for her help, and her pride as a Noble Spirit and her powers obliged her to comply. And Kris only entertained his requests because he was Lucia’s older brother. And while the human weakling was a moron who didn’t take anything seriously, for a human, he wasn’t a bad guy. Or so she had believed.

Thus the scenery before her left her shocked out of her wits, something that didn’t often happen to Noble Spirits. Bodies covered the floor. Every knight surrounding the Fox-Mask was on the ground, not even twitching. The one member of the imperial guard who was still conscious was Franz, and he was kneeling. Outside, the world was dark and gloomy.

“Wh-What the hell?” she mumbled.

“Hmm. So the emperor wasn’t affected because of his Safety Ring?” she heard Telm say. “But did this one shoulder the damage meant for the imperial princess? Did his armor do that? Wasn’t he one of ours?” His voice was devoid of emotion, almost artificial. “Whatever the case, I’d advise you not to move. You’ll die soon enough, but moving will just drain your already meager life force.”

Fox-Mask then dissipated with only the faintest sound. Telm looked unconcerned, and next to him, the Thousand Tricks had a smile plastered to his face. Kris couldn’t comprehend what she was seeing. No, it was that she didn’t want to comprehend.

The imperial guard had been knocked out by a spell. An extremely quiet and powerful spell meant to wring the life out of someone. It was a contemptible form of magic, the sort that Noble Spirits didn’t employ.

The imperial guards were still alive. They had been knocked out, but Kris could sense a faint pulse. That pulse, however, was gradually weakening. If they weren’t treated quickly, they would soon die. It was only a hunch, but Kris had a strong suspicion as to what this spell prioritized—efficiency. It was in the name of efficiency, not mercy, that this spell didn’t kill instantaneously. Since the targets would die anyway, it would be a waste for the spell to also cut off their breathing.

When Kris had watched Telm defeat the brood of frigid dragons, something about his magic had caused her to shudder. She had thought it was just her imagination, but her intuition had proven correct. Humans were terrifying. Their short lives meant they developed rapidly. They lived like there might not be a tomorrow, a mindset that invited acts of homicide.

And now she understood Fox-Mask. If he was a simple clone, that would explain his lack of presence and ability to appear without warning. It was a sort of magic she had never seen before, but she could understand its purpose, which was to catch people unaware. Just like with physical attacks, magical attacks also became more effective when they caught their target off guard.

Kris felt a chill down her spine. This man wielded overwhelming strength and was prepared for anything. She felt the metal staff in her right hand, a different sensation from her usual wooden one. She opened her mouth, but what came out wasn’t an incantation but a scream.

“Wh-What’s the meaning of this?! Sir?! Do you understand what you’ve done? Kechachakka, why didn’t you stop Telm?”

“Weren’t you going to explain everything to her, Thousand Tricks?” Telm said. “Well, it doesn’t matter. Your methods aren’t mine to question, and she’s no threat to us. If you don’t want to see her hurt, pull her back.”

Kechachakka let out a brief chuckle.

Now Kris understood the situation. As much as she didn’t want to, she had figured it out.

“I knew we had a traitor in our midst,” the emperor said. He was calm, but a hand rested on the sword at his hip. “But it was you? Telm Apoclys, you’re a Fox?!”

Telm was unfazed. “Indeed. But now we must say farewell. Soon, this ship will crash.”

Kris couldn’t win here. Even if she managed a sneak attack, she wouldn’t be able to bring down Telm. The Counter Cascade’s abilities were practically inhuman. He was a Grand Magus and he likely surpassed Lucia Rogier when it came to water magic. Even with his back turned to her, Kris couldn’t see any openings. Any hope of victory for her rested in the staff she had been entrusted with.

The Thousand Tricks’s expression had remained static since Telm’s entrance. For the first time, Kris found his hapless smile chilling. Telm’s earlier words suggested that the human weakling was also a Fox. Quickly, Kris moved back and raised her staff. Propping himself up on his sword, Franz managed to get on his feet, but his eyes were cloudy and he had a sickly pallor. In that condition, even Kris was more fit for close-quarters combat.

“Krai Andrey,” Franz said between ragged breaths. He had no severe wounds, but he looked close to death. “You’re a Fox?” Despite his condition, he weakly drew his weapon. The well-polished blade glimmered as it shook in his hands. “I’ll stop you. I was certain you couldn’t be trusted. Damn it!”

“You underestimated us, and it is that on which you can blame your defeat,” Telm said. “Fox is omnipresent. Up here, you won’t receive reinforcements. Would you care to show the four of us what the honored captain of Zebrudia’s Zero Order is capable of?”

They had been outmaneuvered. The emperor was also skilled with a blade, but certainly not enough to make him a match for Telm. That went for everyone there. Even if Franz was all right, the imperial guards on their feet, and Kris aided them, they didn’t stand a chance when they were up against the Counter Cascade and the Thousand Tricks.

“I-I never should have believed you, you human weakling!” Kris yelled.

Only Sir Killigan remained still. He, too, was likely a Fox. When she took a moment to think about it, there was no way someone with a name like Sir Killigan was an upstanding individual. The fate of this mission had been sealed from the beginning when the Thousand Tricks had picked his teammates.

Kris suppressed her anger and calmly evaluated the situation. She had no hope of victory. Her survival depended on the Thousand Tricks. Had he been planning on turning her to his side? If so, he had miscalculated. Kris would never betray the client she was supposed to protect. A Noble Spirit would sooner choose to die with their head held high than to live on their knees. Kris had chosen to cooperate with the human weakling because she had been certain he was a good person.

The only option available to her was to run. She would have to blast a hole in the airship and escape through that. She could use magic to survive the fall, but that would be for nothing if they chose to pursue her. And she couldn’t take everyone with her. Her first priority would have to be the emperor, her second the imperial princess.

Her mind settled, Kris prepared to cast a major spell. She steadied her breathing and began to concentrate. Hostility and Telm’s immense concentration of mana hung over the room.

Then the Thousand Tricks broke his silence. With a grave look on his face, he muttered, “I’m a fox? What are they talking about?”

“Huh?!” Kris cried.

***

I couldn’t make heads or tails of what was going on. I understood that I didn’t have exactly the fastest brain in the world, but the events playing out before me were just too much for my mental capacity. It didn’t even feel real. I couldn’t even change my expression.

The moment Telm had entered the room, the imperial guard had collapsed, Fox-Mask disappeared, and accusations came my way. But even after figuring that much out, my brain was still mired in the confusion. I wasn’t useful in most situations, but I was especially useless when there were unanticipated developments.

I didn’t know what was what. I was surprised to find that Telm and Kechachakka were our enemies, but I was even more surprised to see that everyone thought I was on their side. What a shock that was.

