"I’d like to see Bosk about the Anomaly Species incident. Is he available?"
Having finished their business at the guild, Rei and the others arrived at the gates of House Silwa in the carriage they had used many times before.
Under normal circumstances, the estates of the three families ruling Exil weren't places one visited so frequently. House Silwa was an exception, however; they supported a vast number of adventurers, and the grounds were always bustling with them.
The gatekeeper recognized Rei, bowed slightly, and spoke.
"Yes, sir. I’ll inform him immediately. Please wait just a moment."
One of the two gatekeepers went inside. He returned a few minutes later with permission, at which point Rei and Elena entered the mansion while Set and Iero headed for the garden.
Sanctions was waiting to receive them. He guided them not to Bosk’s office, but to the warehouse they had visited once before.
"He certainly knows how to read our moves," Rei muttered, impressed.
Elena replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course he does. We met House Silwa adventurers on B15F, after all. To come here the very next day and state that we have business regarding the Anomaly Species makes it plain as day."
"Indeed. Moreover, Lord Rei is an Item Box user. Considering that, this is hardly surprising. Still..." Sanctions let out a small sigh. "To be honest, we are at a loss as to why you encounter Anomaly Species so frequently."
Rei shrugged, looking as if there wasn't much he could do about it. "It’s not like I’m hunting for them. Personally, I’d rather have nothing to do with Anomaly Species."
Anomaly Species were far more powerful than normal monsters, and their magic stones were useless to the Death Scythe. While Set could potentially consume them, the lack of information regarding their unpredictable nature made it a risky endeavor.
Worse yet, there was no definitive way to identify an Anomaly Species at a glance.
(I don't even know for sure if that giant skeleton we killed is actually an Anomaly Species. We’re just going off the information from the House Silwa adventurers we met yesterday.)
Lost in thought, Rei followed Sanctions until the warehouse came into view.
"Lord Bosk is waiting inside. Please, enter."
At Sanctions' urging, Rei and Elena stepped into the warehouse. The first thing they saw was a monster that looked like a massive dog. It was roughly the size of Set, but it possessed two heads and two tails sprouting from its hindquarters.
It looked as though two giant beasts had been forcibly fused into one.
"This is..."
"Ah, you're here."
As Rei stared at the monster, a voice called out from the back of the room. He turned toward the familiar sound to see the master of the estate, Bosk.
He always had a fierce countenance, but the smile he wore now was so wicked it would have reduced a child to tears instantly.
Rei, however, was well-acquainted with Bosk’s villainous face. He spoke without a hint of concern.
"Is this monster an Anomaly Species?"
"Yeah. It appeared on B21F. Fortunately, it attacked a spot where several parties had gathered, which allowed us to secure the corpse."
"To think you managed to bring it all the way back. Do you have an Item Box user as well, like Rei?" Elena asked, sounding half-impressed and half-exasperated.
Bosk shook his head with a wry smile.
"I don't know if you've heard, but B21F is a forest floor. You know how the floors you were diving through were desert? It’s the same concept, just with trees instead of sand."
"Ah, I see."
The explanation was easy for them to grasp. They had experienced something similar in the dungeon containing the Altar of Inheritance.
"What, not surprised?"
"B17F—the floor after the one we're currently clearing—is also a forest floor," Elena explained.
"So you’ve done your research. Anyway, several parties had teamed up to hunt a Grand Treant—that’s a High-ranking Species of Treant. They were ambushed by this thing on the way. They managed to kill it, so they loaded it onto the wagons originally meant for the Grand Treant's body and hauled it back."
Rei recalled what he had heard about dungeon materials since arriving in Exil.
"A Treant's body? Oh, right. I heard those fetch a high price as high-quality construction materials."
"Exactly. And it’s not just for building. A Grand Treant Branch is useful for mages' staves and alchemy. They’re a pain to transport because of their size, but they’re worth the effort. You guys could reach B21F in no time, couldn't you? If you manage to kill a Grand Treant, I'll pay a premium for it."
Bosk’s tone was casual, but given Rei’s Item Box, he was clearly being serious.
"Yeah, if I remember," Rei replied dismissively, turning his attention back to the corpse.
It was two meters long, though it would be closer to three including the severed tails lined up next to it. The body was covered in slashes, puncture marks from spears, and arrow wounds. Scorch marks marred its heads.
(Magic, probably.)
Its paws were tipped with long claws that looked sharp enough to shred through cheap armor with ease.
"Looking at it now, this seems like quite a High-Rank Monster."
"It is. As I said, it took 13 people across multiple parties to bring it down. They had two mages with them, too. It’s easily a B-Rank equivalent, even though the Shadow Wolf it’s based on is only a D-Rank."
"...A Shadow Wolf?"
Rei looked at the corpse again. He didn't doubt it was a wolf, but its fur was blue. It certainly didn't look like anything that would earn the name 'Shadow.'
