In the residence of Boluntar, Rei had thrust the shaft of his Death Scythe toward the man who appeared to be the leader of the trio. Just before the blow landed, however, the robed figure known as Minas intercepted it.
He did so with a purple tentacle extended from beneath his robes.
Rei recognized that tentacle instantly. On the lowest floor of the dungeon they had explored with Elena, at the Altar of Inheritance, Vel—the man who was supposed to be Elena’s protector—had revealed his true colors. He had used, or rather commanded, those same appendages. At the time, Vel had boasted of his defection to the Bestia Empire and claimed those tentacles were products of the empire's alchemy. Which meant...
"...So, you're operatives of the Bestia Empire."
As those words escaped Rei’s lips, everyone in the room except the enemies fixed their gaze upon him in shock.
"Impossible! The Bestia Empire!?" Brasso shouted, bracing the Earth-shaking Hammer against his shoulder.
Watching Phron and Mult ready their own weapons, Rei fixed a sharp glare on the three men. "I didn't expect to find your kind lurking in a frontier region like this."
"Heh. I wonder how you realized I was an associate of the Bestia Empire... care to tell me?" the man asked with a smirk. He clearly had no intention of hiding their affiliation any longer. Minas and Koldo stepped forward to shield him.
They stood in the reception room of Boluntar's residence. The doorway acted as a boundary between Rei’s group and the intruders. Minas and Koldo were at the front, with the man lingering behind them. Rei and Galahat stood side-by-side, while the rest of their party fanned out, weapons at the ready for an immediate strike.
Despite the volatile tension, the man spoke to Rei with casual ease, as if they were old friends. "It’s true. We are operatives of the Bestia Empire."
"...You’re remarkably quick to admit it," Galahat muttered, taking several steps back. He understood that in his current physical state, he would be nothing but a liability if the situation devolved into violence. Mult stepped forward to shield his senior.
The man ignored the movement and continued to smile. "Well, you pointed specifically to the Bestia Empire. If you’d named another nation or perhaps some other noble in this kingdom, I might have tried to feign ignorance... but since you were so accurate, you must have had something decisive to go on. Care to share?"
As he spoke, the man’s eyes flickered toward Minas—specifically, toward the purple tentacles writhing from beneath his robes. The appendages, which inspired a deep sense of physiological revulsion, curled back into the shadows of the fabric. The man likely knew the tentacles were the giveaway. He asked only to confirm his suspicion.
"Before that, I’d like to know your name," Rei said.
"Heh? What would you do with my name?"
"Nothing much. It’s a simple matter. It would be quite a hassle for your epitaph and such if I didn't even know what to call you. I can’t exactly just make something up."
"Ahahaha! I’d certainly like to avoid that. If I’m to have an epitaph, I’d prefer it have my own name on it."
On the surface, their exchange could have been mistaken for a pleasant chat. However, the air was thick with danger. Beneath the polite veneer lay Rei’s cold killing intent and the man’s twisted, mad curiosity.
As the onlookers held their breath in the stifling tension, the man broke the silence. "Fine. I don't mind telling you. My name is Postgera. Pleased to meet you."
"Impossible! You told me you were Liv!" Boluntar shrieked.
"Hmm? Oh, right. I think I gave Chairman Boluntar whatever name came to mind at the time. 'Liv' was a pseudonym. My real name is Postgera. Nice to meet you."
"...Why bother with a fake name?" Rei asked.
Postgera scratched his stubbled cheek, laughing with an air of mock embarrassment. "Well, you see... there’s no reason for a puppet to know the name of the puppeteer pulling its strings from the other side, is there?"
"Wh-What!? You... calling me a puppet... don't mock me! Don't you dare mock me! I am Boluntar, the Chairman of the Azoth Firm! To think a mere alchemist would dare look down on me! Do it! Kill him! Make him pay for his insolence!"
At Boluntar’s command, the thief standing behind him took a step forward. His movements were not as fluid as Tenda’s—the man who once managed the firm’s shadow operations—but he was still significantly more graceful than a common low-rank adventurer. He stepped forward silently and expertly flicked a knife from his person toward Postgera.
Only a few, Rei included, saw that the blade was coated in a liquid—likely a poison. Boluntar and Mult certainly failed to notice. However...
"Oh? Did you do something?" Postgera’s voice echoed, dripping with amusement.
The one who moved was not Minas, who was currently blocking Rei's path, but the second robed figure, Koldo. Just like Minas, he extended a disgusting purple tentacle from his robes and snatched the knife aimed at Postgera's face right out of the air. He gripped the handle firmly with the appendage—a feat that required perfect perception of the projectile's trajectory. Then, in the next heartbeat—
"Gwah!"
Koldo whipped the knife back with more speed than the thief had mustered. It sliced through the air and struck its owner. The thief was supposedly skilled enough to be Boluntar’s personal guard, yet the knife buried itself deep into his right shoulder. He collapsed to his knees with a groan. The blade had been heavily coated in a numbing medicine; the drug surged through his system, paralyzing him instantly.
Koldo did not follow up. He simply returned to Postgera’s side.
"Not bad," Rei remarked.
