The day after their conversation with Bosk at the guild, the weather was arguably the worst it had been since Rei and his companions arrived in Exil.
Black rain clouds choked the sky, threatening a heavy downpour at any moment, and the air circulating through the city was thick with humidity. It felt like an ill omen, almost as if the clouds were a grim portent for the nomination request—or at least the request being treated as one—that they were about to undertake.
Perhaps sensing Rei’s dark mood, Elena tilted her head slightly and turned her gaze toward him as they walked toward the dungeon.
Iero, who usually rode on Elena's left shoulder or Set’s back, was absent today. Having seen how the little dragon had wilted under the desert heat yesterday, Rei couldn’t bring himself to drag the creature along again. By now, it was likely enjoying a long nap back at the lodging, or perhaps pestering the other tamed monsters and horses who were relaxing in Set’s absence.
(A Dragon Species is supposed to be higher in the hierarchy than a Gryphon, yet here we are. Is it just the difference between an adult and a child? Then again, if we're counting actual days since birth, there shouldn't be that much of a gap between Set and Iero.)
Musing over the strange logic of monster growth, Rei shook his head at Elena to indicate it was nothing and looked back up at the sky.
"I was just thinking about how much I hate this weather. It feels like it’s going to pour any second."
"...Is that so? We are diving into a dungeon, so a bit of rain out here shouldn't affect us much. Surely it won't rain hard enough to flood the depths."
At Elena’s words, the term "guerrilla rainstorm" flashed through Rei’s mind. He recalled news reports from Japan about torrential rain causing flash floods in underground malls... but a dungeon was vast enough that such a thing seemed unlikely.
(Though, I suppose the desert floors from B11F onward would probably welcome a good soaking.)
Keeping these idle thoughts to himself, Rei stopped at his usual stall to buy some Lizardman skewers. The vendor tilted his head, noticing Iero’s absence, but Rei simply explained that the little one was still a child and sensitive to the desert heat. The man nodded in immediate understanding.
"Rei! Oh, and Elena’s here too."
After showing their dungeon cards to the gatekeeper and entering the plaza in front of the dungeon, they were suddenly hailed. Turning toward the unmistakable voice, they found exactly the person they expected.
She wore an outfit consisting of multiple layers of thin, translucent raiment, revealing her alluring curves while leaving just enough to the imagination. She wore gauntlets and greaves on her limbs, but otherwise, she looked more like a dancer than a warrior. Rei and Elena only knew one person who dressed so provocatively.
Rei offered a wry smile while Elena let out a long sigh as they greeted the woman approaching them: Vihera, the Mad Beast.
"Since you're here, does that mean you've accepted House Silwa's request too, Rei?"
"Wait a moment," Elena interjected. "Why are you only addressing Rei? I am standing right here."
"...Oh, Elena. You were there? I was so focused on Rei that I didn't notice you at all."
"Hoh? I believe you clearly spoke my name just a second ago."
Leaving the two women to trade sharp glares and invisible sparks, Rei turned his attention to the figure following behind Vihera. Ignoring the bickering adults, the child—a girl of about ten—walked straight to Set and began patting his head.
"Byune, you look well. ...Are you sure about this, though? I heard your family and House Silwa have a complicated history."
"Nn!"
Byune gave her usual expressionless reply, continuing to stroke Set’s head to indicate there was no problem. Personally, Byune had plenty of reasons to resent House Silwa, especially given Bosk’s persistent and aggressive attempts to recruit her in the past. However, the reward for this request—success fee included—was exceptionally high. Since Vihera had agreed to partner with her, Byune had decided to accept.
She didn't let any of those complicated feelings show, choosing instead to pet Set in silence.
"Guruuu."
Set seemed to enjoy the attention, trilling happily as he leaned into her touch. However, as she patted him, Byune turned a subtly dissatisfied gaze toward Rei. Her expression remained static, but the fact that Rei could sense her annoyance was proof of how close they had become.
He followed the movement of her empty left hand as she patted Set with her right, and the cause of her frustration became clear.
"Sorry about that. Iero’s still a child and the desert heat really took a toll yesterday, so I left it to rest at the inn."
"...Nn."
Byune murmured a small, disappointed sound before using both hands to fuss over Set’s face. While Rei and Byune shared a quiet, almost domestic moment, the argument between Elena and Vihera showed no signs of stopping.
"In any case, what is with that attire for a desert floor? Do you not even have a cloak?"
"Of course I brought one. See?"
Following Vihera’s gesture, Elena spotted a man standing a short distance away. He was a muscular middle-aged man in his forties, carrying a massive backpack—a quintessential porter. He wore a cloak himself and held two others in his hands, clearly belonging to his employers.
