An awkward silence filled the room until Elena finally spoke, seemingly determined to break the tension.
"Regarding the plan to rescue Prince Mercurio... how specifically do you intend to proceed?"
Elena tried to steer the discussion forward, though she couldn't quite hide the faint blush creeping onto her cheeks.
Theoreme, however, raised a hand to pause her.
"Lady Elena, a man like Rei can move freely as an adventurer with an alias, but you are the daughter of Duke Kerebel. Your status alone makes it difficult for you to accompany us, does it not?"
It was a reasonable point. Theoreme had requested Rei’s cooperation precisely because of his status as an independent adventurer. A high-ranking noble like Elena simply could not be seen entering the Bestia Empire under such suspicious circumstances.
However, Elena shook her head, rejecting the implication that she should withdraw from the matter.
"It is true that I cannot travel with you to the Bestia Empire," she admitted. "But there are things I can accomplish precisely because I am staying behind."
She looked Theoreme straight in the eye.
"Besides, you will need a safety net if things go south, won't you?"
Theoreme and Vihera both caught her drift and held their breath. Rei, however, didn't seem to follow the nuance and tilted his head in confusion.
"A safety net?"
"Exactly," Elena explained. "It is an outcome we would rather not contemplate, but what if the rescue of Prince Mercurio fails? Or even if it succeeds, what if you stumble during the escape? There is a high probability that none of you, the prince included, would be able to remain within the Bestia Empire's borders."
"I see your point," Rei muttered.
They were planning to forcibly break a member of the Imperial Family out of confinement. Any misstep during the aftermath would be fatal.
"In that case, you will need a place to seek asylum, will you not?"
"Are you suggesting... that Duke Kerebel would provide that?" Theoreme asked.
"I cannot offer a guarantee yet. However, I can certainly lobby my father, and I believe our chances are good. After all, the Kingdom of Mireana would benefit greatly from the internal destabilization of an enemy nation like the Bestia Empire."
In her private life, Elena wished to help Vihera—her rival for Rei's affections, but also her friend. In her public life as a daughter of a ducal house, she was acting to weaken the national power of a rival empire. Both personally and politically, this move was sound.
"Of course, my role is strictly limited to influencing my father. If he says no, then I cannot help you."
Even as she said this, Elena was fairly certain her father would not overlook such an opportunity. Creating chaos within the Bestia Empire, and potentially gaining a powerful connection in the process, was far too lucrative to ignore.
(In fact, he will almost certainly take steps to ensure that connection is solidified,) she thought. (He’ll likely need to coordinate closely with Lord Daskar of the Neutral Faction as well.)
The Neutral Faction would play a major role in this affair. Specifically, Rei, who was regarded as the right hand of Margrave Daskar, the central figure of the Neutral Faction.
If the mission succeeded, the Neutral Faction stood to gain the most, followed by the Noble Faction to which Elena belonged. The King's Faction, having no representatives present, would gain nothing—a rare situation, considering they still held a massive advantage over the combined strength of the Noble and Neutral Factions. While the Neutral Faction had gained significant fame during the Spring War, a single victory could only carry them so far.
Elena shook her head to clear these political calculations from her mind and looked back at the group.
"Now, is there any reason I shouldn't hear the rest of the plan?"
"...Lady Vihera?" Theoreme looked to his mistress for guidance.
Vihera nodded immediately. "You don't need to worry about Elena. She isn't the type to betray us, no matter what happens."
Theoreme hesitated for a few more seconds before finally relenting.
"As I mentioned before, I want Rei to take on the role I originally intended for Lady Vihera," he began. "To be specific, I want him to enter the large-scale fighting tournament held in the Imperial Capital this autumn—roughly two months from now—under his alias, Crimson."
"A fighting tournament?" Rei repeated, sounding dubious.
He had expected to lead a direct assault on wherever Mercurio was being held. The suggestion of entering a public competition caught him off guard.
"Yes. The Bestia Empire holds a massive tournament once a year. It draws participants and spectators from across the continent. During the event, the castle's attention will be focused entirely on the arena, and the majority of the guards will be diverted to manage the crowds and security. By the time of the finals, almost every leading figure of the Bestia Empire—including the Emperor himself—will be in attendance at the grounds."
Rei finally saw the logic in Theoreme’s plan. "I see. While the big players are busy watching the finals and the castle security is at its weakest, you'll slip in and rescue Prince Mercurio."
"Precisely."
Elena chimed in again. "So, is Rei's only job to win the tournament?"
"That is the hope. However, Tamed Monsters and summons are strictly forbidden in the tournament. You will have to fight without the power of your Gryphon... will that be a problem?"
"Seto isn't allowed?"
"No," Theoreme explained. "In the past, a Tamed Monster went berserk and caused many casualties among the spectators. Since then, monsters and summoning magic have been banned from the competition. Besides, the audience wants to see humans testing their own strength against one another, and there is the matter of the betting pools to consider."
