Normally, soft moonlight would have thinned the darkness, but heavy clouds had veiled it completely. In the depths of a night where nothing could be illuminated, two figures remained in total silence within a back street of Exil. They blended into the gloom as if they were part of the shadows themselves.
Even if someone had passed by this spot, they would likely have taken the figures for ornaments or inanimate objects, so completely had they suppressed their presence.
Suddenly, a single, light footstep echoed in the stillness.
It was a faint sound, one that an ordinary person would surely have missed. But for the two who had been waiting there as still as wood and stone, it was more than enough.
Both men opened their eyes and turned their gazes toward the newcomer.
"Did I keep you waiting?"
"No, there is no problem. It is better that we wait than to keep our master waiting."
"..."
One of the men spoke, and the other nodded in agreement.
The newly arrived figure gave a small nod and spoke.
"So, I heard the results of the experiment have come out, however partially?"
"Yes. It appears an adventurer party encountered them. Furthermore—and this is supplementary information—the Sword Bee Mutant that had gone missing was also defeated by their hands."
"...I see. But the Sword Bee Mutant was supposed to have vanished on a floor quite close to the surface, was it not? It shouldn't have been at a level where beginners could defeat it. In the first place, if beginners could kill it, it wouldn't deserve to be called a mutant."
At the man's suspicious tone, the subordinates nodded again.
"It certainly would not have been a problem for ordinary beginners. They likely would have ended up as just another report of newcomers going missing in the dungeon. However, the ones who defeated the mutant this time were no ordinary adventurers. It was a party led by the one called Crimson."
"Crimson... The one who made a name for himself in the Spring War? The one who supposedly travels with a Gryphon?"
"Yes. A pickup party formed by that Crimson, the Princess General Elena Kerebel, the Mad Beast Vihera, and the orphan of House Flaut, Byune Flaut. It appears these four were the ones who reported the Sword Bee Mutant and the Stone Puppet Mutant."
The man let out a small sigh at the report.
"Of all things, for them to run into such famous names. Let me confirm: those two are the only mutants that were defeated, correct?"
"No, it appears several others have been defeated by other parties as well."
"...Is the data being collected?"
"Yes, there are no issues on that front."
"Then there is no problem. It is not yet time for us to step onto the public stage. We shall leave the public presence to our dear Alliance Leader."
The term "Alliance Leader" indicated someone of higher standing than the man, yet the expression on his lips was nothing but a sneer.
The same likely applied to the two subordinates. They continued the conversation without appearing to mind their master's mockery.
"Then, regarding the mutant species, may we proceed as planned?"
"Do so. However, take the utmost care to ensure our existence does not come to light."
"Understood. We will operate with even greater caution. Fortunately, we have no shortage of personnel to act as the face of the operation, and even if they fail, we have those in the public eye."
"Even so. For whatever reason, if we were to clash head-on with a monster like Crimson, our losses would only mount."
His bitter voice echoed in the alley. It was clear he spoke from the heart, and the two subordinates shared the sentiment, nodding in silence.
"Indeed. Just to be safe, if it looks like our identity is about to be discovered by the likes of Crimson or the Princess General, withdraw from Exil immediately. Listen, I hate to repeat myself, but take every precaution to ensure our existence is never made public."
"Understood!"
The two replied in unison. Seeing this, the man nodded with satisfaction and looked up at the night sky. The moon was still hidden, its light blocked by the thick clouds.
"...This city of Exil is too hot to bear. It is exceedingly difficult to live in such muggy heat."
"Indeed. It feels as though the humidity increases simply because there are so many people here."
"..."
One of the duo murmured this, and the other nodded in agreement.
The man watched them for a moment, but deciding that staying here wouldn't change the weather, he turned on his heel with a small sigh.
"Then, that is all for now. As a precaution, keep them under surveillance—just enough that Crimson and the others do not notice. There is no need to probe too deeply, but if those people move, there will likely be an uproar on our end as well."
"Understood!"
The words of assent rang through the darkness... and in the next moment, no one remained. Only the muggy air peculiar to a tropical night was left behind.
In the labyrinth city Exil, a conspiracy was underway, and none but the conspirators knew of it.
After finishing their report at the guild and purchasing a map that went down to B10F, Rei and Elena had parted ways with Vihera and Byune. Now, they were in the dining hall of their inn.
Since it was a summer night, many guests were boisterously drinking ale and wine to ward off the heat, but a prickling atmosphere drifted around the table where Rei and Elena sat.
Laid out on the table was a hearty soup filled with vegetables and meat, and roasted Orc cooked to a crisp to lock in the juices, served with a sweet and tart fruit sauce. There was a salad seasoned with a dressing of salt and citrus juice, and steamed fish—a rarity in this world—drenched in a rich nut sauce. In addition, there was fluffy white bread and a wedge of cheese.
To Rei, it was a truly luxurious meal, one he normally would have enjoyed immensely while conversing with Elena.
However, only silence occupied the table now. Elena wordlessly carried the food to her mouth. Despite the casualness of her movements, her noble upbringing still showed; every gesture was elegant.
