"Damn it, that man… He's in peak form again!"
Franz Aergman slammed the Resonance Stone onto the table, his breathing ragged.
Imperial Capital Zebuldia. The vast Aergman estate, situated near the Imperial Castle, had served for generations as the gathering place of the Zeroth Knight Order.
The Zeroth Knight Order served as the imperial family's personal guard while also functioning as a knight order operating directly under the Emperor's command in times of crisis. Though smaller in numbers compared to other knight orders, they were an out-and-out elite who, depending on the time and situation, could even issue orders to those other orders. The ongoing investigation into the "Nine-Tailed Shadow Fox" and the prophecy of an approaching catastrophe — both provided more than sufficient reason for the order to mobilize.
It was a direct order from the Emperor, so there could be no complaint about moving into action — but.
He pressed a hand against his churning stomach. The subordinates around him watched Franz's undisguised fury with the look of men who had long grown accustomed to it.
"What is he thinking?! It's not as if he doesn't know the Astrology Division's prediction accuracy rate — he hid everything, and it led directly to the activation of the Earth Key, yet he hasn't shown the slightest remorse! If anything, it's gotten worse! I didn't give him the Resonance Stone so we could become buddies!"
Just thinking about it made his blood boil. In all his years, no one had ever called out "Hey-hey!" to Franz, the current head of the House of Aergman and commander of the Zeroth Knight Order. Even the roughest Hunter wouldn't dare act like that. Whether the man was genuinely oblivious or doing it on purpose, he was truly unbearable. Could it be that his legendary foresight and cunning were the price he'd paid for that personality?
Franz had listened to Klye's request and pressured the newspaper companies about the magic sword incident because he believed the sword's curse was the cause of the catastrophe. If the man had then "requested the cooperation of the Sword Saint" to dispose of it, that would have been a tolerable, if extreme, course of action. But for the prophecy to remain completely unchanged even after the incident had been resolved — even Franz hadn't anticipated that.
"You're absolutely right, Commander. Seriously, the sheer arrogance of one lone Hunter. Perhaps there's no need to even hear him out? Our nation has perfectly competent intelligence units, after young knight who had been smiling faintly nearby spoke up at that moment.
He was a recent recruit to the order. Wavy golden hair, blue eyes, well-proportioned features, and a slender build — quite rare among the Zeroth Knight Order, where large frames were the norm. He'd only just graduated from the academy and was too young for a guard assignment, which meant the expectations placed on him were equally high.
His name was… Hugh Legrand, if Franz remembered correctly. From a minor noble family, but apparently the top graduate of his academy class.
Franz silenced the other subordinates who moved to intervene with a glance. Lately, his time in the capital had been limited, and he hadn't had the chance to meet the new recruits. A brief conversation here wouldn't hurt.
Franz glared at the newcomer, then crossed his arms and replied flatly.
"His Majesty gave the order. Everything down to the Resonance Stone exchanges — all of it."
He had considered giving the Resonance Stone to someone else — a civil official, say, or the commander of another knight order responsible for public order. But Klye Andrich's incomprehensible personality would surely overwhelm any Zebuldia noble, and that could lead to breakdowns in communication. In the end, holding onto it himself was the most reliable option. Even if the man did address him in that familiar, friendly tone — B-subordinates, friends — no one says "Hey-hey!" like that!
To think that at his age, he'd end up agonizing like this over someone outside his own family. As Franz stewed in his aimless fury, the newcomer shrugged and spoke in a light tone.
"Still, intelligence units are quite the embarrassment, aren't they? If they lose to Hunters in information gathering ability, what's the point of having them?"
"……… This batch of recruits certainly has some nerve. Watch your mouth, Hugh."
Honestly, every last one of these young people. Just seconds ago, he'd been calling the intelligence units perfectly competent — The intelligence units were the unsung heroes who supported Zebuldia's national strength. By the nature of their work, they rarely appeared on the public stage, but their capabilities were proven — they had even prevented incidents before they could occur.
In a great nation like Zebuldia, the enemies were numerous. Without those units, the Zebuldia of today would not exist. Their position was just as critical as that of the regular knight orders.
"But, Commander. Didn't the intelligence units report that they spent several days monitoring Thousand Transformations twenty-four hours a day and came up with nothing? If it were me, I'd surely produce some results."
