Watching the sun set through the warehouse window, Bosk turned his attention to the four objects before him.
Because they had been attacked during the previous investigation into the Spear Frog, the examination was being conducted at House Silwa's Residence this time.
The objects in question consisted of three human corpses and one body that was similar to, yet fundamentally different from, a Cactus-modoki. These were the individuals Reiji and Elena had encountered in the dungeon—the remains of those who could have provided vital clues regarding the creators of the Anomaly Species.
"It’s a damn shame we couldn't take them alive," Bosk grumbled. "If they were still breathing, I would have extracted information from them no matter what it took."
Aside from Bosk, those present were Sanctions and several adventurers. All of them were men Bosk trusted implicitly.
"But Big Brother, these guys committed suicide with poison immediately out of loyalty to their boss or organization, right? Even if we’d captured them, I doubt we could have gotten much out of them."
As the adventurer man spoke, another adventurer nearby shrugged. "They silenced themselves because they knew they couldn't withstand interrogation or torture. That suggests we probably could have made them talk if we'd taken them alive."
"Good grief. Is this 'Crimson' fellow not as skilled as the rumors say?"
"No, his reputation mostly spread during the Spring War. It’s based on his raw combat power. It’s possible he just isn’t used to capturing targets alive. Besides, from what I've heard, the boy has only been an adventurer for a little over a year. He’s a total rookie... though the fact that he’s already reached B-Rank in that time is hard to believe."
Sanctions cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the bickering adventurers.
"It seems none of you are aware, but fundamentally, an Item Box cannot store living things. Had he captured these people alive, it would have been an immense burden to transport them out of the dungeon. Given that they could have easily escaped under those conditions, I believe the measures he took were quite reasonable."
"Huh? Is that so?"
Under the curious gazes of the adventurers—most of whom knew next to nothing about the mechanics of Item Boxes—Sanctions gave a small nod. Beside him, Bosk nodded in agreement.
Even Bosk knew that living creatures could not be placed inside an Item Box. However, since these men would have been the best leads imaginable, it was only natural for him to voice his regrets, even while understanding the logistical difficulty.
At any rate, dwelling on the past was useless. Bosk reached for the Dungeon Cards placed near the men. He recognized neither the faces of the deceased nor the names written on the cards.
"Tch. Only to be expected, but they’re either aliases or forgeries. Sanctions, we seized some documents from House Rebisole that might cover this, didn't we?"
"Yes. The materials processed by the Guild have already been secured."
"Contact them. Tell them to find out if they have any intel on these guys. Remind them that since the Guild is supposed to lead the adventurers, they should take the initiative to correct the corruption they allowed to fester."
"Understood. I will see to it immediately."
Sanctions gave an elegant bow and left the warehouse. Bosk then ordered the remaining adventurers to search the bodies for any clues to their identities—anything that didn't scream 'forgery.'
"It’s no use, Big Brother," one reported. "Everything they have is common gear sold in any shop. There isn't a single item that indicates who they were or where they came from."
"Tch... I expected as much, but they were certainly thorough. Does that mean they were professionally trained?"
Even as he clicked his tongue, Bosk felt a nagging doubt.
They aren't from House Marstchel... are they? Pri hires people, sure, but unlike us or House Rebisole, her numbers are small. Most of them are just menservants for odd jobs, not combatants. They shouldn't have the resources to train an organized hit squad like this.
Bosk's brow furrowed with annoyance as he followed that train of thought to its logical conclusion.
If House Marstchel hasn't secretly built a private army, then there’s a third party involved. This is going to be a headache.
Bosk had initially assumed House Marstchel was the puppet master behind House Rebisole's recent moves, but the reality before him suggested otherwise.
"And besides..." he muttered, shifting his gaze from the human remains to the Cactus-modoki corpse.
As a B-Rank adventurer who frequently fought at the front lines alongside his subordinates, Bosk was well-acquainted with the monsters of the dungeon. Or rather, he had been.
"To think a Cactus-modoki could change this much. An Anomaly Species, indeed. It’s a fitting name."
The creature was significantly larger than any he had seen. The needles growing from its body were long, sharp, and appeared incredibly sturdy. If those needles were fired en masse, anyone expecting a normal Cactus-modoki would almost certainly be killed—or at the very least, severely maimed.
"Big Brother, what should we do with the Cactus-modoki?"
"Let's see. How many of our research staff are actually left?"
House Silwa was famous as a Martial Faction. Consequently, they had plenty of fighters but very few researchers. Following the attack on the warehouse where the Spear Frog had been stored, their meager research team had been decimated.
"Only a few who happened to be away from the warehouse at the time," the adventurer replied.
"Tch. I figured. It can't be helped. Contact the Guild and have them dispatch someone who specializes in this field. They were attacked too, but they have a much larger pool of personnel to draw from."
"Right away!"
The adventurer nodded and hurried off. Watching his retreating figure, Bosk felt a wave of gloom regarding the future administration of Exil.
"What? They haven't returned?"
Several hours had passed since the corpses were delivered to Bosk's warehouse. The sun had long since set, and night had fallen over Exil. In a room within House Marstchel's Residence to the west, Oricule scowled at the report brought by his subordinate.
"No, sir. Based on the time they entered the dungeon, they should have returned long ago. They are nowhere to be found. I had the gatekeepers checked discreetly—their entry was confirmed, but their exit was not. Most likely..."
