The heart of the Zebrudia Empire at its peak. Zebuldia Imperial Castle.
In the throne room at the far end of the castle, the current emperor, Radric Atrum Zebuldia, listened to reports from his men.

The Director of Security, in charge of the security of the Imperial Castle. Ladrick frowned at the information brought in by the man who was also one of the nobles of the Empire.

'Couldn't find it, or .......'

'We've taken every precaution against poisoning. The food and drink were prepared by the castle cooks. The kitchen was guarded at all times and there was no sign that anyone from outside had entered. The ingredients were brought in by the usual contractors, and all aspects of the food were checked for poisoning, including toxicity. The only possibility is the ...... guest.'

'Well, that's troubling. We have to suspect a major figure in the country. ......'

'Perhaps the purpose is to check. No one there would die from a poisonous substance.'

Zebrudia is a land of many treasures.
The nobles of the empire visit the treasure halls from an early age and absorb mana materials. It was customary for them to strengthen their resistance with the mana materials they absorbed.
A nobleman does not need high fighting ability, but rather the ability to survive and not die in the face of any intrigue.

The nobles of the Empire are not susceptible to ordinary poisons. If it is a poison that kills hunters, it is a different story, but it is a very common one that is used in cooking.

'Have you figured out which one is in the drink?

'It's ...... unclear if anything was really even put into it. The trouble is that I drank all of the Zekage. However, there were no abnormalities in the other drinks.

'I see. ............'

Narrowing his eyes, Radric fell silent and thought.

Poison is more easily prepared in alcohol than in food. It's easier to poison food and drink when it's alcohol, because you're not tasting it by the glass.

But the Imperial Castle was well guarded. Of course, it could not be said that there were no gaps, but during the Gathering of the White Swords, the security was even thicker than usual.

From what Radric could see from a distance, the Zekage's appearance was not normal.
He had all the information about the Empire's best hunters in his head. The "Zekage" is the successor to the Empire's famous "Thief" and is not someone who would sit idly by in a place like that.

He may have smeared it on the glass or mixed it in while he was carrying it. If he slipped past the many guards and poisoned the drink, it would have been a very carefully planned plan.

However, on the other hand, the poisoning of the food was quite sloppy. All the dishes were "Detect Poisoned" just before they were brought into the venue.
It is highly unlikely that the food was poisoned by an intruder. At the very least, the culprit must have been someone who was in the hall.

It would be a painstaking but not impossible task to find out who was behind all the attendees.

But Ladrick's expression was grim.

'It's the foxes again, or is ...... their goal to stop the meeting ......?

'......The most suspicious thing is that "Thousand Changes". ......'

I've heard of him. It seems that the man had a row with Radric before he entered the hall.
But when he said that, Ladrick laughed out loud.

'It's ironic that the most suspicious person on ...... has been proven innocent. No, that's why you had me use True Tears.

True Tears is one of the pillars of Zebrudia.
There has never been an error in judging its authenticity, and questioning its authenticity will lead you to re-examine the merits of all those who have used it to capture you. This is unacceptable.

I've never met him before, but he's as smart as they say.
And he had the audacity to advise me to take on True Tears, the natural enemy of plotters.
If he had reacted in public, the man would have been ruined. He looked just like ....... It's as if he's not thinking at all.

Order the investigation to continue and have the Director of Security lowered.

Alone in the throne room, Radric muttered in a low voice.

'Trust me, is that what you're saying? How much do you know about ............?'

Zebuldia is a great power. And if it is to remain a power, it must show the proper attitude.
The days of head-on warfare between nations are over. In this day and age, everything depends on how we use the resources we gain from the treasure house.

Can we use that man or not? And is he worthy of use?
Narrowing his eyes, Radric Atrum Zebrudia remembered the man who had suddenly come down on his knees.








An intruder, a criminal, and a manslayer, the three of them are all here now. What am I supposed to do?
You look around at everyone, at a loss. However, Eva and Tino were the only ones who looked pale, and the rest of the team seemed unconcerned. Sadly, they're used to it.

Luke makes a quizzical expression at my reaction, and says proudly.

'Don't worry, I didn't kill him. That's what my master told me. They will interrogate you, so try not to kill them.'

'...... You were attacked, so you fought back?'

'? No? Why should I allow a first strike?'

'Was that really a suspicious person?'

'Yeah . It was a tourist . It's been a while since I've held a serious weapon, but you're not a good practice partner.'

I don't understand you. Your sword is still too light.

Well, but if you think about it calmly, if he's been released, that means he's come to that conclusion.
Luke's sword is too light, but he's not a bad guy, and if there was a problem, there would be a complaint.

I decided not to think about it. I decided not to think about it. Citri wrote on the blackboard, 'Mr. Luke has killed three people.

............ Isn't it impossible to operate in the Imperial Capital without any more problems?



I'm not sure what to do. Hey, Crye. Who do you want me to kill?'

Eva's cheeks tighten as she whispers to me.

'............ Cry, should I leave?

'...... No, stay.'



I say with a desperate smile. Trying to escape won't work. The more victims, the better.

Citri says, tapping the blackboard with chalk.

'About that, the security of the Imperial Castle is solid. There are ways to get past them if you're at our level, but it's difficult to plant a poison. There will undoubtedly be someone on the inside.

'Magical guards are especially strong. The wards surrounding the Imperial Castle have the power to interfere with everything from transference to flight, invisibility, and cognitive disruption. The spell that I cast on ...... Liz was also cast after she was inside, since it is strongly disabled when entering the boundary. The only thing I can think of is a ...... treasure tool.