"Hmph… Confidence is all well and good, but we'll see. I've observed many Hunters over the years, but a man like him is a first. Really…"
It was true that Thousand Transformations had obtained information before those units, but that didn't mean the intelligence units were incompetent.
The Franz of old might have agreed, but the man in question had demonstrated a level of cunning that was unbelievable even factoring in his information network.
But how to counter it? Franz was searching at full capacity, but so far, he had identified nothing resembling the prophesied catastrophe beyond events related to the Sword Saint.
In this situation, all he could do — same as last time — was gather people who could respond to anything and prepare the fullest possible defenses. But with the alert status already raised for the "Nine-Tailed Shadow Fox," personnel were limited.
In other words, the conditions were nearly identical to before. If this continued, Thousand Transformations would have his way with them again. It could very well happen.
Oblivious to Franz's torment, Hugh continued coolly.
"If only the Astrology Division's prophecies came out a bit more clearly… Besides, the capital's defenses are already solid. External curses are mostly ineffective, and countermeasures can be taken against cursed objects brought inside. For that matter, even the Sword Saint Thorn incident was smaller in scale than we'd anticipated. Aren't we overthinking this?"
His words and his bearing radiated a strong confidence.
In a sense, the man had a point. Based on the Astrology Division's prophetic vision, Franz had been estimating tens of thousands of casualties. Even with the magic sword commotion, if Klye hadn't intervened, the damage wouldn't have reached that level.
Cursed arts, as a discipline, were generally considered to cause less physical destruction than offensive magic and were easier to counter with magical defenses. Without countermeasures, the damage could be terrifying, but the countermeasures themselves were straightforward — that was the fundamental nature of curses. The historic capital was well-equipped in that regard, and cursing the city from the outside to kill its people was essentially impossible.
The sole exception, as Hugh said, was the pattern seen in this magic sword incident — a cursed object brought in and activated. But items capable of killing tens of thousands of people didn't exactly litter the streets.
Still, Franz knew all this without being told. The problem was that the fullest defenses were already in place, and the prophecy still hadn't vanished.
"Everyone's being far too nervous, Commander. Don't make such a frightening face — loosen up a bit. Doesn't the glorious Zeroth Knight Order need to project a certain composure?"
"………"
Asked for his agreement, Franz narrowed his eyes. The other subordinates stared at Hugh with expressions of exasperation.
What the Zeroth Knight Order demanded was absolute discipline. Competence was a given, but since the imperial guard frequently operated at the Emperor's side, they bore the obligation to carry out orders with composure in any situation.
In that regard, Hugh was far too casual. Having graduated top of his academy, he surely had talent. Slender but well-built, handsome features — and Franz had heard his romantic entanglements were a bit flashy too.
He'd probably been coddled by those around him and had rarely faced failure. His composure before Commander Franz was admirable in its own way, but unfortunately, after dealing with Thousand Transformations these past few months, Franz had had quite enough of nerve.
What to do. Franz stared at the impertinent newcomer for a while, then finally nodded heavily.
"Hmph… Very well. Then, Hugh, I'll give you one task. Go to Thousand Transformations' location and, on the pride of a noble, squeeze that information out of him. Stay near the man for a while and assist him in his work. Don't tell me you can't do it?"
Well, if reason prevailed, it would probably go poorly. In terms of age, Hugh and Thousand Transformations were roughly the same generation, but their experience, abilities, and achievements were worlds apart. Being a top academy graduate meant nothing in this situation.
His nerve was inferior to the man who showed up to bodyguard duty in a Hawaiian shirt, and his romantic exploits were apparently overshadowed by the other man's enormous debts to his childhood friend. It was a complete mess.
If there was one quality worth evaluating, it was fearlessness. If he could speak to Commander Franz like that, he wouldn't shrink from a Level 8 either.
With one new recruit in the mix, the burden on Franz and the others wouldn't lighten. In that case, better to break that confidence now — it would serve him in the long run.
At Franz's words, Hugh's eyes widened for a moment, then he put on a thin smile. But his eyes didn't match.
What lay deep in those pupils was — a burning ambition. Robust in body and spirit. Perhaps this was what it meant to be young.
Hugh bowed with an almost theatrical reverence.
"I humbly accept, Commander Franz. Rest easy and sleep with your pillow high — this Hugh Legrand shall spare no effort."
