I was humming to myself as I headed for the clan master's office when I bumped into Eva, who was walking down the hallway.

I felt fine for the first time in a long time. The stress of being a Clan Master and the anxiety about the future that I always feel were forgotten for the moment.

I'm in the mood to sing and dance by myself. I won't do it because I'm not hard-boiled.

I was trying not to show too much emotion, but I guess Eva sensed something unusual in my poker face, because she rolled her eyes and asked me.

'What's wrong with you? You seem to be in a very good mood.

'What, ......? Yeah? Do I look like I'm in a good mood? Really? That's not good. ......'

As expected of someone who's known Eva for so long, there's no hiding from her.
I showed her the black bracelet on my right arm - the Mirage Form I had just received - as she looked at me like I was a pain in the ass.

In the end, the cake didn't make it into my mouth, but I can laugh about that now.
It seems that my visit to Tino's house was really well-timed.

Ava's expression changed drastically, and she raised the corner of her eyes and came at me.

'...... Ah! Did you buy another new treasure tool?

'Huh? No, no, no. Tino found it and gave it to me. I don't owe you any more money.'

'...... Haha ............ I'm not so sure about that, though. ......'

Well, I have my doubts too, but I can't interfere in the master-student relationship between Tino and Liz. ...... I admonished her softly, but she didn't listen at all. It's a good idea to keep an eye on her and check on her every step of the way.

But I don't care about that now. The beauty is the power of this treasure.
There are countless bracelet-type treasures, but the Mirage Form's ability is very unique. I like it.

It is difficult to judge the market price of such an irreplaceable treasure, because the price goes up and down depending on the demand, but it is definitely not something that can be obtained in a treasure house of level 1.

This is a great way to make sure that you don't end up in a situation where you're not the only one.
I've had a number of bracelets, so I've got the hang of activating them. The sensation in her arms expanded, and she reminded herself to channel her nerves into the dancing shadows she could feel firmly on her wrists. The bracelet heated up slightly, and the light danced on the palm of his outstretched hand.

'Hey, look, Eva! It's a cake!

'Ha, ha. ...... It's a cake. ......'

The vision I presented was the cake I had brought to Tino's house.
It's a pale yellow special whipped cream topped with rare fruits from the thick forests of mana material.

Mirage Form is a treasure tool that projects a three-dimensional image as an illusion. It is difficult to use and requires training to use effectively, but there are many ways to use it.

Eva looked at the cake in my palm, the lines of which were somewhat fuzzy, touched it, confirmed that her fingers were sinking into the image, and made a subtle expression.

There was definitely something different about this cake from the one I had brought to Tino. The fact that it doesn't have a smell, taste or touch is unavoidable because it is an illusion, but the appearance is different to begin with. That cake was shaped by a skilled hand after ten years of trial and error in the imperial capital, and it looked like a work of art. If you put them next to the real thing, you'll see how badly made they are.

...... It's because I couldn't visualize the shape well. I was so engrossed in the taste that I didn't remember the appearance well.
I'd like to believe that with practice I'll get better at it.

'......Come on, don't give me that look. ......Come on, Eva can do it too! Ava!

The effective range is one meter -- one meter and twenty centimeters, to be exact. This is not only the distance at which you can create illusions, but also the maximum size of the illusions you can create at the same time.
In other words, with this treasure trove, you can make most people appear life-size. Since the center of the bracelet is 1 meter 20 centimeters, you can freely create any appearance up to 2 meters 40 centimeters in height!
Anthem would be half out of sight, but Gark would be just fine. It has the disadvantage that it can only be shown from the side, but if you use it well, it can be used as a threat or a check in the treasure house!

The only problem is that there are easier and more widespread ways for mages to create illusions.

The Eva that appeared looked just like the real thing, as if she had been placed nearby. From her slim glasses to her staring eyes, she looks just like her. If you look closely, you can see that the details are different, but the resemblance is such that you could call them twins.

...... Only from the neck up.



'...... Please don't play with me.

'I'm not good with bodies. ...... I don't know what's going on because I haven't seen it properly, and I can cover it up with a robe. ......'

Seeing the vision of herself dressed like a teru teru bozu, Eva said clearly once more.

'No, no, no, please, no!


§§.


Returning to my room, I added "Mirage Form" to the inventory of my own collection.
It has its quirks, but if you can master it, you might be able to use it as a disguise instead of the Reverse Face. The possibilities are endless.

I'm tempted to train with it right now, but Lucia hasn't come back yet, so I'll have to recharge my magic.
He tried making Arc's face to cover his own face and checked it in the mirror.

