I've been reckless. It's all messed up. What do they think the emperor's bodyguard is?
...... Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's all my fault.

Now that we're here, we have to make up our minds.

'Mr. Cry, this is what you asked for. It was urgent, so I'll only give you the information I have. ......'

'Oh, thank you. Thanks a lot.

Feeling like I'm going to throw up from stress, I pick up the file from Eva, who has done a great job.
It's a list of bandits that are rampaging along the route to the meeting place, Toaizant, in the Land of Sand.

Toaizant is in the countryside, and while there may be well-developed roads along the way, it should be a wasteland from there on.
It's called the Land of Sand, and it's in the middle of a desert. I have no idea why the emperor of Zebrudia, a great power, would want to go to such a place, but perhaps a great power has its own difficulties. It seems that Zebrudia has been the venue for half of his trips so far.

The number of names on the list handed to me was much smaller than I had expected.

Even though it was in the countryside, it seemed to be surprisingly safe.
Should I be worried that there are so many bandits who are known to exist but are left unchecked, or should I be glad that this is the extent of the problem? ...... But most bandits are not known to exist.



'I don't think you need to worry about that. ...... We're escorting the Emperor this time, and considering the schedule, we'll probably be flying in from the middle of the trip. In the past, we have used airships to go to distant places.

'............ There might be air pirates.

'So, no, no, no! But what are air pirates, anyway?

Well, it's true that an emperor would never walk in the desert.
But is the emperor really so daredevil as to use the power of a vehicle to fly? ...... The land and sea are full of dangers, but the sky is full of dangers too. You can't fly, but there are many monsters that can.

If I were to fall down unprotected, my warding fingers would do no damage, but you might want to make friends with the rambunctious carpet (named me). Maybe that's why the Emperor gave me a carpet?

Can the Zero Knight Order fight in the air? I can't fight on land, sea, or in the air, but will I be okay?

Just to be safe, I'll hold my head in my hands and do a big wow as I wander around.

'No, there might be bandits. Hexenbiests might appear. Besides, the treasure house might be built, we might get caught in a disaster, it's not good, Eva.

What's going on? ............ What's wrong with you, suddenly saying something like that? ...... What happened to your usual reserve?

'No, I thought if I said this, it might not come out.'

'Haha......'

I'm not proud of it, but my predictions have never come true. This is a wishful thinking.
If I say this, it will be only bandits, monsters, treasure houses and disasters. I'm satisfied.

Now, I will carefully select the treasure that I will bring with me so that I can cope with whatever happens.
I've asked Citri to prepare for the journey. The Knights and Kecak Chakka will do the fighting, so I'll be in charge of the rest.

The role I'm expected to play is to control the hunters well, but since we've only recruited high-level veterans, I shouldn't have to worry about that.







The First Step .
The members of Strange Grief were gathered in one of the meeting rooms of the Clan House.

Standing in front of a chalkboard covered in papers was the usual facilitator, Citri Smart.
Looking around at his fellow students, he shouted cheerfully.

'The thirty-fifth and fifth Stogri Conference! The next stage is the sky and desert!



'Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! The sky! Desert! Sand Dragon!

'You're a hard worker, Cry. ...... I don't have time to train at all. Why don't you take some time off? I want to go on a date with you!

'...... Mm-hmm.'

Luke Psychol's eyes lit up and Liz Smart cowered in disgust as she threw her legs over the table. Anthem, dressed in full body armor, nodded with deep emotion.

'The temperature in Toaizant is extremely high during the day, but we've already built up a resistance to it in the crater, so it shouldn't be a problem. The temperature difference between day and night is also not a problem now.''

'Heat training? Is it a heat training?

'The problem this time is the sky. There are no airships in the Toaizant. To be honest, we are not a big country that flies airships on a regular basis.

'The sky! I've never slayed a demon in the sky before!

''Luke, calm down. The only way to get rid of the sky is for Lucia to do something about it or to sneak into the airship. ...... It might be tough for me to sneak in alone, but it might be tough for all of us to sneak in together.

It's also impossible to infiltrate the members of the group like in the Gathering of the White Swords. As you can see, we can't have outsiders as guards.