Rei nodded. It made sense; people who paid to see human martial arts probably wouldn't enjoy a monster ending the fight in seconds.
"But I can still bring him into the city, right?"
"That won't be an issue. There are plenty of tamers and summoning magic users in the Empire."
"Then there's no problem."
Honestly, Rei was frustrated by the idea of not fighting alongside Seto. But since it was an immovable rule, he accepted it without further complaint.
"Rei isn't exactly weak without Seto, so he'll be fine," Vihera added with absolute confidence. Having fought him seriously just the day before and lost without landing a significant blow, she had no doubt about his capabilities.
"Then it seems the matter is settled. Rei, you should return to Gilm immediately and obtain permission from Margrave Daskar. I will write a formal letter explaining the situation for you to carry."
"Wouldn't it be faster to use the Paired Orbs?" Rei suggested.
Elena looked slightly surprised. "That's true..."
To her, the Paired Orbs were a precious Magic Item meant for personal conversations with Rei over long distances. Since she had delved into a dungeon specifically to find them for that purpose, the idea of using them for a business report hadn't even crossed her mind.
"...I'm so jealous," Vihera murmured softly.
Theoreme looked at her in surprise. To him, Vihera was a woman who lived solely for the pursuit of strength. He knew she had feelings for Rei, but seeing the depth of her affection in person was a different matter entirely.
"You'd better be careful," Vihera said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Make sure your superior—Margrave Larkus, was it?—doesn't try to confiscate those Paired Orbs from you. Though personally, I'd be happy if he did. It would give me an opening to move in."
She laughed, but the warning was a heavy one. In this world, the ability to communicate instantly over vast distances was an incredible strategic advantage. Even among the highest nobility, such items were vanishingly rare.
While there were more advanced items—like the ones held by Guild Masters that could connect multiple people—the rarity of any long-distance communication tool was extreme. There had been cases where greedy nobles had forcibly seized such items from the Guild, only to have the Adventurer's Guild declare them an enemy and withdraw all services from their territory. Without adventurers to handle monster subjugation, bandit suppression, or harvesting, the nobles were eventually forced to pay reparations totaling eighty percent of their wealth just to reconcile and get their Orbs back.
Elena, however, wasn't worried. "Lord Daskar is not the sort of man to commit such an outrage. Besides, he knows Rei's strength all too well. If he were foolish enough to antagonize him, the horrors seen during the Spring War would descend upon his own head."
"I certainly saw that sight, even from afar," Theoreme admitted with a sigh and a wry smile. "Honestly, I can't imagine ever wanting to stand against someone capable of creating such a disaster."
He agreed with Elena wholeheartedly. The victory of the war had practically been decided by that firestorm alone. Even if the Empire had more soldiers, no army could maintain morale after witnessing what looked like the wrath of a god. The subsequent attack on their confused lead unit had been the final nail in the coffin.
"I've only heard the stories," Vihera said. "It sounds like I missed quite a show. I would have liked to see it, but I was already in Exil back then."
If she had participated in the war, it would have been as an adventurer from Exil, meaning she would have fought for the Kingdom of Mireana. But Vihera couldn't bring herself to take up arms against the land where she was raised, so she had remained neutral, focused on caring for Byune. Yet, if she had been there, her presence alone might have caused enough chaos among the Bestia commanders to end the war even sooner.
"I have no desire to see it again," Theoreme said. "Many who survived and returned to the Empire still have nightmares about it. However, if that power is working as our ally this time, there is nothing more reassuring."
"Regarding that..." Rei interrupted, drawing their attention. "Since I'm accepting this as an adventurer's request, I expect a suitable reward."
"A reward? Well, I have something that couldn't be better," Vihera purred. "How about—"
"Rejected," Elena snapped, cutting her off before she could offer herself up. She knew exactly what Vihera was going to say.
"Oh, come on. You could yield just a little," Vihera teased.
"I have no intention of yielding anything."
Theoreme ignored their bickering and looked at Rei. "What specifically do you desire? Since we absolutely require your strength, I will do everything in my power to accommodate you."
"Let's see," Rei mused. "The request is to enter the tournament and assist in the rescue of Prince Mercurio, correct?"
Theoreme nodded silently.
Rei thought for a moment. "Then, prepare a Magic Item for me. Choose something you believe is of appropriate value for hiring me to save your prince. I won't specify what I want; I'll leave the choice to you."
Theoreme’s eyes widened. It was a difficult request. By leaving the choice to him, Rei was essentially testing him. If he provided something cheap, it would imply that Prince Mercurio's life was worth very little. A shameless noble might have tried to settle the debt with a single potion, but a man of Theoreme’s pride could never do such a thing.
"...I understand," Theoreme finally said, his expression grave. "I will find something suitable."