Night had fallen, and the rain that had begun in the evening continued to pour without respite.
It was a drizzling mist, but it brought no cool relief. Instead, the temperature remained high, typical of a summer’s tropical night. High humidity mixed with the lukewarm rain, causing the dampness to cling unpleasantly to the skin. It was wretched weather.
Amidst this atmosphere, a roar of anger echoed through the Levisol estate in eastern Exil.
"House Silwa secured the Anomaly Species?! What were you thinking?! I told you to be as careful as possible!"
Shaffner was a man who barked orders, forced the labor onto others, and then claimed every success as his own while pinning every failure on his subordinates. As the man listening to this tirade heard those words, his brow furrowed for a fleeting moment before his expression smoothed back into a neutral mask.
"My apologies. However, it was not the members of House Silwa who defeated the Anomaly Species, but adventurers. Specifically, Crimson and the Princess General. I believe you mentioned that you would handle them personally, Lord Shaffner?"
"That’s... gah! Are you saying this is my fault?! The matter of the Anomaly Species, the failure to stop House Silwa—everything?!"
The man desperately wanted to tell him that yes, that was exactly the case. However, Shaffner was clutching a glass of wine, his face flushed a deep crimson from both intoxication and rage. If he confirmed the old man’s incompetence, Shaffner's hostility would be directed squarely at him.
Even if that were manageable, Shaffner would likely become a persistent nuisance, dragging his feet whenever something needed to be done.
Thus, the man spoke with careful tact, weaving his words to soothe Shaffner’s ego.
"No, it was simply a streak of bad luck this time. To begin with, it was impossible to predict that the Anomaly Species would attack a member of House Silwa. Even less expected was that Bosk Silwa would be enraged enough to hire adventurers to retaliate. Above all, none of us imagined the Anomaly Species would be located so easily on that vast B11F. Lord Shaffner, you are in no way to blame. It was merely a series of unfortunate coincidences."
"Hmph... hah... Yes, quite right. Indeed, I am not at fault. It was all just a run of bad luck."
Shaffner let out a grating, unpleasant laugh as he drained his wine glass. The man simply watched him, his gaze steady and silent.
But eyes often speak louder than mouths.
The look the man fixed on Shaffner was no longer directed at a human being. It was the cold, calculating stare of an artisan deciding exactly when to discard a broken tool.
(In the first place, as long as members of House Silwa are diving into the dungeon as adventurers, the odds of them encountering an Anomaly Species were never that low. In fact, they already crossed paths with the Sword Bee anomaly once. Back then, it ended with only minor injuries, so they didn't push for retaliation... likely because word of the Anomaly Species hadn't spread yet. But now that they’ve recovered the corpse with full knowledge of what it is, there’s a risk they might trace it back to us. Yes, it really is about time to dispose of this man.)
"Indeed. There were a few irregularities, but everything is proceeding largely according to our calculations. There is no need for concern."
"Hahaha! Quite right, quite right. As expected, there is no flaw in my judgment. You would do well to continue showing me your absolute loyalty."
The man gave a small smile and bowed. He watched Shaffner, who was grinning with the absolute certainty of a victor as he raised his wine glass to his lips again.
"Then, I shall take my leave to deal with those few anomalies. May the protection of the Goddess of Holy Light be with you."
"Umu. See that you work hard."
The man exited the room with those words following him.
(A Naked King who can do nothing but drape himself in the hollow words of his own vanity.)
With that thought buried deep, the man left the Levisol estate. Though he felt the stifling humidity of the night rain, he walked toward a place devoid of light.
Had the sky been clear, the moon might have provided some visibility, but with thick rain clouds masking the sky, the world was blanketed in total darkness. Regardless, the man navigated the paths without a hint of hesitation. Eventually, he stopped in a secluded dead end and spoke to the void.
"Are you there?"
"Yes."
A voice replied from the darkness. The man showed no surprise; he continued the conversation as if it were the most natural occurrence in the world.
"Report."
"Strict security has been established around the warehouse secured by House Silwa. Unfortunately, we cannot determine the situation inside..."
"No, that doesn't matter. In fact, it’s quite convenient. It is better to cut off a lizard's tail of our own volition than to wonder when it will be severed."
"Then...?"
"Yes. Launch a raid on the warehouse immediately. However..."
"I understand. Fortunately, we have secured a man who previously worked for House Levisol. We can place his corpse near the warehouse to leave no room for doubt."
"...Ah, that man."
The image of the observer who had been monitoring Rei on Shaffner's orders flickered through the man’s mind. For reasons beyond comprehension, that man had approached Rei directly, provoking him with such arrogance that he had turned the adventurer's wrath upon his own master. Consequently, the impression Rei and Elena held of House Levisol had plummeted.
If not for that incident, Rei and Elena might not have been temporarily employed by House Silwa. If they hadn't been employed, the investigation into the Anomaly Species would never have come this far. Shaffner was merely reaping the harvest of hiring such a fool.
The man allowed a cold sneer to touch his lips in the darkness, but he quickly shook his head.
(If House Levisol chooses self-destruction, that is their business, but I will not have us dragged down with them. It is best to dispose of useless tools while we can.)
"The raid is in your hands."
"Understood!"
"And ensure that no evidence linking us to any Levisol-affiliated locations remains."
"That includes the personnel, I assume?"
"Naturally. People are the most troublesome evidence of all."
As the man finished, a different voice rang out from the shadows.