The man trailed off, but Oricule immediately understood the implication. Something had gone wrong.
"Are the others safe?"
"Yes. Those three are the only ones missing."
Oricule felt a faint sense of relief. He judged that if their entire organization had been compromised, more than just three men would have failed to return.
"What was their objective?"
"B13F."
"B13F... Ah, the Cactus-modoki. That would be Chaos Seed 3-2-7, wouldn't it?"
That specific seed was one of the latest successes of their research. Losing it was a significant blow, but the true problem was the uncertainty surrounding the missing scouts. As a presence of the shadows, Oricule wanted to avoid any exposure at all costs.
"How many men do we have available?"
"About ten. Several were sent to the side of God during the warehouse raid, and others are still recovering from their wounds."
"Ten... That makes moving against House Silwa too dangerous."
"Do you believe they were captured by House Silwa, sir?"
Oricule shook his head. "There is no proof. However, being captured by Bosk Silva is the absolute worst-case scenario. House Silwa possesses the highest concentration of military force in Exil. We couldn't accomplish anything with only ten men."
"Certainly, ten men couldn't annihilate them like we did at the warehouse, but surely we could at least confirm if our men are being held there?"
"Do not underestimate him. Don't underestimate Bosk. On the surface, he looks like a reckless brute—and he is—but his intuition is sharp to an unfair degree. He’s the type of man who can see through a complex scheme with nothing but his gut. If we try to sneak into his domain, he will notice immediately."
"Is he... truly that dangerous?"
"Of course he is. When that young man took the position of the head, House Silwa and House Marstchel were equal in power, and House Rebisole was far stronger than it is now. Looking at the state of things today should be enough for you to understand, shouldn't it?"
A third voice echoed through the room where only Oricule and his subordinate should have been. The subordinate instinctively reached for the knife at his waist, but Oricule raised a hand to stop him.
"Stay your hand. Eavesdropping is hardly a refined hobby, Lady Pri."
At his words, laughter rang out from the doorway.
"Hohoho. Eavesdropping? Hardly. Everything that happens within this residence eventually reaches my ears."
The door swung open, and a middle-aged woman in her 40s entered. Gems adorned nearly every part of her body—earrings, hairpins, necklaces, rings, bracelets, and anklets. In her arms, she cradled a doll about thirty centimeters tall.
This was Pri Marstchel, the mistress of the house and Oricule's host. Though Oricule felt a surge of annoyance at her intrusion, he kept his face neutral and offered a smile.
"My apologies. As expected of one of Exil's finest mages."
"Master Dazley, of course," the doll in Pri’s arms croaked pridefully.
The voice was raspy and difficult to understand, but Pri didn't seem to mind. She simply continued to smile.
"Hohoho. I appreciate the flattery. But flattery aside, I must insist you stop meddling with House Silwa. At least for the time being."
"...May I ask why?"
"Regardless of your own goals, I have no intention of entering a full-scale conflict with Bosk. House Rebisole has already been crippled. If House Silwa and House Marstchel start an open war now, the Kingdom will almost certainly intervene, judging that all three houses governing Exil are unfit for their duties."
As she spoke, Pri’s cheerful demeanor vanished, replaced by a cold, unpleasant intensity.
"That is... but then, our objective..."
Oricule’s subordinate, unable to remain silent, interrupted her. Pri turned her smile toward him.
"Oh? Is the true objective of the Holy Light Religion to plunge Exil into chaos? My, my. That would be quite the problem. As a ruler of this city, I would be forced to respond appropriately."
"Wait!" Oricule shouted.
The subordinate didn't understand the sudden urgency in his superior’s voice until he felt a cold sensation against his throat. He shifted his eyes and realized that, in the blink of an eye, the doll was perched on his shoulder. Its knife was pressed against his neck, slicing just deep enough to draw a thin trickle of blood.
Had Oricule been a second slower, his life would have ended then and there. The man suppressed a wave of terror and looked back at Pri. She was empty-handed now, her doll currently occupied with the threat against his life.
When did it...
The man hadn't even sensed the doll move. Cold sweat broke out across his back.
"The fault lies with my subordinate’s lack of discipline," Oricule said quickly. "I ask for your forgiveness."
"Then I may judge that your goal is not to plunge Exil into chaos?"
"Of course. We have no such intention whatsoever."
"I shall take you at your word... for today."
Pri let out a soft laugh, and the doll lightly kicked the man’s shoulder as it leaped back into her arms. She stroked the doll’s head and turned to leave, pausing for only a moment at the door.
"What troubles me is a disturbance large enough to invite national intervention. As long as your games remain small... you understand, don't you?"
With that final warning, she disappeared into the hall.
【Seto】
『Water Ball Lv.3』『Fire Breath Lv.3』『Wind Arrow Lv.1』『King's Intimidation Lv.1』『Poison Claw Lv.4』『Size Change Lv.1』『Tornado Lv.1』『Ice Arrow Lv.1』『Optical Camouflage Lv.2』new
Optical Camouflage: An ability that allows the user to turn invisible. At Lv.2, the user can remain transparent for roughly 20 seconds, with a 30-minute cooldown after each use. Objects the user is touching can also be made transparent, but if a second person is made transparent simultaneously, the duration is reduced to approximately 10 seconds.