I felt a number of gazes poking at me. Not too long ago, Franz had been about to end me, now he was leveling a sharp gaze my way. I felt a glare from Kris. Telm wore a mellow smile, and Kechachakka was his usual self. Even the emperor and the imperial princess were fixated on me. Time came to a halt, but I was probably the most confused person present.

“What a trite joke, Thousand Tricks,” Telm said, smiling at me. “There’s no longer any need to act.”

“Huh?”

I was about to explain that I wasn’t acting, but then my brain finally began to work. Normally, I would be breaking out in a cold sweat, but I wasn’t sweating at all because I was perfectly comfortable. Hell, the only reason I wasn’t panicking was because of Perfect Vacation. It was a powerful Relic, but its ability to halfway force its wearer into being perfectly comfortable had its drawbacks.

I couldn’t stop and worry. Having Telm and Kechachakka for enemies was, well, terrible. They were my main firepower. Now all I had at my side was Kris, Sir Killigan, and Franz, and he was down on one knee for some reason.

I took a deep breath and decided to set things straight. I took a step back and yelled, “Telm, Kecha, you two are traitors?! I believed in you!”

“What are you saying?!” Telm exclaimed. “Y-You’re a Fox, aren’t you?!”

What’s he talking about? I wondered, when the pieces finally clicked. They sure took their time doing so. Maybe, the “Fox” Franz had been talking about wasn’t the phantom? I thought something had been off. The elusive Peregrine Lodge wasn’t well known, and it was impossible to believe that its denizens would take an interest and get involved in human affairs. Besides, if they were our enemies, no amount of guards could have kept the emperor safe!

So if it wasn’t the phantom, then what were they talking about? Judging from their behavior, my best guess was that they were wary of some bandit squad or terrorist group. Unfortunately for Telm and Kechachakka, I was a coward but I would never stoop to working with criminals.

“Fox?” I said. “No, I’m human. A hunter. I don’t understand where you’re getting these ideas.”

“Wh-What?! Then why do you know the code signs?!” Telm cried.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“This isn’t funny! Didn’t you say you were of the thirteenth tail?!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

Telm recoiled. But I was being honest. Code signs? Thirteenth tail? The only thing that came to mind was the tail I had received from that aberrant fox, but that couldn’t possibly have anything to do with this.

Telm began to look increasingly uncertain. Even though I wasn’t doing anything, he retreated a step. “I-I don’t believe it. Damn it, was all this a trap?! Is that why this storm is here?”

“Huh? Trap?”

What was this old guy on about? I didn’t know anything about the storm. But his talk of traps was making it sound like I was in some way responsible for this, which didn’t sit well with me.

Telm raised his right hand, but I cut him off. “Don’t move, either of you,” I said in a sharp tone unlike any I had used recently. “If you move, I’ll turn you into bullfrogs. You’ve seen what I’m capable of, haven’t you? I’ve just been holding back on this trip.”

Telm froze in place. A cold sweat formed on his cheeks. Even after making multiple attempts, my blossoming magical talents hadn’t yet resurfaced. But if they weren’t going to manifest at this moment, then when would they? I held out my arm, making myself more convincing.

“W-Would you make it clear just whose side you’re on?! Sir?!” Kris shouted.

“I think my innocence has already been proven by Tears of Truth.”

I didn’t get how there were any misunderstandings about my allegiance when a national treasure had declared me innocent. Franz, who had doubted me constantly, looked shocked. His lack of faith was pretty unreasonable if you ask me. He had seen me screw up over and over, but I didn’t recall doing anything illegal.

“You don’t know?!” Telm howled. “Then why did you select me for this job?! Was it to observe us?!”

“I don’t have a single clue what you are talking about!” I insisted.

“But this airship’s propulsion systems have already been destroyed. It’s going to crash!”

What?! Well, good thing I got on the Carpet’s good side.

So I was right. We would crash after all. Luckily, it didn’t yet feel like we were falling. My guess was that the balloon part of the airship was ensuring our descent wasn’t too rapid. But I was just spitballing, I didn’t know anything about how the ship worked.

I smiled with resignation. I no longer cared. This escort job was clearly a lost cause. But the emperor was still alive, and there was still a chance the knights could be saved.

“Anything put together can fall apart,” I said. “Franz—right, he’s indisposed—Sir Killigan, apprehend those two.”

However, Sitri’s friend didn’t move an inch. I was trying to understand why it wouldn’t move, but then I heard a dubious laugh.

“Hee hee. Uhe hee hee. I knew it. Hee hee. I knew you weren’t one of us. Hee hee hee hee!”

“Kecha can talk?!” Kris cried.

“Hee hee?! Mock me if you will, but, hee hee.”

“And you sound so pleased?!”

She was right; Kechachakka was glowing.

So both my allies and enemies thought I was working for the other side? That sucks.

Kechachakka pulled out a small controller. It was the one that my dear friend Sitri had given me to control Sir Killigan. I thought I had lost it, but how did it end up with him?

“I don’t believe it...” I muttered.

It was absurd. I couldn’t recall ever using the controller in front of Kechachakka, but it seemed he had somehow inferred the connection between it and Sir Killigan. Sitri’s friend was supposed to be in auto-mode, but it didn’t budge.

“Hee hee. I knew from the start that this was a golem. Hee hee. Never underestimate Fox, Thousand Tricks. Now die!”

Kechachakka pushed the joystick and pressed a large button. Sir Killigan twitched briefly, then moved its arms and legs in a stilted manner, doing a strange sort of dance.

“Hm?!”

The dance feature was a bit half-baked. Kechachakka watched in silence, looking like he was in a nightmare. Once its routine was over, Sir Killigan stood still, then collapsed. Then I remembered that I hadn’t once fed it anything. I felt like it had never been around during meal times. What was I supposed to feed it? Raw meat?

Well, it looks like we won’t have to fight Sir Killigan.

I looked at Kechachakka, who was dumbfounded, and gave a hard-boiled shrug. “Aaah. And here I was, planning to use that one later. Now what were you saying?”

“Heh?! Hee heee? Eeee!”

Kechachakka broke down. Telm held his hands out towards me, which made me think he was surrendering. Desperately pleading in my mind that they would get turned into bullfrogs, I stood protectively in front of Kris and the others.

Then a spell was cast. Countless spears of water formed in an instant. The cast time was unbelievable, I hadn’t seen any warning signs! The spears flew straight at me and I had nowhere to run. They carried immense force and traveled at an extraordinary speed, but it was their complete silence that made them unsettling. But I was perfectly comfortable, thanks to Perfect Vacation.

Each one of the spears was blocked without even forcing me back. I had my Safety Rings to thank for this.

