With the battle in the dance hall behind them, Galahat and the others pressed deeper into Boruntar's residence.
Occasionally, they encountered maids, cooks, and other staff members employed by the household. Fortunately, almost every person they met held far more affection for Galahat than for Boruntar, and no one attempted to cause a commotion.
Of course, Galahat's promise to keep everyone on staff after he assumed leadership of the Azoth Firm played a significant role. Had he not made that clear, some might have tried to raise an alarm just to curry favor with the current chairman.
"So, is the office where Boruntar should be near the place where I met him before?" Rei asked, walking at the head of the group alongside Set.
Galahat gave a small nod. "Yeah. I’m certain of it. Normally, a man would prepare a dedicated panic room to flee to if the residence were attacked, but my big brother had absolute confidence in this mansion's security. In truth, until today, no one who ever snuck into this place had made it out safely."
That reputation was built on the strength of the hired adventurers and the fact that the fences and walls surrounding the estate had been converted into magic items. Very few possessed the skill to bypass such defenses, and even if they did, the mansion was permanently staffed by high-level combatants like Galahat, a B-rank adventurer. It was a fortress that could not be easily toppled.
"But that was only because you were here, Galahat," Rei countered. "In fact, most of the people assigned to guard this place after Boruntar decided to cut you loose were little more than trash in my eyes."
"The quality has certainly dropped. The group in the dance hall was likely the best he had left... but seeing how they ended up, well..." Galahat trailed off.
As they walked, the image of the man with the halberd lingered in Rei's thoughts.
That man was the only exception. His skill was overwhelming compared to Tenda, who claimed to have strength equivalent to B-rank. Fortunately, for some reason, he fought as if he were merely testing me without giving it his all, so I managed. But if that fight had continued, it would have dragged on for a long time, even if I wouldn't have lost. That magic item with the constant recovery effect is especially troublesome. Set has one too, but I never realized how annoying it is to deal with as an enemy.
Set was indeed equipped with a magic item called the Dropstone of Benevolence, which provided a constant recovery effect. However, because Set was an A-rank monster by nature, it rarely took enough damage for the effect to be truly noticeable. Rei realized he had almost no memory of actually seeing the stone's power in action until today.
"Ah, Galahat-san."
As they rounded a corner, a maid appeared. She looked to be a girl in her late teens.
The moment Galahat saw her face, his expression twisted with a flicker of remorse. The girl before him was one of the many servants his brother had lashed with a whip simply to vent his frustrations. Galahat wondered what right he had to even speak to her, being related to the monster by blood. Steeling his expression, he managed to find his voice.
"Are... are your wounds alright now?"
"Yes. Thanks to your orders to prioritize my treatment, Galahat-san, I can move without any trouble now."
"I see..."
Galahat was at a loss for words. It was true that the physical wounds had closed; he had used his authority to ensure she received the best care available. But the scars from the whip remained on her back—multiple ridges where the skin had been shredded and the flesh rent. For a girl still in her teens, the psychological scars were likely even deeper. Overcome by a sudden surge of self-loathing, Galahat bit his lip hard enough to draw a trickle of blood.
Sensing his distress, the maid girl smiled and turned her attention to Set.
"Galahat-san, is this the gryphon everyone in the city is talking about? I heard it was friendly. May I pet it?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah. ...Rei?"
Caught by Galahat’s pleading gaze, Rei sensed the history between them and gave a small nod. "Go ahead. It's naturally social. As long as you don't approach with ill intent, Set is perfectly well-behaved."
"Thank you very much. Well then..."
She bowed to Rei with a smile and reached toward Set's head.
"Guruuu?" Set let out a soft trill from its throat and tilted its head curiously. The maid stroked its back, her eyes shining as if she couldn't believe she was touching an A-rank monster.
"Oh, the fur is so smooth! I've never felt anything like it."
"Glad you like it. ...More importantly," Galahat said, "do you know which room my big brother is in?"
He felt cruel for asking a victim of his brother's abuse for help, but time was of the essence. While they had neutralized most of the thugs and adventurers in the mansion, Galahat wanted to end this madness before any more variables could interfere. He told himself that ending the conflict as quickly as possible was the best way to ensure this girl's safety.
"The master is in the reception room."
"The reception room? Not the office?"
Galahat was surprised. The office was where Boruntar spent most of his time, and it was outfitted with various defensive magic items. He couldn't understand why his brother would choose the reception room at a time like this.
While the reception room was where guests were handled, and a man as hated as Boruntar would never leave it truly unguarded, its defenses were far less robust than those of his private office. If he was there regardless...
"Is... he meeting with someone?"
Galahat couldn't imagine who would visit a man whose house was currently under siege, but it was the only logical reason to use that room.
"Yes. A guest has arrived," the maid confirmed with a simple nod.
