A hall stood near the entrance of the inn. Sofas were provided there for the nobles, adventurers, and merchants utilizing the Golden Wind Inn—the most high-class establishment in Exil—to speak briefly with visitors.
Vihera had been waiting there when she called out to Rei and Elena as they entered.
That in itself was fine. Both Rei and Elena had fully expected Vihera to come looking for them.
The problem, however, was the person standing beside her.
If it had been Byune, who naturally belonged at Vihera's side, there would have been no issue.
Yet the person currently with Vihera was neither Byune nor Bosk. Nor was it Ecethesus or Nacht, the members of Sound Blade with whom Rei and Elena had a passing acquaintance.
The man was roughly 180 centimeters tall, about the same height as Vihera. He had black hair and was currently directing a sharp, piercing gaze toward them.
The moment Rei saw him, he pulled the Death Scythe from his Misty Ring, while Elena drew her whip-sword from its sheath.
Their sudden actions immediately drew the attention of the other guests and inn employees nearby.
A buzz of voices spread. Some guests headed for their rooms, wanting no part in whatever trouble was brewing, while a few curious onlookers lingered, hoping to witness the spectacle.
"...Why are you here?"
Rei threw the question at the black-haired man with a lethal glint in his eyes, keeping himself ready to strike with his Death Scythe at any second.
The black-haired man didn't drop his guard either, reaching for the hilt of the sword at his waist.
The tension surrounding the three increased further. They were in a state where the slightest spark would undoubtedly ignite a battle right then and there. Amidst the suffocating atmosphere, Vihera spoke up.
"Wait... Rei, please."
Her voice held a rare tone—one of pleading.
Hearing those words, Rei furrowed his brows slightly.
It appeared she was protecting this man despite knowing exactly who he was.
Then again, if it was Vihera who had brought him here, that might have been only natural.
However, neither Rei nor Elena could understand why Vihera would protect him.
The man's appearance left a significantly different impression compared to when they had seen him before. Most notably, his black hair, which had once reached down to his back, had been cut short.
Even if someone knew his name, identifying him based solely on rumors would likely be difficult.
...Yes, unless they had met the man directly before, as Rei and Elena had.
Only a few months had passed since their last encounter. There was no way they could forget his face or his presence.
"Flash."
Rei muttered the man's alias under his breath.
He kept his voice low, likely because he didn't want the surrounding crowd to hear.
Even though Exil was an autonomous city, it was an undeniable fact that it belonged to the Kingdom of Mireana. If it became known that Theorem Energi—renowned among the generals of the Bestia Empire by the alias "Flash"—was inside the kingdom, it would undoubtedly cause a massive uproar.
At the very least, someone might see it as a golden opportunity to kill him.
The fact that Rei thought that way was precisely because he knew the man's true strength. If he were allowed to exercise his skills freely on the battlefield, the Kingdom of Mireana's side would suffer immense damage. Some would surely think it better to deal with him now, while he was right in front of them.
He commanded the non-human Beast Soldiers and utilized sophisticated magic items created through alchemy to perform large-scale teleportation for surprise attacks on enemy main camps from the rear. Furthermore, he possessed high combat capabilities himself, fitting for his alias, and was by no means a man who relied solely on his intellect.
"It has been a long time. Not since spring... In any case, I wish to speak in detail. I have no intention of going on a rampage here and causing trouble for Lady Vihera."
Rei's expression turned to one of surprise again at those words.
The speech that came out of Theorem's mouth undoubtedly contained respect. It was extraordinary for an alias-holding general to speak such words to Vihera, who was supposed to be a mere adventurer.
Rei instinctively turned his gaze toward Vihera.
"Vihera, what is your relationship with this man?"
"...I'm sorry, I can't talk about it here. If possible, I'd like to talk in Rei's room. Would that be alright?"
Vihera hesitated for a moment, but she likely judged it too dangerous to speak the reason in public.
"Elena, what do you think?"
Rei asked Elena beside him, but her intention was clear as she returned her whip-sword to its sheath.
"I do not mind. ...Rei, can I leave the arrangements to you?"
"If Elena is okay with it, then I don't mind either... You're sure?"
When Rei asked again, Elena answered with a firm nod.
Since Elena, a noble of the Kingdom of Mireana, was willing to temporarily tolerate Theorem's presence, Rei accepted it and stored the Death Scythe back into his Misty Ring.
Most of the onlookers dispersed, their expressions showing disappointment that the commotion had ended so quickly. A few people who had recently checked into the Golden Wind Inn widened their eyes at the sight of Rei's Misty Ring, but Rei ignored them and looked toward the stairs.
"Then, for now, shall we head to my room? ...I assume that's fine with you too?"
When Rei asked to confirm, Theorem nodded silently.
Rei felt a flicker of surprise at Theorem's demeanor. After all, standing before Theorem were Elena—the "Princess General" feared within the Bestia Empire—and Rei, the man who had decimated many of the Bestia Empire's lead units during the spring war. That battle had determined the course of the war. From the perspective of Theorem, a general of the Bestia Empire, his resentment toward them should have reached his very marrow.