“He’s unharmed?!” Telm bellowed. “Is this his famous Absolute Barrier?!”

“Incredible spell-casting there, Telm. You’re definitely one of the strongest Magi I’ve ever met.”

To all appearances, I looked perfectly comfortable, but on the inside, I wasn’t as calm as I might have seemed. What a fearsome Magus he was. Not only was he quick and powerful, his control was phenomenal. I could tell because the spears had all been blocked by a single Safety Ring. The barriers deployed by Safety Rings lasted for only a brief instant. If those spears hadn’t all landed at the same moment, one of them might have gotten through. I doubt even Lucia could have managed a similar level of precision.

I grinned and prepared to let loose a spell. “But playtime’s over!” I yelled. “Aaaah! Become orange juice!”

Telm and Kechachakka both took wary steps backwards. My spell was cast. It probably, most likely, possibly, was cast. But Telm and Kechachakka showed no signs of becoming a citrusy beverage. I gave a small cough.

Maybe, I can’t use magic after all?

“Looks like today’s just one of those days,” I said. “But if you run, I won’t come after you.”

“Even now, you continue to mock us?! Turn to ice!”

Telm’s bracelets both began to glow faintly. I heard a small crackling noise which got closer and closer until it enveloped me. None of my Safety Rings activated, a result of Perfect Vacation. This shirt Relic offered next to nothing in the way of defense, but it made changes in temperature a non-issue. It kept me perfectly comfortable. Though she was behind me, Kris was unaffected, likely because Telm had narrowed the spell’s area of effect in exchange for more power.

“Impossible! How could this be?!” Telm cried. “The cold air wasn’t just blocked, it was erased?!”

“Heat and humidity have no effect on me,” I said without thinking.

“Is now the time for jokes? Sir?!” Kris cut in.

The blood rushed to Telm’s face. “We’ll bring this whole ship down,” he growled.

With a high-pitched laugh, Kechachakka began stomping on the ground. I didn’t know what he was doing, but I could tell my Safety Rings were being gradually depleted. Sure, it seemed inauspicious, but I wasn’t sure this was actually a hex. Whatever it was, it seemed harder to fight than Telm’s attacks.

We couldn’t let the ship crash, but my mysteriously vanished powers left me no means of fighting back. Kris, however, picked up on this and began an incantation.

“Agh, I keep telling you I’m no good with fire spells. Firestorm!”

I apologetically activated a Shooting Ring. The weak projectile charged at Telm as he continued with another incantation, but disappeared before it could hit him. Placing a rudimentary barrier was common practice among Magi, so that must have been it. I heard these barriers couldn’t protect against spells of any real power, which said a whole lot about the utility of Shooting Rings.

After my projectile disappeared, Kris’s Firestorm connected with Telm. A shower of sparks poured down on him, but to no effect. It didn’t make any sense that a spell from Kris would be so weak. Was she holding back? I couldn’t help but look at her and see that she was more baffled than I was.

She looked at Round World (the staff I had lent her) and screamed, “Hah?! What’s the matter with this staff?! Sir?!”

“Y-You shouldn’t blame the staff,” I told her.

It’s hopeless. Nothing’s working out like it was supposed to.

Meanwhile, a mystic light emanated from both of Telm’s bracelets. I didn’t own many staff Relics, so my knowledge was limited, but I was sure that blue light was a sign of something extraordinary.

We’re screwed!

The air rippled and the ship shook violently.

“ACCEPT YOUR DEMISE,” Telm roared. “GLACIAL BEYOND!”

***

“Faster, Lucy! Higher!” Liz commanded.

“Urgh. Shut up! This isn’t an ordinary storm!”

Red in the face, Lucia desperately tried to maintain control of the kite spell. The party had already ditched their bedsheets. They had more important things to be concerned about. The kite was massive, and carrying five people (Ansem one of them) and their luggage made it monstrously heavy.

Yet Lucia’s attempts to keep it under control had little effect. She felt like she was gripping the reins of a bucking horse. For someone who had trained herself to be able to cast spells even under dire circumstances, this was unbelievable. The sensation was like trying to use a spell while inside an anti-magic barrier. Obviously, this wasn’t a typical storm.

Even still, she managed to ride the intense winds and the kite ascended. Apocalyptic clouds blacked out the sky, and they could sense something large inside. Clinging to the top end of the kite, Sitri cocked her head.

“There couldn’t be a barrier at this altitude,” she said. “And the movements of the clouds are less than natural.”

“Oh! Look how high we are!” Luke cheered. “Lucia, hit the storm dead-on! I’m getting the first swing! Just watch, last time it caught me off guard, but this time I’ll cut a lightning bolt! What sort of man would I be otherwise?!”

Ansem grunted in agreement.

And so the white kite and its oddball passengers barreled straight into the inky clouds.

***

One thing about magic that terrified me was that it was nothing more than an extension of the ordinary world that I lived in. I could understand how swinging a sword allowed you to cut through something, but I couldn’t even begin to understand how a Magus could create a fire just by snapping their fingers.

Apparently, magic operated on its own set of rules, but only Magi could wrap their minds around said rules. A strong understanding of them was how Lucia obtained the august title “Avatar of Creation.”

Even as magic words echoed from Telm’s mouth, I had no idea what he was about to do. I reassured myself, telling myself that the Safety Rings would protect me. I shut my eyes and held out my right hand. Running was pointless. The only thing I could do now was act as a wall.

The ship suddenly stopped shaking. I expected to sense another Safety Ring going off, but that didn’t happen. When I opened my eyes, I saw Telm looking bewildered.

“R-Ridiculous. Impossible,” he said. “I have plenty of mana, so why can’t I cast?!”

Huh? He failed? He invoked those magic words so confidently, but then he failed?

Telm was clearly vulnerable, but our knights were all incapacitated and I couldn’t even beat a Magus in a brawl, so we couldn’t capitalize on the opening. I guess my hope that the emperor would go on the offensive was wishful thinking.

Kechachakka hadn’t even done anything, but he took a step back. “Uhe hee. What did you do?”

“Is this the doing of the storm?! Is it interfering with our magic?!” Telm said as he frantically tried to use his bracelets.

I couldn’t use magic, so I was perfectly comfortable, as per usual. I didn’t understand what was happening, but it looked like we had been saved. But I had been under the impression this storm was Telm’s doing. Either way, I did the only thing I could do, which was put on the hard-boiled smile I had spent so much time practicing in front of the mirror.

“Looks like the tables have turned,” I said. “Without your magic, you’re just an old man.”

“Damn it!” Telm began to sprint. Lines of light glowed on his body like veins. It seemed there were still some spells he could use, as those were the product of strengthening spells. Those were a Magus’s last resort if their other spells weren’t working. They placed a heavy burden on the body of the caster and they still didn’t necessarily make a Magus as powerful as a dedicated melee fighter, so strengthening spells were considered a desperate measure.

