Rei and Tirage were the only ones left in the Guild Master’s office. Tirage was the first to speak, taking a sip from his cup of plain hot water.
"Following the message from Marina, I asked the Thieves currently under my command to track down the location where Elk’s family is being held. However, individuals with the Thief class are rare as it is, so I've also enlisted Rangers and Archers capable of stealth to assist in the search... but..."
Tirage trailed off, shaking his head apologetically.
"It seems finding them in such a short window is proving difficult. I'm sorry to report that we haven't received any leads yet."
"Don't let it get to you," Rei replied. "The people we're dealing with have been professionally trained. I didn't expect them to show their tails this quickly anyway."
"...The Bestia Empire," Tirage sighed, bringing the cup back to his lips. A look of profound bitterness crossed his face.
It was as though the simple water he was drinking had suddenly turned into something vile and acrid.
"To be honest, I was aware that agents of the Bestia Empire were lurking in this city. I just never imagined they would be bold enough to pull something like this."
"They're probably getting desperate. For better or worse, I've spent a lot of time throwing wrenches into their plans. At this point, I don't think they can afford to ignore me anymore... that’s the reality of it."
"I see. That makes things even more dangerous. There’s no telling what kind of radical measures a cornered enemy might take."
Tirage exhaled another heavy sigh. As the Guild Master, he had a few choice words for Rei regarding the unnecessary trouble he’d brought to Abuelo. However, as a citizen of the Kingdom of Mireana, he felt a certain debt of gratitude toward the youth for thwarting the Empire's schemes. Furthermore, as a man from a merchant background who valued honest dealings above all else, the tactic of blackmailing a high-rank adventurer was utterly repugnant to him.
"So, what do you plan to do once the hideout is found? Marina told me to leave everything to you, but..."
Tirage left the rest unsaid: We would like a part in this as well.
Rei considered the request for a moment. He knew Tirage wasn't trying to steal the credit. It was a matter of reputation—if the Abuelo Guild simply sat on its hands while an incident unfolded in its own city, it would look terrible to the public.
While they were currently using Thieves and stealth units to gather intel, that was strictly support work. If the Guild remained in the shadows while Rei handled everything publicly, Tirage's standing as the Guild Master of the City of Abuelo would be compromised.
Though he wasn't fully aware of the political nuances, Rei gave a small nod.
"Fair enough. Your people can surround the hideout and make sure no one escapes. I’m planning to have Seto on standby in the air, but night is still night, regardless of how well he can see. In the middle of a city, it’s hard to guarantee we'll catch every single person if they try to slip away into the darkness."
"I see. Understood. I’ll make the arrangements immediately so we can move the moment the location is confirmed."
Tirage stood up from the sofa and walked over to his desk. He skimmed through several documents and added his signature to a few of them. Once he finished, he reached for a small bell.
The sharp chime-chime of the bell rang out, followed shortly by a knock on the door.
"Pardon me, Guild Master. You called?"
"Yes, come in."
At Tirage’s invitation, a woman entered the room.
She looked to be in her mid-twenties, with her vivid green hair tied back in a neat ponytail. Her stiff, formal aura gave Rei the immediate impression of a professional secretary. She looked exactly like the secretaries he had seen in dramas and manga back in Japan.
"Verde-kun, I need you to gather the members of the parties listed in these documents immediately."
The secretary, Verde, shot a brief glance at Rei before nodding and accepting the papers.
"I’ll see to it at once. However... you've included Ogre Heart?"
"Yes. They have a baseline level of competence, and more importantly, they have the numbers we need."
"...Understood. I shall proceed as instructed."
Her expression didn't change as she nodded to Tirage. She wasn't just calm; she was entirely expressionless.
Tirage seemed used to her demeanor, offering a small smile as he bowed his head slightly.
"I’m counting on you. I know I can leave things in your hands."
The sight of a Guild Master bowing to his secretary while delegating work might have seemed strange to some, but given Tirage's humble nature and Verde’s icy professionalism, it felt oddly balanced. To Rei, the scene looked perfectly natural.
Verde glanced at Rei once more.
Their eyes met for only a fraction of a second, but Rei saw a slight twitch in her brow—a rare crack in her expressionless mask.
Then, she turned and left the room with the documents in hand.
In reality, Verde possessed the ability to sense magic power. The fact that she had only twitched an eyebrow upon seeing Rei—who possessed immense magic power—was a testament to just how disciplined her poker face truly was.
"I apologize for that. Verde-kun isn't exactly the most sociable person," Tirage said with an apologetic smile, perhaps noticing the exchange or simply trying to smooth things over.
"Don't worry about it. As long as she gets the job done, there's no problem."
Rei took another sip of his water.
Wait, if he has a secretary, shouldn't she have been the one to brew the tea or whatever this is? he thought, before deciding Tirage likely wanted to keep the room clear for such high-stakes information.
"By the way, is there anything specific we should look out for when we move to capture these spies?" Tirage asked.
"Hm? Oh, right..." Rei snapped back to the present and began recalling his past encounters. "Well, the ones I fought before had magic items for space teleportation. You’ll want to seize those as soon as they’re restrained. I don’t know if every group carries them, since they seem quite valuable, but it’s a possibility."