"I see. You hired a porter. Actually, looking around, there are quite a lot of them today."
Elena scanned the plaza and realized there were nearly twenty porters present, along with an even greater number of adventurers.
"Are all these people participating in the subjugation request?"
"Naturally," Vihera replied. "Defeating the Anomaly Species earns you two platinum coins. Plus, you get to keep all the materials from any monsters you kill while searching for it. Apparently, they’ll even buy the materials at a higher rate than the guild. On top of that, there's a one gold coin advance. This is a direct request from House Silwa, one of the three houses governing Exil. You need a certain reputation to be invited, but given the chance to build a connection with the Silwas, almost everyone who got the offer accepted."
"I find it more surprising that you accepted," Elena muttered, casting a sidelong glance at Vihera.
Vihera simply shrugged with a small smile. The movement caused her ample chest to sway significantly, pinning the gazes of every man in the vicinity. Vihera herself was far too used to such stares to care.
Things might have ended poorly if any of those men had been foolish enough to approach her, but the adventurers gathered here were all high-ranking enough to recognize the Mad Beast by name—or at least recognize the lethal strength she radiated.
The fact that no tragedy occurred due to men being blinded by her bait-like beauty was a blessing for the upcoming operation. Of course, it was doubtful anyone would have dared to try anything in front of a Gryphon like Set anyway.
Realizing that the crowd was composed of capable veterans, Vihera inwardly clicked her tongue.
(Well, they say the Anomaly Species is strong. I suppose I should just focus on the prospect of fighting that.)
Without letting her disappointment reach her face, she looked away from the staring adventurers. Elena, unaware of Vihera’s internal monologue, continued to observe the crowd.
Elena had a Magic Pouch, and Rei had his Item Box, meaning they had no need for porters. Ordinary adventurers, however, required them unless they were stingy or had a partner like Byune who was difficult to coordinate with.
Even for Vihera, who treated the dungeon as a playground for combat and only cared about money for basic living expenses, a porter was usually an unnecessary burden. But for this request, they had to transport any materials or magic stones they harvested themselves, even if Bosk’s men were handling the target Spear Frog. Returning to the surface every time their bags were full meant risking that another party would find and kill the target first. Thus, she had made the rare decision to hire help.
"But with Rei here, maybe we didn't need the porter after all," Vihera mused.
"It is not as if we are necessarily going to act as a single party," Elena pointed out sharply.
Elena saw that Vihera was already assuming they would work together, but the Mad Beast ignored her and walked over to Rei.
"So, Rei. Why don't we team up for today's request? Surely a man like you would prefer having a charming beauty like me at his side, right?"
"...Well, I'm not so sure about that."
Vihera was undeniably one of the most beautiful women Rei had ever seen, but she was also a pure-blooded battle maniac. Given that her interest in him was rooted in that very trait, he knew better than to take her provocations at face value. Besides, the cold weight of Elena’s gaze was a very effective deterrent.
(She’s publicly stated she’ll give herself to anyone who can beat her in a fight. Her 'affection' for me isn't romantic; she just sees me as a prime target for a death match.)
"...Hmm..."
Byune tilted her head, considering the proposal. If they killed the Anomaly Species themselves, the reward would be split three ways among her, Vihera, and the porter. Teaming up with Rei and Elena would diminish their individual shares, but their combat power would become overwhelming. Plus, with Rei’s Item Box, the porter would become redundant.
It was a difficult choice, but ultimately, Byune shook her head at Vihera.
As far as Byune was concerned, they only needed enough power to kill the target. Knowing Vihera’s strength, she was certain they could handle it on their own. Byune herself lacked raw power, but she was confident in her agility and skills as a thief. She knew she could support Vihera or land a decisive surprise attack when needed.
"I see. Well, if Byune says no, I suppose I have to give up."
Vihera had genuinely wanted to act with Rei and Elena—mostly to witness their combat prowess from the front row—but she wouldn't ignore her partner's wishes.
(Besides, if I saw those two fighting up close and lost control of myself, it would defeat the purpose... wouldn't it?)
She whispered the thought to herself. In that instant, memories of Rei and Elena in the dungeon and her own moonlight duel with Rei flooded back to her.
"Ah..."
A momentary look of pure ecstasy crossed her face. It vanished in a heartbeat, seen by no one, but anyone who had caught it would have been either captivated by its sheer sensuality or paralyzed by the raw danger behind that smile.
"Everyone who accepted the request from House Silwa, gather here! We will register you by party! Once you are cleared, proceed to B11F! All rewards will be paid in full after today's hunt is concluded!"
A guild staff member began shouting near the dungeon entrance. Hearing the call, the adventurers immediately began to converge.