Elena let out a small sigh and gave a shrug.
"Rei, an Anomaly Species undergoes drastic changes in form compared to its base. Given what we’ve fought and seen so far, that shouldn't be a surprise."
"Come to think of it, you're right."
Rei thought back to the skeleton he had defeated earlier that day. The skeletons he knew weren't three meters tall, didn't have four arms, and certainly didn't wield Magic Item scimitars in every hand.
"So, Bosk. I brought the Anomaly Species corpse we killed. Should I put it next to this one?"
"Wait a second, I’ll clear some space. It’ll get in the way when we’re investigating the Shadow Wolf."
Bosk barked instructions to his subordinates, and a rolling pedestal was quickly brought before Rei.
"On here, please."
Rei nodded, accessed the Misty Ring List in his mind, and selected the skeleton. A moment later, the massive, three-meter-tall skeleton appeared on the pedestal.
Bosk’s eyes widened slightly at the grotesque sight, though he didn't seem nearly as shocked as he might have been, likely because he was already looking at a powerful Anomaly.
"Hmph. So this is a Skeleton Anomaly Species?"
"Most likely. We met your adventurers on B15F yesterday—the ones from the Sword Bee incident. The Anomaly they said had been sighted in the area was probably this thing."
"I imagine so. Still... four arms. Seems like they'd be clumsy in a fight."
Bosk muttered, miming the swing of his giant greatsword. He was professional enough not to actually draw his weapon inside the warehouse.
"That’s only because you use a greatsword. This one had four scimitars. These, specifically."
Rei brought out the scimitars from thin air. Neither Bosk nor the Researchers in the room reacted much to the Misty Ring anymore; they had seen him use it several times, and they knew he was on good terms with the master of the house.
"Are these Magic Items?" Bosk asked, picking one up.
"Yeah. They aren't particularly powerful, but they’re definitely Magic Items."
"Wait. Are you telling me that if you use those Chaos Seeds to create Anomaly Species, you can actually create Magic Items as well?"
Bosk’s gaze turned sharp, piercing Rei like a spear.
Rei met that gaze head-on, unflinching. He shook his head slowly.
"Don't ask me. I’m not the one feeding seeds to monsters. That’s why we’re looking for the ones behind all this, isn't it?"
"Right. Yeah, of course."
"...I’ll ask just in case, Bosk. You aren't planning to seek out Chaos Seeds just so you can mass-produce Magic Items, are you?"
Rei turned his own sharp gaze back on Bosk.
He was cooperating with House Silwa because he wanted to solve the Anomaly Species incident, not to line their pockets. If Bosk decided that mass-producing Magic Items was worth the risk of intentional research, Rei would stop him by any means necessary.
Bosk met that gaze in silence for several seconds before nodding.
"I'd be lying if I said the thought didn't cross my mind for a heartbeat, but my goal is the prosperity of Exil. I won't do anything reckless that would threaten that."
"Rei, you can believe him," Elena added. "He isn't lying. If he truly intended to do such a thing, he would have the pride to state it openly."
Rei let out a small sigh and nodded.
"Fair enough. You don't exactly seem like the type to hide things. But listen well... if you ever try to intentionally create an Anomaly Species, you’ll learn firsthand exactly why I’m called Crimson."
For a split second—a mere flash—Rei released a wave of murderous intent that pierced straight through Bosk. It was so brief and controlled that the Researchers and other subordinates in the warehouse didn't even notice.
But Bosk felt it. The intent was directed solely at him.
"Hmph. Fine. I’ll be sure to remember that."
Despite the threat, Bosk didn't look intimidated. If anything, a faint smile played on his lips.
Rei held his gaze for a few beats longer, then sighed and shrugged. He understood that Bosk wasn't being defiant; he simply recognized the consequences if he ever strayed from his path.
Of course, it was also a sign that Bosk was willing to use any means to achieve his own ends.
"Whatever. So, how much for this skeleton?"
Rei changed the subject abruptly. Bosk took it in stride, thinking for a moment before answering.
"I can give you 1 Platinum Coin for it."
It was a staggering amount for an adventurer to earn in a single day—especially considering Rei had only spent a few hours in the dungeon. Even so, Rei frowned.
"That’s a bit low, isn't it? The Cactus-modoki went for 4 Platinum Coins."
"Most of that price was for the information regarding the three people behind the Anomalies, not the monster itself."
"Even including these four magic swords?"
"Yes. In fact, that Two-headed Wolf only went for 6 Gold Coins, Magic Items and all. Besides, these scimitars aren't exactly high-tier magic swords, are they?"
Rei had to admit he had a point. He sighed and agreed to the sale for one platinum coin.
"By the way, have you found out anything more about those three?"
"We’re making progress... but I can't exactly go leaking that yet."
The two continued their exchange.