The way my black hair was showing through the edges of Arc's blond hair was too bizarre.
Unlike 'Transforming Human Face', the illusion created by 'Dancing Light and Shadow' has no substance, so I think I need to be careful when using it as a disguise. You may need a hat or something to keep your hair out of the way.
Come to think of it, Citri said that he keeps his hair short in order to make it easier to disguise himself. .......

In order to check the duration, I will resume checking the inventory in the form of a fake Ark.

The goal is a treasure worthy of Tino.

You've received such a good gift, you must give something in return.
Originally, the treasure tools that Liz and Sitri are currently using were chosen from my collection and given to them. I'm a collector of treasures, but I'm not the type of person who enjoys displaying them and looking at them, but rather the type of person who finds joy in having them be used properly and be useful to their friends.

When Tino will start to use the treasure depends on the mind of his master, Liz, but since it will be in our party one day, it's not a waste of time to select it.
I'm thinking about each of the items in my collection.
Tino is a thief, so should he have the same type of treasure as Liz? Or, since they'll be in the same party, should I use a different type of treasure?

My collection is huge. I have checked the usability of all of them, but some of them are powerful, while others can be substituted by magic.
Choosing a treasure tool to use is an important event for a hunter, perhaps even a life-altering event. Tino is a serious girl, and if I'm going to share my collection, I want someone who knows how to use it. I can't just give her something random.

As I lay on my bed going through my inventory, there was a small tap on the door.
It was Tino, who had called me. When I answered, the door opened narrowly and dark eyes peered at me fearfully.

'Excuse me. ...... ......

A faint voice. Unlike usual, she seems to be quite nervous.
I have no intention of giving you the treasure today. I'm just going to listen to what you have to say. With that, I'll take my time to choose a treasure. Or I'll buy a new one. If it's for Tino, I might be able to extort Mr. Murchis' collection. .......



じっと見つめ合っていると,ティノの背を押すようにしてリィズが飛び出してきた.
ティノが短く悲鳴をあげてつんのめる. わざわざ着替えたのか,部屋を訪れた時とは異なる,裾の短い黒のスカートがひらひらと翻る.

'クライちゃん！ きたよぉ！'

'……掃除は終わったの？'

'信頼のおける業者に頼んだのでバッチリです. 大して壊れていませんでしたし……'

満面の笑顔を見せるリィズの後ろから,シトリーがニコニコしながら入ってくる. ティノだけしか呼んでいないのに,何故かお姉さま二人までついてきたらしい.
宝具の選定にはパーティメンバーや師匠の意見も重要なので別にいいけどね…….

リィズは僕の姿を見ると,一瞬きょとんとしてクスクス笑った.

'何その顔？ アークちゃんの真似？ うけるう！'

'……よく僕だってわかったね'

'あははははは！ 匂いと気配でわかるし. そんなわかりやすい変装で,私がクライちゃんの事を見間違えるわけないでしょお？'

そういえば『転換する人面』で初めて変装してみせた時も,リィズ達は即座に見破って見せた.
あれには実体もあったのだが,全く通じなかった. げに恐ろしきは高レベルハンターの感覚という事か. それにしては……エヴァにも見破られたのが解せないのだが.

シトリーもしげしげと僕の変装を確認し,小さく頷く.

'クライさんとアークさんでは体つきも違いますし……クライさんを知らない人ならばともかく,クランメンバーで騙される人はいないのではないかと'

練習あるのみなのか……今度リィズやシトリーに付き合ってもらって幻を出す特訓をしたほうがいいかも知れない.
ちょっと気落ちするが,今日のメインはティノだ.

ティノはお姉さま二人に囲まれ,スカートの裾をいじりながら,伏し目がちにこちらを窺っていた.
その視線は僕と,ずらりと並んだガラスケースに交互に向けられている.

事前に呼んだ理由は伝えてある. ティノの中にもイメージするものがあるだろう.

'あ,あの……ますたぁ――'

'クライちゃん,めちゃくちゃ強い宝具頂戴？ ティーはまだマナ・マテリアルの吸収も足りてないしぃ,修行中の雑魚だからぁ,それを少しでもカバーできるやつ！ ティーじゃ,例えば『天に至る起源(ハイエスト・ルーツ)』を貰っても,意味ないでしょお？'

一切悪気のない顔で言い切り,リィズがとんとんと自分の足元を叩いた.
リィズにあげた宝具はシンプルで,状況を一変させるような強力な性能は持っていない.
『天に至る起源(ハイエスト・ルーツ)』の力は――宙を蹴れるようになるというただそれだけである. 本人のたゆまぬ努力があって初めて活きるタイプの宝具だ.

