Lord Bosk and Elena left behind the bare minimum force required to defend House Silwa's Residence and set out for the Marstchel estate with the majority of their capable fighters.
To their complete surprise, however, they were not attacked once on their way to the Marstchel residence, nor did the estate itself appear to be reinforcing its defenses. In fact, there were only two gatekeepers on duty, and even they were lazily stifling yawns, looking listless in the stifling heat of a midsummer night.
Was it a trap intended to lure them in? Many of the adventurers suspected as much, but as they advanced with Lord Bosk and Elena at the lead, the gatekeepers froze at the sight of the group of House Silwa and gasped.
"L-Lord Bosk?! And you... I believe you came to the mansion once before..."
Recognizing Lord Bosk, the head of one of the Three Houses Governing Exil, and Elena, who had visited the mansion once in the past, the two gatekeepers immediately lowered their spear tips. Beyond Lord Bosk, it was likely Elena’s stunning beauty that had allowed them to remember her after only a single visit.
In any case, the gatekeepers cautiously returned their spears to an upright position and were about to speak fearfully when they noticed the nearly thirty people following behind Lord Bosk. Their movements ceased once more.
The other gatekeeper standing beside the first finally found his voice.
"Umm, Lord Bosk. What business could you possibly have at such a late hour? Furthermore, the individuals you’ve brought along appear to be adventurers..."
Lord Bosk hesitated on how to respond to the gatekeeper's query. He had fully expected that, much like the conflict with the House Rebisole, the enemy would deploy their forces the moment they drew near. Yet, here were only two gatekeepers, and they clearly had no understanding of the current state of hostility between House Marstchel and House Silwa.
It was a confusing situation, to be sure. Nevertheless, Lord Bosk regained his composure quickly, proving his worth as the head of House Silwa.
"You two may not be aware, but House Marstchel and House Silwa are currently in a state of hostility. Our reasons include House Marstchel's involvement in the Anomaly Species Incident, the attacks on House Silwa adventurers, and further, the raid on House Silwa's Residence."
Strictly speaking, it was the Holy Light Religion that had raided the residence, but Lord Bosk decided that explaining the cult’s involvement would only confuse the gatekeepers further. He pinned the blame for the assault on House Marstchel. After all, since the Marstchels were allied with the cult, he wasn't technically lying.
"No way... Hey, did you know about this?"
"No, not at all."
The two gatekeepers exchanged a few words and breathed sighs of relief upon realizing that neither of them had been informed. Naturally, if they had known the truth, they wouldn't have been standing here battling drowsiness while lazily guarding the gate.
Feeling sweat—not caused by the humid heat of a midsummer night—breaking out on their foreheads and backs, the gatekeepers hesitated over what to do next. Should they try to stop Lord Bosk and Elena? That was impossible. If they possessed the strength to face adventurers, they would have become adventurers themselves to earn more money, rather than serving as mere gatekeepers. Both of them had aspired to be adventurers once, but they had abandoned that path after realizing their own lack of talent.
So, what should they do? One could try to stall for time while the other ran to warn the household.
Just as they reached that decision, a figure suddenly appeared before each of them. One was a beauty so radiant that it was impossible to look away. the other was a large man who radiated a rough, intimidating aura.
With that sight being the last thing they saw, both gatekeepers lost consciousness. The result was the same for both, but the final sights their eyes beheld differed as vastly as heaven and earth.
"Now then, let’s head inside immediately."
"Agreed. Fortunately, as far as we can see from out here, there are no signs that a commotion has broken out inside the residence yet... Seto, can you feel it?"
"Guruuu."
Answering Elena’s call, Seto emerged from the darkness and nodded. Because a Gryphon over two meters long would inevitably stand out, Elena had asked it to hide behind the other adventurers. Initially, the adventurers were perplexed by the request, but since most of them were already well aware of Seto’s nature, they had accepted the arrangement.
"We have Seto's guarantee. ...Very well, let’s move. Bosk, can I leave the task of dealing with House Marstchel's forces to you? I will locate Rei and join him."
"If we had your and Seto's strength, things would have been much easier on our end as well."
"Kyu!"
As if to say, "Don't forget me!" Iero let out a sharp cry from Seto's back. Lord Bosk showed no sign of noticing—or perhaps he intentionally ignored it—and nodded at Elena's words.
"Well, it can't be helped. You're in a position unrelated to House Silwa, after all. Fine, do as you please. We have to launch our own assault on the Marstchel residence regardless."
The two stated their intentions, and upon deciding they were in agreement, they exchanged a brief nod and parted ways. Just as Elena took her first step forward, a voice rang out from among the adventurers.
"Wait! I want you to take me with you!"
Elena and Lord Bosk knew immediately whose voice it was. Therefore, Lord Bosk decided to grant the request instantly, rather than wasting precious time on an argument.
"Fine. Go."
"Thank you very much!"
Ecethesus bowed vigorously and rushed to join Elena, Seto, and Iero. Watching them go, Lord Bosk led the remaining men toward the Marstchel residence, seemingly unaware of the Dolls watching them from the shadows, waiting for an opening.
"Guru, gurululuu!"
Seto rumbled its throat as if to say, "I can smell Rei's scent from here!"
Unlike Rei, Elena could not communicate perfectly with Seto, but she understood what the Gryphon wanted to say this time.
