It had been more than five years since I had arrived in the Imperial City, but this was the first time I had seen a castle up close.

The Zebrudia Empire boasts the greatest national power among the surrounding countries. The Zebrudia Castle in the imperial capital is huge and beautiful, as if to show its national power, and the sight of it up close is so majestic that even I, who had seen it many times from afar, couldn't help but gasp.

The huge moat that surrounds the castle is like a lake, and if you cross the huge bridge, you can see the whole view of the castle.
The gray walls surrounding the castle are low, but they are only for appearance, and rumor has it that the castle is constantly warded by the power of treasure and magic.
In the first place, for some hunters belonging to Zebrudia, a wall of a few meters is like nothing, so other methods are required to protect it.

On both sides of the bridge stood soldiers in black, polished armor.
The Zebrudia Empire values quality and sturdiness. The strong soldiers did not raise an eyebrow at the sight of a carriage with the national emblem proudly passing in the middle. I let out a small sigh, stopped looking out the window, and turned to face forward.

Apparently, there's no room to throw away a souvenir.

Ava says with a serious expression. Her shapely eyebrows furrow in her glasses.

'It's a historic meeting! Please think about it for a moment.'

'It was Eva who advised me to bring a gift, .......'

'...... Cry, how would you feel if someone suddenly handed you a hot spring egg at a party?

'............'

It's a gift that you don't have to worry about how to repay. I'm rather happy about it, but I guess I shouldn't say anything.
Perhaps it would have been better to buy chocolates from my favorite store.

But now that it's here, I have no choice but to give it to you. There's nowhere to throw them away.

'By the way, who were you planning to give it to?

'To the Emperor.

Of course you'd start at the top if you wanted to flatter him. That's rude.
My words quickly drew the blood from Eva's face, which was already white.

'...... Please don't do this, please. Cry, are you serious? It's unheard of!

'I've heard you're a rather forgiving man.

'There is a limit.

She pointed out in a whisper so as not to be heard by the gosh dais.
I get it, I get it. I know that my actions are out of line. I'm really glad I brought Eva with me.

Yes! I'll give it to Sir Gladys when she's here.
We had a connection in Thurles, and I'm sure his men aren't buying hot spring eggs to take home.

I take a deep breath. I'm so nervous that I'm starting to feel like this is going to work.

'In general, is the shelf life of onsen tamago safe?

'Oh, I've had Lucia cast a preservation spell on them, so I'm ...... sure.'

'............ haha ...... really, please be careful.'

Let's be careful not to do anything unnecessary. If you use common sense, you should not stand out. After all, this is a meeting with hunters. There are many more conspicuous people.
The carriage passes through the gate. The number of knights is growing. If these were enemies, a hundred of me would be no match for them.

Nervously, I dismounted from the carriage as instructed by the guardian. He led the way and we walked through the castle.

Strangely enough, we were not subjected to any body checks.
Rumor has it that Zebuldiah Castle has a very strict security system. I've heard that even hunters are not allowed to bring weapons into the castle, especially when they are going to meet the emperor.
When I whispered this to Eva, who was walking proudly next to me, she scowled and told me in a straightforward manner.

'It's a tradition. At the first White Sword Gathering, the emperor trusted the hunters and allowed them to wear their sashes, and this is the only gathering where they are still allowed to attend. I told you at the beginning that armed people will be there.

I see. ...... The "Emperor of the Time" must have been a very bold man. But tradition ...... is the most difficult thing to understand.

The corridors of the castle were spacious and covered with crimson carpets. Even the air feels different than in the city.
I was tempted to look everywhere, but I held back and let Eva do the talking.

As we proceeded, we began to see other nobles and selected hunters here and there.
The aristocrats look great, and the hunters look strong. And indeed, they are great and strong. I want to go home now.
The knights lined up in a straight line are wearing white armor, unlike the ones outside. They must be elite.

Just then, I heard a familiar voice from afar.

'Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! I'm in the greatest castle in the land! Not a bad place to be!

'Hey, hey! Shut up! Do you know what you're here for?

'Yeah, to kill the infidels. So who's the undesirable one? Is it him? That one? All of them?

'Your finger! Don't point your finger! d*mn it, you're the bad guy! How dare you bring in a stranger to guard the traditional gathering of the White Sword?

'It can't be helped. It's the Director of Security's order. Apparently, the Sword Sage screwed things up. Giving Zebrudia's venerable white armor to the Manslayer, even temporarily--'

'I don't need the armor. Because I'll cut you before you cut me! My arms are clapping.'

