Angry shouts reached the ears of Rei and Elena just as they finished selling their materials and were discussing magic stones.
Perhaps because the sun was still high and the adventurer population in the guild was relatively low, the commotion immediately drew the gazes of everyone present: fellow adventurers, guild staff, and even the local residents and merchants who had come to post requests. Naturally, Rei and Elena looked toward the disturbance as well.
The first person to catch their eye was a warrior—likely the source of the roar. Standing beside him were his party members, a woman with a spear and a man with a bow. All three looked to be in their mid-twenties, which made the lone man they were confronting—a warrior in his forties—stand out quite clearly.
Furthermore, Rei recognized the armor worn by the older man. Or rather, it wasn't just Rei. Anyone who had spent a significant amount of time in Exil would have known that armor on sight.
"Hey, it's those Holy Light Religion guys again."
"Taking thirty percent of the total income... isn't that just a total rip-off?"
"But they hired him knowing the price, didn't they? Complaining about it after the job is finished seems in poor taste."
"Besides, they take thirty percent of the total income. Look at it this way: if you hire one guy and dive with two, you’re still pocketing seventy percent of the total profit."
"That’s just counting your chickens before they hatch. If you’re skilled enough to dive into the dungeon as a duo, you wouldn’t need to bother hiring someone from the Holy Light Religion in the first place."
"Right. And it’s thirty percent for one, sixty for two, ninety for three... Yeah, it's definitely a bit of a rip-off."
"Those guys never budge on the price, though. They say they can't sell the power given to them as believers of the Goddess of Holy Light for cheap."
Rei was slightly surprised by the whispers circulating the room. He knew that hiring someone from the Holy Light Religion resulted in a thirty-percent loss of income, but he was surprised to find that many onlookers viewed the arrangement somewhat favorably.
This was likely because the Holy Light Religion was upfront about their fees. If they had been hired without disclosing the cost and then demanded thirty percent after a day of exploration, it would have surely incited a riot.
Oblivious to the atmosphere around them, the argument between the four men intensified. Or rather, the Holy Light Religion man responded with such calm that it seemed to incense the others further. The hot-headed warrior leading the trio was clearly seeing red.
"I am afraid I explained the compensation terms when you first hired me," the man said. "As long as we invoke the power of the Goddess of Holy Light, there will be no discounts whatsoever."
"Don't screw with me! Because of your screw-up, we had to use extra potions! And not just any potions—high-grade ones we were keeping as our final trump card!"
"I acknowledge that was unfortunate, but did we not make a pact when we formed this party? It pains me as well, but having made a promise in the name of the Goddess of Holy Light, I cannot break it. Please, understand."
The Holy Light Religion man gave a polite bow. It seemed to be the final straw for the party leader. The warrior clenched his fist, and then—
"Do you truly intend to make an enemy of the Holy Light Religion?"
The threat stopped the warrior's hand mid-swing.
The man understood. The Holy Light Religion had expanded its influence at a breakneck pace over the last few years. Among its believers were many warriors like the man standing before him. He knew exactly how dangerous it was to provoke an organization that was, for all intents and purposes, a private mercenary group.
And then...
"Wait, stop. This is bad," the woman with the spear whispered. "I heard the Holy Light Religion is backed by House Rebisole. Making an enemy of House Rebisole in Exil is..."
Hearing her warning, the man kept his fists clenched but contented himself with glaring daggers at the Holy Light Religion man. It was as if, since he couldn't strike, he would at least try to burn a hole through him with his eyes.
However, the cultist simply let the gaze roll off him like wind through willows before speaking again.
"It appears there are no further false accusations. If you will excuse me, I shall take my leave. May the blessing of the Goddess of Holy Light be upon you."
With that final mutter, he turned on his heel. He likely felt the heat of the leader's gaze on the back of his head, but he seemed confident that the man wouldn't actually strike. He calmly walked out of the guild hall.
As soon as the conflict reached its end, the other guild members immediately turned back to their own business.
"The Holy Light Religion, huh? Listening to that, they don't seem quite as malicious as the rumors say," Rei remarked.
Gran, the female staff member at the purchase counter, let out a sigh and shook her head.
"Certainly, his logic is sound, and they do make a point of stating their thirty-percent fee before entering the dungeon... but even so, these kinds of disputes are quite common."
"Why is a religious sect even in the Labyrinth City anyway?" Rei asked. "I never saw any of the Holy Light Religion in Gilm."
"Who knows? I don't know the specifics, but they were originally a small group from the countryside of the Kingdom of Mireana. They claimed to have received a goddess's blessing, and they've been growing rapidly for a few years now."
Rei tilted his head. Even if it was smaller than Exil, Gilm was a major hub with over a hundred thousand people. It was strange that he hadn't seen even a trace of a religion that was supposedly expanding so aggressively.
Elena, meanwhile, had a faint scowl on her beautiful face.
"Looks like you recognize them, Elena."
"Yes. They have been sighted in my family’s territory as well. Though they aren't exactly flourishing there yet. It is more a matter of 'those who know, know.'"
