The carriage came to a halt before Margrave Larcus's mansion. The door swung open, and Rei, Ara, and Elena stepped out in succession.
Set also emerged from the shadow of the carriage, moving to stand at Rei’s side.
Daskar, Margrave Larcus, stepped forward to greet the group. Counting the adventurer hired as the driver, there were four people and one animal awaiting his welcome.
"Lady Elena, it is good to see you have returned. Rei, you did well to protect her."
"...No. If only I had been stronger, I might have saved more of them," Rei replied.
Daskar glanced at the group, confirming their numbers. Kyuste and Vel were indeed missing from the party that had originally departed the City of Gilm; in their place was a new adventurer man acting as the driver.
"Regardless, my request to you was to serve as Lady Elena’s guard. Since the subject of that protection has returned safely, I have no complaints. ...Lady Elena, I would like to hear the details inside, if you don't mind."
Elena nodded at Daskar’s suggestion before turning her gaze to the driver.
"Forgive me, but please leave the carriage with the Margrave’s staff. We are scheduled to depart before the 9 o'clock bell rings tomorrow morning, so ensure your preparations are thorough. This is a temporary payment, separate from your reward. Go and enjoy yourself today."
At Elena’s signal, Ara handed several silver coins to the driver.
"I-Is this really alright? This much on top of the reward...?"
"Think nothing of it. We have made many unreasonable demands of you. Use it to recover your strength."
"Thank you very much! I’ll gratefully accept, then!"
The driver bowed deeply and led the carriage away, guided by the mansion’s attendants. Set followed after the carriage with a practiced air, clearly familiar with the routine.
Watching them go, Daskar led Elena and the others into the mansion.
They eventually reached Daskar’s office, the same room where they had spoken before.
(Come to think of it, Kyuste attacked me the moment I stepped in here.)
Rei followed Ara and Elena into the room. As Elena took a seat on the guest sofa opposite Daskar, Rei took his place behind her alongside Ara. Memories of that first, unpleasant encounter resurfaced vividly in his mind.
In his capacity as Elena’s guard for this nomination request, Rei technically should have stood behind his client, Daskar. However, since the Margrave had not yet declared the mission complete, Rei maintained his stance as Elena’s protector.
Daskar caught Rei’s dutiful behavior and offered a small, wry smile. He had a maid bring black tea before getting straight to the point.
"Now then. Since you've returned safely, I suppose congratulations are in order?"
"Indeed... though 'bittersweet' might be more accurate. While we achieved our primary goal, we encountered entirely unforeseen complications along the way."
"...That is an ominous way to put it. Would you care to elaborate?"
Elena hesitated for a moment, weighing how much to reveal. However, this had occurred in a dungeon within Margrave Larcus’s own territory.
(And...)
Elena glanced back at Rei. Since Rei, an adventurer of this city, had turned down her invitation to join her Knight Order, he would almost certainly remain in Gilm. Daskar, as the lord, would inevitably learn the truth from him.
She understood that it was only natural for a lord to know what transpired on his lands. Without further delay, she began her report.
"First, regarding the Ritual of Inheritance, our primary objective. It was successful, though I would say only to about seventy percent. Given that the catalyst was our family heirloom, the Ancient Dragon magic stone, such a result was not entirely unexpected."
Elena momentarily released the magic power she had been suppressing.
In an instant, a torrent of magic power erupted from her. The teacups atop the table rattled precariously, and Daskar found himself flinching at the sheer, overwhelming pressure emanating from the Duke’s daughter.
"...I haven't quite mastered the control yet, but it's something like this."
"Magnificent... is the only word for it. You have certainly obtained a terrifying degree of power."
Daskar managed a reply, though a cold sweat drenched his back.
The sudden surge of magic power had caused a stir among the members of Margrave Larcus’s Knight Order throughout the mansion—especially those sensitive to magic—but only Daskar was currently aware of the magnitude.
"And you say that is only seventy percent? ...I take it the remaining thirty percent is where these 'complications' lie?"
"...Yes. Daskar, do you remember the subordinates I brought with me?"
"Of course. Kyuste, who served as your herald, and Vel, who handled the support work. Both seemed exceptionally capable."
"It turns out that Vel... was actually a spy for the Bestia Empire."
"...What?"
Daskar’s expression darkened instantly at the mention of the empire.
"Are you certain?"
"There is no mistake. He boasted of it himself."
"Wait. Does that mean you didn't hear it from him directly?"
"Indeed. I had lost consciousness from the shock when Vel destroyed the magic stone mid-ritual. It seems he intended to assassinate me then and there, but Rei saved my life. In that regard, I owe you my thanks, Daskar, for choosing Rei as my guard."
Daskar shifted his gaze to the young man standing behind her.
"Rei, is what Lady Elena says true?"
"Yes. Vel openly admitted to defecting to the Bestia Empire."
"...Lady Elena, what of Duke Kerebel?"
Elena nodded firmly. "I have already sent word to my father by letter. If we are lucky, he may be able to intercept them before Viscount Sails’s house can flee the Kingdom of Mireana... but that depends on his haste."
