Franz's cold stare, and His Majesty the Emperor's as well, pierced through my entire body.
I had absolutely no idea what was going on.
Apparently I wasn't supposed to have it, but that was way too cryptic. I wished they'd at least preface things with "We know you don't actually have it."
I closed my eyes for a moment, calmed myself down, and tried to recover the situation.
"Maybe it's just a look-alike Treasure Weapon..."
"A-Are you... making fun of me? Hm?!"
Franz stepped right up in front of me, looking down. As befitting a man appointed as His Majesty's personal guard, Franz was quite the capable fighter. His face was terrifying, and while not as large as Anthem, he was still big — when he loomed over me like that, my body practically wanted to drop into a prostrate bow on its own.
But I couldn't afford to look weak here. I was the leader of the Mourning Specter, for crying out loud. Even if I was going to look pathetic, there were limits.
I shouldn't have people thinking "If this is the leader, the Mourning Specter must be nothing special," but rather at least "The Mourning Specter is capable, but stuck with this hopeless leader — that's rough for them..."
...Did that change anything?
I put on a serious expression and spoke.
"I want you to understand — this isn't a joke. I'm not making fun of anyone. I know when to be serious and who I'm dealing with. I mean every word."
I might not have an eye for these things, but even I could tell the difference between a skilled fighter and an ordinary person.
A noble entrusted with being a royal guard had to be a top-tier elite. Who could possibly make a fool of Franz?
"!?!? ????"
For some reason, Franz started blinking rapidly, staring at me hard. His face kept shifting between blue and red.
...Hm?
Then Citry clapped her hands enthusiastically.
"Now, now, let's put the jokes aside. Kurai, you're overdoing it."
"Right."
Right...?
I was completely lost, but at that point I just gave a big nod and reset my thoughts.
Then His Majesty, who had been maintaining his composure with a hand on his forehead, spoke to Franz.
"Franz, move the conversation forward."
"...As you command."
Right. The conversation wasn't over yet.
Franz explained.
"...I'll spare the details, but according to certain documents, the Key of the Earth is an extremely dangerous Treasure Weapon. The mana required to charge it is bottomless, and no one has ever succeeded — which is why it was quietly stored away in a museum. Where on earth did those people learn about that Treasure Weapon — and if they've found a way to use it — then it's no exaggeration to call it a crisis for the world."
"...No one can charge it?"
"According to the Treasure Weapon records, a special tool is required. The amount of power involved isn't something human hands can handle."
So it was the type where only one half of a combined Treasure Weapon appeared. That happened sometimes.
I crossed my legs.
"...I see."
This was bad. I'd already had Lucia charge it for me.
Citry was watching me with sparkling eyes. I could vividly remember Lucia, tail attached, desperately charging while continuously taking Citry's potions.
Grumbling and muttering about "training, training" while draining those potions — I'd casually thought she had it rough. That was beside the point, though.
She did say she'd been drained of more mana than ever before, didn't she...
Right then, Franz spoke to me in a voice that sounded like it was rising from the depths of hell, accompanied by an awful grin.
"C-Could it be... you... charged it?"
"?! I never said that!"
"Damn it! All smug like that, dripping cold sweat — are you making fun of me!? Huh?!"
His furious shout rang clear, making my eardrums ring.
Even if he said that — I wasn't making fun of him. This was the answer that came precisely from not making fun of him.
Citry reached out and stopped Franz's extended arm. Though the amount of Mana Material consumed by Citry and Franz differed, as a rear-guard Citry and a front-line fighter Franz had different ways of deploying their abilities.
As Franz started to open his mouth in frustration, a small white hand reached in from the side to touch his arm.
It belonged to the phantom princess that Citry had created.
Citry's creation... Don't think you're forgiven just because you protected me once, Citry!
Caught off guard by the unexpected interference, Franz's momentum deflated.
Seems like, similar to her other magical creatures, she'd been programmed to protect me.
This was my chance.
"Now, now, Franz, calm down. I did charge it, sure, but it couldn't be helped, right?"
"?! Y-You really did..."
"I mean, when you find a Treasure Weapon, charging it is the natural thing to do. Arnold would do it, Ark would do it, Abyssal Flame Annihilation would do it — anyone would! That's right... if you're a Treasure Hunter!!"
"Heh heh, h-how can you be so brazen about it!"
So it wasn't my fault.
The ones to blame were... right, Arnold, Ark, and Abyssal Flame Annihilation — no, it was the very nature of Treasure Hunters that was at fault.
I desperately pleaded my case to the crimson-faced Franz.
"Charging a Treasure Weapon is... not illegal."
"Are you trying to destroy this country!? The Key of the Earth is a Class One designated hazardous Treasure Weapon!"
"...I didn't know it was that dangerous."
The newspapers hadn't mentioned anything about that, either. But based on Franz's information, the details must have been kept under wraps.
Treasure Weapons that displayed dangerous powers under specific conditions were surprisingly common — it was a well-known pattern. This time, it seemed they'd learned about its abilities from (probably Treasure Weapon) documents— "Don't lie to me! You, with your Machiavellian Thousand Transformations! With power close to precognition and an information network spanning the entire Empire — there's no way you didn't know! You should have realized something was off the moment the charge amount was wrong! If you don't start taking this seriously, I really will throw you in prison!"
"Wow... Franz's opinion of me is seriously high."
"!! — !!!! Aaaaaaagh!"
My honest reaction slipped out, and Franz turned beet red, screaming.
It'd be a real problem if even a bigwig of a major nation believed those ridiculous rumors. Precognition, mastermind schemes, information networks — none of it was true.