'...... Do you really know what you're doing? Are you sure? It's true that your role is to cut down the infidels. But there haven't been any undesirables in decades, you know? Hey! Don't take off your armor!



Ava's eyes widened in disbelief and she looked at me.

I pretended I didn't see it.
I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this. ...... Well, if you came in through legitimate means, that's fine. ...... Incidentally, Kensei is Luke's mentor.
Luke loves to slay as much as he loves to be slayed, so we can only imagine his heartache.

However, Luke's strength is certain, so if he can guard us, we're all set. If anything happens to me, he'll step in. Nice assist.



............ Maybe we'll have to flee Zebuldia after the meeting. Well, we'll see about that.



The venue was a large hall. I wondered what it was usually used for, with the tables laid out and the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
However, compared to the size of the decorated hall, the number of people inside was not that many.
As I peer inside from the entrance, Eva naturally leans in close and answers my question in a whisper.

'...... It's a tradition.

I see. ...... tradition. It's a convenient term. ...... I'll use it next time.

Apparently, not everyone is here yet.

I could clearly see who were the hunters and who were the nobles, even though I am not a good judge of character.
I don't know much about the nobles of Zebrudia at all, but the hunters who have absorbed the mana material have a different atmosphere. In particular, the hunters who are invited to the White Sword Gathering are the very best of the hunters in this holy land of hunters, so it shouldn't be difficult to avoid their gaze and keep an eye on them.

Don't worry, I have the Safe Ring. You won't die so easily.

Perhaps because of its origins, the atmosphere in the hall was much more relaxed than I had thought it would be. From a quick glance around, it's much better than I imagined.

First of all, it's good that the hunters aren't rampaging. There was a row of knights keeping an eye on the walls, and near the entrance were a maid in a well-tailored white apron dress and a group of black-clad servants with elegantly straight backs.

The servants of the Imperial Castle of Zebuldia are a dream for the common people. It seems that many of them are relatives of well-educated nobles.

And that's when I opened my eyes.

'...... Not a bad place. I know, I know, it's important to say hello.

Just then, the hunter who had entered earlier went out of his way to greet the servants.
He's a brown-skinned man in a tight suit. He probably fights with his bare hands.

If you look closely, you'll see that all the noblemen are the first to greet the servants, and they are all paying their respects. Some of them are chatting with them.

I see. Imperial nobles chat with their servants.

You'd think that many of them would be arrogant, but it turns out that when you're this high up, they're all ladies and gentlemen. The hunters also seem to be people of character. If you think about it calmly, the hunters who are invited here (except for me) are of the same rank as Ark, so it must be true.

I was the only one who almost walked in without saying hello. My bad upbringing is showing. I guess it's a good idea to wait and see.

'Mr. Cry.

'Yeah, I know.

There's no one better than me at fitting in with others. Especially among high level hunters.

I skulked along behind the nobleman in front of me and waited for my turn to greet him with a smug look on my face.

If you look closely, you'll see that the servants are all well-dressed. Now I'm wearing the tuxedo that Eva prepared for me, so I'm not inferior in terms of clothing, but I'm clearly outnumbered. As expected of Zebrudia, which is at the height of its prosperity, everything is top-notch.

In addition, some of the servants are clearly younger than me.
Especially noticeable was a girl with sky-blue hair. She looked younger than Tino, but like the other servants, she was wearing an apron dress that made me smile.

I straightened my back and smiled when I saw such a young girl doing such a good job.

There's no need to be nervous. Ava's expression is unusually tense, but ...... calm down. It's not like dealing with a nobleman or a hunter.

They know that we are not polite. Ava said that hunters don't need to worry so much about etiquette.

The servants looked calm, but their eyes were not smiling. I greeted them with a slight drawl.

'Well, ......, thank you for inviting us.

'Mr. Cry, it is the Emperor who has invited me.

Eva says in a whisper. I scowl.
'Then what should I say to him?

'............ You're absolutely right. I'm so sorry. Sorry, I'm uneducated. ...... Good evening. It's an honor to meet you.'

White eyes are on me. They're looking at you like you're a hick.
I expected the nobles to call me a hick, but I never expected the servants to look at me like that.

I cleared my throat and snapped my fingers.
Souvenirs, let's get rid of them here. This is our chance to be humble.

'That's right! Let's give a souvenir to a young lady who's been working hard.'

