The timeline shifts back slightly to the period when Rei’s party was still fighting in the depths of House Marstchel.
After parting ways with Rei, Vihera, Byune, and Nakt at the Holy Light Religion hideout in the slums, the group—consisting of Elena, Ecethesus, Seto, and Iero—made their way through the streets of Exil as twilight deepened.
The gazes of those around them naturally gravitated toward the two humans and two beasts. This was not merely the usual fascination with Elena’s peerless beauty or the undeniable charm of Seto and Iero. While those sentiments were certainly present, the majority of the attention was focused on the six figures Ecethesus was dragging along, their limbs bound tightly with rope.
"Hey, what on earth is going on over there?"
"Who knows? But since Seto and that beauty, Elena, are there, those guys probably tried to pick a fight with them."
"…I see. Still, that looks pretty grim. People have tried to harass them before, but I’ve never seen anyone tied up and paraded through the streets like that."
"Now that you mention it, you're right. Does that mean they did something truly heinous? Well, I suppose I can understand the impulse. Elena is a beauty like you’ve never seen, and as cute as Seto is, it’s still a Gryphon. It wouldn't be surprising if someone lost their head and did something stupid."
As these conversations drifted past them, the six prisoners—tied together to ensure none could escape—were suffering a torment that was, in some ways, worse than physical torture.
Among them, Ogul was in particularly bad shape. Rei had stepped on him during the interrogation, breaking several ribs, leaving him to endure both agonizing physical pain and crushing mental distress.
It went without saying that these six were part of the underground presence of the Holy Light Religion. They were operatives who handled the sort of filthy work that could never be spoken of in polite company; naturally, their faces were never meant to be exposed to the public.
Yet here they were, bound in ropes and paraded through the heart of Exil like a traveling sideshow. Having been made a public spectacle in such a manner, it was glaringly obvious that even if they somehow escaped this predicament, they would never be able to return to their former line of work.
Fully aware of their ruined futures, the six operatives wore expressions of absolute despair as they were led through the city by the rope Ecethesus tugged.
The shamed men had considered choosing suicide over leaking information, but Rei and Elena—having witnessed the creators of the Anomaly Species take their own lives—were far too cautious to allow that. They had stuffed cloth taken from Rei’s Misty Ring into the prisoners' mouths and tied them shut, creating makeshift gags that prevented them from biting their tongues or otherwise ending their lives.
In this manner, the procession eventually reached House Silwa's Residence.
"I’ll go have someone get me an audience with Lord Bosk. Ecethesus, stay here with Seto and keep an eye on these men."
"Understood. Leave it to me."
Ecethesus had been somewhat awkward around Elena immediately after learning her true identity, but after traveling with her this far, he had finally managed to return to his usual self. This was likely a result of his naturally blunt personality working in his favor.
Leaving Ecethesus behind, Elena immediately called out to a gatekeeper she had become acquainted with.
"I am Elena Kerebel. I have urgent information regarding the Anomaly Species Incident and other critical matters. May I have an audience with Lord Bosk?"
"Ha! I shall go inquire at once—"
"There is no need for that."
Just as the gatekeeper was about to head inside, a voice called out from the direction of the mansion. Elena turned toward the speaker and allowed a thin smile to cross her face, relieved that they wouldn't have to waste time on formalities.
The man appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties, and his eyes shone with a light of high intelligence. He was Sanctions, the Head Butler of House Silwa and Bosk’s right hand.
Sanctions gave an elegant bow before speaking.
"Welcome, Lady Elena. I see today you have… oh, and who might they be?"
Sanctions’s gaze drifted past Elena as he asked the question. He recognized Seto, having seen the creature many times at the residence, and he knew Ecethesus as an Adventurer currently under House Silwa’s employ. However, he had no idea who the six men bound by ropes and makeshift gags were.
Strictly speaking, he didn't recognize Iero, the child dragon on Seto’s back, either. But since it was left unrestrained and accompanied the Gryphon, he didn't seem particularly concerned by its presence.
"These men likely know a great deal about the Anomaly Species Incident," Elena explained. "They are also responsible for kidnapping Ecethesus’s companion."
"…Ho."
At those words, Sanctions turned a sharp, piercing gaze toward the six prisoners.
"It seems we will need to hear the details inside. Please, come this way. I shall inform Lord Bosk of your arrival immediately."
"Very well. Also, I must ask for assistance. I cannot bring Seto inside the mansion, but I wish to ensure these prisoners don't attempt anything foolish while we speak."
"Of course. I shall see to it at once. One of you, please assist Lady Elena in guarding these men. The meeting will take place in the Moon Room."
At Sanctions’s command, the two gatekeepers exchanged a brief look before one stepped forward.
"I shall go."
"Please do. Lady Elena, follow this man. I will fetch Lord Bosk."
"Understood. But please, hurry. Rei and his party are already on their way to House Marstchel’s Residence."
The moment she mentioned House Marstchel, Sanctions’s cheek twitched. However, he maintained his composure and gave an elegant bow before departing with a notably quickened pace.
The remaining gatekeeper spoke up.
"Right this way, then. I’ll guide you to the room."
"Umu, lead the way."
Understanding that its role was finished for the moment, Seto made its way toward the gardens of House Silwa in a practiced manner, with Iero still perched on its back. Elena and Ecethesus then followed the gatekeeper toward the Moon Room, dragging the six captives behind them.
"…"
A heavy silence filled the Moon Room.