"He's technically your employer," Rei interjected. "Is it really alright to give away his location so easily?"
The maid shook her head slightly. "We are employed by the master, it’s true. But that doesn't make us mindless dolls. We have feelings, and we harbor resentment when we are mistreated. Besides..."
The maid’s expression clouded for a moment. Only Galahat, who had seen her injuries, and Mult, who had been with him, truly understood the weight behind her silence.
Noticing their concern, she forced another smile and shook her head. "I live in Gilm. Working here, I've seen the shady things the Azoth Firm does. I also know that you, Galahat-san, have always tried to stop them. This commotion was bound to happen eventually."
"That's not true!" Galahat cried out, his voice thick with anguish. "I... I knew everything my big brother was doing, and I looked the other way for years. I’m not the noble person you think I am! This whole thing only started because I realized he was going to attack Rei again, even after Rei warned him there wouldn't be a second time. I only moved to drag him down from his position so Rei wouldn't kill him. I did this for selfish reasons, nothing more. I'm not the man you think I am."
Silence fell over the hallway as Galahat’s confession echoed. The maid gently reached out and took Galahat's hand. His nails had dug so deep into his palms that blood was dripping onto the floor.
"You mustn't do that, Galahat-san. You're the one who has to lead the Azoth Firm now; you shouldn't be hurting yourself. ...I only have this, so please bear with it for a moment."
She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, tore it in half with her teeth, and carefully wrapped it around his bloodied palms. "It's not much, but please get proper treatment as soon as you can."
"Why...?"
"Why what?"
"Why are you being so kind? I just told you—I knew what he was doing and I didn't stop him. If I had acted sooner, you wouldn't have been scarred for life just so he could vent his temper."
"Even so..." The maid squeezed his bandaged hand. "Even so, you finally stood up. Even if it was out of a desire to save your brother, people are being saved as a result. Isn't that enough? At least, it is for me."
Galahat stared at her, speechless.
As her blush deepened under his intense gaze, the maid gave a mischievous, playful smile. "Well then, if it turns out no one wants to marry a girl with scars like mine... will you take me, Galahat-san?"
"Wh-! No, wait! Think of the age gap! You and I are separated by well over ten years!"
"A married couple with an age gap like that isn't rare at all, you know?"
Galahat’s face turned crimson. Naturally, it was Phron—a woman in her thirties who remained stubbornly single—who stepped in to stop the display.
"Oh, for heaven's sake, get a room! If you want to flirt, do it after we finish this mess!" Phron snapped, her voice thick with palpable jealousy.
"Eek! Oh, I... I’m so sorry! A mere maid shouldn't have been so forward!"
"R-Right. Yes. We have to prioritize stopping my big brother," Galahat stammered, trying to regain his composure. "We... we can talk about this later. It’s going to be chaotic tonight, so please go hide in one of the rooms. Tell the other servants you see to do the same."
"Yes. Please be careful, Galahat-san."
The maid nodded, her cheeks still flushed, and hurried away.
Watching her go, Brasso muttered, "That girl... she only told Galahat to be careful. Does she not give a damn what happens to the rest of us?"
"Hmph. A woman in love only sees the object of her affection," Phron grumbled. "Now, where is this reception room? Hey, stop mooning over her and get your head in the game."
Galahat snapped out of his daze and gave a small cough. "My apologies. The reception room is on the second floor. We have to take a different staircase than the one by the dance hall, but we’re heading the right way."
"Good. Let's finish this. Tomorrow we still have to handle the harpy dismantling..."
"Actually, the harpy dismantling can wait," Rei interrupted. "Finishing this, getting some sleep, and then jumping straight into that might be too much. Especially since I have a request interview tomorrow afternoon."
The memory of his conversation with Lenora felt like it had happened a lifetime ago, even though it had only been earlier that day.
"Aye, the day after tomorrow is fine," Brasso agreed. "If we didn't have Rei's item box, we'd have to rush before the meat spoiled, but we have the luxury of time."
Phron nodded in agreement, and the group continued down the corridor.
"That's the room."
After ten minutes of walking, Galahat gestured toward a set of double doors.
"There are several reception rooms in this house, but if he's using one in an emergency, it's definitely this one. It's the one with the hidden escape route to the outside."
"An escape route?" Rei asked.
"Yeah. If you move the cabinet inside, it reveals a path leading out of the mansion. It's something successive chairmen of the Azoth Firm prepared for emergencies. The entrance is behind the cabinet on the right wall as you enter. We need to secure that first."
"...Set."
"Guruuu."
Set nodded, understanding its role. Satisfied that it would be impossible for Boruntar to push past an A-rank monster to reach the exit, Rei signaled the group.
"Alright. Let's go!"
Galahat threw open the door, and the group charged into the reception room.