With the rewards finally settled, the group immediately shifted their focus to discussing their next course of action.
Predictably, it was Elena who took the lead in offering her opinion.
"As I have mentioned several times now, if we are to head into the Bestia Empire, I must return to Gilm at least once to inform Lord Daskar. Ordinarily, traveling from Exil back to Gilm would take a considerable amount of time, but..."
She trailed off, casting a meaningful glance toward Rei.
She was right. Traveling on foot was out of the question, and even by carriage, the journey from Exil to the frontier city of Gilm would consume a vast amount of time.
However, that was only true for those restricted to the ground.
Rei had a partner capable of soaring through the skies: Set, the Gryphon.
"Indeed. Given a Gryphon’s flight speed, travel within the kingdom can be treated as little more than a short excursion."
Theoreme had reached the same conclusion as Elena. He nodded in agreement.
"True enough. In that case, Elena, please write a letter to Lord Daskar. Even with the Paired Orbs, it’s best to have a formal document on hand. Meanwhile, I’ll head over to say my goodbyes to Bosk and Byune. Vihera, is Byune around today?"
"She should be at the Silva residence. Bosk mentioned yesterday that they needed to discuss the arrangements for the restoration of House Flaut. Besides, she has a lot of studying to do if she’s going to govern Exil."
"Which is why I left her behind to come see you, Rei," Vihera added, her cheeks flushing a faint red with embarrassment. Rei nodded, feeling a touch of bashfulness himself, and did his best to look away.
He instinctively sensed that poking that particular hive would lead to a mountain of headaches with Elena, who was currently radiating an ominous aura beside him. It was a choice born of pure survival instinct.
"I see. Then I’ll head to the Silva residence first. Oh, Elena. While you’re writing the letter, could you handle the checkout procedures at the inn? Here... take this."
Rei reached into his Misty Ring, produced a pouch, and handed a mix of gold and silver coins to Elena.
"Rei? I told you I would cover the lodging fees..."
"No, I told you, didn't I? I’d earn the money in the dungeon and pay my own way. It would reflect poorly on me if I relied on your pocketbook for everything, Elena. Let me keep a little bit of my dignity."
"...I understand."
Elena hesitated for a heartbeat before accepting the coins without further argument.
She had initially intended to pay because she felt Rei was only staying in the city to accompany her, but one look into his eyes told her he was acting out of genuine principle.
"I think it’s best if we leave Exil at dawn tomorrow, though. Even if we set out now, the sun would go down before we got very far."
"Well, put that way, I suppose you’re right."
As Rei nodded, Theoreme followed suit.
"Furthermore, while we have covered the broad strokes, we need to iron out the finer details—such as where we will rendezvous once you have finished your business with the Lord of Gilm."
"True."
In modern Japan, there were countless ways to contact someone across a distance. But this was the world of Elgin, and the lack of such convenience was exactly why Elena had come to Exil in the first place—to find a magic item that would allow her to speak with Rei from afar.
"Regarding that... I have many conflicting thoughts on the matter, but perhaps it would be best to lend the Paired Orbs to Vihera until this crisis is resolved?"
"Wait, what? Where did that come from?"
Vihera let out a cry of genuine shock at Elena's proposal.
It was an incredibly unexpected offer, especially since she knew exactly how hard Elena had pushed herself in the dungeon to obtain those orbs.
However, Theoreme glanced at Vihera before turning back to Elena and shaking his head slightly.
"No, I would prefer you keep that magic item on your end. Being able to contact the Noble's Faction of the Kingdom of Mireana in an emergency could prove to be a vital trump card."
"But then, how will we coordinate our meeting? Surely you don't expect Rei to go all the way to Gilm and then search for us back in Exil?"
They still had a little time to spare, but they couldn't afford to waste it. Theoreme nodded at Elena's point, thought for a few seconds, and then spoke.
"Meeting at a town or village near the Seremuse Plain would be best. That way, we can depart Exil shortly after you leave without any issues. Honestly, this is exactly the kind of situation where I wish I could rely on teleportation... but in the wake of the responsibility for our defeat being forced onto Prince Mercurio, the management of the alchemists has already been taken out of my hands."
Though he didn't say it aloud, the Beast Soldiers that Theoreme had once held as his ultimate trump card had also been stripped away from him.
The Second Prince Faction, having witnessed the terrifying combat potential the units displayed during the war, had made their move to seize them the moment they successfully shifted the blame for the defeat onto Mercurio.
That said, despite their raw power, Beast Soldiers were notoriously difficult to handle. They would never quietly obey a simple command from a typical noble; because they possessed the instincts of a monster, they followed only those stronger than themselves, and because they possessed human reason, they would only submit to a leader with the caliber to command them.