"...Space teleportation? That’s an incredible magic item to have on hand."
"They look like stones about five centimeters wide. You activate them by channeling magic power and smashing them against the ground. They have plenty of drawbacks, though. The range isn't great, they’re single-use, and you have to have a magic circle set up at the destination beforehand."
"I see. I’ll make sure the adventurers we mobilize are fully briefed on that. Anything else?"
Tirage’s eyes were focused and calm—the mark of a true Guild Master. Rei felt a surge of respect for the man’s composure as he continued.
"Have you ever heard of 'Beast Soldiers'?"
"...Beast Soldiers? No, that’s a new one."
"They’re a new type of weapon—or soldier—developed by the Bestia Empire. Simply put, they’re soldiers who have been infused with the power of monsters through alchemy."
"..."
"They look the part, too. They’re barely human. Some have carapaces covering their skin, others have tentacles growing out of them. They’re twisted creatures, but they’re incredibly strong. If the ones in this city are just spies, you might not see them, but it’s worth remembering that they might be acting as guards."
"...I understand. I'll pass that along as well."
Just as Tirage nodded, another knock echoed through the room.
"Enter."
Verde walked back in. Maintaining her expressionless mask, she bowed slightly.
"The scouting units have returned. They've discovered the targets in a building in the slums."
"Excellent. Bring them in immediately. I want a full report."
"Understood. Please wait a moment."
As Verde left again, Rei spoke up, impressed.
"Finding Bestia Empire spies this quickly... those must be some top-tier adventurers."
"Well, this city sits on the border between the frontier and the interior. You can't survive here without a certain level of skill, even if they aren't quite at the level of the adventurers in Gilm."
Despite his modest words, Tirage couldn't hide the proud smile that tugged at his lips. He clearly appreciated the praise for his guild members.
A few minutes later, there was another knock.
Five people entered the room. One was Verde, and Rei turned his gaze toward the other four, assuming they were the scouts.
The moment their eyes met Rei's, all four of them gasped in unison.
"Aaaaaah!"
"It's you! From Gilm!"
"Yeah, yeah! The guy with the Gryphon!"
"Whoa... I did not see this coming."
"Seriously. To think we'd meet again in a place like this."
The warrior in the lead, clad in scale armor, was the first to shout. He was followed by a warrior with a pole-axe, a female warrior with a spear, and an archer woman.
"...Do you know them?" Tirage asked, blinking at their outburst.
Rei thought for a moment before nodding. "We've met a few times. You're the 'Blade of the Azure Sky', right?"
"That's right! D-Rank Party, Blade of the Azure Sky! Man, I never thought we'd run into you here."
"D-Rank? Weren't you E-Rank the last time we talked?"
The man grinned at Rei's question.
"We took the rank up exam right after that. We all got promoted to D-Rank. So now, we're officially the D-Rank Party, Blade of the Azure Sky."
"I see. Well, congratulations are in order then."
"Hahaha! Yeah, well, our era is just beginning!"
"..."
The man’s boisterous laughter died down as he realized Verde was boring a hole through him with a look that could only be described as cold-blooded.
Tirage cleared his throat, sensing the shift in the room.
"Well, it seems names haven't been exchanged yet. Shall we start with introductions?"
"Ah, right. Sorry, Guild Master. I’m Bilt. As you can see, I’m a warrior. My weapon is a longsword, and I’m the leader of Blade of the Azure Sky."
The young man with brown hair and scale armor spoke quickly, clearly trying to escape Verde’s icy stare.
Next, a muscular youth stepped forward, hoisting a pole-axe.
"I’m Begrif. Warrior. My weapon is the pole-axe."
He gave a rough, confident smirk.
Then came a girl slightly older than Rei, holding a spear. She had a tomboyish energy and a face that radiated vitality.
"I'm Bilke. I use a spear, obviously. And I'm Bilt’s little sister."
Finally, the oldest member of the group stepped forward. She was a woman in her mid-twenties with her light blue hair trimmed into a short cut that stayed clear of her ears—perfect for an archer.
"I'm Carla. I handled most of the investigative work for this mission."
Rei took her hand as she offered it.
"I'm sure you already know, but for the record: I'm Rei, a C-Rank Adventurer from the City of Gilm. I appreciate all the hard work you’ve put in."
Once the introductions were finished, everyone except Verde took a seat on the sofas. Verde remained standing behind Tirage like a sentinel.
"Now then, let's hear the report," Tirage said.
Everyone turned their attention to Carla.
"The building I found is in the slums. It’s the same place where that group called the Gilgumon Family caused that ruckus with Ogre Heart about six months ago."
"...Ah, that place." Tirage’s brow furrowed. It clearly wasn't a fond memory.
Rei tilted his head, remembering the name "Ogre Heart" from Verde's earlier list.
"Yes. That massive brawl where Ogre Heart ended up getting slapped with a heavy fine. In the building right next to that site, I spotted a man and a woman on the second floor. They were tied up with ropes and left on the floor. I also confirmed three black-clad figures nearby."
Tirage looked at Rei. Rei nodded silently.
"That's it. No doubt about it."
A predatory light sparked in Rei’s eyes as he spoke, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous murmur. "That's them."