'Ah, ......'.

I handed the light blue haired maid girl a box of hot spring dragon eggs.
Her eyes widen and she squeals in disbelief, but rest assured, they taste great.

Eva is frozen in place. The other servants are also stunned, perhaps surprised by my extreme humility.

Yes, yes. I'm uneducated, but I'm harmless. I say with all the friendliness I can muster.

'What, it's not much. It's a hot spring dragon egg. It's delicious and you should eat it with your friends--'

'Dragon eggs?

--That's fine. Just as I'm about to say that, the girl lets out a startled scream.

The next moment, I was surrounded by knights who were guarding the venue.
It was as if I was being watched. Swords were thrust at me from all sides, and I froze with a smile on my face.

A box of hot spring dragon eggs is handed from the maid to one of the knights. She lifted it fearfully and gently put her ear to it.
No, it's not dangerous. And they're not dragon eggs. The hot spring dragon egg is a trade name. It's just a chicken egg.



All eyes are on the attendees. Eva is turning pale.
Among the knights who rushed in, a large man wearing a particularly splendid armor shouted at me.

'You ............, what are you thinking! Who do you think this man is?

'............'

...... Who?

I didn't understand what was going on, and the people around me looked at me as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing.
Ava is turning pale. In front of me, still smiling, the man said loudly.

'This is Her Imperial Highness Princess Murina Atorum Zebrudia, the daughter of His Majesty Emperor Radric Atorum Zebrudia, the current Emperor of Zebrudia.

'........................Yes, that's right.'

I see. ...... I see.
Oh, no. That's three steps higher than the position I imagined myself in with a sword in my hand.

I turned my head frantically with a gentle smile on my face.

She was especially young among the servants, and I knew she was unique.
I knew that there was a princess in Zebrudia, but I didn't know her face. But at this rate, ...... everyone must have known her face as well. It's no wonder the hunters are so polite.

Her Imperial Highness is not saying anything, but is looking at you with a shocked look.

I wish she would have told me first, but ...... it was probably just common sense.
The princess is a very important person, isn't she? You wouldn't expect to find her in the corner with the servants, would you?
Tradition? Is this a tradition? My stomach hurts.

'And the ...... dragon's ...... eggs? Even if you're a guest, there's a limit to how much you can hand over such a ...... dangerous item to your highness!

'Oh, don't panic, it's fine. It's not a big deal and it's not dangerous.

And it's not a dragon egg. I'm saying it's a hot spring dragon egg. It's the hot spring that modifies the word egg, not the dragon.
I smiled and raised a small hand. My stomach hurts.

'Sorry, can I go to the bathroom?

'............ Cry, are you afraid of anything?'

There's a sword at my neck. I can't move an inch.
Fortunately, it doesn't look like I'm going to be cut down immediately, but it's a bad image. You could be pinched out.

Well, I'm just fine with being thrown out, but I could be arrested for insulting an imperial princess or something (although I don't know if there is such a thing). And I would be chased for eternity as a great criminal who had lowered my status as a treasure hunter in the Imperial Capital.

I began to escape from reality, but then a helping hand came. A sharp female voice.

'Wait, ............'.

The tip of the sword shakes, and the knights surrounding me crack.
The owner of the voice was Eclair Gladys, with whom I had a feud about a month ago. Today, unlike the last time we met, she was not wearing a sword belt, but was wearing a frilly evening dress.

Her sharp voice had a dignity not befitting her age. But her eyes were swimming.

'Yes, that man is the one who saved the Imperial City from the Akasha Tower. I understand your duties, but the hunters are the main players in the Gathering of the White Swords, so you can't ...... be upset that I just handed you a souvenir.

'But ...... Miss Eclair'.

'Besides,......, dragon eggs are extremely valuable. It's far more expensive than most jewelry, and it's definitely worthy of a hunter. You can check it once you have it in your possession. ...... Oh, you mean to ruin this traditional meeting that His Majesty Ladrick is looking forward to, which has been going on for generations since the transition to the capital, before it even begins? It's been postponed this time, after all.

The knights who had been so stout with me were now at the mercy of a girl of ten or so.
I'm not sure if Miss Eclair is a celebrity or not, but even the nobles who had been watching quietly until just a moment ago are voicing their plausible approval.

The sword is lowered. I'm saved. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for and what you can do to help. ......
...... Oh, sure. If you really want to get it back, I'll consider it in good faith .......

This is a great way to get the most out of your time and money.