"...Are you sure about that?"
On the way back from the Rebisole estate, Rei spoke to Elena while stroking the head of Seto, who walked faithfully beside him.
Elena met his gaze with a faint smile and a confident nod. "Meeting him in person confirmed it. He is a typical slave to power, interested only in his own gain. Much like the various nobles found within the Noble's Faction and the King's Faction."
Rei couldn't argue with that. He had encountered far too many nobles of that exact description during his time in this world.
Though their meal at House Rebisole had taken some time, it was only just turning into evening. The sky was beginning to bleed into a deep, vibrant crimson as the sun set. Despite the late hour—or perhaps because of it—the oppressive heat still clung to the air, wrapping Exil in a sweltering shroud.
"It really is hot. Perhaps we should have let them send us back in their carriage after all?" Elena cast a resentful glance toward the setting sun.
When they had departed the Rebisole mansion, the adventurer who had originally met them at the dungeon entrance had offered to escort them back. However, having flatly rejected Shafner’s proposal, they couldn't bring themselves to accept his charity. Thus, they found themselves traversing the city on foot.
House Rebisole was situated in the eastern district of Exil, and they were currently heading due west. However, given that Exil was a massive metropolis said to house over 200,000 residents, the city was vast. Rei realized it would be impossible to reach their inn, or even the guild, before total darkness fell. He turned his eyes toward a passing hackney carriage.
"Should we take a carriage?"
"Hmm. I don't mind, but... what of Seto? Surely... no, it seems it will be fine." Elena watched a carriage driving ahead of them and gave a wry smile as she agreed.
Walking behind that particular carriage were several monsters, including Big Boars and Bicorns. They were likely tamed by the passengers or summoned through magic.
(If it were summoning magic, they’d usually send them back once they were done to save magic power, so those are likely tamed monsters,) Rei thought to himself.
His reasoning was partially correct, but not entirely. Summoning magic consumed magic power not only to call a creature forth but also to dismiss it. To conserve magic power, most summoners kept their monsters out as long as possible unless there was a dire reason to hide them. This also ensured they were ready for immediate action. Of course, that meant paying for feed and stable fees, which came down to the individual's budget.
In any case, after paying a slightly higher fare, the driver permitted Seto to follow behind. Rei and Elena boarded the carriage and began the journey toward the guild.
The other tamed monsters following the carriage were used to the hustle and bustle of a Labyrinth City, but they were visibly terrified of Seto at first. Eventually, they seemed to settle into an uneasy acceptance. Their movements remained somewhat stiff, however; completely adjusting to the presence of a Gryphon was a tall order for any lesser beast.
By the time they reached the guild and stepped out of the carriage, the sun had not yet fully dipped below the horizon. However, the lobby was already a chaotic sea of people. It was the peak evening rush, filled with adventurers returning from the dungeon to sell their magic stones and materials, and others lining up to claim rewards for completed requests.
Until now, Rei and his party had mostly visited the guild during quieter hours. While his name and the alias of 'Crimson' were famous, relatively few people had actually seen him in person.
As for Elena, the upper management of Exil—the Silwa, Marstchel, and Rebisole families—along with the guild itself, had gone to great lengths to keep her identity secret. It was a blessing that she wasn't widely recognized as the Princess General.
That said, many mercenaries from Exil had participated in the Spring War and knew her face. The secret remained intact only because most were too terrified to involve themselves with a Duke's daughter, or because the guild had issued very stern warnings to keep their mouths shut.
Ignoring the ripple of whispers as his name and face were recognized by the crowd, Rei headed straight for the purchase counter. The staff were working frantically to handle the influx, but they were overwhelmed, and long lines had formed. As Rei and Elena took their place at the back, a group of rowdy adventurers approached them.
"Hey, you idiot! Stop it!"
Several other adventurers who knew better hurriedly tried to restrain their comrades. The men approaching Rei had sadistic grins plastered on their faces.
"What? Everyone’s been talking about 'Crimson' this and that, so I expected some terrifying giant, but he’s just a brat. He’s got a woman way out of his league, too. I’m just gonna take him down a peg."
"I’m telling you, knock it off! He might look like a kid, but his strength is the real deal."
"What? You’re actually scared of a brat like that?"
"Yeah, I am. I heard it straight from guys who were in the Spring War. Those rumors about him incinerating the Bestia Empire's entire Lead Unit are facts. And... it’s still just a rumor, but they say he’s got ties to House Silwa."
"Are you... serious...?"
As the adventurers debated among themselves, a guild staff member in his 40s approached Rei and Elena. As if to confirm the rumors, he spoke in a clear, carrying voice.
"Elena-sama, Rei-sama. Lord Bosk is waiting for you in the usual room. Please head to the second floor immediately."
His voice was loud enough to ensure every eavesdropping adventurer in the lobby heard him.
(Yeah, he definitely did that on purpose,) Rei noted.
