"...Wow, so this is my room."
Rei entered the room shown to him by the inn staff after leaving Set in the stables and let out a quiet murmur of surprise.
"How is it, sir? We have done our utmost to ensure that a guest as renowned as the famous Crimson-sama would be satisfied."
The inn staff member spoke with a look of slight trepidation, though he did his best to maintain a professional facade. Rei offered a wry smile in response.
It wasn't that the room was bad. If anything, it was so grand that he felt it was a bit too extravagant for his tastes.
In terms of sheer floor space, it was nearly three times larger than the room he occupied at the Dusk Wheat Inn, his regular haunt in Gilm. It was clearly designed to accommodate several people, yet he was meant to have it all to himself.
The interior was equally impressive. Along with the bed and sofa, there were various desks and an array of high-quality magic items, including lighting and even a cold storage device similar to a refrigerator. Even a single glance was enough to tell that every piece of furniture was a luxury item of the highest caliber.
Compared to high-class establishments like the Dusk Wheat Inn or the Golden Wind Inn, this place was a rank—perhaps even two—above. Furthermore, this was merely the room allotted to Rei; the suite where Daskar was staying was undoubtedly even better equipped.
"As far as satisfaction goes, I have no complaints. But are you sure it's okay for me to use a room this magnificent?"
"Yes. We received direct instructions from the state to spare no expense."
"The state, huh..."
Rei raised an eyebrow. He was a person of concern for many reasons, so he suspected there was a underlying motive for the Bestia Empire to show such extreme consideration.
If I think about it logically, they're probably trying to show their magnanimity by honoring the man who defeated them... Or, perhaps they're intentionally isolating me from the others to make an assassination attempt easier.
Several possibilities crossed his mind, but since this was already his assigned room, he figured there was no point in arguing. He gave the staff member a small nod.
"I see. There's no problem. Thank you for preparing such a fine room. Oh, one more thing. Set, my Gryphon in the stables, looked like he was getting hungry. Please prepare something for him to eat."
"As you wish. If you require anything else, please do not hesitate to call."
The man gave a graceful, polite bow and left with a small smile.
Once he was alone, Rei performed a thorough sweep of the room just to be safe. Fortunately, he found no hidden peepholes or spaces where someone could hide. He wasn't an expert in espionage, however, so he couldn't declare the room absolutely secure.
"Anyway... I should get some rest for a bit."
He muttered to himself as he shed his magic items, including his Dragon Robe and Sleipnir's Shoes, and collapsed onto the bed.
As expected of such a luxury item, the mattress caught his weight with a soft, plush embrace, supporting him as if he were sinking into a cloud. Magic items similar to air conditioners seemed to be active throughout the inn, regulating the temperature perfectly. Despite having removed his Dragon Robe, he felt neither the heat of the city nor the artificial chill of a device set too high.
This was the luxury one could expect from the finest inn in the Imperial Capital of the Bestia Empire.
Ah... I was told I could rest for about two hours... Guess I'll... take a nap.
Lying on the bed, Rei didn't bother fighting the encroaching drowsiness and let himself drift off to sleep.
In the heart of the Bestia Empire's Imperial Capital stood the gargantuan Imperial Castle.
This was the residence of the Emperor who ruled the Bestia Empire, one of the most powerful nations in all of Elgin. It was a site of exquisite splendor, adorned with intricate decorations designed to captivate anyone who beheld them. It was often said that the castle was worth visiting just to see it from the outside, even if one never set foot within its walls.
Yet, it was far more than a mere work of art. The structure had been engineered to serve as the core of the empire's military power should the capital ever fall under siege, and it was famous throughout the land as an impregnable fortress.
In one of the many rooms within this castle, a group of about ten nobles was gathered.
"I hear those detestable wretches have arrived?"
"Yes. They should be resting at the Eternal Sky Inn by now."
At the words of a noble in his late 30s, the others in the room twisted their faces into expressions of pure loathing.
The highest-ranking individual in this particular group was only a Count. Furthermore, none of them came from particularly wealthy houses; they could rarely afford to stay at a place as prestigious as the Eternal Sky Inn themselves. The fact that their enemies were staying in luxury that was out of their own reach only fueled the fire of their resentment.
"...My blood boils just thinking that the one they call Crimson is still drawing breath. What is the Requiem Bell doing?"
"After that initial move, they haven't made a sound..."
The nobles began to stir restlessly as one of their own muttered a heavy sigh.
"Damn it! We paid them a fortune, and this is the result?"
"This is exactly why I spoke against it! No matter how skilled they're rumored to be, they're nothing more than lowborn scum in the end!"
"Wait, you were the one who agreed to hiring the Requiem Bell in the first place!"
"Are you insulting me!?"
"You started it! If you're looking for a fight, I'll gladly oblige!"
The room dissolved into a cacophony of accusations and complaints. Several of the men reached for the hilts of the swords at their waists, ready to take the challenge.
However...
"Silence! What do you hope to achieve by bickering amongst yourselves!?"
Just as one of the nobles was about to draw his steel, a thunderous roar echoed through the room.
The man who had spoken possessed a presence that far outstripped those who were merely causing a scene. Stunned by the authority of the man leading the meeting, the hot-headed nobles fell silent.
"Listen to me. The Requiem Bell's specialty is dirty work. It stands to reason that they would wait for the most certain moment—within the capital while it's teeming with tourists and merchants. To begin with, that first attempt was merely a way to test the waters, wasn't it? If so, do not trouble yourselves with such trivialities."