“Huh?! I can’t use magic either! Sir,” Kris said.

“Neither can I,” I replied.

Telm moved like someone of far fewer years. His low posture was like that of a Thief. His wealth of experiences and hardships far exceeded my own. I quickly began wildly firing off with my Shooting Rings. A bright but weak flurry of projectiles flew towards Telm, but he evaded them. Without stopping, he grabbed a discarded sword off the ground and hurled it at me. It flew straight as an arrow, but once again, a Safety Ring deployed a barrier. I only had five left.

Telm gulped. Earlier, he hadn’t even bothered to dodge the projectile from my Shooting Ring, but just now he had gone out of his way to avoid them. I had a feeling I knew what this meant.

“It looks like you can’t even put up a barrier,” I said. Despite my dwindling number of Safety Rings, I was perfectly comfortable and feeling bold.

My brilliant deduction spurred him to fall back. “You freak,” he snarled through heavy breaths.

Was that a joke? He was far more freakish than I was.

“Don’t get complacent! Hurry up and finish him off! Sir!” Kris told me while hiding behind my back.

I didn’t see why she couldn’t use that staff I’d lent her to pummel Telm. Even without her magic, I was pretty sure Kris was still less useless than I was. I didn’t know what to do. Restraining a Magus required tools that could stifle magic, and even those didn’t always work on well-trained Magi. Because of this, most fights between powerful Magi didn’t end until someone was dead.

“Telm, I have no desire to kill the right hand of the Abyssal Inferno,” I said, flashing him a nihilistic smile. “Throw down those bracelets and surrender.”

It wasn’t like I was interested in his Relics or anything. However, those bracelets obviously contributed to his power. For Magi, a staff both amplified and controlled mana. Just like Kris struggled to cast with a staff she wasn’t accustomed to, Telm would lose a large portion of his power without his staff.

Hearing my request, Telm’s handsome features contorted, his antipathy clear as day. But just as he was about to say something, Kechachakka cut him off.

“Telm,” he said in a placid tone unlike any I had heard from him, “the dragons aren’t coming. We should retreat.”

“Damn.”

Why do my allies get stronger when they become my enemies, and enemies get weaker when they become my allies? Not too long ago, all you could do was laugh suspiciously.

Quietly, Telm turned around. Moving fast as any warrior, he kicked down the door and fled from the room. Kechachakka followed after him. All I could do was watch them go. Even if I caught up to them, I couldn’t beat them in a fight. I could’ve released the Hounding Chain, but that wouldn’t have been able to catch a Level 7.

“Let’s go after them! Sir!” Kris yelled as she pushed me from behind.

“Calm down, Kris. We can forget about them for now,” I said, evading her demand almost on instinct. “Our first priority should be saving lives. Franz and all these other people need healing!”

In a stroke of good luck, our supplies, due to their abundance, had been divided up and stored throughout the ship. While I wasn’t used to healing people, Kris was able to quickly prepare potions and administer them to the collapsed knights.

Even the first to fall were still alive. After receiving Sitri’s special potions, their complexions quickly improved and their breathing stabilized.

“It looks like that wasn’t a simple destruction spell. Sir,” Kris said as she let out a sigh of relief.

“But I couldn’t move. My strength had left me,” Franz heaved. He was panting and drenched in sweat.

“He just made minor alterations to the water in their bodies. That takes an unbelievable level of skill. Even with the advantage of surprise provided by the decoy, not even Lapis could have done something like this. Sir.”

Kris sounded grave. Since it was a basic aspect of magic, even I knew that it was incredibly difficult to directly affect someone else’s internals with a spell. To some degree or another, all human bodies were resilient to magic. That meant that Telm’s powers were among the best out there if he could knock out so many people in the span of a second. An automatic barrier from a Safety Ring could keep you safe, but no spell could protect you from a sneak attack like that.

Franz wobbled as he rose to his feet, but it seemed like the other knights still couldn’t even do that. Their lives were no longer in danger, but they wouldn’t be able to fight Telm and Kechachakka.

Even now, the emperor was unfazed. He sat down in his chair and asked me, “What now? Do we have any chance of victory?”

“Not in the slightest. Sir,” Kris answered. “Don’t you agree, human weakling?”

Her sharp gaze implored me to agree with her, but I was still perfectly comfortable. If I had to say one way or the other, I’d guess we didn’t have a shot at victory. But since the ship was going down, escape should’ve been our priority anyway.

“Kris, uh, do you know how to fly?” I asked her.

“I can, but not with this shitty staff! Sir!”

“That’s because that’s not a staff, that’s a translation device.”

“Excuse me?!”

I gently looked away as Kris began bashing Round World on the ground. I hadn’t expected things to turn out like this.

What to do? I’ve got no clue. I barely even understand what’s going on. What a bad spot to be in.

At a total loss, I retrieved some smoked meat from the supplies and set it before Sir Killigan, who was on the ground twitching due to—what I assumed to be—starvation. I figured I might as well do that.

I told myself to be calm. That’s what you do when panicking won’t help. I folded my arms and closed my eyes. I was perfectly comfortable.

I’ve got it! Maybe if we buy enough time, my beloved sheetwraiths will save us.

In a shrill voice, Kris interrupted my daydreaming.

“Behind you!”

I spun around and looked down. Crouched down next to Sir Killigan was a small figure. It was a child, a human child. Liz was small, but not this small. They wore a loose-fitting white robe. Their small arms reached out, grabbed the smoked meat, brought it to their mouth, and slowly munched on it.

I didn’t recall there being any children about the airship. It was an eerie sight, but I wasn’t unnerved. I was perfectly comfortable. But that isn’t to say I wasn’t surprised. The child didn’t say a thing. Everyone else was pale as a ghost. The emperor was stunned. Even the Carpet seemed uneasy.

The child’s white hair was long, but I couldn’t tell their gender. That was because a strange mask covered the top half of their face. My mind froze again, letting my mouth move on its own.

“Ah, a real one.”

It was a little late, but I finally noticed the odd air that permeated the ship. Two smooth white ears sprung from their head. The words mysterious and supernatural both came to mind. There were stark differences between their fox mask and the one worn by Telm’s friend. The one before me was a real one.

The child tilted their head up at me. There were no eye-holes in the mask, but I could tell they were looking at me. Before me was something that no human could win against. I should have shivered. I should have feared them as naturally as we humans fear death. But I was perfectly comfortable. I considered not wearing Perfect Vacation the next time I had an escort job.

An old memory resurfaced—the last time I encountered one of these had also been during a strange storm. It seemed inclement weather was a companion of theirs. I hadn’t heard of any sightings since our first encounter, but if they had been in the sky all this time, then that would certainly explain why.

