"I see... Even though I had to head to House Marstchel all by myself, you seem to have been having quite a bit of fun, Rei."
That night, as they reported the day’s events to one another in Rei’s room at the inn, those were the first words out of Elena’s mouth.
Even Iero, who was usually relaxing in the stables with Seto at this hour, seemed to share her sentiment. The familiar peered down at Rei from the backrest of the sofa where Elena sat, its gaze brimming with dissatisfaction.
"Kyu..."
Hearing Iero’s disgruntled cry, Rei couldn't help but mutter a question.
"Did you want to eat some Wyvern meat too, Iero?"
"Kyu!"
Of course! Iero chirped. Rei could only respond with a wry smile.
"Technically, a Wyvern is part of the dragon species, so it’s practically your own kind."
"Kyu?"
Iero tilted its head and wagged its tail, acting as though it didn't understand the point.
Rei felt his tension ease for a moment at the adorable gesture, but he let out a small sigh before speaking again.
"Don't worry. It's true we ate a lot of it, but it's not like we finished the whole thing. There’s enough left for you and Elena to have some."
"Kyu!"
"...The reason I’m dissatisfied isn't specifically about the meat, mind you," Elena murmured before shaking off her mood to continue. "So, the material stripping is completely finished, then?"
"Yeah. As expected of professionals. Their skill was quite something."
Rei had gained a fair amount of experience in stripping and dismantling himself and had developed some confidence in his abilities, but seeing the adventurers’ proficiency made him realize he still couldn't match them.
Particularly the way Tibia gave instructions and the others followed them with such speed and efficiency—coordinating perfectly to harvest materials from the monsters—gave Rei the conviction that he absolutely couldn't replicate that right now.
Then again, since the basic setup usually involved just Rei and Elena working together, it was only natural that they lacked that kind of large-scale coordination.
"If that's the case, then tomorrow will be the Magic Stone Absorption."
Nodding at Elena’s expectant words, Rei began pulling magic stones out of his Misty Ring.
There were five types: Earth Crab, Bloody Dile, Kobold, Spiral Rabbit, and Desert Lizardman. Among them, he had two stones each for the Bloody Dile and the Kobold.
As for the Desert Lizardman, although there was only one magic stone, Seto had already finished his absorption, so the one currently before them was for the Death Scythe.
He didn't have a Wyvern magic stone because he had already absorbed one during the Spring War, so he had sold the new one to the Guild along with the rest of the materials.
"...I'm not expecting much from the Kobold, though."
Since they were originally only around the same level of strength as low-rank monsters like Goblins, Rei doubted he’d get a new skill. As he muttered his low expectations, Elena gave a small, graceful smile.
"Honestly, the very fact that you can increase your strength just by absorbing magic stones is enough to make me envious. Right, Iero?"
"Kyu!"
Iero was happy that Seto—who was like a guardian figure to it—was becoming stronger. However, the desire to grow powerful just like Seto certainly existed within the small dragon's heart as well.
But Seto and Iero were different beings: a monster created through Beast Magic and a familiar created through Dragon Language magic. They were similar but distinct.
It was impossible for Iero to grow in the same way as Seto, and conversely, Seto could never develop like Iero.
"Well, that’s enough about my side. What about you? What was the Head of House Marstchel like?"
Elena hesitated for a few seconds at Rei's question, but eventually, she spoke.
"Let’s see. At first glance, she didn't seem suspicious. In terms of keeping up appearances, she was almost perfect. However..."
She paused, reaching out to move Iero onto her lap before continuing.
"Perhaps... no, without a doubt, House Marstchel is involved in the Anomaly Species incident. That said, if you asked me if she is the true mastermind, I find myself having to doubt it."
What occupied Elena’s mind was Pri’s obsessive—one might even say compulsive—attachment to her jewels.
The way she had practically entered a combat stance just because Elena asked to see her necklace for a moment had left Elena wondering. Ever since she left the estate, she couldn't stop questioning whether Pri was actually capable of orchestrating the entire Anomaly Species incident.
If the Anomaly Species had some kind of clear connection to jewels, she might have accepted Pri as the mastermind more easily.
And there was one more point of doubt: the lack of staff at the Marstchel residence.
While the estate was roughly the same size as those belonging to House Silwa and House Rebisole, the presence of people was surprisingly scarce. It was so empty that she wondered how they could even maintain a property of that size.
Could they really cause such a large-scale disturbance with so few servants? Perhaps they could have relied on personnel from House Rebisole when that family was acting openly, but now House Rebisole was being kept on a very short leash by House Silwa.
And yet, Rei and Elena had encountered that trio, and adventurers belonging to House Silwa had reported sightings of others who seemed to be creating Anomaly Species.
(Though, there's no law saying every servant has to stay inside the house at all times...)
Despite her doubts, she shook her head slightly and looked back at Rei.
"At any rate, while I don't know the specifics, she is certainly an eerie woman. Bosk likely knows that, which is why he’s moving so cautiously. He also doesn't want to cause any more chaos in Exil than necessary."
"...I see. Regardless, House Marstchel is definitely a person of interest."
Rei let out a heavy sigh.
Honestly, he wished this commotion hadn't happened right when they had come to challenge the dungeon.
As if sensing his frustration, Elena gave him a reassuring smile.
"There's no need to worry so much. It's almost certain that House Marstchel is involved, but we can leave that side of things to Bosk. House Silwa is, after all, one of the families governing Exil. We only need to focus on conquering the dungeon and passing along any information we find."
