“By this hour, the streets are almost deserted.”
Rei muttered to himself as they emerged from the slum district and began their trek down the main street toward the noble district.
It was already nearly ten o'clock at night. For the residents of this city, this was the threshold of late night. Naturally, the usual bustle of the entertainment district, taverns included, was finally beginning to ebb.
As the group moved through the city, the only figures they encountered were drunks passed out by the roadside or the occasional couple walking off into the night. Even these were few and far between compared to when they had first headed toward the cottage where Galahat was hiding.
“Still, it’s practically late autumn. Is it really a good idea for those drunks to be sleeping on the cobblestones? They’ll catch a cold at best. At worst, they’ll freeze to death,” Mult muttered in exasperation, his eyes lingering on a man who appeared to be an adventurer. The man was snoring loudly while clutching an empty barrel.
“Well, for better or worse, there are plenty of decent people in this city. Besides... look there.”
Galahat, who was walking beside Mult—or rather, being shielded by Mult to protect his injuries—pointed toward a small group of people approaching the sleeping man.
“Who are they?” Rei asked. They didn't look like adventurers, but they didn't have the air of ordinary residents either.
“Those are guild staff members. They patrol the streets once the night grows deep to take the drunks into custody.”
“The guild handles that sort of thing?”
“They do. Gilm is a frontier city, after all. The dangers here make adventurers indispensable. If they sleep outside, get sick, or freeze to death, the guild loses its labor force for requests. And besides...” Galahat watched the guild staff haul the drunk away with a look of faint pity. He shook his head slightly and continued, “Being rescued isn't free. Considering it’s the season where one could easily freeze, that drunk is going to be hit with a hefty bill tomorrow morning.”
“They’re surprisingly thorough,” Rei admitted, a look of mild surprise crossing his face at the mention of what amounted to a protection fee.
Beside him, Set walked with a focused gait. Whether the Gryphon understood the conversation or not, it remained alert, its eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of an enemy ambush.
“If they didn't charge, everyone would just drink themselves into a stupor on the street, assuming the guild would bail them out. It’s a necessary evil.”
Galahat didn't mention it, but these protection fees actually made up a significant portion of the guild's auxiliary income. Even he wasn't fully aware of the exact figures.
They continued their walk through the quiet streets until the noble district finally loomed ahead.
“Come to think of it, what about those adventurers who were supposed to be on your side, Galahat?” Brasso asked, resting the Earth-shaking Hammer on his shoulder. “I thought you said there were at least five of them.”
“They’ve been dispatched to suppress the Boruntar faction executives of the Azoth Firm,” Mult answered.
“Hmph? I thought the executives cooperating with Galahat were supposed to handle the firm's internal matters?”
“Ordinarily, yes. But there’s no guarantee all the adventurers employed by the firm have been moved to Boruntar's residence. There might be a few guards stationed with the other executives. To counter that, our allies are acting as guards for the executives who have sided with Galahat-san.”
“Hmm, that makes sense, but...” Phron muttered, sounding as though she had something caught in her teeth.
“Is there a problem?”
“No, it’s just... based on what I know about Boruntar, his subordinates are nothing more than sycophants. I can’t see him having the backbone to protect anyone else—even his own associates—at even the slightest risk to his own skin.”
Galahat offered a wry smile at Phron’s assessment, which was accurate in its own way. Beside him, Mult shared the same grim expression.
“Considering my brother’s personality, you’re likely right. However, the butler who has served our family for generations is a sharp man. There’s a good chance he persuaded my brother to dispatch guards to his inner circle to maintain appearances. My supporters are few enough as it is; I can’t afford to be anything less than overprotective of them. Besides, with Rei on our side, our frontline strength is more than sufficient.”
Galahat glanced at Set, who was walking majestically beside Rei. With the body of a lion and the head of an eagle, the King of Beasts and the King of Raptors combined in a single form that exuded the unmistakable pressure of a high-rank monster.
“And having Set the Gryphon here is practically checkmate.”
“Yeah, no sane adventurer willingly chooses to fight a Gryphon,” Phron muttered under her breath.
Furthermore, Set was a beloved mascot in the city of Gilm. If word got out that someone had actually fought with Set, the social repercussions would be devastating.
If they lived in Gilm, they would eventually have to deal with people. Whether it was the guild, the inns, the taverns, or the markets, word would spread. If they were branded as the cowards who had bullied the city’s favorite Gryphon, they would be met with icy stares wherever they went. Stalls would refuse to sell them food, and merchants would find reasons to turn them away. Unless they had nerves of steel and didn't care about being social pariahs, they would inevitably be hounded out of the city.
One could always try to beg Rei or Set for forgiveness, but very few people possessed the courage to approach them after making themselves their enemies.