Why did this happen? Is this Telm’s doing? No, it couldn’t be.

This was nothing more than a stroke of bad luck. They weren’t something that could be steered by the hands of man. It was supposed to be impossible to meet them twice in one lifetime, but I guess I was just that unlucky. I thought my days had been fairly accident-free lately, but it turned out I had just been storing up a reservoir of bad luck.

Glancing outside, I momentarily thought the storm had let up, but then I realized that was because it was no longer our world beyond the glass panes. Outside the window, it was pure white. Treasure vaults were alternate worlds recreated from mana material. Low-level vaults were based on the real world, but high-level vaults were different. These were spaces that operated on laws far removed from those of our world. Technically, they were separate worlds. This explained why our magic had stopped working.

But my understanding of the situation wasn’t going to improve it. I couldn’t help but smile. The strange child with the fox mask—the phantom—also smiled. At some point, the scenery beyond the door kicked down by Telm had changed. We had collided. We had been swallowed up.

“Welcome. Don’t be afraid,” the fox child said. The inside of their mouth was red as fire. Their voice was faint and their intonation stilted, but they spoke our language.

It was a treasure vault of immense power. An unfathomable realm that traversed the world. A living nightmare. It was a land of the divine. One that was nigh impossible to find and home to a phantom that nobody had ever vanquished. It was designated a Level 10. Its denizens studied, traveled, and partook in games. The name of this uncanny treasure vault was “Peregrine Lodge.”

“We’re happy to have you,” said the phantom.

They were gods. Memories of almighty gods that reigned over our world. I had survived one encounter with them, but I didn’t expect that to happen a second time. They couldn’t be slain. The one sliver of hope for meager humans lay in negotiation. That’s just the sort of beings gods were.

“You liar,” I said.

This abrupt accusation elicited a smile from the fox.

“I wasn’t lying.”

***

Kris felt like she was going to vomit, as though something was directly touching her innards. There was a pressure, almost like she had slipped into some other realm. It was only her pride as a Noble Spirit and a hunter on duty that kept her standing.

For hunters with low levels of mana material, entering treasure vaults rife with mana material could, on rare occasions, induce discomfort. This was one of the most basic facts of hunting. However, it wasn’t actually a common occurrence, so long as there was no significant gap between a hunter’s level and the vault’s.

Kris looked out the window and saw a different world than the one she had been in. She wanted to scream with fear and confusion, but just barely kept a hold on her sanity. She was in an interworld treasure vault and feeling mana material-induced nausea. Putting these two facts together, she could tell this vault was more than a level or two above her.

Moreover, she was certain the child with the fox mask was one of this vault’s phantoms. What a terrifying thing they were. They were unlike any phantom she had ever seen. Compared to the fox child, dragons looked like mere lizards. They had the form of a child, but were clearly anything but. They spoke something resembling human language, but it didn’t feel right to call those words. The instincts Kris had developed to protect her forest were blaring like alarm bells.

Opposing this phantom would be even more hopeless than opposing Telm. That, of course, went for both her and the imperial guard. However, Kris didn’t give in to despair, because her leader, the Thousand Tricks, hadn’t lost his composure. Even a Level 8 was still human, yet his demeanor hadn’t been changed in the slightest by the appearance of the phantom.

Kris didn’t sense any strength from him. The human weakling was still just that. But if he had been able to stay calm and even casually call the phantom a liar, then he must have been just as much of a fiend as the thing before him. She had to help him, to make sure they survived, but she was still struggling to grasp the situation.

“Human weakling—”

“Not now, Kris,” he said as he put a finger to her lips. “You sometimes say the wrong things, and we don’t want to agitate these guys.”

She wanted to object that she would never do such a thing. Sir. But the tension in the air caused her to hold her tongue.

“I don’t mind,” the fox child said in a light tone.

“Really?” Krai asked. “We’re allowed to say rude things?”

“Yes, yes. You can pet me.”

Kris couldn’t figure it out. It made no sense. The child’s words were affable, but they emanated an aura of bloodthirst. This was an exchange between predator and prey. The phantom’s words were hollow, divorced from their original meaning. It was eerie, like when a wind chime’s ringing happened to sound similar to a person. Kris was astounded to see the human weakling talking so easily with the phantom. All she could do was rely on him, as he seemed to better grasp the situation.

“I’m hungry. I want ice cream.”

“Ice cream? Will you let us go if we give you some?”

“Of course. I’m gonna barf.”

“You’re a funny one.”

“I want to retire.”

The human weakling chuckled when he heard this, almost like he was relaxed. But a phantom would never say things like “I want ice cream” and “I’m gonna barf.” It defied reason, and the human weakling should have been well aware of that.

Unnerved, Kris took a step back, when she noticed the staff in her hands—Round World. Despite its impressive appearance, it was a defective tool that couldn’t amplify mana. But what had the human weakling said about it? Right, that it wasn’t a staff, it was a translation device. Kris didn’t know how to use it, but she tried channeling mana into it.

The gem at the top began to spin. The phantom opened their mouth and as they spoke, the meaning of their words filtered into Kris’s mind. She recoiled at the sheer anger of the phantom.

“Ha ha ha, I like you,” Krai said.

As she had vaguely suspected, their exchange was only friendly on the surface. Their words had no relation to their intentions.

“Yeah, uh-huh. I’d like some chocolate too.”

“Human weakling?! If you—”

—if you don’t understand it, then use this! Sir! But before Kris could say that, Krai cut her off again.

“Kris, didn’t I tell you to be quiet? Leave this to me. We’re just chatting right now, but if this goes well, we’ll be able to negotiate our release. What’s important is that we don’t antagonize them. We have no hope of defeating them.”

Was there a reason he was playing dumb? Grinning, the child extended a slender arm towards the human weakling. At the same time, the room was filled with a sense of palpable enmity. Many of the imperial guards had lost consciousness. Everyone besides Krai was holding their breath, as though waiting for a storm to pass.

“What’s that? You’re a fan of mine?” he said. “Gee, I don’t know what to say. What an honor this is.”

Even if he couldn’t understand what the fox child was saying, the air of hostility should have been apparent to him. Yet he didn’t show the slightest hesitation as he gripped the fox child’s hand, leaving Kris no chance to stop him.

***

What a friendly phantom.

Seeing the grinning fox child gave me a bit of breathing room. There were two types of phantoms within Peregrine Lodge: the immense aberrant fox that was the vault’s core, and its numerous servants. The aberrant fox never left the vault’s center, so the child in front of me must’ve been a servant.