'You can't stop thinking about it. Even in a mystery, it's not legal to reveal an unknown treasure.

Lucia has a point. There are really all kinds of treasures, so if a particularly powerful and unknown treasure is found, an assassination might be possible.
Well, I'm sure that the empire is looking into this matter.

Sitri continued.

'Your sister is generally immune to poisons, sleeping pills, and paralytics. Judging from her symptoms, it was ............ a stimulant that was mixed in with her alcohol.

'A ...... stimulant?'

Ava's eyes widen. The name gave away the general effect, but it didn't seem to be a very common word.
Sitri taps the chalk and says.

'It's a kind of buffing potion. It forces you to forget your fears and the pain of your wounds, and allows you to continue fighting for a longer period of time with more power than you originally had. One of the side effects is that you will not be able to make calm judgments, and since you are not strengthening your body, you will have a heavy burden after the battle. It's probably a much stronger version of that mixed in with the alcohol.

I see. ...... So it wasn't a poison, so it didn't get caught in the "poison detection".
On the other hand, the effect of my Silver Breath changes depending on the wearer's perception. I'm on the lookout for all kinds of drugs, so that's why it was detected.

But if what he said was true, what was he planning to do by giving me an enhancement potion?

'We've never used them, or rather, they're not very common among hunters. To be honest, I was surprised that my sister was able to withstand it.

'............ endure?'

What does it mean to endure?
I blinked, and Citri nodded and smiled.

'That is something that increases the will to fight. ...... If it wasn't good, it would have gone on a rampage and been a disaster. I think the emperor is safe because Ark-san and others are protecting him, but other than that, I think there were ............ a lot of deaths.

Those words sent a chill down my spine.
Reinforcement potion ...... is that what reinforcement potions are? I'm not sure what to make of it.

I'm not sure what to make of it.
She's grown up. I'll have to praise her later. .......

Tino's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the sister next to him. Liz clucked her tongue and said sullenly.

'Don't be ridiculous, I can at least control my anger! Hey, T, what are you looking at? Well, it was definitely some new training, but ......'

'There's a fine line between poisons and potions, and not many people are resistant to them, since potions are useful in times of need. In my party, it's only my brother.

'............ Mm.'

Ansem nodded gravely. Ansem is a hunter who specializes in resistance.

As the name "Immovable and Unchanging" implies, he is immune to all kinds of things. Not to mention physical attacks, magic attacks, poisons, mind-polluting magic, and even recovery potions. It was clearly overkill.
And verbal attacks don't work either. That's always been the case.

Eva, who was listening to the conversation, widened her eyes.

'Wait a minute. Does that mean it's ............? Are you saying that someone was trying to use that alcohol to make people lose their minds?

'It's possible. If the criminal's goal is to assassinate the Emperor, it's not a bad move.

'Assassination?

Despite what he was saying, Sitri's expression was calm.

'After all, it's almost impossible to assassinate the Emperor with a simple poison. Besides, there are many high level hunters around His Majesty during the White Sword Gathering, so it would be impossible for an ordinary person to break through them. It makes sense to have a level 8 move in order to get past a level 8.''

'...... I see. That's why .................. is so pointless.'

I had a lot on my mind, but that was the only thing that came out of my mouth.

I took that drink. It was just a hypothetical, but if the culprit had taken the trouble to put a potion in the liquor to drive me crazy and cause great damage to the Emperor, it would have been a terrible waste of time.
I would not be able to defeat a single person even if I got excited.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more information on this at .......

It would have been a disaster if Liz had gone berserk. ...... But she didn't actually go berserk.
This smells like a conspiracy. I don't think there's a tradition of mixing the stimulant with alcohol.

Citri's story is imaginary. But we're fundamentally unrelated, so there's no need to find out the right answer.
It's possible that I accidentally took the liquor that contained the drug, but all I need is a plausible excuse that there was a conspiracy to undermine us.

I folded my arms and was silent for a while, then I looked up and said to Eva.

'Eva, the government may have already noticed this, but I want you to inform the castle of what you've just heard. Oh, and don't tell them that Citri laced it with poison.

'............ Yes, I understand.'

'It's all a conspiracy. Luke slashing people is a conspiracy too. If there's anything we can do to help, we'll do it. Okay? Like a social call.

'Yes, yes.

He's a terrible sinner, planting drugs at a gathering. I don't want anything to do with him.
I'm determined. I'm not going out until the culprit is apprehended.


Luke stands up, stretches, and says.

'...... The point is, if the enemy comes, just kill them, right? So, is the meeting over? Then let's go get some food.'



'............ Mm.'

'Sito, can you make a stimulant? Honestly, it's been rather tough, and I'll be training while we eat, so bring it with you. T, don't you dare run away! You're gonna get yourself killed!

It was an important meeting, but they didn't seem to be paying any attention. There doesn't seem to be any tension.
Well, you don't have any respect for the emperor,......, I knew that.



She says to Sitri, who is diligently taking pictures of what is being written on the blackboard with his camera.

'Sitri, I'm sorry, but can you please get ready to leave the Imperial City?

'Of course, I'm always ready. Do you want to run away together?

You're right, ...... we won't escape alone, but you know me well.
Do you think we can manage this?







And the next day, a messenger from the empire came to me.
Apparently, the Imperial Castle had been attacked by dragons.


............ Why are you telling me this?