The fourth basement floor of the Exil dungeon. Roughly an hour after the Sword Bee incident had been settled, Rei and his party finally arrived.
"So this is B4F. It remains as unchanging as ever, I see."
Elena murmured as she surveyed the room containing the stairs and the magic circle. Stone paving and cold walls surrounded them; the scenery was identical to B3F.
"Looking at this, one realizes just how much of an outlier the dungeon we explored in search of the Altar of Inheritance truly was."
"The upper levels there were ordinary enough, and it only started changing after we dove deep enough. But that place was shallow because not much time had passed since its creation, so that probably played a part. If we go deep enough into this dungeon, we might find forests or something similar... maybe."
"I certainly hope so. I am quite tired of seeing the same scenery over and over. Regardless, what shall we do now? Should we explore a bit of this floor, or return to the surface?"
In response to Elena's question, Rei stroked the back of Seto, who was nuzzling his head against him in an affectionate manner. He thought for a few seconds, glanced at Elena, and made his decision.
"Let's head back for today. Those Sword Bees were an unnecessary drain on our stamina, and all things considered, we've only been in Exil for a few days. We’re making good progress, so there’s no need to push ourselves."
"I would not have minded exploring a bit further, but..."
Even as Elena spoke, she likely understood that Rei was ending the day out of consideration for her, as someone unaccustomed to dungeons. Her military background meant her strength on the battlefield was never in question, but a dungeon was a different world entirely. Moving while staying alert for traps, the constant threat of monsters appearing from anywhere, the pursuit of the Queen Bee, and the battle against the swarm—it was a relentless string of firsts. Fatigue had accumulated in Elena more than her pride allowed her to show.
"However, let's finish the magic stone absorption for the Queen Bee before we use the magic circle."
Rei murmured as he checked their surroundings to ensure no one was nearby. At his words, Elena’s disappointed look vanished, replaced by a small smile.
"Magic stone absorption? I have wanted to see that for myself... Is it truly alright?"
"There's no point in hiding anything from you now, Elena. Don't worry about it."
Rei took the Queen Bee body out of his Misty Ring. Its head was shattered, and the abdomen that had housed the poison stinger was equally mangled. Most people would have struggled to identify what kind of monster it had once been.
"I see Seto’s handiwork was as thorough as ever," Elena remarked as she observed the carcass.
Under her watchful eye, Rei took out his dismantling knife and began cutting into the torso. Though the stinger was gone, the heart containing the magic stone was fortunately intact. He extracted it without issue.
"Do you think the wings or other parts would sell?"
"Do not ask me. However, you might as well take them. If no one wants them, you can simply burn them or throw them away later. Since you have an Item Box, Rei, weight is not a concern."
"Fair point."
Rei nodded and stored the Queen Bee body into his Item Box. He then drew his Dagger of Flowing Water to wash his hands and the knife.
Elena, who knew the flavor of the water Rei produced using his immense magic power, looked as though she wanted to say something. To Rei, however, water was simply water—something he could generate endlessly with his mana. Without a second thought, he finished cleaning up and held the magic stone out to Seto.
"Seto, go ahead and eat."
"Guruuu."
Seto caught the stone in his beak and swallowed it. Rei waited for about thirty seconds, but the familiar announcement failed to echo in his mind. He let out a sigh.
Well, even if she was a Queen Bee, she was still just a variant of the Rank E Sword Bee. I suppose it's only natural he didn't learn a skill.
As Rei thought this, he looked over at Elena. She was staring at him and Seto with an expectant gaze, as if waiting for a revelation.
"So, what did he learn? Since it was a Queen Bee, was it something poison-related?"
Seeing Elena’s uncharacteristic curiosity, Rei shook his head.
"Unfortunately, he didn't learn a new skill. Magic stone absorption doesn't guarantee a success every time."
"...I see."
Elena let out a disappointed sigh. Rei lightly patted the shoulder of her white armor to cheer her up.
"Look, this is a dungeon. The deeper we go, the stronger the monsters will get. There will be plenty more chances to absorb magic stones, so stay tuned."
"...Very well."
Elena nodded, though she still looked a bit dejected; she clearly had been looking forward to witnessing a breakthrough.
"Kyu!"
"Guruuu."
Iero, perched on her left shoulder, comforted her by nuzzling his cheek against hers, while Seto lowered his head and purred apologetically.
Elena watched the two creatures for a moment before a small smile returned to her face. She stroked their heads and spoke.
"No, please, do not mind me. I simply got my hopes up on my own. As Rei said, many powerful monsters await us on the lower floors. More importantly, we should go. I gave away the magic stones from the common Sword Bees, but we have collected plenty of others. Let us sell them at the guild and find something to eat, just like yesterday... Though, Rei, even if you run into that Vihera woman again, you are not to go making heart-eyes at her."
"Hey, I told you, I wasn't—"
"Is there a problem?"
"...No, nothing."
Rei fell silent, unable to argue against Elena’s pointed gaze. Satisfied, she gave a small nod and headed toward the magic circle.