"But, Count Schwindel... We cannot simply let this pass. For our families, for our friends... We cannot allow Crimson and Margrave Larkus to go on living!"
The man addressed as Count Schwindel, a 50-year-old man with a well-groomed beard, nodded as he stroked his chin.
"That goes for me as well, naturally. Peristera was scheduled to join Count Schwindel's House as a groom after that war ended. Considering that loss, I too find the thought of them living so comfortably here in our Imperial Capital to be unforgivable. But if you let your anger lead you into a reckless strike... what will you do if the Requiem Bell fails to finish them? It would all be for nothing."
"That is..."
The nobles fell silent at Count Schwindel's words. While their rage at Crimson and Margrave Larkus remained unchecked, they realized that a failed attempt born of impulsive anger would only lead to disaster.
Several of them thought about taking matters into their own hands, but Margrave Larkus himself was a former knight of significant combat ability. And as for Crimson... there was no need to even speak of his power.
The very reason their family members were dead was proof enough of the monster they were dealing with.
"In any case, wait for your opportunity. Rushing now will only make them more cautious and cause us to lose our own strength needlessly."
Count Schwindel spoke firmly, and the dissatisfaction in the room finally began to subside.
Most of the nobles gathered here were of low rank and possessed no particular talents of their own. That was precisely why they had sent their relatives to the Seremuse Plain in hopes of earning merit during the war—an ambition that had resulted in every single one of their kin being slaughtered.
Because of this, Count Schwindel was the anchor of their group. Without him, their coalition would have likely collapsed long ago. While they were a fragile group, there were very few people with whom Count Schwindel could share his true feelings.
Many in the Bestia Empire harbored intense hostility toward Crimson, Margrave Larkus, and the Kingdom of Mireana. However, the number of people willing to explicitly move against the war hero Crimson and his employer was vanishingly small.
Fear of Crimson was a major factor, but rumors had also spread that the Imperial Upper Management had personally invited them to the Fighting Tournament. Usually, someone like Daskar Larkus would send a proxy, yet for some reason, he had chosen to come to the capital in person this year.
This abnormal situation inevitably brought back memories of the Spring War. The Imperial Upper Management had issued strict orders to ensure that no one laid a finger on the delegation. This meant that if their secret meeting were discovered, every noble in the room would face certain punishment.
Only the presence of Count Schwindel, who held considerable influence within the Empire, allowed them to hold such a discussion within the castle walls.
Count Schwindel looked around the room, his expression growing somber. He knew that what he was about to say next would set them off once more.
"The truth is, Margrave Larkus is expected to arrive at the castle in approximately two hours."
"What!?"
Their mortal enemy was coming within their reach. Several nobles began to shout in irritation, but Count Schwindel raised a hand to silence them.
"Listen. I will absolutely not permit anyone to lay a hand on them here!"
"But why!? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! We can finally make them pay for our hatred..."
"It is a fool's errand. Have you forgotten the reports? In addition to Crimson, they are guarded by the Axe of the Thunder God. Do you have the pawns required to deal with two Alias Holders of that caliber? If you did, we wouldn't have needed to rely on an organization like the Requiem Bell in the first place."
"T-That is..."
The nobles were left speechless by the Count's blunt assessment. It was a cold, hard fact that they lacked capable subordinates.
It wasn't that they had only incompetent men—they had knights with decent skills and staff who could manage territories—but the scale of the opposition was simply too high. If they had anyone capable of matching a man rumored to have single-handedly decimated the Bestia Imperial Army, they would have been granted much higher titles long ago.
"...I will not tell you to avoid looking at them. I intend to see them for myself as well. However, mark my words: do not lay a finger on them within the castle. Anyone who cannot restrain themselves is free to either stay here and miss seeing our enemy, or return to their mansion at once. For now, we must focus on gathering our strength. We must wait for the moment when we have the power to kill him without fail."
The nobles fell into a heavy silence, but not a single person moved to leave.
"Uh... do I really need to go too?"
Rei had spent his entire break sleeping and had only just been woken up by a knight. Those were the first words he spoke after being summoned to Daskar's room and told the plan.
"Yes. Officially, you are my guard, so naturally you are required to accompany me to the castle along with Elk and the others."
Daskar nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, causing Rei to let out an involuntary sigh. Rei had never been one for stiff, formal occasions. He had no desire to watch Daskar and the Imperial Nobles trade barbs and test each other's hidden agendas. Most of all...
"If we're going to the castle, that means there will be a lot of this country's nobility there, right? If I show up, I'm practically guaranteed to get dragged into some annoying mess."
"Likely so. However, drawing the attention of the Imperial Upper Management is actually a benefit for us. More importantly, if you're going to make a sudden entry into the Fighting Tournament, it's better if they see your face first."
"Does that mean Rhodos is going too?"
Rei glanced at Rhodos, who was also in the room. He had been told that both he and Rhodos were set to compete in the tournament. Even now, the early morning training sessions they had been doing to prepare for the matches were continuing without interruption.
"That's right. The party heading to the castle will be myself, the Axe of the Thunder God, Rei, and a few of my knights."
The matter was already decided. Seeing that there was no way out, Rei suppressed another sigh and gave a reluctant nod.
Well, it might be worth it just to see the kind of people Vihera and Theorem are up against.
He thought to himself as they began their preparations.