"Regarding that matter, there is someone who wishes to abandon House Levisol and join us. How shall we handle it?"
"...I see. So even if the head of the family is a hopeless fool, there are those beneath him with some foresight. House Levisol is a prestigious name, even if it has rotted. What is the capability of this individual?"
"As a researcher, they are first-rate. However, they possess no ethical compass whatsoever."
The man’s brow furrowed in distaste at the mention of the lack of ethics. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke.
"Bringing such a person under our direct command is... problematic. Even as a Presence of the Shadows, we have our own minimum standards of humanity."
"But as I said, they are a first-rate researcher. Disposing of them now would be a significant loss. Furthermore, if they flee and are captured by House Silwa, they could become a fatal source of information."
"I am aware. If they truly have talent... No, wait. Is it certain that this person is capable?"
"Yes, beyond a doubt."
"Then there is no need to take their life. However, bringing them into our inner circle is too great a risk. Hand them over to House Marstchel."
A brief wave of confusion rippled through the darkness.
"To House Marstchel? It’s true they are conducting experiments with magic stones, but their focus is entirely different from the research done at House Levisol."
"If this person is as brilliant as you say, they should be able to produce results even if the direction is slightly different. If we give them to House Marstchel, they will feel indebted to us. That is enough."
"...Understood. The arrangements will be made."
The second voice vanished, and the first voice returned to the man's side. Undisturbed by the interruption, he resumed the conversation as if nothing had happened.
"Shall we proceed with the raid tonight? Immediately?"
"Yes. Sufficient time has passed since the Anomaly Species Corpse was brought in. Much of the data has likely already been moved to the Guild or the Silwa estate. We cannot destroy it all, but ensure the Anomaly Species Corpse itself is utterly destroyed."
"Very well. We will proceed with our own forces, without using any underground members."
"Do so. ...Does anyone else have anything to add?"
Silence filled the darkness for several heartbeats.
Eventually, a third person broke the quiet. Unlike the previous two, this voice was that of a woman—firm, yet with a softer resonance.
"Crimson and the Princess General. What about them? This entire mess only began because those two involved themselves. Wouldn't it be wiser to eliminate them now? This is Exil. Even if something happened to Duke Kerebel's Daughter, we would not be the ones suspected."
It was a radical proposal, but the man took a few moments to weigh its merits... before finally shaking his head.
"No, not yet. If we could be certain of ending them, it would be one thing, but we are facing two Alias Holders and a Gryphon. Their military strength is far too high; the risk of failure is too great. If success were guaranteed, Exil would be a perfect stage... No, this is my own error. Had I brought even a few of the Stigma with me, things would be different."
The moment the name Stigma left his lips, the air in the darkness grew thick with tension.
"To speak of them... they are our symbols. We cannot deploy them for dirty work..."
"Heh, I know. I was merely musing. But the reality is that facing those two and one beast—actually two, if you count the dragon familiar—our current forces are overwhelmingly insufficient. Therefore, I do not authorize an attack on them at this stage. Is that understood?"
"Yes!"
Several voices responded in unison, acknowledging his order.
"Then, disperse. Perform your duties. May the protection of the Goddess of Holy Light be with you."
"May the protection of the Goddess of Holy Light be with you."
The moment those words echoed through the darkness, every trace of their presence vanished. The crowd, the leader—all trace of them was gone, as if they had never existed.
"It’s the middle of the night, and yet it's still so damn hot."
"It’s the rain, obviously. Just keep your eyes open. If Big Bro Bosk catches you slacking, he’ll have your head."
"I know, I know. But why are we even guarding this place? It’s not like a monster is going to raid a warehouse in the middle of Exil. We've still got a long way to go until the shift change."
"Well, if one came out of the dungeon..."
"Won't happen."
"...Probably not. I heard a story about that happening once, but it was ages ago."
Outside a warehouse near the Guild, two adventurers were keeping watch, enduring the double torment of the tropical night and the humidity.
Since it was a guard job within the city, they were understandably lax. The two adventurers serving House Silwa were performing their duties, but they were struggling against both the heat and their own drowsiness.
Had they been hired as bouncers for a tavern or as guards for a merchant, they might have been more alert. But their task was to guard a warehouse.
They knew the Anomaly Species Corpse was inside, but to them, it was just a dead monster. They honestly doubted anyone would bother attacking such a place.
Bosk had judged the theory that the Anomaly Species was man-made to be far too dangerous to share without evidence. He had kept Rei's warning to himself. Consequently, these two adventurers were guarding the facility with a fatal lack of concern.
That carelessness would be their end.
"Hm? Did something just..."
Sensing movement in the darkness, one guard stepped forward, squinting to see into the shadows.
Swish!
A knife, painted black to vanish in the night, flew through the air and buried itself in his forehead. In an instant, his consciousness slipped into eternal silence.
The man collapsed, the dagger still protruding from his skull.
Hearing the sound, the second man finally realized something was wrong. He opened his mouth to alert the other adventurers inside the warehouse... but a hand suddenly clamped over his face from behind. With a swift, practiced motion, his neck was snapped, killing him instantly.
The men who had neutralized the guards without a moment's hesitation wore black clothing designed to blend perfectly with the night.
There were about twenty of them. Without a word, they watched as their leader lowered his hand. Then, with almost no sound or presence, they moved toward the warehouse.
An hour later, Bosk was awoken by a report that an arson fire had broken out. The warehouse containing the Anomaly Species research, along with several surrounding buildings, had been burned to the ground.