A sea of verdant green stretched out before them.
Rei and his companions inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh, forest scent.
"Ah, I never realized how wonderful fresh air truly was..."
"Indeed. Compared to the putrid rot of the Undead Floor, the difference is like heaven and earth."
Elena spoke with a faint smile, maintaining her usual dignified air even as she expressed her relief. Rei, standing beside her, nodded in agreement.
"Guruuu, Gurululuuuu!"
"Kyu!"
Beside them, Set and Iero were similarly busy filling their lungs with the clean forest air.
Unlike B16F, which had been a literal undead den, B17F was enveloped in a refreshing atmosphere. The heat was not as oppressive as it was on the surface; in fact, the breeze rustling through the leaves felt quite cool. The sight of the countless trees growing into the distance was enough to soothe the soul of anyone gazing upon it.
(I'm probably feeling it more because we just came up from the Undead Floor... It was the right call to step out and see the forest before teleporting away with the magic circle.)
Rei felt a profound sense of peace as he gazed at the woods from just outside the small room. He took another deep breath, hoping to overwrite the lingering stench of rot still clinging to the back of his nostrils when—
"Gurululuuu!"
Suddenly, Set let out a wary growl.
The moment they heard the cry, Rei and Elena reflexively readied their weapons and scanned the area.
They stood in a clearing where the small room sat isolated, surrounded by a dense thicket. Just a second ago, the scenery had been a source of comfort, but with Set on high alert, everything changed. If monsters were nearby, those trees were no longer a soothing sight—they were cover for the enemy.
"...Rei."
"Yeah. I guess there’s no point in staying in the dungeon any longer today. We already harvested materials on the Undead Floor... Ah, wait, I see."
Rei trailed off, a look of realization crossing his face. He understood why the monsters of B17F had detected them so quickly.
They had been active on the Undead Floor, with its overwhelming stench of decay, for nearly half a day. It was no surprise that the smell had soaked into their very skin and clothing. Even if a human couldn't distinguish the scent anymore, it would be a glaring beacon to the monsters lurking in the forest. It was exactly how they had been pinpointed so easily while they were distracted by the fresh air.
"There are deodorizing magic items back at the inn... We should probably just head back quietly."
Elena nodded at Rei's suggestion. As a soldier, she was accustomed to such hardships, but as a maiden in love, the thought of her body smelling like a corpse around the person she cared for was utterly unacceptable.
The reason such deodorizing magic items were kept at the inn was precisely because the dungeon contained several levels like the Undead Floor that emitted powerful odors. Furthermore, given Exil's status as a labyrinth city, a vast array of materials was brought back from the dungeon; these items were commonly used for preliminary processing, alchemy, or preparing weapon components. Consequently, deodorizing magic items were not particularly rare.
"You're right. Personally, I would like to stay here a little longer, but it would be putting the cart before the horse if we end up attracting monsters with the scent of the dead."
Elena agreed, having reached the same conclusion as Rei.
"Guruuuu..."
Beside them, Set continued to cast a sharp gaze toward the woods. The look in its eyes, which seemed to say "Come if you dare," would have certainly shocked anyone used to seeing the griffon's usual adorable behavior. To Set, whose five senses were far more acute than a human's, the lingering smell of the undead must have been particularly unbearable.
(The day before yesterday, we mostly fought monsters that didn't really smell, like the living armor, skeletons, and that anomaly species skeleton, so it was probably manageable... but today we had to deal with that massive group of zombies.)
Rei thought to himself as he stroked Set’s head to calm the griffon down. Along with Elena and Iero, he stepped back into the small room and used the magic circle to exit the dungeon.
The moment Rei and his party appeared outside the dungeon, someone suddenly charged toward him. Rei reacted instantly, pulling the Death Scythe from his Misty Ring and leveling it.
However, the person rushing him was forcibly stopped when a second individual grabbed their shoulder from behind.
The surrounding adventurers glanced over, wondering if a brawl was breaking out. But once they saw that the situation was being contained, some merely wrinkled their noses at the lingering scent of rot wafting from Rei's group. Knowing how far the party had descended, they looked on with understanding, while others simply looked away, used to such smells. Most adventurers who delved into the dungeon didn't care much about hygiene.
"...My apologies. We didn't mean to startle you."
The man who had restrained the other person spoke up, wiping sweat from his brow.
Hearing the voice and seeing the face, Rei recognized him. It was Nakt, one of the men they had rescued from the anomaly species skeleton two days ago, and who had helped with the material stripping just yesterday. Since Nakt was here, Rei turned his eyes toward the other man and, as expected, saw Ecethesus.
"Oh, it's just you guys. Don't go lunging at me like that. I almost attacked you by reflex."
Sighing, Rei stored the Death Scythe back in his Misty Ring. Beside him, Elena quietly let go of her whip-sword handle.
"Y-Yeah. Sorry. We've been waiting here to talk to you as soon as possible, and when you finally appeared, I just..."
Though he apologized, Nakt’s expression was one of frantic desperation rather than contrition. He radiated an atmosphere of being driven into a corner. Rei realized that something extraordinary must have happened. He looked around and spoke up for the time being.