確かに,ティノにはまだ早いかもしれない.
言葉に詰まるティノを他所に,もう一人のお姉さまがゆっくりと頷く.

'そうですね. 私達でカバーできる範囲にも限界がありますし……純粋に耐久力や身体能力を上げる宝具などがあれば,それがいいかもしれません. 大きく向上させるものがあれば,ですが……'

'お姉さま……それは――'

ティノが涙目になる. ハンターにとって,宝具で身体能力を向上させるのは未熟の証だと言われていた. そういった部分はマナ・マテリアルの吸収でいくらでもカバーできるからだ.
僕は全く気にしないが,中にはそういった宝具を使うハンターを侮蔑して憚らない者もいるらしい. だから,ハンターの間では基礎能力を強化する系の宝具は人気がない.

二人の意見を聞き,首を傾げる.

ティノには少し可哀想だが,レベル８認定の宝物殿は凶悪らしいのでリィズやシトリーの言葉はあながち冗談とは言いきれない. 可愛い後輩をいびっているわけでもないだろう.

どうしたものか. 僕個人の意見としては,リィズやシトリーの意見を聞くだけではなく,ティノの意思を全面に推したい. 宝具と人の間には相性というものもあるのだ.

僕はしばらく目をつぶって唸っていたが,別に今日決めなくてもいい事を思い出し,大きく頷いた.
コレクションは逃げないのだ. 何度も呼び出してティノに合う宝具を探していけばいいじゃないか.

しかし,身体能力か……なかなか難しいな. ティノは頑張っているが,《嘆きの亡霊》の宝物殿攻略速度は更に上なのだ. いつまで経っても追いつけないかもしれない.

'私は,一刻も早くティーちゃんと一緒にハントしたいと思っています. しかし正直,まだまだ足りていない部分も多いかと. カバーする方法はあるにはありますが……クライさん,ティーちゃんを私に預けて頂けませんか？ 絶対に後悔させません'

シトリーがもじもじしながら流し目を送ってくる. ティノが隣でカタカタ震えている.
僕はそこで,いいものを手に入れたことを思い出した.

'あるよ！ 身体能力をめちゃくちゃ強化する宝具'

'え！？'

ティノにピッタリだとは思えないが,試してみるだけならタダだ. 魔力もまだ残っているだろう.
がっくり肩を落とすシトリーと目を丸くするリィズの前を横切り,ガラスケースの一つを開ける.

中身を取り出すと,ティノが青ざめて一歩後退った.

'え？ ます,たぁ……！？'

'この間丁度,手に入れたばかりだ'

リィズが口笛を吹き,シトリーが花開くような笑顔で手を合わせる.

取り出したのは,僕が被って以来情けない顔になってしまった『進化する鬼面(オーバー・グリード)』だった. 完全にやる気がないのか,こうして持ち上げても全く動く気配がない. ダメな宝具である.

ティノが激しく混乱している.

'え？ ええ？ わた,わたし,ますたぁに――え？ 冗談,ですよね？'

'見た目は気持ち悪いけど,めちゃくちゃ強いと思うよ？ 貴族のお嬢様が中堅ハンターに匹敵する力を手に入れるくらいだからね. あはは…………僕が被ったら,僕の力は上げられないって言われちゃったけど――'

空笑いを上げてみせるが,ティノはぴくりとも笑わない.

アークはこの仮面で酷い目にあったと言っていたが,宝具は所詮一つの道具である. 使い方によっては問題も起きるだろう.
ここにはリィズやシトリーもいるし,万が一何か起こっても問題あるまい. 外から引き剥がせる事は既にわかっている.

'試しに……ほら,ちょっとだけ使ってみない？ 被るだけで発動するらしいよ？ 僕も効果をこの目で見てみたいし'

'そんな……ますたぁは,私の事が,お嫌いなんですか？'

ティノが更に後ろに下がりかけ,いつの間にか背後に回ったシトリーに肩を掴まれる. リィズがキラキラした目で肉の仮面を見下ろしている.

Did it just happen, or was it just in time for the "Evolving Greed" to raise its hoarse voice?

'Oh, new sustenance! What an aroma of a mighty soul! Praise me! Unleash your fury, your hidden power. I am one who advances. I will turn all that you are into a blade that will strike down all foreign enemies.

No! No! Mastaaa, help me! Mastaaa! I swear, I swear, I'm cursed!

'Don't worry. It didn't hurt. It didn't hurt. ...... I tried it on too. Don't worry. It's just a weapon. Just take a deep breath.

'No. ...... No, no, no, no, no!

From the mask I grabbed, a handy tentacle snaked out to hold me in place. A silk-splitting scream echoed through my private quarters.