Lucia frowned as she accepted the nomination.
Lucia Roger is a powerful mage, but magic is not a panacea. There are areas of strength and areas of weakness. Lucia took out a tattered book and began flipping through it.

'Flying a large number of people is difficult enough, but catching up with an airship is even more difficult. You have to create a new technique. ............ Ah, there it is. The Secret Art of Shinobi Part 5: The Ninja Method of "Air Escape".

'Isn't that the one from the old manga? I'm sure you've heard of it.

'...... That's it. You've completely abandoned your originality.

'Hey, flying on a kite is super cool. Imagine Cry looking out the window and seeing us on a kite.'

Lucia frowned at the heated words and looked at Luke.
Sitri clapped his hands and stopped the discussion.

'Now, according to the party rules, we'll take a majority vote! Eliza-san is a lost child, so her vote is invalid. We have three choices: Lucia-chan will do her best to fly a kite, sneak into the airship, or stick to the outside of the airship! First, who wants to fly as Lucia?



'Hey, isn't there something malicious about the choices?

'............mm'


After that, as usual, I decided on a course of action.
It is often thought that the Ghost of Sorrows acts without thinking, but this is not the case.
Advance preparation is essential to overcome troubles. And because of its experience, the Ghost of Sorrows was accustomed to such things.

There were four members selected by Ms. Cry. Terum Apokris of the Stopping Water , who is famous as a water-based mage, Kecha Chakka Munch, a level 6 who just recently entered the Imperial Capital, and a spell-based mage, apparently. Then there's Kryss, who's a bit of a jerk with a low tolerance for aggression, and my special Kill Knight Version Alpha. Unfortunately, I couldn't find out who was behind it in time. Since there is no vanguard, the kill knight might be enough to protect him, but I think Lucia-chan should be able to fire up Mr. Kryss in a good way.

'Yeah, you're just blatantly scoring points! Sito's intentions are completely obvious. Krai-chan is definitely annoyed.''

'What, no swordsman? What do you want me to cut?'

'Kecha Chakka...... why did the leader make such a choice......, but if the [Stop Water] is here, then escorting you seems to be no problem.'

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

'I will check the information on the demons living in the route as usual. But the enemy Zebuldia is expecting this time seems to be that 'fox'.

At these words, Lucia's expression changed to a serious one. Anthem straightens her posture.
The air changes. As if caught by it, Luke frowned.

'Seriously ............, that's tough. That's the 'Thirteen Foxes' we encountered a long time ago, right? I'm not sure if I'll be able to slay it now.

'Yes, yes, you're thinking of the wrong guy, Luke. There's no way that monster would be interested in a human country, right? It's the fox from the agency that Sito is talking about.

That treasure house is a legend. It's beyond the reach of human knowledge.
If it had turned against mankind, it would have been called a disaster.

I'm used to Luke being ignorant of things that don't interest him. Regaining his composure, Sitri continued.

'It's still better than the fox you're talking about, Luke, but the Empire's hypothetical enemy is a pretty big deal. We don't know the full extent, but the danger and secrecy of the organization exceeds that of the Akasha Tower. This is because the goal of the Akasha Tower was to explore the mysteries, but the goal of the Fox seems to be the overthrow of society and the destruction of civilization. So far, various tragic incidents have occurred due to its dark activities. It is widely rumored that the mass escape from the Great South Isterian Jail was caused by the Fox. If I had known about it at the time, I would have left such evidence behind. ......'

The organization's structure, members, bosses, etc., are unknown, but it is said to have originally been an exiled intelligence agency.
No details are known. Perhaps it was the intention of the organization that its existence and purpose are even vaguely revealed.

It is a common story that knights and mercenaries who are fired from their jobs switch to banditry because of their prowess. The same is true of the Fox. Only on a larger scale and with a greater purpose.

Having lost their country and their cause, the intelligence services have become the enemy of the world.
And now, they are about to take on a great power that they could not even touch when they belonged to a country.

'The Nine-tailed Shadow Fox', as it is called. The abbreviation is 'fox', or NSF.'

'Hmm, so it doesn't have many tails.'

Sitri chuckled at Luke's disinterested look.

'Rumor has it that the name comes from a fox that you know, Luke. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one.

