Brilliant light streamed into the room.
Rei woke up in his bed, bathed in a glow that could no longer be called the morning sun. A quick glance at the clock on the wall revealed it was already a little past ten o'clock.
The Golden Wind Inn was a high-class establishment catering to nobles and great merchants, and as such, it made generous use of Magic Items to ensure a comfortable stay. Even though it was nearly noon in midsummer, the room remained pleasantly cool without a hint of heat. The clock Rei looked at was another such luxury.
"...I overslept. Well, we were out late last night, so I guess it’s only natural."
Rei scratched his head as he recalled the previous night's events. The house-searching at House Marstchel had finally concluded right around midnight. Afterward, he and Elena had returned to the Golden Wind Inn and collapsed into their respective beds. Having promised Lord Bosk that he would visit the Silva estate today, Rei had only just opened his eyes.
"Man... I guess I should grab some breakfast. Or is it lunch at this point?"
He fought the urge to fall back into bed, lured by a slight lingering fatigue and the perfectly regulated temperature, and quickly began to dress. By the time he donned his usual Dragon Robe, his mind was completely sharp, the last traces of sleepiness vanished. This was likely one of the benefits of the body Zephyle had crafted for him. It was a convenient feature, so he didn't complain.
Thinking to himself, Rei headed down to the 1F Dining Hall, only to let out an involuntary sigh at the sight awaiting him.
Elena was sitting at a table eating a breakfast of bread, soup, salad, bacon and eggs, and fruit. That much he had expected. However, he hadn't anticipated seeing Vihera and Byune at the same table, enjoying a similar meal.
For a moment, the tense atmosphere that had followed the battle with Oricule yesterday flashed through his mind. He was relieved to see that, at least in a public place, they weren't letting any of that bitterness show. Rei ordered a light breakfast and joined them. The reason he settled for a small meal, despite his usually massive appetite, was simply because lunch was less than two hours away.
"Oh, good morning. Did you sleep well?"
Rei nodded to Vihera as she spoke. He took a sip of the chilled fruit water the waitress had brought before his meal and looked around. Even though it was nearly noon, the Dining Hall was still crowded with guests engaged in hushed, hurried conversations.
Following the recent clash between House Silva and House Rebisole, House Silva had now moved against House Marstchel. Many people were understandably worried about the state of the city.
"What is House Silva thinking?! Are they planning to take over Exil for themselves?"
"Don't be stupid. That's impossible. I've met Lord Bosk before, and he isn't the type to go looking for that kind of headache."
"But look at the facts. In this short span of time, he’s sparked conflicts with House Rebisole and House Marstchel. The results speak for themselves!"
"What if it isn't Lord Bosk, but that Head Butler... Sanctions, was it? Maybe he's the one pulling the strings?"
"I see. Everyone says he's a shrewd one. So he's dancing his master around like a puppet? It’s a possibility."
"Hmm... he definitely looks the part, but from what I saw, he didn't seem like the type to betray his master. If anything, they seemed to be bound by a firm bond."
"If he's really that clever, faking a bond like that would be child's play."
"Anyway, if things settle down now, fine. But if this chaos keeps up, we should probably evacuate from Exil soon."
"Must be nice for you. I just got to Exil three days ago. I was just about to start my business negotiations."
"Weapons... probably wouldn't sell. This is a Labyrinth City, so the smithing standards are high. I guess food is the safest bet?"
"But hey, I heard you can get plenty of food from inside the dungeon. You've got your pick of monster meat, don't you?"
"No, no. Unless they’re rich, the common people usually buy food brought in from the outside."
"I heard the Guard Force headed for the Holy Light Religion... Is there a connection?"
"The Holy Light Religion? That's an unexpected player to get involved."
Filtering out the voices around him, Rei placed his empty glass of chilled fruit water back on the table.
"I might have slept well, but considering what time we got back, I still feel a bit short on rest."
"Is that so? Well, Elena told me that things were quite hectic after Byune and I headed home."
"Mm."
Byune nodded while using a fork to pop a bite-sized piece of fruit into her mouth. Elena, seemingly having no desire to cause a scene here, simply nodded in agreement with Vihera and Byune.
"Yeah. Some... distant relative showed up, but the guy was completely clueless. He kept demanding we obey him, or something along those lines."
Rei intentionally avoided using names like House Marstchel or Bosk. He didn't want the surrounding merchants to overhear and start pestering them for details. If the crowd were only adventurers, he doubted they would bother a Battle Maniac like Vihera, a survivor of House Flaut like Byune, or himself, especially given his recent fame in Exil. Merchants, however, were different. They would approach with a soft, polite demeanor and wouldn't let go until they had squeezed every drop of information out of their target.
For the merchants, Exil's situation and the movements of House Silva were matters that could directly affect their livelihoods. It was only natural for them to seek any scrap of information they could find.
(Well, maybe I’m overthinking it.)
Rei muttered to himself as he scanned the room. Many merchants were indeed huddled together, trying to glean information from whoever was nearby. There were even some adventurers present who had participated in last night's events, but they seemed to be avoiding the topic, likely fearing they would be swamped by the merchants if they opened their mouths.