Inside were the six bound prisoners, Elena, Ecethesus, and the gatekeeper. No one spoke as they waited for time to pass.
Ecethesus occasionally cast hateful glares at the men—especially Ogul—only to be silentily admonished by Elena, forcing him to avert his eyes before the cycle repeated. He was desperate to rush to House Marstchel, where Tibia was being held, but he knew now was not the time. He had to trust Nakt to rescue her and wait, yet the inactivity gnawed at him.
In the midst of this awkward atmosphere, Elena suddenly turned her eyes toward the door. As if taking a cue from her, Ecethesus looked as well just as the door swung open.
Bosk, the Head of House Silwa and Ecethesus’s current employer, entered without a knock. He cast a glance around the room, his eyes harboring a barely suppressed rage. The sheer pressure emanating from him was enough to make even a seasoned vanguard like Ecethesus tense up for a moment.
Bosk’s gaze settled on Ogul and the others, and he spoke in a low, gutteral growl.
"Are these the ones?"
"They are," Elena replied. "From the Holy Light Religion. I have no doubt they are the puppeteers you mentioned previously. However, it is unlikely they will volunteer any information willingly."
Elena gave a small shrug. At the mention of the Holy Light Religion, Bosk’s eyebrow twitched. He glanced at the space behind the door.
"Hey."
"Yes, I understand. Leave everything to me."
A man who was unnaturally scrawny stepped into the room. He looked like nothing more than skin stretched over bone, devoid of any visible muscle—an appearance that would make anyone believe him to be a high-ranking species of Skeleton.
"Take them away," Bosk ordered.
"Ha!"
The gatekeeper nodded and roughly grabbed the ropes binding Ogul and the five others, dragging them from the room. The scrawny man followed close behind, wearing a gleeful, unsettling smile.
Ecethesus, likely unaware of the scrawny man’s true specialty, looked back and forth between Elena and Bosk with wide eyes. Elena said nothing, though a faint look of disgust crossed her face.
"Ho? I expected a lecture from a high-and-mighty knight like you."
The menacing edge faded from Bosk’s expression, replaced by a look of genuine surprise. Ignoring the comment, Elena moved straight to the heart of the matter.
"We have confirmed that Ecethesus’s companion was taken to House Marstchel. Currently, Rei, Nakt, Vihera, and Byune have infiltrated the estate to rescue Tibia."
"…Ho."
Bosk muttered again, but this time his face was filled with even greater shock.
"To think Byune would actually help me. I hope it doesn't rain spears tomorrow."
"I could have Rei make it rain spears for you if you’d like?"
Rei’s skill with Spear Throwing was evidently well-known to Bosk, as he grimaced at Elena’s joke.
"I know that relations between the Three Houses Governing Exil and Byune are strained," Elena continued. "But this isn't for your sake. Byune is only helping because it is us."
"Even so, that’s plenty. To think that girl would actually open her heart to others…"
Unexpected words came from Bosk’s mouth. Elena had assumed that because Byune hated Bosk, the sentiment was mutual; yet, Bosk’s tone held a note of genuine concern for the girl.
Though Elena was puzzled by this discrepancy between rumor and reality, she decided to push the conversation forward. Even now, Rei and Byune were searching for Tibia within the halls of House Marstchel.
"Furthermore, now that it is clear House Marstchel and the Holy Light Religion are connected—especially regarding the Anomaly Species—House Silwa cannot simply stand by, can it? If this is left unaddressed, I will be forced to report everything to my father."
"…Is that a threat?"
"No, it is a simple statement of fact. Even as an Autonomous City, Exil is still part of the Kingdom of Mireana. As a noble, it is only natural for me to report issues of such magnitude, is it not?"
"…Tch. I thought you said the person standing here wasn't the daughter of Duke Kerebel?"
"Everything has its limits. This is a Labyrinth City; while the Dungeon brings great profit, it also brings great danger. To have a religious organization creating Anomaly Species and kidnapping Adventurers—while being in league with one of the three houses that rules this city—is unacceptable. Do you not think my apprehension is justified?"
On the surface, Elena was grieving for the state of the city, and indeed, those were her true feelings. However, they were undoubtedly mixed with her deep concern for Rei.
Bosk himself had a fair idea of the relationship between Rei and Elena. As the Head of House Silwa, gathering information on the daughter of Duke Kerebel was a necessity, and observing the two of them together made their bond obvious.
He watched Elena as she directed her sharp gaze at him, contemplating for a full minute. The current situation in Exil was indeed as dire as Elena described. If left alone, the Holy Light Religion would likely become even more emboldened.
(The public side of their group was never a problem.)
Despite their high fees, the believers of the Holy Light Religion who worked as mercenaries were quite skilled, and many were seasoned Adventurers. From a purely economic standpoint, the religion had provided more than enough benefit to Exil. However, now that their underground presence had been exposed, they could no longer be ignored.
(And now, I have the chance to put both Duke Kerebel’s House and Rei in my debt, huh.)
Judging that mobilizing his forces was the best course of action, Bosk nodded firmly and called out to Sanctions, who was waiting outside the room.
"Sanctions, gather everyone! All those who have been investigating the Anomaly Species! Send word to the guild too and gather anyone useful! Tonight, in a single night, we will root out the pus of Exil once and for all!"
Bosk’s commanding voice echoed through the room, and soon, the halls of House Silwa’s Residence were filled with a sudden, frantic energy.