"My name is Kyuken, and I serve Lord Theoreme. Thank you for receiving me so graciously despite the short notice."
The woman who introduced herself as Kyuken bowed deeply toward Daskar.
Since she was meeting with Daskar, she had already discarded her rain-soaked robe. She was now dressed in an outfit designed for ease of movement.
To an outside observer, she appeared composed, but Kyuken instinctively felt the unfathomable power radiating from Daskar and, more pressingly, the man standing nearby as his guard—Elk. Internally, she decided that once she returned, she would have to give Lord Theoreme a piece of her mind for sending her into such a den of monsters.
Unaware of Kyuken's inner thoughts, Daskar gave a slight nod.
"Yes, I was informed that a contact person would be arriving with a marked dagger. Here, I'll return it to you."
Daskar handed the dagger to a nearby knight, who stepped forward to return it to Kyuken.
She tucked the weapon away into her clothes, gave a small bow, and spoke again.
"Thank you very much. Now then, straight to business..."
"Right, the message. What is it about?"
"First, Lord Theoreme is currently expanding his forces with the help of Her Highness Vihera. Of course, he is acting with the utmost discretion to avoid drawing the attention of the other factions, as it would be quite troublesome if the Third Prince Faction were discovered making such a move."
"I've heard as much. Her Highness Vihera is quite popular, isn't she?"
"Yes. Thanks to her, our forces are gradually growing. However, since the primary requirement is that they must be trustworthy, our numbers are increasing only little by little."
"I imagine so."
Elk's brow had furrowed slightly at the mention of Theoreme's name, but he quickly wiped the expression from his face and nodded.
Their duel on the Seremuse Plain had forced Elk to acknowledge the other side's perspective and reach a certain level of acceptance, but he still found it difficult to let everything be water under the bridge. Min, noticing this with the intuition of a long-time partner, gently stroked his back to steady him.
Kyuken, completely unaware of this silent exchange, continued her report.
"Next... to be honest, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I was dispatched specifically to share this information."
"Oh? You've certainly piqued my interest. What information is it?"
"Inside the Bestia Empire, there is an organization known as the Requiem Bell that takes on shady work—assassinations, kidnappings, and instigations. While there are other groups like them, the Requiem Bell is renowned for its exceptional skill."
Elk's eyebrows furrowed once more. Given his fundamentally straightforward nature, he had little patience for underground organizations of that sort. As an A-Rank adventurer, he understood they were a necessary evil, but that didn't mean he had to like them.
Kyuken continued her explanation, seemingly oblivious to Elk's reaction.
"Furthermore, the Requiem Bell places great importance on their underground code of honor; it is said they repay favors with favors and betrayal with betrayal. In fact, there is a tale of a noble who requested a job but then tried to silence them to cover his tracks. He met an end so horrific I'd prefer not to put it into words."
"An underground organization with a sense of duty, hmm? I don't know about their honor, but we've already had contact with something of that nature."
At Daskar's words, Kyuken lowered her head with an apologetic expression.
"Yes, I heard rumors in the city I visited before coming to this village. Had I arrived a day earlier, perhaps we could have responded more appropriately... My apologies."
"Don't worry about it. Our defensive strength didn't take any significant damage. The injuries sustained were light and are expected to heal in a few days."
"Thank you."
Min, who had been watching Kyuken, spoke up as if something had just occurred to her.
"Kyuken, was it? How much do you know about this organization called the Requiem Bell?"
"Unfortunately, very few details. They are a secretive organization by nature, so information about their members rarely spreads. In this world, names usually travel fast once someone reaches a certain level of skill, but they are an exception."
"I see. By the way, do you know of anyone who avoids fighting in person and instead uses total strangers? Specifically, someone who can paralyze a target's sense of pain and draw out far more power than they would normally possess?"
Kyuken thought for a few seconds, searching her memory for a clue.
"Based on that method, it is likely the individual known as the Puppet Master. However, the exact details of their technique remain a mystery. Those they capture don't die, but they invariably fall into a coma. Because the culprit rarely shows their face, people eventually started calling them the Puppet Master."
"The Puppet Master, huh. There were definitely some people like that among them."
Rhodos muttered bitterly, likely recalling the previous night's skirmish. While guarding the stairs with the other knights, he had encountered rioters who seemed impervious to pain and possessed unnatural strength. Though he had successfully neutralized them by shattering their joints in cooperation with the knights, they—like the ones Rei and Seto had fought—had fallen into an unresponsive coma.
"A troublesome opponent has targeted us. Are the ones hiring them nobles of this country?" Daskar asked, his expression one of pure exhaustion.
Kyuken nodded. "Yes. However, even if they are nobles, they do not hold particularly significant positions."
"I thought as much. It was the State Upper Management that invited me here. I doubt they would risk incurring the state's displeasure by sending assassins after me. But if that's the case..."
Daskar pondered for a moment before a look of realization crossed his face. He didn't even have to think about why he had been attacked. Hadn't he already received reports from Rhodos, Rei, and the knights?
"The people who lost family or friends in the war, then?"
"Yes. Especially since many soldiers, knights, and even nobles died in this most recent war. Naturally, that includes heirs, fiances, and friends."