"I see. Then there is nothing more for me to add. However, if a house as prominent as Viscount Sails—a close retainer to the Duke—has defected to the Empire, the fallout will be severe."
"I expect my father’s political influence will take a hit. Fortunately, it is already autumn. Even if the Bestia Empire intends to strike, it will likely be spring before they can open a proper front. I hope that gives us enough time to reorganize."
"...Is there no chance they might strike sooner, perhaps aiming for a decisive blow during the winter?"
"I considered that. However, the Bestia Empire has never waged war in the winter. A march through the snow would break their soldiers. If they do anything, it will be small-scale sabotage by elite units... but we can handle small numbers, regardless of how elite they are."
Daskar fell silent for a long moment, processing her words, before giving a slow nod.
"Very well. I will begin preparations here so that we can respond immediately to any movement."
"...Are you sure? This war may be the result of a failure within the Noble’s Faction. For you, as a member of the Neutral Faction..."
Daskar cut her off with a shake of his head.
"The King’s Faction, the Noble’s Faction, and the Neutral Faction may be locked in a power struggle, but that struggle only matters so long as the Kingdom of Mireana exists. I have no intention of bowing to the Bestia Empire."
"...My thanks."
"Don't mention it. ...Still, given the circumstances, I suppose I should be glad the adventurer I sent was Rei. An ordinary B-Rank or C-Rank would likely have fallen to Vel’s treachery."
"Indeed. I am truly grateful you dispatched him."
A knock at the door interrupted them, and the butler stepped inside.
"Master, the guest rooms are ready."
"Thank you. Lady Elena, you should rest and wash away the fatigue of your journey. A bath has been prepared for you."
"I'll take you up on that. Ara, let us go."
"Yes, Lady Elena."
As Rei moved to follow them, Daskar’s voice stopped him.
"Rei, stay back for a moment. I have something to discuss with you."
"...Understood. Lady Elena, I will take my leave here."
Rei reverted to the formal tone he had used when they first met, mindful of Daskar’s presence.
Elena looked momentarily saddened by the sudden distance in his voice, but she quickly masked it with a nod.
"Indeed. Rei, you were a great help. Without you, I would have died at Vel’s hand in that dungeon. I am proud to have served alongside an adventurer of your caliber."
"...So many things happened, but I cannot thank you enough. And... I am truly sorry for attacking you when we first met."
Following Elena’s lead, Ara bowed deeply before exiting the room.
Watching their retreating backs, Rei finally felt the weight of the mission lift from his shoulders.
"Rei, you have my gratitude as well. You did a magnificent job protecting Lady Elena."
"No. If I had seen through Vel’s nature sooner..."
"Don't dwell on it. A person’s true heart isn't so easily read. Now, don't just stand there—sit. It's awkward talking to you while you're towering over me."
"Then I'll do as you say."
Rei gave a slight bow and sank into the sofa.
"Now, to the business at hand..."
A trace of guilt flickered across Daskar’s face.
"Given the magnitude of this request, you've earned enough merit to warrant an immediate Rank Up to C-Rank. There’s no question about that. However..."
"The details of the request can't be made public, right?"
"...To put it bluntly, yes. I'm afraid I have to place a confidentiality obligation on everything you learned during this mission for the time being."
"Specifically regarding Vel’s betrayal?"
Rei’s bluntness made Daskar grimace.
"Yes. A Viscount may not be the highest rank, but a noble is a noble. To make matters worse, Viscount Sails was well-known as a close advisor to Duke Kerebel. If word spreads that such a man betrayed the crown, the public unrest will be immense."
"But won't the Bestia Empire just announce it themselves?"
"Undoubtedly. But if we manage the other nobles and stabilize our own side before they do, the damage will be contained. It's a matter of buying time."
"I understand. I won't speak a word of this until you give me the signal."
"...I'm sorry. Because we can't let you stand out right now, I have to temporarily freeze your promotion. I promise I will make it up to you eventually. For now, the best I can do is add a significant bonus to your reward."
Rei recalled the original reward was two light gold coins.
"I see. If the pay is going up, I have no complaints. I'll take it."
"I appreciate your understanding."
They spent the next thirty minutes discussing the dungeon and the alarming sophistication of the Bestia Empire’s alchemy.
"Well, it's getting late. I should probably head out."
Rei glanced toward the window. The sky was already growing dim. It was a stark reminder that summer was fading into autumn.
"Right. I’ll say it one last time—you really saved us on this one. If you hadn't been there as a D-Rank, I don't want to think about how this would have ended."
"Should I say 'I told you so'?"
"Hah! You’ve certainly grown more confident. Well, an adventurer needs that. ...Oh, and make sure you come to see Lady Elena off tomorrow morning."
"I remember. Around 9:00 AM, right?"
"That’s the plan. ...Anyway, good work."
Rei left the office and reunited with Set. They returned to their inn, where Rei collapsed into bed early to finally sleep off the exhaustion of their long journey.