There was an exception in the person of Gilgos, who had commanded the Beast Soldiers effectively, but he was truly an outlier.
As Theoreme brooded over these thoughts, Rei eventually nodded as if it couldn't be helped.
"Understood. Let's pick a suitable town or village to meet at. ...Still."
Rei let out a heavy, involuntary sigh.
"What is it?" Vihera asked.
Rei gave her a wry smile.
"In the spring, there was the war and the hunt for that giant monster at sea. In the summer, I’ve been exploring this dungeon while fighting anomaly species and the Holy Light Religion. And now for the autumn, I’m getting dragged into the Bestia Empire's internal strife to compete in a fighting tournament. I was just thinking that this has been a hell of a turbulent year."
Even though it was still the height of summer, he spoke as if he were already conducting a year-end review.
However, considering the sheer weight of his experiences, few could deny that his assessment was accurate.
Though, as it happened...
"Now, now, Rei. You might be in a tournament this autumn, but don't forget about winter. We don't have anything scheduled yet, but who knows what kind of massive commotion might break out then? It might even involve the Holy Light Religion again."
Rei made a sour face at Vihera's teasing.
Based on his track record so far, he certainly couldn't rule it out.
"The Holy Light Religion? Now that you mention it, you brought them up earlier... what about them?"
"I'll fill you in later. ...Since you recognize the name, Theoreme, I assume they’ve extended their reach into the Bestia Empire as well?"
"Yes. They assist with dungeon conquests, or offer their services in places where the reach of the adventurers, guard force, or knight orders falls short..."
As the Bestia Group began their own conversation, Rei cut in.
"Anyway, I'm heading to the Silva residence to tell Byune and Bosk that I'm leaving Exil tomorrow."
"Please do," Vihera nodded. Beside her, Theoreme, who had been pondering the implications of the Holy Light Religion, added one final note.
"Just to be safe, I would prefer if you did not mention to anyone that you are heading into the Bestia Empire."
"Yeah, I figured as much. You two can head out with Elena once you're done here."
With that, Rei exited the room, hearing Vihera's explanation of the recent events involving the Holy Light Religion—and Elena's various interjections—fading into the distance behind him.
A short while after Rei's departure, the conversation regarding the Holy Light Religion came to an end, and silence fell over the room. Suddenly, Theoreme turned a questioning look toward Elena.
His eyes were filled with a distinct sense of doubt.
Curious, Elena spoke up.
"What is it?"
"No, it is just... I was under the impression that you would harbor a deep-seated grudge against me."
Theoreme’s admission was, in a sense, a very natural question.
Leading up to the Spring War, Theoreme had viewed Rei and Elena as significant threats and had repeatedly reached out with schemes to have them eliminated in secret.
There was Vel's betrayal and the death of Kyuste. Furthermore—though Elena herself was unaware—he had even taken the son of Elk, the leader of the A-Rank party Axe of the Thunder God, hostage to force him to attack Rei.
As far as Rei was concerned, he seemed to hold no particular ill will, likely because he had simply crushed every scheme with brute force, but Theoreme had assumed things would be different for Elena.
In fact, Theoreme had been extremely tense throughout their meeting, waiting for the moment she might draw her blade.
But in the end, nothing of the sort had happened, and their discussion had concluded with perfect civility.
Indeed, it was the best possible outcome Theoreme could have hoped for.
"I won't lie and say I feel nothing. Kyuste was a man with many flaws, but he was still a companion I spent many years with. But... the same could be said for your side, couldn't it? Rei killed many within the Bestia Imperial Army, and he did the same to your Beast Soldiers."
There was a trace of deep sorrow in Elena's voice.
The fact that Vel, the man who had personally murdered Kyuste, was already dead likely played a part in her composure.
Though, in truth, it was Rei who had delivered the fatal blow to Vel.
"Besides, if we succeed in this mission, we can establish a powerful pro-Kingdom of Mireana faction within the Bestia Empire. If we achieve that, while I won't say such tragedies will never happen again... it is a fact that they will become much rarer."
She was not speaking as a private individual nursing a personal vendetta, but as a noble making a cold judgment for the sake of the Kingdom of Mireana.
Upon hearing her answer, Theoreme silently bowed his head.
"Oh? Look who it is. Seeing you twice in two days is a rare treat."
At House Silwa's residence, Rei was now a familiar face. The gatekeeper had called for the Head Butler, Sanctions, the moment he arrived, and Rei was guided directly to the office. Bosk called out to him as he entered.
The number of documents on the desk had decreased significantly since the previous day, but the remaining stacks still formed a veritable mountain.
Still, the fact that Rei could actually see Bosk's face behind the desk was a testament to just how much progress had been made.