Even the weakest phantoms in this vault didn’t go down without considerable effort. During my previous visit, I had been told that only a few servants had been slain since the vault’s formation. In terms of power, I’d say they were comparable to the bosses of many high-level vaults. Even if Telm was on our side, our chances of victory would have been slim. His magic was horrifying because humans were fragile things. However, there was no guarantee it would be as effective against phantoms.

I felt our best option was to do whatever we could to appease the phantoms and then escape. Pride be damned. Luckily for us, these phantoms were powerful, but they weren’t bloodthirsty in the same way most typically were.

Last time, I had earned their forgiveness after bowing and offering up a gift. But this time, the phantom didn’t request either of those things. They just spoke fragmented words without making any particular demands. They were so genial, I thought they might be willing to let us go for free. I had to wonder if this Peregrine Lodge was a different lodge than the one I had been to before. Maybe they hadn’t been lying when they said they were happy to have us. But I didn’t want to be greeted, I wanted to be let free.

“I’m actually a fan of yours,” the fox child said. “Please, shake my hand.”

What cultural shift made me known among phantoms?

But the child held out their hand, so I took it. And that’s when it happened. I heard Kris let out a shriek. I had no idea what the fox child had done. There was no sound or color or anything. All I could tell was that my oh-so-expensive Safety Ring had activated.

I frantically looked around. Kris’s eyes were wide as saucers. I still didn’t get it. I blinked a few times, then, still holding the phantom’s hand, I said, “What did you do?”

“That was fun.”

“Huh?!”

The phantom began to disappear. Starting at their feet, they turned to dust as though rotting away. My hand gripped nothing but the air. I heard a clatter and saw that the only thing remaining was the child’s fox mask.

The next moment, I was caught off guard by a loud retching. Franz was on his hands and knees, vomiting profusely. The emperor wasn’t at that point, but the blood had left his complexion.

“S-So that’s how the phantoms of this vault are defeated, Sir,” Kris said while holding a hand over her mouth. “How strange.”

“Hm?”

Kris took a step back. I noticed she was looking at the mask on the ground. “Was that a condition? They can’t lie? They died because their next attack didn’t kill? U-Urrrgh. How can you stand this dense mana material? Sir?”

“That? Oh, I’m perfectly comfortable.”

The vault’s mana material seemed like the cause of everyone’s poor condition. I had never experienced it because I had almost no ability to absorb or retain mana material, but hunters with strong absorption powers sometimes became sick if they took on too much. It was akin to muscle fatigue. Come to think of it, everyone in my party had the same nausea the last time we entered this vault.

I picked up the mask. Had the phantom forgotten it? Or was it a drop? How come they had died when all I did was grip their hand? Was that their weakness? That seemed hard to believe, considering they requested a handshake of their own accord.

Well, if they left the mask behind, I’ll take it as a memento. I’ll return it if they say they want it back.

However, the ship was enveloped in white. Beyond the door Telm and Kechachakka had fled through, the scenery was the same as my last encounter with Peregrine Lodge. There was no point in sticking around the airship. This was no ordinary treasure vault, and I really didn’t want to go out there, but I didn’t know any way to escape that didn’t involve earning the boss’s forgiveness.

“No other way about it,” I muttered. “I better get going.”

I didn’t bring anyone with me. Being strong by human standards didn’t change anything when up against these phantoms. Because I knew a bit about this place, I was actually our best shot at survival. Previously, one of the phantoms here told me that this vault had a rule: nothing can restrain a god but the god themself.

As I approached the airship’s exit (or was it the entrance?) Kris called out to me. “Human weakling, take this staff—”

“Huh? I don’t need that.”

“What? Then why did you go out of your way to bring it? Sir?”

“I thought you might want to use it.”

I didn’t need it when the phantoms could already speak. What I needed was love. Yes, love. Opposing the phantom wouldn’t get me anywhere. To them, humans were beyond insignificant. But the moment I stepped out the door, I heard a voice near my feet.

“I want fried tofu. Give me fried tofu, or I’ll attack.”

I was sure nothing had been there a moment ago. Looking down, I saw a child, similar to the previous one, sitting on the vermilion floorboards. She was wearing a fox mask, but she wasn’t quite the same and her speech wasn’t fragmented. This one was a girl, her hair a light gold. She wore a short white kimono and was pointing a thin finger at me.

Fried tofu? Sorry, all I’ve got are the preserves Sitri prepared for me.

***

Kris Argent was certain this was the most dire situation she had ever found herself in. She was in a treasure vault that far exceeded her capabilities, and the density of mana material was enough to make her queasy. She didn’t have a staff she was used to (carrying two would’ve been difficult, and she hadn’t expected things to get this bad). The unique laws of the vault didn’t let her manipulate mana. Certain doom seemed like an apt description.

At this point, her only choice was to rely on the human weakling, who seemed to know something about the treasure vault. But she still had her pride; she wouldn’t let him take care of everything. Well, maybe she would, but she wasn’t going to be a hindrance. She clenched her trembling fists, uncertain as to what to do. There was nothing she could do if she was deprived of her magic. She didn’t even have a weapon. She could think, but that was one thing that preterhuman artificer could do better than her.

Then she recalled what Telm had done earlier. When his offensive spells had failed, he immediately switched over to a strengthening spell. Kris wasted no time giving it a try. Strengthening spells were a basic form of magic that involved converting mana into power. The magical energy coursed through her body, and she felt a warmth deep inside her. As the spell took effect, she felt her trembling subside.

So that was it. The laws of the treasure vault didn’t extend inside bodies. No smart Magus ever ventured into a treasure vault where they couldn’t use magic, but after giving it some thought, Kris recalled hearing about this phenomenon before. Just as a treasure vault’s laws were altered by mana material, a body could be altered by its own mana material.

Now, Kris could fight. Using mana in a manner she was unaccustomed to caused some slight pain, but that was nothing compared to her experience with the amiuz nuts. Her recent training was proving useful. Noble Spirits had an incredible aptitude for magic, and their mana pools far exceeded those of humans. It wouldn’t last long, but at the moment, Kris could fight as well as any dedicated warrior. Of course, she still didn’t think she could beat the phantoms of this vault.

The human weakling had ignored Kris’s uncertainty and his departure had been so casual it was infuriating. He had gone out into that space warped by the treasure vault. To go alone was suicide. He had won against that first phantom, but it was clear to Kris that they were far outmatched. She knew that conflicts were decided by more than just power, but not when the gap was this wide.

If they were going to survive this emergency, they would need to cooperate. It certainly wasn’t that she was scared or anything. Just as Kris was about to follow after the human weakling, her eyes shot open. She had noticed her.