"……… Go."
Hugh walked out of the room with his back ramrod straight. Franz watched him with a grim expression for a moment, then turned his attention back to the other subordinates.
There was no time to babysit a recruit. As commander of the Zeroth Knight Order, Franz had a duty to fulfill the Emperor's command.
He had arranged to borrow fighting strength from the Sword Saint. But if even that didn't消 the prophecy, a new approach would be necessary.
"If raw fighting strength isn't the issue, then it must be a magical factor. Can't be helped… Contact the specialists in each division and request their counsel. Discreetly."
§ Commander Franz really did worry too much… No, he should be grateful to have been given this chance so early.
Hugh Legrand concealed the excitement within and made his way briskly to the Beginning Footprint Clan House.
The Zeroth Knight Order was the only force among Zebuldia's knight orders that operated directly under the Emperor. Among knight orders, it was a premier unit — achieve brilliant results there, and the Emperor would surely take notice.
Hugh's family were minor nobility. Not an impressive lineage to begin with, and as the third son with two older brothers, no path remained for him to inherit a title. For Hugh, the position of imperial guard knight was as good as it got.
A major achievement as a guard could well earn him a title, and there was even the possibility of catching the eye of some childless noble family and being asked to marry in.
Hugh was young. He had no money, but his looks were handsome, and he'd learned everything there was to learn at the academy. His Mana Material absorption rate was decent — and he had luck on his side.
Zebuldia was a true meritocracy. That was precisely why Hugh, who ranked near the bottom among the noble children attending the academy, had been selected as class valedictorian. If he could make good use of the opportunity that had arrived so early in his career, he'd be promoted quickly. Perhaps even aiming for the vice-commander's seat in his twenties.
His target was the Level 8 Hunter known without regard for reputation as Thousand Transformations — a man said to possess legendary foresight and cunning, one who had given Commander Franz no end of grief. All the more reason he'd be worth conquering.
Hugh was not underestimating Thousand Transformations. His denunciation of the man before the commander had been pure theater. The Explorer's Guild's Level assessments were rigorous — how could he possibly dismiss a young man who'd become the youngest Level 8 in this holy land of Treasure Hunters?
The skill required to rise to Level 8 from such modest origins resonated with something in Hugh. But Hugh possessed a secret weapon that other nobles would not.
As the Clan House came into view, he tightened his focus further. He slowed his pace, steadied his breathing, and arranged his expression into one of gravity.
Polished glass reflected a handsome young man clad in the armor of the Zeroth Knight Order.
The commander had told him to squeeze out information. But if things were that simple, the commander wouldn't have been so troubled.
What other nobles lacked but Hugh possessed — no, what nobles had but Hugh did not — was pride.
Thousand Transformations was not the kind of man who could be handled with power, money, or force. That was the misread that had left Commander Franz unable to extract anything from the man who held the information.
That was why Hugh would play the humble card. He would set aside his pride for the moment and seize future glory. If he could forge a connection with this powerful Hunter through this matter, the man could serve Hugh well in the future.
Projecting calm on the surface while approaching with the heart of a warrior heading to battle, Hugh noticed the Clan House door swing open and a tanned, pink-blonde woman step out. His eyes widened involuntarily.
Long pink-blonde hair tied high at the back of her head. Healthily tanned skin, and a slender figure that appeared delicate yet carried a resilient toughness. The revealing outfit of the Thief class — there was no mistaking her.
That was Liliz Smart of Peerless Shadow, a member of Thousand Transformations' Party, feared for her merciless punishment of enemies.
It seemed fortune was truly turning his way. If he could gain the trust of Peerless Shadow — a Party member and, apparently, a childhood friend — his mission would be halfway to completion.
On top of that, Hugh was somewhat confident with women. Beyond his intelligence and martial skill, his well-proportioned features were one of the few advantages he'd inherited from his parents. Most Treasure Hunters were burly men, so a sweet face would be a powerful weapon.
He could do this. Play it humble, approach gently, speak like a gentleman. Even if she turned out to be fierce, praising Thousand Transformations should keep things smooth.
He took a deep breath, put on his best smile, and closed the distance. Liliz stopped abruptly and turned to face Hugh.
And then, Hugh's consciousness severed like a snapped thread.