"Come, Rei. Let us go," she said, abruptly grabbing his hand.
"I'd like to sell these."
Upon returning to the guild, Rei and his party headed straight to the purchase counter. Rei brought out the magic stones, proof of subjugation parts, and a few materials from the Misty Ring, laying them out on the counter.
It was later than the previous day, but since it was only just past 4:00 PM, the guild wasn't yet crowded. They processed their loot for cash without a wait—ultimately, the Queen Bee provided no materials of market value—and were about to head for the exit when they were stopped.
"Excuse me, Rei-san, Elena-san. Someone is asking for you. Do you have a moment?"
It was the receptionist at the quest counter, rather than the purchase counter, who called out to them.
"Someone wants us?" Rei asked. He didn't recall causing any trouble in Exil yet and wondered if it was a mistake.
The receptionist shook her head and spoke again. "He specifically asked for Rei-san and Elena-san. He is waiting in the meeting room at the far end of the second floor."
"...And who might that be?"
"Lord Bosk Silwa."
The name immediately brought back the events in the dungeon.
I see. It's about that incident.
The image of the two-meter-tall giant Rei had glimpsed in the dining hall crossed his mind, specifically the massive claymore he carried on his back.
Well, I wonder what he wants. I’d prefer it if things didn't get hostile.
Rei and Elena climbed the stairs and reached the room at the back of the second floor.
"Let’s see if we find a saint or a serpent," Rei muttered. He knocked, and an immediate response came from within.
"Come in."
Rei opened the door to see the man from the day before. The claymore was missing from his back, likely because it was too cumbersome indoors; instead, it lay carelessly on the table.
To a novice, it might have looked like he had simply set it down. To an expert, however, it was clear that Bosk was positioned so that he could draw and swing the weapon in a single motion. This held true even though he currently had nearly thirty grilled skewers piled in front of him.
"Yo, I've been waiting for you."
Bosk greeted Rei with his left hand while his right reached for a skewer. He bit into the meat and pulled the wood free, devouring the entire portion in a single bite. Next, he grabbed a wine barrel and poured a massive serving into a cup as large as a soup bowl, using the wine to wash down the meat.
"Phew... My bad. Even as a ruler of this city, I've got plenty of tedious paperwork. Thanks to that, I'm stuck eating this mess that’s somewhere between lunch and dinner. Anyway, I reckon you already know why I called you here?"
"Yeah. It’s about the dungeon today, isn't it? You're remarkably well-informed."
"Naturally. I'm young, so I pride myself on having light footwork."
With a grin, Bosk stood up and approached them. After a brief silence, he spoke.
"You saved my younger brothers. You have my thanks!"
He bowed his head deeply. It was a completely unexpected sight. Rei and Elena had never imagined that the head of one of the Three Houses Governing Exil would humble himself so easily.
They briefly wondered if it was a hollow gesture, but the sincerity in his posture was undeniable. At the very least, he appeared to be bowing with genuine conviction.
"That's unexpected," Rei said.
"That I'd bow to you?" Bosk raised his head and asked.
"Yeah. Based on our encounter yesterday, I didn't think you were the humble type."
"Normally, I wouldn't be. I know that better than anyone. But those guys are different. They're my boys—they rely on me and follow me. To me, they're my greatest asset. They’re worth far more than gold."
"...I see."
Elena murmured, appearing impressed by his sentiment.
"So, here. This is a token of my gratitude. Take it."
Bosk reached into a pouch at his waist and pulled out several gems. Though not particularly large, there were six in total—a mix of rubies, emeralds, and turquoises. Rei immediately understood the significance of the number. It matched the number of adventurers they had saved in the dungeon.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yeah. It's not just my money, anyway. The guys you saved put up nearly half of it as a thank-you for their lives. Since you gave them all those Sword Bee magic stones, it's not like it was a struggle for them to pay up."
"Well, they’re quite a disciplined lot, despite their rough edges."
Bosk let out a boisterous laugh, catching the subtext of "and so are you."
As Rei watched him, the face of Elk, the leader of the Axe of the Thunder God, crossed his mind.
Are they similar? I suppose so, in a way. Especially when it comes to valuing their comrades.
Rei accepted the small bag of gems from Bosk. By standard measures, this was an excessive reward for the lives of a few adventurers—a grim reflection of how cheap an adventurer's life usually was—but Bosk looked entirely satisfied.
He returned to his seat and resumed eating his skewers. As far as he was concerned, the debt was settled.
However, as Rei and Elena turned to leave, he called out to them one last time.
"Say, what are people like Crimson and the Princess General really doing in Exil? I’m having my people keep an eye on you since you’re alias holders, but so far you’ve just been diving into the dungeon."
"Is there a problem? The dungeon is our objective."
"...Is it truly?"
"Who knows? But for now, that's the only reason we're here. I have a hobby of collecting magic items and magic stones, but I have no intention of causing trouble for your city."
Rei didn't know how Bosk took his words, but the man didn't ask anything more as the two of them walked away.