Near Krai’s feet was a gold-haired phantom wearing one of those fox masks. This phantom was far more powerful than the previous one and had a presence more overwhelming than any that Kris had ever fought. This meant that the previous phantom—the one whose dissipated mana had been enough to cause Franz to vomit—wasn’t the boss or a lieutenant, just a basic mob.

Leaning against the Relic, Kris commanded her legs to carry her forward. She felt that if she stopped, she would never be able to start moving again. She’d rather press forward than do something so shameful. She couldn’t spare any thoughts for the emperor’s safety. Her presence wouldn’t do him any good in this vault, so the better option was to work with the human weakling.

“I want fried tofu,” the phantom said. “Give me fried tofu, or I’ll attack.”

It sounded like a joke, but the Relic in Kris’s hands told her that, unlike the previous phantom, this one meant what she was saying. She didn’t know why this phantom wanted fried tofu, but she naturally didn’t have any. However, she thought, it wouldn’t be strange if the human weakling had some. After all, he had packed the ship with food and remained undaunted by the vault.

Krai had been silent, but he broke into a smile when the phantom made its request. “Sorry,” he said, “I don’t have any.”

“Are you shitting me?!”

Before Kris could add on a “Sir?!” it was all over. A gale blew over her. She felt a rush of pain throughout her body and let out a groan. She realized she had been slammed up against the wall. She ached, but her magic strengthening had prevented the damage from being too severe.

What Kris had felt was just a shock wave. The phantom had swung its small arm at Krai. No magic had been used, it had been nothing more than a simple movement of a limb. But the phantoms of high-level treasure vaults commanded enough might to obliterate an experienced hunter just by scratching them. Kris coughed violently as she stood up. She saw the human weakling was completely unchanged and the phantom was on the ground.

“Wha?!”

She couldn’t believe her eyes. The last thing she had seen before the rush of wind was the phantom attacking. She could accept the attack not having any effect, but she couldn’t see how the masked girl had been knocked over. A trickle of blood ran from the phantom’s lips and a patch of red spread across her white kimono. Her body of mana material convulsed, her arms spread out and her fingers shook.

“What did you do?! Sir?!”

“I didn’t do anything,” he said, confused.

There wasn’t a drop of blood on his hands. The abilities of the Thousand Tricks were unknown even to his fellow clan members and veiled in mystery, but this went beyond that. He had done something right before Kris’s eyes and she failed to comprehend it.

“D-Don’t hide it from me. Sir.”

“What? No, I’m not hiding anything.”

He sounded serious. He didn’t look like he was lying. And so it dawned on Kris Argent—he wasn’t hiding anything. He kept nothing under wraps, but his abilities defied understanding, just like the work of an advanced Magus could boggle the mind of a novice.

“There’s a lot I want to ask you, but for now I just want you to be clear about one thing. Sir. Can you defeat this vault’s boss?”

He knelt down and touched the twitching phantom. “No, that’s impossible,” he said in his usual weak voice.

***

I had given up on making sense of this. Any hope of comprehension was so far out of sight that I was actually starting to enjoy myself. Kris seemed concerned, but my ignorance left me in no position to address those concerns.

The phantom had just gone and coughed up blood on its own. That’s how I’d explain it anyway. None of my Safety Rings had activated at any rate. These phantoms were so tough, my friends had been helpless against them during my last visit to this vault. Even if I caught one unaware, I probably wouldn’t have been able to leave so much as a scratch on what was essentially a higher being.

I knelt down next to the twitching phantom. She appeared to be incapacitated. She wasn’t dead, but clearly unable to move. Her face was angled up at me, her mask slightly misaligned. Looking at her, I realized I had seen this phantom before. We met them during my previous visit here.

Back then, she had been a bit smaller and had simply demanded something delicious, instead of fried tofu specifically. But there was no mistaking the style and color of her hair. Back then, I had handed her some fried tofu (actually, it was an inari bento) that I happened to have on me. It was just something I had picked up in a town we had been staying in not too long prior, but the phantom took quite a liking to it.

She had asked for multiple helpings, so I’m not surprised it asked for it again— Oh, I get it now.

“You forgot our promise, didn’t you?” I asked her.

Right, our promise. Last time, I had made her promise that if I gave it fried tofu, it would never attack me or my friends ever again. She had agreed to the terms, and then assured me in concrete terms that the phantoms of Peregrine Lodge never lied. The gold-haired phantom’s fingers twitched slightly, as though in response to my question.

“Does this happen a lot?” I wondered aloud.

They would collapse if they told a lie. What a tricky bunch of phantoms. Still, they lived up to their promises. The phantom seemed to still be alive. We didn’t have any means of killing it, but doing so would probably just invite the wrath of the others.

Gods were full of wrath and contempt. Their exchanges were violent. During my previous visit, a phantom had told me that this place was a mirror. It would grant you what you wanted, but it would demand something of equal value in return. It was this facet of Peregrine Lodge that had allowed me to escape once before.

“You leave me no choice then,” I said with a perfectly comfortable smile. “I’ll show you what I’m capable of.”

I had grown since our last encounter. My groveling skills back then were a shadow of what they had become. I was second to none at begging for forgiveness.

“H-Human weakling!” Kris shrieked.

Her voice brought me back to my senses. I looked around and saw that a swarm of masked phantoms had surrounded me. Not only were they on the floor, they were on the ceiling as well. There were easily more than one hundred of them. Our door was cut off, leaving us no way to escape. When I stood up, Kris wavered and leaned against me, our backs pressed together. I let out a small sigh. Being perfectly comfortable, I was afforded the ability to let out a wry grin.

We’re trapped. Were there always this many?

The vulpine sea parted, revealing a tall phantom in a jet-black fox mask. He seemed more powerful than the others, but I couldn’t be sure of the extent of that power because I was second to everyone when it came to gauging strength. The phantom with the black mask approached us silently, as though he were sliding across the floor.

“Welcome,” he said in a level voice. His words were fluid, indistinguishable from a human’s. “It’s been some time since our lodge last saw visitors. Oh, you have nothing to fear from them. They’re just struggling to contain their curiosity because they haven’t seen a human for so long. I can assure you, you’re safe.” Then a sardonic smile formed on the phantom’s lips. “But in exchange, I’ll be taking that which you value most.”

That which I value most?

I couldn’t stop my brow from furrowing when I heard this mandate. I noted the phantom’s thin smile. They hadn’t made any demands like this last time. It seemed the phantoms had evolved. I felt Kris’s heart pounding, but my Relic kept me perfectly comfortable. As for what I valued most, that was the lives of my childhood friends. No contest. However, they weren’t here with us.

The phantom smiled, it seemed he knew what I was thinking. “Ah, what I meant was whatever you value most from what you can currently offer. Oh, and that doesn’t include your own life. This is, you see, a fair trade.”