Hunters are powerful in individual combat, but they tend to be less cooperative. The fox is a fearsome opponent.
The Fox is a formidable opponent. Not only are they secretive, having been pursued by many nations and never having been caught, but their funding and the number of members they have are off the charts.
And they have no choice. There are rumors that a number of high-level hunters belong to this group.

'We need to be vigilant. If the Imperial City's operation was the work of the foxes, this meeting would be the perfect time to attack. Twice, Mr. Cry has successfully evaded their attempts. It doesn't matter to us whether the emperor is dead or not, but if he tries to attack us, we have to fight him.

Then, Liz, who was listening to the conversation, took her legs off the desk and stood up.

'So, you've said a lot of things, but it's the same as always, isn't it? The enemy is powerful, we don't know what's going to happen, and Cry-chan's actions are the same as always. I'm just supposed to do what you say and hit whoever shows up, right?

Hunters are rarely targeted by criminal organizations. They're fickle, and unless you're a hunter who focuses on bounty hunters, they basically don't make enemies.
However, the situation is different for the Ghost of Sorrows. He has used every trick in the book to kick the crap out of everything and rise to the top.
I don't know where he got the grudge, but I have too many ideas. There are so many that it's hard to know which one is which.

Luke rolled his eyes at Ryss's words,

'What, the usual? I was just thinking that I haven't killed any humans lately. My arm is getting dull.'

'...... Luke, didn't you just kill three people the other day?

'Yeah, they didn't have their swords up, so they don't count as kills in my book.

Apparently, the name of a powerful enemy that shook the world could not make his friends feel nervous. It seems that familiarity does not always work in the right direction.
With a small sigh and a smile, Citri said.

'Personally, I prefer to capture them alive. It would be a great honor to capture a member of the foxes.








And the day came.

A smiling Citri handed me the tools for my journey, and I left the clan house with a heavy step, accompanied by the Kill Knight Version Alpha.
Our destination is the Explorers' Association. We must meet up with the hunters we have selected.
It's still dawn, and as I walk through the dim and chilly Imperial City, I feel as if I'm descending the stairs to hell. The crunching sound of the kill knight walking next to me is annoying.

If I had been in the public eye, I would have stood out like a sore thumb, with my kill knight and wandering rampaging carpet.

Then I met Ketchupka Munch for the first time at the Seeker's Association.

Kecchatka Munch was a very small man.
He was hunched over and covered in black robes, except for his face. Beside him was a staff with a skull on the end, perhaps a weapon.

All I could do was freeze in place. I hadn't caught up with my thoughts.



Many hunters dress rather free-spiritedly, but the man in front of me was blatantly too suspicious. He looked at me with glaring eyes.

...'

Kecak Chakka let out an eerie laugh.

No, no, no, no, no, this can't be happening. You're the emperor's bodyguard. Do you know that?
You're free to choose, but not this. Not this one. Chyna, cross it off the list.

I didn't know what to say, so I pointed to my wand and said.

'Where do you get that wand?

'Kekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekeke ......'

'...... Nice fashion, perfect for an escort.'

'Baboons...... baboons...... baboons...... baboons......'

I can't communicate with him. ...... What is that scary.
I don't feel like I can get along with this person. ...... How dare you decide to join the escort in this outfit? The guts are amazing.
It's the "dark" part of a gorgeous dark pot. Maybe it's too suspicious to be suspicious.

Anyway, I put down the large bag that refused to be carried on the carpet and put it on the floor.

Then the door opened with a bang.

'You've shown a lack of respect by selecting me to be your bodyguard and then calling me here! If you're asking for a favor, it makes sense to pick me up. ----'

It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation.

I'm sure you'll be glad to hear that.
A spirit mage is dressed differently than a human. A twisted tree staff. Their short shorts, which were normally favored by spirit people who lived actively in the forest, and their long, beautiful silver hair that reached almost to the floor, made one's eyes widen.

When he saw me, his cheeks tensed up.

'Yowaningen, what are you doing in that outfit? It's ......! You're not going out to play in a patterned shirt, you know! I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure it's a good idea. You're lowering my status with you! I'm embarrassed!

'......? I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.

I'm not sure what to say. I looked down at the gaudily patterned shirt-shaped treasure device I was wearing and compared it to the Kecak Chakka next to me.

Could it be that I'm no better than Kecak Chakka?