The moment Rei sided with Galahat, the other side had already lost the social war. Phron sighed internally, offering a silent prayer that the unlucky adventurers at the mansion wouldn't get hurt too badly.
The group eventually reached the entrance to the noble district. Despite the hour, several adventurers hired for the noble district patrol were stationed there.
“Halt! Beyond here lies the noble district. What business do you have at this—wait, Galahat-san?”
The guard, who had initially called out with a sharp, wary voice, immediately lowered his axe upon recognizing Galahat. Galahat approached with a practiced smile. His movements were still somewhat stiff from his injuries, but his stride remained steady.
“Good work on the watch. Any trouble in the district tonight?”
“Nothing yet,” the man with the axe replied, shaking his head. However, the man with the sword beside him spoke up as if suddenly remembering something. “Actually, I heard a large group of adventurers employed by the Azoth Firm have been gathering at Lord Boruntar's residence... Do you know anything about that?”
“Tch.”
Phron clicked her tongue instinctively. Fortunately, the sound was faint enough that the guards didn't seem to notice.
So he really is gathering reinforcements, she thought. It was to be expected, but I’d hoped for fewer numbers.
Galahat continued the conversation smoothly. “Yes, I’ve heard. There’s a minor internal dispute within the firm. These people with me are here to help settle it. You’ve probably heard the rumors about the adventurer who travels with a Gryphon?”
As Galahat spoke, Set—who had been lurking in the shadows behind the group—poked its head forward with a curious tilt.
“Whoa!”
The adventurer with the axe jumped back, nearly fumbling his weapon before Galahat put a hand out to stop him.
“Easy now. Like I said, this is Set the Gryphon and the D-rank adventurer, Rei. Surely you’ve heard of them?”
“...Now that you mention it, I think I have.” The guard with the scruffy beard peered at Rei, taking in the Dragon Robe. “So you’re the famous Rei, huh? You look a lot scrawnier than the stories say. Though they do say you’ve got a hell of a lot of strength for your size. Well, whatever. If you’re with Galahat-san, we won’t stand in your way. Pass through.”
The guards stepped aside, clearly trusting Galahat’s word. Once they were out of earshot, Rei turned an exasperated look toward Galahat.
“You certainly have a way with words. That was a lot of nonsense to spill so smoothly.”
Galahat accepted the look with a shrug. “Was it? I don't recall telling a single lie. The gathering at my brother’s house is indeed due to an internal firm dispute, and you are indeed involved in it. I simply didn't mention the specifics.”
“Your silver tongue is more than enough to get us in trouble.”
“Remember this, Rei: as you climb the ranks, knowing how to blow smoke and lead people around by the nose becomes a necessary skill. Though, looking at you, I doubt you’re the type to lose sleep over a little deception.”
“You’re not wrong. I’m not exactly a saint. If I were, I probably would have tried to find a more peaceful way to deal with Boruntar,” Rei replied with a smirk. If he were truly a "good boy," this internal strife wouldn't have reached such a violent crescendo.
“Anyway, just as we suspected. Boruntar has gathered a significant force at the mansion.”
“I’m sorry, Galahat-san. It’s my fault they caught wind of us,” Mult said, bowing his head.
Galahat placed a hand on Mult’s shoulder and shook his head. “Don’t let it bother you. With a move this big, there was no way we were going to finish this without my brother noticing. It just so happened he picked up your trail first.”
“...I will protect your life with everything I have, Galahat-san.”
“I know. I’m counting on you.”
They continued deeper into the noble district until they reached a mansion that was brilliantly illuminated by a sea of lanterns, despite the late hour.
“Well, isn't that... extravagant?” Phron muttered, staring at the brightly lit estate.
“He doesn’t usually keep it lit like this,” Galahat said with a grim smile. “He’s obviously on high alert.”
“Makes sense. After all, most of the people he sent after Mult were taken out, and the ones who attacked Set at the Dusk Wheat Inn didn't fare any better. He has every reason to be paranoid.”
“More importantly,” Brasso interjected, squinting at the shadows in the distance. “You said the opposition was a bit under forty men, and Phron says ten of them are already gone. By my count, there should only be thirty left... but is it just me, or do those numbers look much higher?”
As they drew closer, it became clear that the figures in the residence garden far exceeded thirty. Even without accounting for guards inside the house, the sheer density of men was far beyond what Mult and Galahat had reported.
“He probably rounded up every thug and bottom-feeder he could find, like the ones from the inn,” Rei muttered. “They might not be much in a real fight, but a crowd that size is meant to intimidate.”
With that, Rei adjusted his gear and began the final approach toward the guarded gates of Boruntar's mansion.