Understanding the man's intent, Rei caught Elena’s eye and nodded. For those who knew Elena's true status—the guild included—it was imperative to prevent some ignorant thug from provoking Rei and incurring her wrath. Since they couldn't openly reveal she was a Duke's daughter, the best alternative was to publicly link them to House Silwa.
(Well, if it keeps the flies away, I don't care.)
Rei watched the crowd go silent. The adventurers who had intended to harass him quickly backed away, clearly wanting no part of anything that would draw the ire of House Silwa. Rei turned back to the staff member and nodded.
"Understood. Elena?"
"Umu, let us go."
With a silent understanding, they left the line and ascended the stairs to the guild's 2nd floor. As they walked, Rei spoke quietly to the woman beside him.
"We’ve certainly seen a lot of the city’s big shots today."
"No, I suspect it is simpler than that. Bosk was likely the one who had business with us first and was waiting here at the guild. Shafner Rebisole must have caught wind of it and moved to intercept us as a way of interfering."
Rei looked at her with a hint of surprise. It made sense; the Rebisole messenger had been waiting for them at the dungeon entrance and had practically forced them into a carriage with a sense of extreme urgency.
"That would explain the timing. But does that mean his offer to buy magic stones was just a pretext?"
Rei directed the question to Elena, but the answer came from an entirely unexpected source.
"No, that part was quite real. I do not know their ultimate goal, but it is a fact that House Rebisole and House Marstchel are desperately hoarding magic stones. To be frank, House Rebisole’s influence is currently waning compared to House Marstchel due to the difference in their respective leaders' capabilities. Shafner likely hoped to secure an exclusive deal with the two of you to bolster his position while simultaneously inconveniencing Lord Bosk."
The voice belonged to a man standing before the door Rei and Elena were approaching.
He appeared to be in his late 20s or early 30s. His sharp, slanting eyes and slicked-back green hair gave him an air of cold, piercing intelligence. He wore a crisp butler's uniform, making his identity easy to guess, even if his presence in an Adventurer's Guild felt somewhat jarring.
Realizing Rei and Elena were looking at him, the butler placed a hand over his heart and bowed with practiced elegance.
"A pleasure to meet you, Elena-sama, Rei-sama. I am Sanctions, the Head Butler of House Silwa. I thank you for answering the summons of my master, Lord Bosk. He is already waiting inside. Please, enter."
"...I see. We shall do so. Rei, come."
"Yeah."
Rei nodded and followed Elena to the door. Sanctions, having straightened from his bow, gave a sharp knock.
"Lord Bosk. Elena-sama and Rei-sama have arrived."
"Let them in."
Following the command from within, the butler opened the door and stood aside to allow them passage. As Rei and Elena entered the meeting room, they found Bosk Silva hunched over a desk, peering at various documents.
There was something undeniably strange about seeing a man of his gargantuan build—who looked like he belonged on a battlefield swinging his massive claymore—quietly signing papers.
"So," Rei began, "what was so important that you had to call us in?"
"Before we get to that, I have a question of my own..."
Bosk trailed off, tossing the document he had been reading onto the table. He turned a sharp, predatory gaze toward them. It was hard to tell if the intensity in his eyes was from the strain of paperwork or annoyance at their late arrival.
"I heard you were summoned by that old fossil from House Rebisole before coming here. ...How was he?"
Bosk wore a grin that looked more like a beast baring its fangs. Rei lowered his hood and gave a dismissive shrug.
"I’m not in the habit of blabbing about other people's business. Now, why are we here?"
Bosk let out a sharp snort, seemingly finding Rei’s response either disappointing or exactly what he had expected. He maintained his fierce grin. Since Sanctions had clearly overheard them in the hallway, there wasn't much point in keeping secrets anyway.
"Hmph. Well, I didn't think you'd be a chatterbox. But it's not hard to guess what he wanted. He probably used some excuse about magic stones just to spite me for making you wait."
Whether he had heard them through the door or was simply more perceptive than his brawny exterior suggested, Bosk snorted again. He seemed to dismiss Shafner entirely.
"Whatever. That old nuisance doesn't matter. All he can do is play at petty provocations against me or that hag Pri. As long as he does his job and keeps his district running, I don't care. ...Anyway, to the main point. You two were on B11F today, weren't you?"
"Huh? Yeah, we were."
Rei tilted his head at the sudden change in topic, but he saw no reason to hide their progress and nodded. For Bosk, however, this was clearly the heart of the matter. He leaned forward, his gaze intensifying.
"And? Did you see anything unusual on the 11th floor? Anything at all? I need specifics."
"...What happened?" Rei asked, feeling a tension from the man that bordered on murderous intent.
Bosk locked eyes with Rei. Realizing the conversation wouldn't move forward without context, he let out a heavy sigh.
"An Anomaly Species was confirmed on B11F. We found out because several of my younger brothers were attacked by it."