"Guruuu... Guruuu!"
Set’s roar was followed immediately by its strike.
The Gryphon's talons sent the man who had been attempting to infiltrate House Silwa's grounds from the rear flying ten meters sideways. He skipped several times across the earth before losing consciousness.
"D-damn it! Why is there a Gryphon here? Wasn't it supposed to be heading for House Marstchel!?"
Another black-clad man standing nearby shouted in frustration.
It wasn't Set's cry that answered him, but the man standing beside it.
"Heh. It went exactly as Elena and Lord Bosk predicted. Drawing our attention at the front while sneaking in from the back. It's a textbook diversionary operation, but it seems you didn't think we would see through it."
Ecethesus, the sole member of Sound's Blade present, spoke while clutching his spear.
Since they had anticipated an attack, more than just one man and one beast were waiting. About ten other adventurers stood with them, their sharp gazes fixed on the group that had trespassed into the backyard.
"Curse you... We can't just retreat... We'll fulfill the minimum objective at any cost. Everyone, scatter! Even if you can't kill the targets, just cause as much chaos as possible!"
"Understood!"
He was likely the commander of the intruders. At his signal, the men split up and fled in different directions. They had realized they stood no chance in a direct confrontation with the force before them.
Furthermore, with the Gryphon Set here, the chance of assassinating Bosk—their primary goal—was virtually zero. Capturing Elena, their secondary objective, was equally impossible.
Had all of House Silwa's strength been concentrated near the Main Gate as planned, they might have had a chance to strike from behind or use poison arrows. But once discovered, their only choice was to stir up enough confusion to allow them to rendezvous with Oricule and escape Exil.
(If only we—no, if only Lord Oricule can escape, it won't matter what happens to those surface-level followers. If anything, as long as we don't leave behind decisive evidence, we can frame them as martyrs for the Holy Goddess of Light. From there, depending on negotiations, we can involve the upper management of the Kingdom of Mireana and rebuild the Holy Light Religion's influence here.)
The leader quickly calculated his moves and moved to flee. But in the next instant, he saw something approaching and ducked reflexively.
Boom!
A strike that seemed to punch through the air itself sent a chill down his spine. If that hit had connected, he would have been incapacitated instantly. In fact, he likely would have died.
The man leapt back and saw the Gryphon swinging its front paw with the supple, lethal grace of a feline. Set didn't let the momentum slow it down; it kicked off the ground with its three other legs, closing the distance instantly to slam its massive frame into him.
"What!?"
The man tried to move again, but Set let out a sharp cry.
"Guruuu!"
"Gah!?"
A sudden shockwave struck the man's right shoulder, throwing him off balance. Since the damage wasn't severe, he tried to plant his feet and create distance from the threat, but even a split-second opening against Set was fatal.
"Guruuuuu!"
Set closed the gap in that blink. Its front paw swung down, slamming the man into the earth. He lost consciousness without uttering another word.
Around Set, the other Holy Light Religion operatives were being captured or killed. Their miscalculation stemmed from a complete failure to recognize the strength of their opposition.
The group waiting in the backyard was composed of the most elite adventurers under House Silwa. It was no exaggeration to say that Ecethesus, a man with a respectable reputation, was actually the weakest fighter among them.
Perhaps that strength led to a momentary lapse in caution.
A deafening explosion rocked the area where one of the intruders had been. Taking that as their cue, the men who were still conscious began to move.
"May the blessing of the Holy Goddess of Light be upon us."
A whisper, then explosion after explosion.
Though they had been pinned down and some even gagged, they triggered a chain of magical self-detonations, tearing through their surroundings.
"What!? Damn it, get back!"
At the adventurer's shout, those holding down the remaining prisoners instinctively leapt away.
That was exactly what the intruders wanted. Seeing the adventurers retreat, they scrambled to their feet and sprinted away—all for the sake of their cause, the Holy Goddess of Light, and the holy mission entrusted to them by Oricule.
"No!"
Six men had managed to escape without self-destructing. They broke through the perimeter and raced toward House Silwa's residence.
However, they were up against a creature that transcended human limits.
"Guruuuuu!"
Set let out a deafening roar, activating its King's Intimidation skill. The fleeing men froze for a fraction of a second—a window that was all the Gryphon and the adventurers needed.
"The Gryphon's roar staggered them! Pin them—no, take them down! If you try to grab them, they'll just blow themselves up!"
Obeying the order, the adventurers fell upon the stunned cultists with their weapons. Set likewise swung its paw to kill rather than capture, crushing the head of the man it targeted.
"This one's done! How about over there?"
"Got him! If you kill them in one hit, they can't self-destr—"
Ecethesus was cut off by another explosion.