"Yeah, you're right. That's probably the best way to handle it."
Feeling a bit lighter after Elena’s words, Rei leaned back into the sofa, letting out a deep breath as he relaxed.
However, he reflexively stiffened at the very next thing she said.
"Well then, allow me to brew some black tea for a change."
Elena stood up, looking surprisingly cheerful as she headed toward the area where the tea containers were kept.
(...Brewing tea? Elena? Wait... No, even in Japan, tea ceremonies are a thing. It shouldn't be that strange for a noblewoman like Elena to know how to brew black tea. She actually tried to brew some on our way to Exil, too... even if we never got to drink it because of that Thief attack.)
As he muttered to himself, Rei remembered that he had been the one brewing the tea for her on the road.
Perhaps sensing Rei’s skeptical gaze with a woman's intuition, Elena turned back to him with a proud look in her eyes.
"Did you think I would simply leave things I’m unable to do as they are forever? On top of what I learned on the road, I had Tsufal teach me while we were in Exil before he left the inn. I should be able to do it reasonably well by now."
That was so unexpected that Rei simply blinked in surprise.
However, his reaction didn't seem to please Elena. Her gaze sharpened for an instant before she gave a small, determined nod.
"Very well. I shall take your current attitude as a challenge, Rei. I’ll show you that even I can perform womanly duties when I set my mind to it."
Speaking as if she were entering a duel, she reached for the water-heating magic item. She channeled magic power, prepared the tea leaves, and began the process. Her movements weren't exactly fluid, but they were practiced and steady.
Compared to their time on the road, her technique was worlds apart.
When she finally placed the cups on the table, the tea was exactly as she had promised. It was quite good.
Of course, it wasn't on the same level as the tea brewed by Ara—who was practically a professional—and it wouldn't stand up to a specialized tea-maker in a high-end dining hall. But for Rei, knowing Elena had brewed it for him made the taste more than sufficient.
"It's delicious."
"Is it? Now do you understand that I am capable of such things?"
"Yeah. I take my hat off to you."
As Rei offered his honest praise while sipping the tea, Elena wore a triumphant expression. She prepared a cup for herself and sat back down on the sofa.
Spending time together like this, slowly and quietly. It was a precious, irreplaceable moment for them both.
At the Marstchel residence in western Exil.
The grounds were reasonably bright, illuminated by magic items and the silver glow of the moon. Two men were walking through the garden toward the main house.
They were carrying a large bag between them, the weight of which was clear from the way the fabric strained.
"Seriously, why do we have to work for a crazy woman like that..."
One of the men spat the words out irritably, sweating in the muggy heat of the summer night.
"Hey! Shut up! If someone hears you—"
"IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH MASTER?"
Before he could finish, a voice echoed through the garden.
The two men froze in their tracks, their eyes darting around.
The only things visible were the shadows cast by the moonlight and the soft glow of the magic lamps. There was nothing else.
But the voice they had just heard was definitely real. It wasn't a trick of the ears.
"W-Who’s there!?"
"PLEASE BE QUIET. IT WILL DISTURB MASTER. MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU WERE THE ONE WHO CALLED MASTER 'CRAZY,' WEREN'T YOU?"
The man who had been complaining widened his eyes as he realized something was on his shoulder. It had appeared there before he even knew it.
It was only about the size of a doll, but normally, he would have felt the weight of anything landing on his shoulder. Yet he hadn't noticed a thing until it whispered directly into his ear.
"YOU INSULTED MASTER."
As the words were spoken, the figure’s hand swung up. The man realized with a start that it was holding a kitchen knife.
Under normal circumstances, he was strong enough to handle an enemy with a blade. But with something this close without him noticing, his only choice was to dodge.
"Guh!"
He let go of the bag and lurched away, trying to brush the thing off his shoulder while reaching for the sword at his waist.
He intended to sweep it aside, but the doll on his shoulder simply hopped over his hand with a light leap. It aimed the tip of the knife directly at the man's eye...
"Stop it!"
The other man swung his sword, still inside its sheath, like a club.
Deciding it couldn't dodge the heavy blow, the doll kicked off the sheath and leaped backward, putting some distance between them.
"Damn it!"
Realizing the immediate threat to his life had passed, the first man reached for his blade again, but—
"That’s enough, don't you think?"
A familiar voice rang out.
A woman in her forties, draped in every kind of jewel imaginable, stepped into the light. It was the current Head of House Marstchel, Pri Marstchel.
"Honestly. I won't have such bloody business on my grounds."
"!?"
Your doll started it! The man wanted to scream, but his companion grabbed his arm and shook his head.
Any more trouble would be disastrous. The man bit his lip in frustration as Pri walked over and picked up the doll, cradling it in her arms.
"So," she said, looking at the bag. "Where is it going?"
"To the underground laboratory. ...You haven't killed it yet, I hope?"
"Of course not. Even though she had just lost an arm, she was strong enough to give us a bit of a hard time. We just knocked her out."
"...Heh. Quite a lively one, then. Now, I wonder what kind of color our new sacrifice will shine with. Blue? Green? Red? ...Oh, do entertain me. Hehe... Perhaps this, too, is the guidance of the Goddess of Holy Light."
Pri muttered to herself, her eyes fixed on the bag with an entranced, feverish gaze.
The two men caught a glimpse of her expression and felt a wave of disgust, but they said nothing. Without a word, they picked up the bag and carried it into the house.