However, Byune—who was sitting beside Bosk helping with the filing while studying to take over as the head of House Flaut—was currently hidden from view behind a pile of papers.
"Nn."
At the very least, her voice drifted over as a greeting, so she was clearly in high spirits.
Visualizing Byune's expressionless face as she methodically processed the paperwork, Rei got straight to the point.
"Yeah, sorry to barge in. Something urgent came up, so I’ve decided to leave Exil tomorrow morning. I just came to let you know and say goodbye."
"What?! Whoa, whoa, hold on a second. Isn't that a little sudden?"
Rei’s news was clearly the last thing Bosk expected. He stood up reflexively, and the force of his movement caused a nearby stack of documents to landslide.
"Nnnnn!"
Byune let out a muffled cry of protest as she was buried under the paper. Bosk offered a hasty apology, then stepped away from the desk to approach Rei, careful not to cause any further collapses.
"Listen, kid, you're a central figure in this whole mess. The officials sent from the capital are definitely going to want to hear your side of the story... what's with the rush?"
"Like I said, it’s urgent business. That’s why they call it 'urgent.'"
"No, I get that. I get it, but as the guy currently governing Exil, I can't exactly just say 'sure, have a nice trip' and let it slide."
Bosk scratched his head vigorously.
Beside him, Byune continued to sort through the papers, but her ears were clearly perked to catch every single word Rei said.
Even for her, parting with someone as close as Rei was likely a lonely prospect.
Though, in all honesty, she probably missed Set more.
"Elena will take care of the questioning and the legal side of things. I’m the only one leaving Exil tomorrow; she’s going to be staying here a while longer."
To be precise, she would be staying until Tsufal, the driver she had given a vacation to, returned to the city.
"...What?"
Hearing that Elena would be handling the fallout, Bosk's gaze sharpened.
From what little he knew of her, he didn't think Elena was the type to throw her noble authority around for trivial matters.
Which meant that whatever business had come up was anything but trivial.
"I see. As the governor, I’m sorry to see you go... but I don't have the right to forcibly detain an adventurer."
Letting out a soft sigh, Bosk simply told Rei to take care of himself.
"Nn."
Byune, who had been listening to the exchange while filing, set aside the documents in her hand and stood up. She approached Rei, careful not to disturb any of the paper mountains.
She looked up at him and spoke.
"Grudge, cleared. Thank you."
The words were short, but Rei understood her meaning instantly.
"I’m glad. Take care of yourself, Byune."
"Nn. Next time, come. House Flaut, restored."
"Yeah. I did end up leaving the dungeon conquest halfway through, after all. Once this urgent business is settled, I’ll find some time to come back and visit."
"Set."
"Right. If I come back, Set will obviously be coming with me."
Byune nodded at his promise. Then, for some reason, she reached out, tugged on his Dragon Robe to make him lean down, and...
"There, there."
She patted his head with a satisfied nod, then turned and went back to the desk.
Rei felt a strange sense of bewilderment at her gesture, but he spent another ten minutes chatting with Bosk before finally leaving the office.
"Oh, Rei-san?"
As he stepped out of the Silva residence, a voice called out to him.
Turning toward the sound, he found a trio consisting of a spear-wielding warrior, a thief, and a one-armed woman.
It was the Sound Blade trio—the party that, in a sense, would be remembered as the primary victims of the turmoil with House Marstchel.
Ordinarily, they would have been accompanied by their porter, Gort, but he had already retired from Sound Blade following the attack by the Holy Light Religion.
"Are you feeling better now?" Rei asked.
Tibia had been trapped within a magic circle and had remained unconscious even while a fierce battle raged nearby.
After the fighting ended, Ecethesus and Nakt had taken her home immediately, so this was the first time Rei had seen Tibia conscious since they had worked together to harvest monster materials.
"Yes. It seems I owe you a great debt... thank you so much."
Tibia, Ecethesus, and Nakt all bowed their heads in unison.
Rei waved a hand, telling them not to worry about it.
"Think of it as my final big job before leaving Exil. It wasn't a bad way to wrap things up."
"...What? Rei, are you going somewhere?" Ecethesus asked, his hand tightening around the shaft of his spear.
Rei gave a small shrug and nodded.
"Yeah. Some urgent business came up. It’s a bit sudden, but Set and I are leaving tomorrow morning."
"But... we haven't even had a chance to repay you..."
"Don't let it bother you. I got a hefty reward for the whole incident from Bosk."
"But still..."
"Besides, you’ve got a lot of hard work ahead of you, don't you? Whether you decide to stay in the business or retire."
Having lost her right arm, Tibia would face a massive handicap if she chose to remain an adventurer.
Rei pointed this out, telling her that if she had any money to spare for a thank-you gift, she should use it for herself instead. With that final bit of advice, he turned and left them behind.