Realizing one of his men had failed to finish their target cleanly, the leader clicked his tongue. Fortunately, the blast occurred near the backyard and not the residence itself.
"Ensure your kills are instantaneous!"
While the leader shouted, Set scanned the area. Using its Scent Enhancement skill, it detected a man hiding behind a tree in the garden, concealed by the darkness.
"Guru."
Instead of a roar, Set gave a soft trill and activated Optical Camouflage. Blending into the shadows like a jungle cat, it crept silently behind the man. Without a sound, its razor-sharp beak lunged toward his head.
The beak crushed the man's skull as easily as an eggshell. He died instantly, without so much as a whimper.
"Guruuu."
Set deactivated its camouflage and dragged the headless corpse back into the main part of the garden.
"Set, was it? Including the one that Gryphon brought, that makes six. Looks like we've dealt with all the runners."
The adventurer leader breathed a sigh of relief. Having encountered Set alongside Rei in the dungeon many times, he was only mildly surprised by the Gryphon's prowess.
"Well, that takes care of the ones trying to sneak in. Lord Bosk and Elena were right about the pincer attack. Though I doubt they expected these bastards to be this fanatical."
When the report of the frontal assault at the Main Gate had first arrived, Elena had immediately flagged it as a diversion. A few seconds later, Bosk’s intuition had backed her up.
The reason the two powerhouses had gone to the front while leaving the elite unit and Set behind was specifically to secure concrete proof that House Marstchel and the Holy Light Religion were behind the recent chaos.
In that regard, the plan had failed. Despite being bound and gagged to prevent suicide, the intruders had managed to trigger their own deaths through magic.
(There's no doubt they're operatives of the Holy Light Religion, but it's all circumstantial. We failed to get hard evidence. I can't face Big Bro Bosk like this.)
The leader sighed and shook his head, shifting his focus to treating the wounded.
"I see."
Bosk had finished the battle at the Main Gate, having cleared out the residents of the Slum District and the Anomaly Species. When he was briefed on the events in the backyard, he responded with a low, pained groan.
Elena glanced at him, then spoke after a brief silence.
"In the end, we obtained no decisive evidence here. Even at the Main Gate, we failed to locate the one controlling the Anomaly Species. Whether they were there or directing things from a distance is unclear."
"Yeah. Damn it... to think they'd pull something as messy as unleashing Anomaly Species in the city. How the hell did they smuggle that many dungeon monsters out?"
Bosk muttered irritably, reaching for a cup of cold water on his desk to vent his frustration.
"If you want answers, I suggest we strike House Marstchel immediately. They took the first move, but we managed to weather it. Though it seems House Silwa's adventurers took some losses."
The messenger who had brought the report opened his mouth to say something, but Bosk slammed his cup down, the sound echoing through the office.
"I know. After a stunt like this, I have no intention of letting them walk away. But it's a fact that we've lost more manpower than anticipated. That makes things... actually..."
Bosk trailed off and looked at Elena. His logic told him to wait and replenish their forces. His gut told him the opposite—that he had to strike now.
And Bosk, a man who lived by his intuition, made his choice.
"Rei and the others have already infiltrated. That means the enemy's strength is already divided, doesn't it?"
"Perhaps. But Vihera is with them. Vihera, the battle maniac. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if House Marstchel is already half-rubble."
The image of Vihera losing herself in the slaughter, Rei backing her up, Byune providing support, and Nakt holding his head in despair flashed through Elena's mind.
(With that lot, it's actually quite likely.)
"Right. We're going in now!"
Bosk's mind had finished racing through the possibilities. Once he reached a conclusion, he moved with his trademark decisiveness.
"Sanctions!"
"Yes, my lord?"
The door opened instantly. Sanctions had fought alongside Bosk at the Main Gate, yet he showed no sign of injury—a testament to his skill.
"We're attacking the Marstchel residence. Get the men ready!"
"I have no objections to a counter-strike, but what of the residence defense? Now that they've attacked once, they might target us again while our main force is away."
"Contact the Guild and request recovery mages. The men injured in the last fight will stay here; once they're patched up, they'll handle the defense. And... I'm leaving you in command of them. Guard our home for me."
"As you wish. This residence is precious to me as well. I shall defend it to the last, by any means necessary. Pray, Lord Bosk, unleash your power without restraint. The future of Exil rests upon this."
"Yeah, count on it. Elena, are you coming?"
"Of course. Set is coming too, and Ecethesus as well."
Leading the remaining capable forces, Bosk set out for House Marstchel.
The time had come to settle the chaos in Exil once and for all.
The final battle was moving to its conclusion at the Marstchel residence.