(Come to think of it, Vihera's movements also looked refined despite her rough edges. Is she perhaps a young lady from a good family too?)
Rei thought to himself while bringing a piece of roasted Orc to his mouth. At that moment—
"...Are you thinking of something strange?"
While cutting into the steamed fish, Elena turned a sharp gaze toward Rei.
For a moment, Rei thought she had seen through him thinking about Vihera, but he managed to keep his expression neutral. He shook his head and swallowed the meat.
"No, I'm not thinking about anything strange. I was just thinking that a lot happened today."
The words were an attempt to deflect, but they were a complete landmine.
Elena's movements stopped dead. Her gaze fixed on Rei once more.
"Oh? A lot happened, you say. I suppose so. I imagine you didn't expect to reunite so soon with the person who kissed you yesterday."
Rei likely wasn't imagining the fact that the temperature felt as though it had dropped several degrees. The guests around them were making noise to blow away the summer heat, yet the area around their table felt as cold as winter.
Furthermore, other guests sitting near them had already asked the waiter to move them to different seats.
At a table now isolated from the rest of the room, Elena elegantly swallowed her fish before putting a cup of wine to her lips.
Rei watched her, eventually letting out a small sigh before speaking.
"It's true that Vihera kissed me. But you understand that it wasn't because she has romantic feelings for me, don't you, Elena?"
"Is that so? In fact, Vihera has publicly stated that she will entrust herself to anyone who fights her and wins. And she is undoubtedly interested in you, Rei. I believe that is an undeniable fact, is it not?"
While she spoke as if accusing Rei, her ingrained habits remained; she swallowed a spoonful of the hearty soup without making a sound.
At that moment, a flicker of admiration appeared on her face, likely because the flavors of the ingredients had seeped into the broth, creating a complex profile. The fact that she could instinctively appreciate the flavor even in the middle of a dispute was a testament to the skill of the cook at Exil's highest-class inn.
Whether he noticed Elena's reaction or not, Rei swallowed some cheese and bread with his cold fruit water before continuing.
"Certainly, if you were to ask if what Vihera feels toward me is goodwill or ill will, it's definitely goodwill."
At Rei's definitive statement, Elena's fingers twitched.
But before she could speak, Rei cut her off.
"However, that goodwill isn't the goodwill of romantic feelings. I'm certain of that. At the very least, there isn't a shred of romance in the gaze Vihera directs at me. All that's there is a fighting spirit seeking battle."
"That is..."
Elena had no words to deny that. After all, the gaze Vihera directed at her was similarly filled with fighting spirit.
Appetite, sleep, sexual desire—aside from those, Elena had certainly sensed a craving that could only be called battle lust.
"But it is a fact that Vihera said she would entrust herself to the person who defeated her. You heard that yourself, didn't you, Rei?"
"True. But isn't she only saying that because she's certain she'll never lose? In fact, Vihera's combat ability is quite high. At the very least, she's good enough to trade blows with me even when I'm unarmed."
Hearing Rei's words, Elena recalled the battles in the dungeon. It was true that Vihera had instantly killed the Stone Puppet—the same one the D-rank party had struggled with—without sustaining even a graze. Since she had seen it with her own eyes, Elena had to admit there was merit to Rei's argument.
However, there were still things she had to press him on.
"I see, there are certainly parts of your words that I can accept. Then, let me ask again. When you heard that Vihera would entrust herself to someone who won a fight against her, what did you think? Did you not have any expectations at all?"
"That's..."
Rei found himself at a loss for words, unable to deny it immediately. Vihera was among the top three most beautiful women Rei had ever seen. Naturally, if asked if his heart hadn't been moved at all when such a woman threw suggestive words at him, the answer was no.
"I thought as much."
Seeing Rei like that, Elena let out a small sigh.
"Relax. I do not intend to blame you for that specifically."
"...What?"
Rei blurted out a question at Elena's unexpected words. He had assumed Elena was angry because he had made a move on Vihera, or because she thought he intended to. And yet, she was saying she wasn't angry simply because he admitted there was a possibility he might have.
"I am a duke's daughter, as you can see. My father, the head of Duke Kerebel's House, has a Second Wife and a Third Wife in addition to my mother. Unfortunately, I am his only child."
Hearing those last words, Rei nodded to himself. As a noble, having heirs to inherit the house was necessary. With only Elena, should something happen, the heir to one of the few ducal houses in the Kingdom of Mireana would be lost.
(Though I'm sure if there were too many children, there'd be succession disputes, so it's not like the more the better.)
He murmured internally, feeling relieved that Elena wasn't actually blaming him for his relationship with Vihera as much as her aura suggested.
(She was putting off quite an atmosphere for someone who doesn't blame me, though.)
That might have been a performance on Elena's part. Or perhaps she simply wanted to silently express that she and Vihera were incompatible. As if to prove this, the cold atmosphere that had drifted around their table was already gone, replaced by the natural heat of the summer night.
"Besides... I simply have to make sure you do not turn your attention toward any other woman, Rei."
It was perhaps a stroke of luck that Elena's whispered murmur did not reach Rei's ears.