"Thank you for waiting. Here is your breakfast."
Rei ate the meal brought by the waitress and promptly headed for House Silva, deciding it was better to leave before he got caught up in some strange trouble.
"It certainly feels tense out here."
Rei murmured as he looked out the window of the carriage. The news of last night's conflict had likely already saturated the city. A clash between the very houses that ruled Exil happening twice in such a short period—it was only natural for the residents to feel anxious.
However, unlike the incident with House Rebisole, the head of the house hadn't fled. Since the conflict had occurred late at night and hadn't involved fighting in the streets, things were calmer than before. The fact that the city was now effectively ruled by House Silva alone—a family that held the trust of the residents—also helped stabilize things.
"I agree. And... there is no doubt the state will intervene in this matter. The real noise might only be beginning," Elena replied from beside him.
Vihera sat on Rei's other side with Byune on her lap. While the two of them were present, Seto and Iero were missing. Rei had asked them at the stables if they wanted to come along, but they had preferred to keep sleeping, so they were currently lounging together inside the stables. Judging that there was no need to force them to come along, Rei and Elena had left them to their slumber. Byune, who always looked forward to petting the two monsters, hadn't changed her expression, but she still seemed a little lonely.
Eventually, Byune reached out and gave a light tug on Vihera’s thin raiment. Though the clothes should have been quite dirty from yesterday’s battle, the ones Vihera wore now looked brand-new. Every man in the carriage was glancing at Vihera’s body under the guise of looking around, but she didn't seem to notice or care. Since her usual attire was meant to bait opponents into challenging her, she had long since learned to ignore the stares of non-adventurers. Of course, she might have reacted if the stares were blatantly lecherous, but the male adventurers in the carriage knew exactly who she was and were doing their absolute best to look anywhere else.
Vihera gave a wry smile at their behavior, then realized what Byune was trying to ask and nodded.
"Hmm? Oh, right... Hey, Elena. What do you think will happen to Exil now?"
Asked in a low voice that wouldn't carry to the other passengers, Elena thought for a moment before speaking.
"I wonder. This is just a guess, but... I don't think things can stay the same as they were. At the very least, House Marstchel will be dissolved. You understand that much, right?"
Rei, Vihera, and Byune all nodded. Given the magnitude of the chaos they had caused, they all agreed that such a measure was unavoidable.
(Thinking back, that man who showed up at the Marstchel estate yesterday is going to make a lot of noise... but if he pushes too hard, he might just disappear into the shadows forever.)
The face of the man who had been screaming incessantly yesterday flashed through Rei's mind, but Elena continued, seemingly unaware of his thoughts.
"If that happens, I see three possibilities. The most likely one is that the status quo is maintained, but the state sends someone like a supervisor. In that case, there might be more restrictions at the top, but the lives of the residents probably won't change much."
Byune nodded silently. Since House Flaut was no longer in a position to rule, this was likely an acceptable outcome for her.
"Next is the possibility that Exil's autonomy is revoked and the state dispatches a noble to rule the land directly. It would depend on which faction the noble belonged to, but that would change the entire system of the city. Depending on the noble, life might become easier, or they might raise taxes just to line their own pockets."
Byune frowned slightly at that, and Vihera, who loved Exil's free atmosphere, sighed.
"...If it’s the latter, they’re asking for a rebellion. With the dungeon here, there are far too many adventurers. I don't think a state-appointed noble could handle the fallout."
"Probably not. And even if a benevolent noble is sent, freedom will surely decrease. For example, the guard would likely show up immediately if anyone tried to fight in the streets."
"That sounds awful."
For a combat-lover like Vihera, that sounded like a nightmare. It would also likely drive away many of the adventurers who liked Exil as it was—the very people who made the Labyrinth City function in the first place.
Of course, a little extra red tape wouldn't make every adventurer leave. Some had families here, some liked the people, and others had various reasons to stay. However, Exil wasn't the only Labyrinth City; there were several others. If things became too restrictive, those who stayed would surely be outnumbered by those who left. Unlike ordinary citizens who might fear the monsters and thieves on the roads, adventurers wouldn't hesitate to travel to a new city. After all, they had all come to Exil on their own. And if the adventurers left, the merchants would inevitably follow.
"True. But I don't think the chances of that happening are very high. If they ruin the city, the massive tax revenue the state gets from Exil would plummet. I don't think the central government is foolish enough to overlook that."
Vihera and Byune both let out sighs of relief at Elena's reasoning.
"So, what's the third possibility?"
At Vihera's question, Elena shrugged her shoulders slightly.
"That it remains an autonomous city as it is now. If that happens, the tax revenue and the flow of Magic Items and materials from the dungeon would stay the same... but honestly, I think it will be difficult."
"...Well, two out of the three ruling houses have caused massive scandals, after all."
"Mm."
Byune nodded in agreement with Vihera’s disappointed murmur.
Engaged in such conversation, they continued to be rattled by the carriage... until they finally arrived near their destination, House Silva's Residence.