(And yet, while he acted reflexively when we drew our weapons, was that all? I can see he's on guard, but there's no trace of actual hostility. ...What's going on? It seems certain he has some kind of relationship with Vihera, at least. Which means Vihera is a Bestia Empire associate, huh.)
While accepting that, Rei felt no sense of contradiction. Given Vihera's free-spirited personality, he felt it wouldn't be strange for her to come from the Bestia Empire to its long-standing enemy, the Kingdom of Mireana. If she had come to the Labyrinth City seeking strong opponents, it made a ridiculous amount of sense.
(Though, the Bestia Empire must have its own Labyrinth Cities... and even if they don't, they have dungeons. I do wonder why she went out of her way to come all the way here.)
Lost in thought, Rei eventually arrived in front of his room. He opened the door and welcomed the three inside.
"For now, just sit wherever you like."
He gestured toward the sofas. The fact that an individual room had a reception set with sofas and a table truly marked it as a high-class inn used by nobles and great merchants.
Vihera and Elena sat down, but for some reason, Theorem made no move to join them, instead standing behind Vihera. It was as if he considered it unthinkable for him to take a seat beside her.
While tilting his head at that behavior, Rei had an inn employee prepare chilled fruit water for everyone.
"Look, even if you're an unwelcome guest, a guest is a guest. Don't just stand there; sit down."
"No, I am fine here."
When Theorem spoke as if there were no room for debate, Rei let out a sigh.
"Just sit. In my mind, you're still an enemy. I'm not happy with you standing there in a posture where you can move to attack at any time. If you absolutely can't sit, then stay outside the room until I hear what Vihera has to say."
"That is... No, but..."
He likely wanted to avoid leaving the room while Vihera remained. Theorem turned toward Vihera, appearing at a loss.
Vihera caught his gaze, let out a small sigh, and spoke.
"Just sit down. Right now, I'm just an adventurer. There's no need to be so concerned."
"...Understood."
Theorem sat on the sofa with an air of reluctance.
Rei placed the fruit water in front of each of them, then turned back to Vihera.
"Now then, I'd appreciate it if you could tell me about the relationship between you two."
Vihera hesitated for a moment, but eventually, as if giving up, she let out a small sigh and began to speak.
"Very well. If I keep quiet any longer, I'll feel like I'm deceiving you, Rei, and I don't like that feeling. ...Vihera Esti Bestia. That is the name I once went by."
"...Bestia?"
Elena instinctively questioned the word. The only people in the Bestia Empire who carried that name belonged to one specific family. Namely...
"The imperial family, then."
Elena's words were followed by Rei, who instinctively pressed a hand to his forehead. Based on Theorem's behavior, he had suspected she was someone of high status, but "imperial family" was truly unexpected.
"Correct. This lady is Her Highness the Second Princess of the Bestia Empire," Theorem declared.
However, the woman herself called for a stop.
"Wait just a moment. It's true that I was the Second Princess of the Bestia Empire. I admit that much. But now, I've already renounced my imperial status. I'm nothing more than Vihera the adventurer."
"It is true that Her Highness—"
"You're so stiff. Just 'Vihera' is fine. Besides, you haven't been calling me 'Her Highness' until now, have you?"
Vihera spoke while waving her hand dismissively, but Theorem shook his head.
"I cannot do that. To address a member of the imperial family without a title..."
"Eh? Was I still on the register? I stormed out after causing such a ruckus, and I haven't even contacted anyone since. I fully expected to have been removed as dead or missing long ago."
Vihera seemed genuinely surprised by her own situation.
"Yes. In the first place, Your Highness..."
"Vihera."
"Your Highness."
"Vihera."
She interrupted Theorem to correct him repeatedly. They went back and forth a dozen times until Theorem finally gave in, realizing the conversation would never progress otherwise.
"I understand. Then, at the very least, let it be Lady Vihera."
"...Well, fine. So, what were we talking about?"
"His Imperial Majesty believed that someone with power such as yours, Lady Vihera, would not die so easily. And... it may sound untoward to say this, but for a woman with imperial blood... especially one as beautiful as you, Lady Vihera, there are various ways the country... No, it is nothing."
Theorem stopped when he saw Vihera's mood souring at an accelerating rate.
For an imperial woman to marry someone for the sake of the country—in the common sense of this world, there was nothing strange about that at all. Rather, one could say it was the sole and greatest duty of a princess.
For Vihera, who had become conscious of her love for Rei, being treated as a pawn for a political marriage was decisively unacceptable. An intimidating aura began to drift around her.
Because the ones present were Rei, Elena, and Theorem—all people with extraordinary strength—nothing particular happened, but if an ordinary person had been there, they would have fled immediately.
Rei spoke up before the tension could escalate further.
"Vihera, dial it back. Besides, Fla—no, Theorem didn't come all this way to talk to you about a political marriage, right?"
He caught himself before saying "Flash" and calmed Vihera down, then turned his gaze toward Theorem.
Theorem likely understood the meaning of that gaze. While internally wanting to sigh at the realization of the relationship between Rei and Lady Vihera—the princess of the Empire—and how complicated things had become, he finally spoke.
"Indeed. The reason I have come all this way to the Kingdom of Mireana at this specific time... It is to ask for your assistance in the rescue of Lady Vihera's younger brother, His Highness the Third Prince Mercurio."