The words "Axe of the Thunder God" had barely left Rei's lips before Theoreme froze.
The name was all too familiar. In fact, he had once taken Elk's family hostage in a desperate attempt to eliminate the very person sitting before him now. In short, they were people who undoubtedly harbored a lethal grudge against him.
"That is... how should I put it? To be perfectly honest, I would prefer you choose someone else. Surely there are other A-Rank or B-Rank adventurers in Gilm besides the Axe of the Thunder God?"
Rei gave a light shrug at Theoreme's words and took a sip from his cup of fruit water. Though it had grown lukewarm since he first pulled it from the Misty Ring, he still enjoyed the faint, distinct sweetness on his tongue.
"I’m told there are indeed other A-Ranks, but Elk and his party were the only ones available right now. Besides, in terms of sheer combat power, they’re more than enough, right?"
"You're saying this on purpose, aren't you?"
"Yeah. Obviously, Elk resents you... or rather, it’s more accurate to say he’s furious."
Resentment and fury. While similar, they differed at their core—the difference between a cold, simmering grudge and a white-hot, outward rage. The distinction was enough to cause Theoreme a flicker of surprise.
"Meaning?"
"To put it bluntly, once Lord Daskar arrives in this village, Elk wants to fight you."
Theoreme understood that Elk felt anger—an emotion far less insidious than a lingering grudge—but his expression still twisted with visible distaste.
"Is that absolutely necessary?"
He asked as if seeking a way out, but Rei merely gave a matter-of-fact nod. If anything, Rei looked slightly exasperated as he continued.
"Actually, you should be grateful it’s only that. I only managed to talk him down that far with the help of Elk's wife, Min. As far as Elk is concerned, if he can fight you head-on and settle the score... he’s willing to let the past go, for the most part."
From what Rei had seen in Daskar's office, he didn't entirely believe that, but he said it anyway. He didn't think a man of Elk’s temperament was capable of maintaining that level of intense fury over a long period. With Min there to manage him, Rei predicted Elk would be in a much more reasonable state by the time they reached Goto.
Though, if Elk hasn't cooled down by then, it’s really just his own fault, Rei thought.
Elk was essentially a mischievous boy in a man’s body, and the love he felt for his family and comrades was remarkably deep and pure. Theoreme had not only taken that family hostage but had ordered Elk to kill Rei—one of Elk's favorite people.
"...Are you telling me to go and die?"
"Well, who knows? All I can say is do your best to survive. I don't personally care much about it anymore, but it’s a different story for Elk."
Ordinarily, it would have been natural for Rei to hold a grudge himself. However, in the year or so since he had arrived in the world of Elgin, he had faced one crisis after another. He simply didn't have the luxury of worrying about every slight.
"Lady Vihera."
Theoreme turned to Vihera as if seeking salvation, only to be met with a look of pure exasperation.
"Unfortunately, based on what I’ve just heard, I can't defend you. Taking hostages to force a fight... honestly, I’d like to beat some sense into your soul myself. You’re reaping what you sowed. In fact, I’m starting to wonder if it’s really safe to leave that boy in your care at all."
Seeing Vihera genuinely troubled, Theoreme realized that further pleading was useless. He fell into a deep, troubled silence... then, after several minutes, he let out a heavy sigh and nodded.
"I understand. I shall accept the duel fair and square. If I look at it another way, once I get through that, I might even be able to draw a force like the Axe of the Thunder God to our side."
"I wouldn't count on that. Elk was hired specifically to guard Lord Daskar. Pulling them into our side of the business would be difficult..."
Rei trailed off, recalling Min’s demeanor in Daskar’s office. She had been adamant about preventing a war. While talking to Elk directly might be impossible, they might have a chance if they could convince Min.
However, he immediately shook his head and dismissed the idea. Recruiting the Axe of the Thunder God would certainly bolster their strength, but then the issue of Daskar’s security would resurface. He couldn't exactly leave Daskar’s protection to Rhodos alone just to borrow Elk and Min’s strength.
"Yeah, it’d be a hard sell."
Vihera and Theoreme watched Rei as he muttered to himself. When it became clear he had nothing more to add, they moved to the next subject.
"If Margrave Larkus is coming, we’ll have to adjust the plan slightly to account for his presence."
"I suppose so. But it shouldn't require a major departure from the original plan—Rei entering the Fighting Tournament as a high-profile decoy to draw attention."
Rei nodded in agreement as Vihera spoke.
"Right. Just think of it as the Bestia Empire upper management having more people to worry about. As for my entry, it looks like it’ll be under a formal recommendation from Lord Daskar."
"Ugh..."
Vihera let out an involuntary, bitter smile. Both Rei and Daskar had made massive names for themselves during the Spring War. If those two appeared in the Bestia Empire together and Rei entered the tournament, the Imperial upper management would see it as a blatant provocation.