"So, is this business you have with me something that's okay for others to overhear? If so, I'll listen here. But if it's better kept secret, we should find a shop..."
"No, we'd rather not have people overhear."
Rei nodded at Nakt's immediate reply. He was about to suggest a nearby dining hall when Elena intervened.
"Rei, in our current state, entering a shop would be a nuisance to the other patrons."
"...Now that you mention it, you're right."
When Elena pointed out the lingering scent of rot on their bodies, Rei immediately understood. They couldn't exactly walk into a public eatery while reeking of the grave.
"Sorry, but could you come to our inn instead?"
"That would be for the best."
"Nakt! We don't have time to spare!"
Ecethesus barked at Nakt's words, but Nakt himself silently shook his head and placed a steadying hand on Ecethesus's shoulder.
"You're the one who needs to calm down. You know making a scene here won't help anything, right? In that case, it's better to ask for their cooperation as smoothly as possible."
"...Fine."
Accompanied by a begrudging but consenting Ecethesus, Rei and the others headed straight for the inn without making any detours.
After returning to the Golden Wind Inn, they used a deodorizing magic item to erase the lingering scent of rot before gathering in Rei's room. Set and Iero were currently resting in the stables.
Rei, Elena, Ecethesus, and Nakt were the only ones present in the room.
"...So, tell me again, what happened?"
As expected of an inn that catered to nobles and great merchants, a cold drink made from pressed fruit water was provided immediately upon request. Rei asked his question while taking a sip.
Ecethesus tried to speak, but Nakt, judging that the man was too worked up to be coherent, spoke up first.
"The truth is... last night, after your harvesting request was finished and everyone had a wrap-up party, we were attacked."
Rei reacted with a sharp look and asked for clarification.
"...It wasn't just a robbery, was it?"
"No. We did successfully complete your request, but we only helped for free as a way to thank you for guarding us in the dungeon."
"Is there no chance they attacked you assuming you had taken the request for a normal fee, not knowing the details?" Elena asked after taking a sip of the same cold fruit water.
Nakt shook his head, and Ecethesus finally spoke up as if he could no longer hold back.
"Even if we aren't as famous as you, our names are known. And among the adventurers who took Rei's request, there were some who were barely past being rookies. If it was for money, they would've targeted those kids, wouldn't they!?"
"So it wasn't for money. ...Then, a grudge?" Rei asked, his gaze settling on Ecethesus.
Their acquaintance was brief, but even Rei could tell Ecethesus was short-tempered. It wouldn't have been surprising if he had earned someone's resentment.
However, Nakt shook his head once more.
"I considered that, too. ...But remembering the attack, they definitely had a specific goal. To be precise, they were targeting Tibia herself."
"Tibia?"
"Yeah. ...And the fact is, they knocked her unconscious and carried her off. The attackers were extremely skilled; between the surprise attack and their coordination, we had our hands full just protecting our own lives. We got away without any major injuries, but Gort..."
Hearing that name, Rei recalled the face of the kind-looking porter. Since the two warriors and thieves of a fairly skilled party had been forced entirely onto the defensive, it wasn't hard to imagine what had happened to the porter. He was either dead or, at best, severely wounded.
However, recovery magic was a reality in this world. It was possible for someone who had an arm severed at the shoulder to be walking the streets the next day. Clinging to a sliver of hope, Rei asked.
"Is he... dead?"
"No, he's alive. But... while protecting Tibia, his right arm and right leg were severed. He won't be able to make a living as an adventurer anymore."
"...I see."
Rei felt a wave of relief that he wasn't dead, but the severity of the tragedy was clear.
"At any rate, I understand the situation. But why were you looking for us?" Rei took a breath, setting the matter of Gort aside for the moment.
"You guys have a connection to House Silwa, don't you? Could you... ask them to investigate this for us?"
"I don't mean to be blunt, but as long as you're an adventurer, you're going to be resented by someone eventually. You want me to go crying to Lord Bosk for you? Not you guys, but me?"
Rei felt a certain level of goodwill toward the kidnapped Tibia and the maimed Gort, but he had to weigh that against the cost of putting himself in debt to Lord Bosk. Furthermore, House Silwa was currently devoting almost all its resources to the anomaly species incident. That focus was something Rei himself welcomed.
"...Then, just an introduction to Lord Bosk would be enough. Please!"
Ecethesus bowed his head deeply.
Rei watched him, hesitating for a few seconds before turning his gaze toward Elena.
"I don't believe there is any harm in just providing an introduction," Elena said. "However, as for the negotiations regarding his assistance, I think it is best if we do not get involved. We should remain as outside parties to this matter. ...Though it is a bit painful to say."
Elena nodded in agreement with Ecethesus's request as a compromise. Ideally, she would have wanted House Silwa to help them fully, but she knew that if they pressured the family too much and word got out, it would lead to a political mess. There were plenty of people who would try to use Rei to interfere with House Silwa, and that could have a decisively negative impact on Exil, which was already unstable due to the House Rebisole situation and the anomaly species incident. This was the only logical compromise.
"I-I see! That’s a huge help. Thank you!"
Since it was still early in the afternoon, the group set out immediately for House Silwa.