"Even so, it was a war. I realize who I'm talking to, but the Bestia Empire was the aggressor. We were simply defending ourselves."
"I cannot comment on that from my position... Regardless, there is no doubt they were hired by parties who harbor a grudge against the Margrave of Larkus and Crimson."
It likely wasn't pleasant for Kyuken to deal with such matters either. Normally, she would have been working toward the Third Prince's Rescue alongside Theoreme and Vihera. Even this contact mission was supposed to have been handled by a lower-ranking agent. But once they realized the Requiem Bell was involved, they couldn't risk a standard report, so Kyuken had come herself.
"However, there is one thing I would like you to be careful about."
Kyuken's solemn tone drew the attention of everyone present—Daskar, Elk, and Min. Under their combined gaze, Kyuken continued her explanation without appearing the least bit intimidated. If anyone who had seen her flinching at the sight of Seto earlier had seen her now, they would have doubted their own eyes.
"The Requiem Bell is famous within the Bestia Empire for their skill. Because they are such a prestigious group, it is not easy to make contact with them. Put simply, one does not just place a request with them."
"But the ones who attacked us in the last city were those Requiem Bell guys, right?" Rhodos asked, clearly confused.
Kyuken nodded. "Yes, based on what I've heard... especially considering the condition of the unconscious individuals, there is no doubt it was their work. Which means..."
"I see. Since people who normally shouldn't be able to place a request have done so, there's a possibility that someone else is pulling the strings from the shadows."
"It is exactly as you say, Margrave Larkus. That is also why there was a delay in delivering this information. When Lord Theoreme first received word that the Requiem Bell was involved—especially when he saw the names of those supposedly hiring them—he initially dismissed it as a hoax. However, the information was too specific to ignore. Once the investigation verified the details, I was dispatched."
Daskar furrowed his brow. It wasn't that he was annoyed with Kyuken, but rather with the fact that someone was operating in the darkness.
"How troublesome. Do we still not know who is behind it?"
"My apologies. Lord Theoreme is doing his best, but the Third Prince Faction is quite short-handed..."
The popular Vihera was moving to somehow manage that lack of numbers, but it wasn't something that could be fixed overnight. It was clear that a difficult struggle in the shadows would continue for some time.
"Well, isn't it fine? Rei's role was originally to draw the eyes of the Empire. If you think about it that way, though we don't know what the mastermind is plotting, he's succeeded in drawing a great deal of attention."
Elk spoke up, his voice cutting through the gloomy atmosphere.
"Besides, if we know someone is lurking in the background, we can deal with it one way or another. Especially since it's that Rei. Even if he gets caught in a trap, I can only imagine him tearing it apart and biting the throat of the person who set it."
The fact that everyone could agree with those words was a testament to how well they knew Rei. Kyuken was also nodding in agreement, perhaps because she had seen Rei's Tamed Monster, Seto, up close just a moment ago.
"I've heard about him from Her Highness Vihera and Lord Theoreme, but is this person known as Crimson... no, Rei-san, really that incredible?"
"If you're asking if he's incredible, he certainly is. Hmm? If you're Theoreme's subordinate, you must have participated in the war too, right? Then didn't you see that Flame Tornado?"
As Daskar asked curiously, Kyuken gave a bitter smile and shook her head.
"Unfortunately, I did not participate in the Spring War. I was away from the unit for a time on orders from Lord Theoreme."
"I see. Well, I understand there are various circumstances, so it's probably best if I don't ask what you were doing."
"Yes, that would be helpful. For my part, I would like to see that legendary Flame Tornado at least once, though I know I can't exactly ask to see it casually."
"That's only natural. Rei became famous for that incident alone. Especially here in the Bestia Empire, his name is perhaps better known than in the Kingdom of Mireana—along with the Flame Tornado that became synonymous with Crimson."
Daskar muttered as he recalled the scene he had witnessed on the battlefield. He had known Rei was capable ever since the boy defeated the Orc King, but the sheer scale of his power had been completely unexpected. For Daskar, it was a case of his expectations being exceeded in the best possible way.
Hearing Daskar's words, Kyuken imagined a vortex of fire swallowing people up, incinerating them, and trampling everything in its path. Even though she hadn't seen it herself, Daskar's eyewitness account made the image vivid.
"Well, putting that aside, we've gotten off track. Let's return to the matter of this Requiem Bell. Do you think they will strike again while we are on our way to the Imperial Capital?"
"To be honest, I don't know. However, if the motive of those who hired them is revenge, the possibility is quite high. Please do not let your guard down... no, perhaps it's unnecessary for me to say that with the Axe of the Thunder God and Crimson present. My apologies."
"No, don't worry about it. By the way, Kyuken, what will you do now? Will you stay here for a night before returning to Theoreme?"
"Yes, if possible. Setting out immediately in this rain would be difficult."
"I understand. I'll tell the Village Head to prepare a room. There is an local inn, but considering your identity, it's better if you stay with us."
Kyuken bowed at Daskar's words. In the end, she stayed at the Village Head's house that night, departing with Daskar's entourage the next morning before eventually parting ways with them to return to her master.