"If you have a recommendation from Margrave Larkus, does that mean you’ll be seeded into the Final Tournament?" Theoreme asked, his brow furrowing slightly. He clearly wasn't happy about the delay in Rei becoming the talk of the Imperial Capital.
However, Rei shook his head.
"Don't worry, I intend to enter from the Qualifying Rounds."
"...Is that wise? Since it's a battle royal, there's no telling what might happen. Moreover, entering via a recommendation from Margrave Larkus will draw far more eyes than we anticipated."
"Isn't that the whole point?"
Theoreme let out a heavy sigh at Rei’s nonchalant reply.
"In principle, yes. But there are limits. We have Rei, the hero of the Spring War, and his employer, Margrave Larkus. With both of you present, since they cannot easily move against a high-ranking noble like the Margrave, a much heavier burden will undoubtedly fall on you."
"He’ll be fine," Vihera interjected.
"Lady Vihera?"
"Think about it. Given Rei’s strength, no ordinary opponent will be able to touch him. If they try anything underhanded, they’ll just end up being counter-attacked. I don't think they'll be foolish enough to keep throwing away their own men like that. Though, to drive the point home, he’ll need to thoroughly crush the first few who try to mess with him."
Vihera spoke with a pleasant smile, but the content of her words was utterly cold. She was suggesting that anyone who targeted Rei for harassment or assassination should be made to live in absolute regret.
"But that only applies to those acting on behalf of a faction. For those acting on their own, it probably won't be as effective, so be careful."
"...I'll keep that in mind."
Women are terrifying when they get serious, Rei thought. He quickly steered the conversation toward the next topic.
"So, about the actual arrangements to rescue the Third Prince from house arrest..."
"Regarding that, I’m sorry, but I’d like to keep the details a secret for now."
"Hm? ...Ah, I see."
Rei frowned for a moment, then nodded in understanding. Fundamentally, Rei’s role was to be the distraction. The actual rescue of Prince Mercureo would be handled by Theoreme and the rest of the Third Prince Faction.
If Rei knew the details, there was always the risk he might accidentally leak them. Since he wasn't part of the rescue team, knowing the plan offered no benefit and only created potential harm. Or perhaps Theoreme judged that with Vihera on the team, they already had all the strength they needed.
"So, is that the end of the briefing?"
"Yes, for now. Is there anything else you’d like to know?"
Rei thought for a moment, but nothing vital came to mind. For a split second, he considered asking if Vihera would be safe, but it was a pointless question. If there were no danger, Theoreme wouldn't have traveled all the way to the Kingdom of Mireana for help. Besides, asking such a thing might insult Vihera’s pride as a warrior and her dedication to her brother.
"Oh, right. I was just curious—what kind of prizes or prize money are there for winning the Fighting Tournament?"
In the end, that was all Rei asked. Even if the tournament ended up being cancelled if the plan went perfectly, he was still interested. The Bestia Empire was a major power, and they were staking their national prestige on this event. Since important figures from across the continent were invited, the rewards were bound to be magnificent.
Rei’s question was met with faint, bitter smiles from both Vihera and Theoreme.
"...What's wrong?"
"No, it's true the winner receives prizes and gold, and a path to entering service. There's even the possibility of being granted a noble title, followed by an Audience with His Majesty the Emperor. However, given that Rei already possesses rare magic items like the Misty Ring and the Death Scythe, and even has a Gryphon as a partner... well, we were just wondering what could possibly be a suitable reward for someone like you."
"Exactly," Vihera added. "I heard from Elena that you collect magic items, but you prefer practical ones, don't you? If we assume that purely artistic items meant for display are off the table..."
She trailed off, her words vague. Furthermore, Rei had requested a magic item suitable as a reward for saving the life of a prince. Those demands were difficult to meet in many ways.
The tournament prizes were likely a moot point, but they were absolutely obligated to pay the reward for the mission itself.
Now, what should we do? Theoreme thought, his head beginning to ache. It's good that we could hire him, but not having a specific request makes this incredibly difficult.
Vihera was also wondering what could possibly be worth her brother's life.
I could always offer myself as the reward... but Elena would probably be furious.
She had joked about it in Exil, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like the perfect solution for her. However, she could easily imagine Elena transforming into a Furious War Maiden the moment she found out. To someone who loved a good fight, that wasn't entirely a bad thing, but Rei would almost certainly take Elena's side.
Balancing the heart of a maiden in love with her innate craving for battle was proving to be a difficult task.
Rei, meanwhile, was pondering what kind of magic item he actually wanted.
For weapons, I have the Death Scythe and the Thorn Spear. I have the Magic Tent for camping, and the Dagger of Flowing Water for meals. I have a watch for the time... so, what else would actually be useful?
When he looked at it objectively, Rei realized he was already quite satisfied with his gear. Nothing else jumped out at him immediately, though he figured he might think of something later.
With all three of them lost in their own thoughts, the house remained wrapped in silence until Luchard finally returned from the village feast.