"Isn't he? These two are more than capable of acting as my guards. So, really, I think it would be in your best interest to stay your hands and let us go."
As Postgera spoke, Galahat found his voice. "Big brother... why on earth were you dealing with the Bestia Empire? If Margrave Larkus hears of this, the Azoth Firm will be dismantled at best!"
Boluntar flinched at Galahat’s shout, but his arrogance quickly returned. "Silence! Just do something about the man who insulted me! If you do that, I'll consider this matter forgotten!"
Rei’s group looked at him with pity. It was almost a comedy—the sight of an old man who, even at this stage, believed his status remained intact.
"Galahat, ignore that old pest," Rei said. "Securing this chemist is our priority now. I didn't expect to find a Bestia Empire alchemist this deep in the frontier. Regardless of how we got here, I’m affiliated with the Kingdom of Mireana, and I intend to fulfill my duty."
In the back of his mind, Rei saw the image of Vel—the man who had betrayed them during the ritual at the Altar of Inheritance. Judging by the fact that he doesn't know me, there’s likely no direct link to Vel... but capturing him will still hurt the Bestia Empire.
"You, old pest," Rei said, looking at Boluntar. "I’ll deal with you later. For now, sit there and cower in silence."
"Wh-What! You dare speak to the Chairman of the Azoth Firm—"
"Shut up. I don't have time for the likes of you. If you get in the way, you’ll get caught in the crossfire and die."
"Guh..."
Boluntar saw the absolute conviction in Rei’s eyes. Though he glared with pure malice, he said nothing more and sank back into the sofa. His nerve was impressive, at least; he had run the Azoth Firm for years, and he clearly possessed some degree of mettle, however misplaced.
"Since it seems you’re determined to capture me, I should offer a warning," Postgera said. "Whether it’s Minas or Koldo, they are far more powerful than your typical adventurer."
Mult swallowed hard at the warning. Beside him, Brasso and Phron tensed, their bodies rigid. Galahat, normally the most capable among them, clenched his teeth in frustration, knowing his current condition made him a liability.
Postgera smiled, thinking he had seized the psychological advantage. He was wrong.
CRASH!
Rei swung the Death Scythe with a violent roar, smashing through the doorway and the adjacent wall. The sheer force of the strike shattered the lingering sense of despair. A smile played on Rei’s lips.
"Don't worry. These two... or 'two things,' rather? Either way, Set and I will handle them. You four keep an eye on this alchemist. Make sure he doesn't bolt. Listen, he probably has a magic item for teleportation. If he makes any suspicious moves, feel free to hack off a limb. Just don't let him escape."
Rei had seen Vel’s teleportation item with his own eyes; he knew exactly how quickly Bestia operatives could vanish.
Once the four nodded, Set emerged from behind Rei.
"Guruuu." The griffon growled deep in its throat, its eyes fixed dangerously on Minas.
"What’s wrong? Aren't you joining the fray?" Rei said, taunting Koldo with his scythe in one hand.
Koldo glanced at Boluntar on the sofa for a few seconds before looking back to Postgera, as if seeking permission.
"Go ahead," Postgera said. "A puppet with its strings cut can't do anything anyway. Entertain them."
With his master’s leave, Koldo stepped away from Boluntar and took his place beside Minas.
Boluntar watched them, his gaze burning with hatred after being dismissed as a broken puppet. Damn it all! To mock me... to mock ME. I won't forget this. I'll make them pay! His rage boiled, yet he remained blissfully unaware that Daskar, the Lord of Gilm, had already discarded him. He still believed that once this situation passed, his life would return to normal.
"This room is a bit cramped. Perhaps we should move to somewhere more—actually, no. There’s no reason for me to grant you that advantage," Postgera said, observing Rei’s massive great scythe and Set’s two-meter-long frame.
"I don't mind either way," Rei replied, "but letting things go exactly as you want wouldn't be very fun... Hah!"
Rei lunged, closing the gap with Koldo in an instant. The distance between them vanished in a heartbeat. He moved into point-blank range, voluntarily abandoning the reach where the Death Scythe was most effective. Koldo froze for a split second, caught off guard, but Rei didn't hesitate. He swung the weapon with raw, brutal force.
The Death Scythe tore through the remaining walls and the door frame. Because Koldo was inside the blade's arc, he wasn't sliced—but he was slammed by the weight and power of the shaft itself. Unable to withstand the momentum of Rei’s strength and the heavy weapon, Koldo was blown backward, crashing through the outer wall of the reception room and into the air beyond.
"Gurururuuu!"
Beside him, Set let out a roar. Mirroring Rei’s violence, the griffon unleashed a sweeping strike with its eagle claws, ignoring the presence of the walls entirely. Minas was caught in the blow and sent flying out of the room.
Should I secure Postgera and retreat now? Rei wondered for a fraction of a second. Now that a Bestia Empire alchemist is involved, this isn't just an internal firm dispute... but I can't leave those two freaks alone out there.
The decision took less than a heartbeat. Rei stepped fully into the room.
"Alright! Set and I will finish those two. You guys watch Boluntar and Postgera!"
With that command, Rei leaped through the jagged hole in the wall and into the night. Set followed immediately, smashing through even more of the structure as it vaulted after him.