In fact, things basically never went my way. If it weren't for Luke and the others, I'd have died in some accident long ago. (And I couldn't say "I wouldn't have gone to places where accidents happen if Luke and the others weren't around" — I really was the unluckiest man alive.)
As I despaired over Franz's emotional instability, His Majesty made a puzzled expression.
"However, that was supposed to be an item that couldn't be filled even by a hundred Spiritfolk mages. How did you — don't tell me you obtained a supplementary Treasure Weapon?"
"...Eh?"
When I widened my eyes, His Majesty covered his own eyes upon seeing my expression.
"Could it be... you truly charged the key by hand? Is that even possible? How extraordinary..."
"F-Father..."
The real imperial princess clung to her wavering father.
Hmm, I see... So the situation was dire enough that even the Emperor — a man known as a warrior — had to cover his eyes just hearing about it. It really was something dangerous.
I let out a small sigh.
Really, where did the Fox Enthusiast Society (tentative) get their hands on such a dangerous Treasure Weapon? Next time I ran into Gaff, I'd have to tell him.
I loved Treasure Weapons. I loved collecting them, loved using them, and for that sake I wouldn't hesitate to go into debt with Citry. But I did have some sense of danger.
I pulled the Key of the Earth — shoved into a makeshift sheath at my waist — out to the side and offered it to Franz.
"I understand. I'll return it. You can keep it in your custody."
"!?"
The moment he saw the Key of the Earth, His Majesty shot to his feet like a spring.
Franz leaped backward, shielding both His Majesty and the princess behind him.
Citry widened her eyes, and the phantom princess softly chirped a clear "Kirukilu."
I was the only one left out.
"Eh?"
"H-Hey, in front of His Majesty, how dare you—"
"I'm trying to give it back—"
I held it out, but Franz was like a bodyguard who'd had a weapon pointed at his charge — his back protecting the Emperor, eyes locked on me.
"Don't point it at me! Your Majesty, just in case, leave the room! There's an intruder!"
"!?"
Before I knew what was happening, knights came pouring in from outside.
Having secured His Majesty's escape, Franz shouted. Citry was still smiling at her own pace, as always.
Wait a second — I wasn't an intruder!
"Don't touch that key! If it activates, this country is finished! Restrain him!"
Seriously... what did they expect me to do?
§ § § As expected, the human world was the best.
Humans, for the little sister fox — for the Phantom of the Wandering Inn — were lower races, and at the same time, lovable fools.
Of course, that only applied to targets that could be easily deceived.
Those who couldn't be fooled even by the fox's full power, like that "Kiki-kan" person, were enemies to be wary of. (Though the little sister fox herself could no longer win a battle of wits against them.)
But at least, right now, in this kitchen, there were no such enemies. When she crossed her arms and nodded, humans appeared from somewhere, waving frying pans and mass-producing offerings.
A girl in white robes watched the fox with a worried expression. Drawing out the true feelings of humans was the fox's specialty — she had already grasped the situation perfectly.
It seemed the girl was a shrine-maiden-like figure who worshipped the fox's mother as a goddess. The fox had no idea such a person existed, but humans did foolish things — it had nothing to do with her.
The fox was, as always today, using her innate powers to their fullest and enjoying a leisurely youth. Eating the fried tofu puffs produced from the results of her illusions was the supreme joy of satisfying both appetite and instinct.
The people in front of her seemed to be members of a secret society with some important mission, but the fox had no interest in that.
Having more targets to deceive was like a puzzle she'd been enjoying getting a little harder.
Then, suddenly, a door opened.
By that time, the fox's form had become — the "Kiki-kan" that the man worshipped.
Furrowing her brow, she took on the shape of the mightiest "Kiki-kan" in Gaff's mind, arriving without a single footstep.
Playing with a fox mask she'd created by transforming nearby fried tofu at her fingertips, she addressed Gaff with a composed demeanor.
"Something the matter?"
"Yes. The mission is proceeding smoothly, boss. However, headquarters is saying something strange—"
The man before her didn't know that the fox's form was that of Thousand Transformations.
Born as the phantom of the Wise Divine Fox and having existed for a long time, the fox's IQ far surpassed that of humans. She could handle any language with ease and understand lower races without difficulty.
Becoming a perfect double for someone without arousing any suspicion was impossible without overwhelming intelligence.
There were no gaps. The fox puffed out her chest and spoke clearly.
"...How tiresome. Boss, I am the Kiki-kan."
"The Kiki-kan...?"
"But I know what you want. Here — if headquarters wants it, take it. This was actually just a spare, you know."
The fox reached behind her in a swift motion, grabbed the piping-hot fried tofu from the table, and in an instant transformed it into what Gaff desired — a piping-hot "Key of the Earth."
She tossed the Key of the Earth to Gaff, who frantically caught it and let out a small cry from the heat.
"Wh-What is this—"
"I overheated it a bit. Take it along. That should satisfy headquarters."
Gaff made a briefly suspicious expression, but quickly bowed in thanks and left the room.
Humans were foolish indeed. Gaff was considered quite strong among humans, yet he couldn't even tell the difference between fried tofu and a Treasure Weapon.
Of course, the fox's phantom was powerful, and depending on the situation could even deceive the world — but it was still just an illusion that would break if seen by someone with sufficient power.
The longer time passed, the stronger the unease would become — but true deception was only complete when the target realized they'd been fooled.
The fox snorted with satisfaction at the lower races' foolishness and the precision of her transformation, then lay floating in the air and started tapping away at her smartphone.
...Come to think of it, that Kiki-kan person was still using a smartphone made from fried tofu wrapper as if it worked normally. When would she ever realize it was an illusion?