"...Which means they're being picky about where they preach? If they were serious about spreading their faith, wouldn't it make more sense to do missionary work and offer their services for free?"
"Adventurers have certainly told them as much," Gran added with a sigh. "But apparently, their doctrine forbids them from giving away their power for nothing."
The woman laughed as if to cover her mouth and hide her unprofessionalism.
"Hohoho. Well, it’s not proper for a guild employee to gossip too much about adventurer reputations, so let’s leave it at that. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow. And please, keep those magic stones in mind."
"Hmm? Oh, right. Understood. Well, regarding the stones, I'll have to get used to the dungeon and do something about the thief situation first."
"Indeed," Elena agreed. "We must handle the traps. To be honest, if it is purely a matter of combat, Rei, Seto, and I would have no trouble at all. What we need is someone with high proficiency as a thief... but finding someone is proving difficult."
Elena muttered with a sigh, and Rei nodded in agreement. Gran watched them, nodding inwardly as well.
In a Labyrinth City like Exil, the demand for thieves was perpetually high. A skilled thief would be snapped up by a party instantly; even an unskilled one would often be recruited by a party willing to train them.
In such an environment, a solo thief was either someone with personality problems that prevented them from working in a group, someone skilled enough to not need one, or someone like Byune, who had a specific reason for remaining alone.
(In that sense, these people might benefit from hiring a Holy Light Religion's Thief... but Rei seems to have a strangely deep-seated dislike for religion. I wonder if something happened to him in the past?)
Gran kept the thought to herself, maintaining her professional demeanor. She watched the two leave the purchase counter and began preparing for the busy rush of the late-afternoon material sales.
"The Holy Light Religion... great."
Rei’s voice was thick with annoyance as they stepped out of the guild. Elena was about to ask him why when she noticed Seto and Iero approaching. Iero was perched on Seto’s back as if it were its permanent throne.
"Kyu!"
The little dragon gave a short cry, kicked off Seto’s back, and landed on Elena’s left shoulder. Elena reached up to scratch Iero’s throat as it chirped.
Beside them, Seto purred and rubbed its face against Rei. There was a faint note of worry in its cry, likely having sensed Rei’s mood.
"Guruuu?"
"What’s wrong?" it seemed to ask. Rei offered a small smile and rubbed the griffon’s head.
"It’s nothing," he assured it.
After a minute of playing with Seto, Rei’s irritation faded. By the time they started walking, the honest smile had returned to his face beneath his hood.
"Well, it’s still far from evening... what now?" Elena asked, careful not to provoke any more foul moods.
"Let’s see. I’m a bit hungry, but... it’s still too early for dinner at the inn, right?"
"Yes. It would be a bit premature."
It was just past three in the afternoon. The summer sun was still blazing overhead, declaring its presence with absolute authority.
They had eaten the lunch provided by the inn while inside the dungeon, but that was only a standard portion for a human. It was nowhere near enough for Rei and Seto, whose caloric needs were immense, or for Elena, who had absorbed the Ancient Dragon magic stone.
Thanks to the influence of that stone, Elena’s metabolism was such that she found it incredibly difficult to gain weight regardless of how much she ate. Her body was still in its final stages of growth, and if the women of the world knew her secret, they would surely be green with envy.
"Since the inn is high-class, they’d probably whip something up if we asked, but... what do you think? Personally, I’d really like to go on a street-food tour."
Rei looked at Seto as he spoke. While he did genuinely want to sample the local cuisine of Exil, he also wanted to get the citizenry used to Seto's presence.
Back at the grilled skewer stall before they entered the dungeon, seeing Seto happily munching on meat had visibly lowered the guard of the people nearby. Their fear and awe had shifted toward seeing him as a large, lovable animal. Based on his experience in Gilm and elsewhere, Rei knew this was the most effective way to socialize his partner.
Elena nodded, fully understanding his intent.
"I agree. I would like to try this 'buying and eating' with Iero. Because of my station, I have never had the opportunity to do so."
"Well, that makes sense. People don't usually let a Duke's Daughter buy snacks from a street stall. In that case, why don't you have your first experience with me?"
"My first experience... That has a heart-stirring ring to it. Very well, let us proceed. Rei, if there are any specific manners I should observe, please instruct me."
"Manners? Hmm. If I had to say anything, maybe just don't toss your finished skewers on the side of the road?"
After teaching Elena the basics—like not littering and not splashing sauce on bystanders—the two people and two animals headed to the nearest stall.
They started with the most popular street food: grilled skewers. After that, they moved on to sandwiches and hot dogs.
They even found something resembling a crepe. It wasn't the kind Rei knew, filled with cream and fruit; instead, it was a savory galette-modoki wrapped around ham, cheese, and stewed meat. Rei had eaten similar dishes before, but they weren't as common as skewers, making it a bit of a local delicacy.
After finishing the galette-modoki, Rei’s nose caught a savory, mouth-watering aroma coming from a nearby dining hall.
"Hmm? Are we going there next? Very well. That scent is quite inviting."
Elena followed as Rei stepped toward the building. But they had barely moved a few paces when they both froze. In the next instant, a man came flying out through the dining hall doors.