When I first came here many years ago, I had never heard of a vault called “Peregrine Lodge” and naturally didn’t know anything of the phantoms that inhabited it. Without meaning to, we had wandered into this vault and a fox of uncanny strength appeared before us.

“Errant humans, ye tread upon a domain not your own,” the fox had said. “How many years hath come and gone since we last received your kind? Whatever circumstances ushered your arrival, you are nevertheless unwelcome. However, bow and apologize, and free ye shall be.”

I was the only one who could move. Mana material absorption rates, max capacity, and dissipation rates varied from person to person. Better rates could be considered necessary to being a powerful hunter, but those same qualities made someone easily affected by mana material. Because I was subpar in these areas, Peregrine Lodge only caused me some slight discomfort. Mana material went through me like water through a colander.

Back then, I hadn’t been perfectly comfortable, but I had done as the phantom said and immediately showed them some exemplary apologizing. And so we were forgiven. That was the moment I learned the utility of the groveling skill. Ever since then, lowering my head became sort of fun (and that shameful behavior earned me punches from Lucia).

Our encounter with Peregrine Lodge left a major impression on me. It was this treasure vault that partially numbed me to fear. Not that it made any difference this time, now that I was perfectly comfortable.

I’ll have to comply. No use fighting. I wonder what this phantom plans to take.

The phantom had said he wouldn’t take my life, which meant he would go for whatever came after that. And I had no idea what that was. If I said it was my pride and ego, would he forgive me if I groveled? My kowtowing skills had evolved far past what they used to be. I had transformed it into an art. You could make a frontispiece out of it.

The phantom came within arm’s reach. He lifted an arm, and I unconsciously stepped back. Just as his fingers were about to touch me, they stopped. Then the phantom recoiled. His mouth hung open.

“Wh-What’s this?” he said in a trembling voice. “Are you that incautious young man?”

“No. I’m not.”

That didn’t sound like me. Well, now I was perfectly comfortable and all, but I knew when I was in danger. For some reason, the phantom became frazzled. He looked left, then right. Then he leaned in, as though examining me through his holeless mask. Kris squeezed my back.

“No, no, no. Huh? Why are you here? We’re in the sky. It hasn’t even been one hundred years.”

“Yeah, uh-huh.”

“How did you get here? We’re flying at incredible speeds! I-I don’t understand.”

That’s what I wanted to know. I clenched my fists. I had the same thought last time, but I didn’t think I had done anything wrong. I figured it was their fault, like a carriage hitting a stone on the road. But I couldn’t complain to a transcendental being. All I could do was grovel if the situation called for it. It seemed the phantom remembered me. Perhaps it would forgive us if I apologized.

“Honestly, how did you slip in here?” the phantom wailed. He seemed to be at a loss. “I thought mother said we would never see you again as long as we lived! And we even moved to the sky, just to be sure this didn’t happen.”

Huh?

Gods are omnipotent and therefore bound to their word. The gods of this treasure vault were manifestations of mana material, but maybe that’s all any god ever was. It reminds me of something I once heard. A Level 10 treasure vault known as the Shrine of the Celestial God had formed on the site of the old capital. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but supposedly the Celestial God themself was defeated by Ark’s ancestor because the god said something that resulted in the restraint of their own powers.

The cautious fox phantom led us further into the vault. Throughout the hallway, masked phantoms watched us in silence. Perhaps they didn’t attack because of our guide. The interior of Peregrine Lodge still resembled an inn, just like it had during my first visit. The floor was made of wood, and grand wooden pillars reached to the ceiling. Shades of red and white dominated the interior, reminding me of the shrines of some eastern city. Maybe that’s where these foxes were originally from.

“I know I’m repeating myself, but everyone here is positively fascinated by the sight of humans,” our guide kindly explained to us. He seemed to be high on the vault’s hierarchy. “You see, we don’t get many visitors here, and you, Mr. Caution, are the only one to come twice. It’s because of you that my younger sister is so obsessed with fried tofu. I’ve given up on demanding an apology.”

Following behind him was the fried tofu-lover in question. But she showed no reaction. Perhaps she was in a rebellious phase.

“We’re fair and proper,” our guide continued. “You won’t die unless you request it. We won’t attack without warning. That greenhorn you killed didn’t yet understand our ways. I imagine they didn’t understand human speech?”

I was beginning to feel like I didn’t understand human speech.

Hold on. They died? Could this be the first time I’ve ever killed a phantom?

I felt a bit bad about it, but since the phantom brought in on themselves, I hope you’ll forgive me.

We reached a large vermilion door. The lodge’s layout appeared to have remained unchanged. Kris let out a wail and sat down. She had the complexion of someone about to die.

“This is normal,” the wary phantom said with exasperation. “What’s going on in that head of yours, Mr. Caution?”

“Hey, I at least realize something’s up.”

I was perfectly comfortable, but Perfect Vacation didn’t hinder my brain functions or anything. I was ready to grovel at any moment. Also, I really wanted him to stop calling me “Mr. Caution” but I wasn’t in any position to protest.

“Kris, you wait out here,” I told her. “I’ll settle this.”

Powerful phantoms were composed of incredible amounts of mana material. If standing in front of the door was this hard on her, I was afraid of what might happen if she actually met the phantom face-to-face. Kris looked up at me. She was breathing short rapid breaths, and tears were pooling in her eyes like she might vomit at any moment.

“Don’t worry. We’re just going to have a little talk. It’ll be fine. And look, I’m perfectly comfortable.”

At this point, I was close to giving up. These phantoms could blow me away with a mere breath, so I just had to do what I could. If I was lacking a sense of caution, it was because they had stolen it from me.

I just wanna lay down. In fact, if I make it home alive, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

The phantom opened the door. I took a deep breath and began to approach the aberrant god.

***

At that moment, Kris awaited—no, experienced her death. The mana material that flooded from the door was overwhelming, like nothing she’d ever experienced. They were up against a god, the very realm they had entered. Her body refused to move, her instincts accepted defeat.

And yet the human weakling was unfazed. Kris was certain he was as feeble as he seemed. Over time, you could learn to glean someone’s levels of mana material, and she could at the very least tell that his levels were lower than hers. But while she was failing to even stay on her feet, he was strolling up to the door. Kris couldn’t begin to imagine what sort of resilience was required to make that possible. But she was sure that she had now seen what a Level 8 hunter was. It was something inhuman.

And yet his high level didn’t reassure Kris. Beyond that door was a fiend of unbelievable might. But she was still somehow oddly confident that Krai would return.

As she lay on the ground, unable to move an inch, the tall fox phantom let out a small laugh and said to her, “There’s no need to worry. That cautionless man obeys the rules so well it’s frustrating. In this situation, a Noble Spirit such as you should be far more concerned about yourself.”