"I see, so he entered through here. ...It seems even Seto can manage to get inside. As expected of the Marstchel residence."
Because it was a massive estate, the doors and windows were designed on a grand scale. It was just wide enough for Seto to squeeze through.
"He's in here... H-Hey. The fact that there's no sign of a commotion yet means Nakt and the others haven't found Tibia yet, right?"
"Well, I wonder. It certainly doesn't look like a struggle has started from the outside, but... since it's Rei we're talking about, I wouldn't be surprised if he had already suppressed the entire residence."
"...Ah, yeah. Certainly..."
Realizing that Elena was being completely serious, Ecethesus could only manage a weak response. Leaving him behind, Elena entered the mansion through the entrance Seto had indicated. Seto and Iero followed naturally, and Ecethesus hurried after them, not wanting to be left alone.
Once inside, Seto took the lead, using its Sense of Smell Enhancement skill to track Rei's scent. The results came quickly. When they entered a room near their point of entry, they found it empty save for a set of stairs leading underground that seemed to practically flaunt their presence.
"I see. With Nakt and Byune around, finding the hidden stairs wouldn't have been difficult. And with the stairs left open like this—and considering Seto's behavior—it’s certain that Rei is further ahead."
Elena nodded as she watched Seto thrust its head into the entrance of the stairs leading underground and rumble its throat. Fortunately, the stairs were just large enough for Seto to manage the descent.
Though Elena did not know it, these stairs had been installed specifically for spiriting away guests staying at the Marstchel residence. Of course, they were used only for those who weren't official visitors and whose disappearance wouldn't cause any problems. Since luggage often had to be moved or stolen through this passage, it had naturally been constructed to a certain size.
"Guru?"
Seto tilted its head and rumbled its throat as if to say, "Let's go!" Elena nodded in response. Even if she couldn't understand the Gryphon perfectly, she could grasp the gist of its message.
"Let's move."
"Right."
Ecethesus nodded immediately. Like Seto and Elena, he had the goal of rescuing Tibia. He had already handed over the cultists Rei had requested to House Silwa and brought the reinforcements he was asked to gather. Now that he had come this far, Ecethesus had no intention of hesitating.
The two men and two beasts descended to the basement... and upon reaching the large room beyond, they were struck with amazement. It was only natural, as several doors were lined up along the same wall they had just emerged from. There were tables in the corner of the room, but since they held nothing of interest like documents, the group headed for the single door that stood apart from the rest.
"...Tibia, Nakt..."
Opening the door, Elena heard Ecethesus's murmured prayer. Beyond lay a single passage, its sides lined with even more doors, and a final door at the far end.
"Gurululuu!"
Upon seeing that, Seto rushed straight toward the door at the very end.
"Let's go!"
"Right!"
The two followed, arriving at the door just as Seto began to growl irritably. The Gryphon tried to slam its front paw against the door, but just before the strike landed, the air itself seemed to catch its limb. It absorbed the impact and parried the blow.
"Guru!?"
The sight was clearly a shock. A bewildered cry rose from Seto. Elena and Ecethesus were equally stunned.
"What?! ...Seto, move. I'll try."
"Guru."
Even in a passage wide enough for Seto to act, it was difficult for another person to move past the Gryphon. Ecethesus didn't truly believe he could succeed where Seto’s Strike had failed, but he had to try. After all, Nakt and Tibia were likely beyond this door.
It never occurred to Ecethesus that his companions might be behind any of the other doors in this passage. He understood Nakt's levelheadedness; the thief would have remained with Rei and Vihera rather than acting alone. If for some reason they were inside one of the other rooms, they surely would have emerged the moment they sensed their allies' presence.
"Uoooooooooh!"
Leveling his spear, he thrust it with all his might along with a roar. However, that full-strength blow failed to break through the Wall of Air, exactly like Seto's paw strike.
"Damn it... even though Nakt and Tibia might be right behind this door..."
Ecethesus murmured regretfully, but Elena's hand gently touched his shoulder.
"Let's switch. Save your strength for the battle once we are inside."
"Elena..."
Ecethesus turned a pleading gaze toward her. Though he could be impulsive, his sincere concern for his companions was something Elena found admirable.
"Leave it to me. I am an Alias Holder, you know."
"...Please."
Saying only that, he stepped back, giving Elena room to move freely. Once Ecethesus was clear, Elena drew her whip-sword from its sheath and channeled her Magic Power into it.
It was a level of Magic Power that was impossible for a normal human. Because Elena had inherited the Ancient Dragon Magic Stone, she could channel a vast torrent of power into the whip-sword...
"Haaah!"
With a spirit-rending shout, she swung the blade. The whip-sword easily sliced through the air protecting the door and shattered the door itself. As the pieces fell to the floor, the interior of the room was finally revealed.
There was Rei, locked in combat with an enemy; Nakt lying unconscious on the floor; Tibia lying nearby in a similar state; Byune, struggling to close the distance to Pri; and Vihera, who was about to be surrounded by small puppets.
Elena instantaneously judged who was in the most danger and lashed out with her whip-sword. In a heartbeat, the whip-sword in its whip-like form raced through the air like a snake lunging at its prey, instantly severing several dolls that had been trying to flank Vihera.
"Elena!"
At the sound of Vihera's voice, Elena stepped into the room with a small smile on her face. Thus, the two groups had finally succeeded in joining forces.