Silence filled the room, heavy and absolute.
The cause was Rei’s declaration that he intended to cooperate with the Third Prince Faction.
Daskar tossed the documents he had been reading onto his desk and fixed his gaze on Rei. Elk and Min followed suit, their stares piercing and carrying an almost aggressive edge.
"……Rei. Unless my ears deceived me, I believe you said you were going to participate in the civil strife?"
Daskar’s voice was weighted with authority as he sought confirmation. A serious atmosphere had pervaded the room since Rei entered, but now it was suffused with a crushing pressure. Wearing the expression of a man who ruled one of the Kingdom of Mireana’s Three Great Factions, Daskar pressed the issue.
However, Rei remained unperturbed by the pressure.
"Yes. That is what I said. If possible, I’d like to leave the Imperial Capital as soon as I can."
"And what of the Fighting Tournament’s Award Ceremony? You entered this competition as a representative of the Kingdom of Mireana and secured the position of runner-up."
"……Since I lost in the finals, I think it’s more accurate to say I secured a defeat."
"Don't dodge the subject. In the first place, your role in this conflict—as requested by Her Highness Vihera—was to draw the Empire's attention so they could rescue Lord Mercurio, was it not? You have already accomplished that mission. So why go out of your way to join the civil strife?"
"To go back to the matter of being the runner-up: I lost. Part of me simply cannot forgive that, and I also have the goal of mastering the Overlord's Armor technique I copied from Noise during the match."
"……Your opponent was Noise the Immovable, an S-Rank. He is one of only three such powerhouses in the entire world. Does losing to a man like that frustrate you so much? Certainly, you are strong. Given that you once defeated Elk, you likely possess strength beyond the A-Rank, even if you haven't quite reached the S-Rank yet. But even so, to put it bluntly, you are still only an A-Rank equivalent. You are not the strongest being in existence."
At the mention of his past defeat, Daskar’s eyes shifted toward Elk, who was sitting on the sofa. Rei followed his gaze, and the two warriors' eyes met in mid-air.
It was true that Elk had lost to Rei once before. However, since then, he had retrained himself with a vengeance, and he could feel that he was significantly stronger than he had been back then. He likely felt that if they fought again, he wouldn't be bested so easily.
Thwack!
A dull thud echoed through the room. Before Rei knew it, Min had brought her staff down on Elk’s head.
"Elk's strength is irrelevant right now. We are discussing Rei's choice."
"……Ngh."
Elk clearly wanted to snap back, but he understood that doing so would only invite another blow from the staff. He remained silent, though his expression remained dissatisfied. Setting that exchange aside, Daskar turned his attention back to Rei.
"Are you truly intent on helping the Third Prince Faction?"
"I am."
The two men stared each other down in silence for about 1 minute. Eventually, Daskar let out a long sigh.
"I understand. Do as you like."
"……Are you sure?"
The permission was so unexpected that Rei instinctively questioned it.
"I had a feeling it would come to this. Knowing your personality, it isn’t entirely unexpected. However…… if that's the case, I’ll need to take certain measures. Currently, you are here under the official pretext of being my guard. That became a bit vague once you entered the tournament, but if you are going to intervene in a civil war, I must report that you have officially terminated our employment relationship and left my side. I need to make it clear to those around us that you no longer have any connection to me."
Rei’s expression soured slightly at those words. The most tedious part of this would be the recruiters. As long as Rei was officially employed by Daskar, the Margrave acted as a shield, turning away those who wanted Rei to enter service. But if that shield were gone, every noble in the city would feel free to approach Rei directly with invitations.
The thought of having to refuse every single one of them himself was exhausting. However, even with that annoyance looming, Rei knew he only had one real path forward.
"I suppose so. It will certainly cause some headaches…… but if I disappear from the Imperial Capital before the news spreads, those problems should vanish with me."
"Disappear? Hey, wait. Are you planning to skip the Award Ceremony at the castle?"
At Rei's words, which suggested he would leave immediately to join the Third Prince Faction the moment Daskar gave his blessing, the Margrave asked for clarification. Rei nodded instantly.
In truth, attending the ceremony would only make him stand out more than he already did. It wasn't hard to imagine that such fame would bring not only recruiters but also more assassins like the Requiem Bell. Rei’s plan was to get out of the city before that could happen.
(It’s a shame about the prize Magic Item…… but as the rumors in the dining hall suggested, if a full military clash breaks out, there won't even be an Award Ceremony.)
Knowing Vihera’s personality, it was highly likely she would want to strike early and seize the initiative in the war. Rei hadn't known her for years, but their time together had been intense, and he could more or less guess her thought process.
(Though, I don't know if the Third Prince will actually allow her to do that.)
Mercurio was a man whom Theoreme served with absolute devotion, and for whom Vihera would return to the Bestia Empire she had once fled. Rei expected the Prince to be capable, but since he hadn't met the man, he couldn't form a real opinion yet.
Unaware of Rei’s internal musings, Daskar sighed again.
"……I suppose it can't be helped. We only happened to be riding the momentum of this whole affair anyway."
By "we," Daskar meant the Neutral Faction and the Noble's Faction. In truth, this entire operation had been brought to them by Vihera, passing through Rei and Elena. While the Mireana factions had done plenty of diplomatic maneuvering, the actual movers and shakers were Theoreme, Vihera, and Rei—who had acted as the perfect distraction by entering the Imperial Capital's tournament.
Of course, Daskar had gone to the trouble of traveling to the capital himself, and Elena's father, Duke Kerebel, was working behind the scenes to ensure the Third Prince Faction had a place to go if they lost. They weren't just sitting back and reapings rewards for nothing. But there was still a massive difference between executing your own plan and joining someone else's. Understanding that, Daskar finally gave his approval.
Another factor was Noise’s departure. Judging by the tournament finals, Noise was likely the only person in the Empire who could be said to definitively win against Rei. If an A-Rank Adventurer appeared, Rei could manage—especially since Set would be able to fight alongside him this time.
"So?"
"Yeah, go. ……But let me ask, do you even know where the Third Prince Faction's base is?"
"No, unfortunately not."
Rei shook his head, but his expression lacked any real disappointment. Finding this strange, Daskar prompted him to explain.
"I don't know the exact location now, but once the civil strife actually begins, I'm sure the Third Prince Faction's base will become common knowledge whether I like it or not."
"……And you’re just going to stay hidden until then? I don't think you’re the type who can just sit still."
Elk, who had been watching the conversation in silence, finally cut in. Knowing Rei’s nature, he knew the young man hated waiting around as much as he did.
Rei gave a small shrug.
"Well, that might be true if it were just me, but I have Set. We’ll just spend some time relaxing in some monster-infested area nearby."
"……Spending time 'relaxing' in a monster den is something only you would consider normal," Min muttered, rubbing her temples.
However, the plan wasn't actually that dangerous for Rei. There wouldn't be any High-Rank Monsters too close to the capital. For Rei, this was a golden opportunity to let Set absorb the Magic Stones of Unknown Monsters he hadn't encountered yet. The chance to sample the meat of new monsters was also a significant draw.
"Collecting unknown Magic Stones and trying new meats…… honestly, it’s a perfect environment for Set and me. The only real worry is that I might get so absorbed in it that the war ends before I even notice."
"No, Rei. There's a problem before that," Daskar said with another sigh. Rei tilted his head. "How do you plan to get information while you’re out in the wilderness? If it's just you and Set, you’ll have no way to hear the news."
"……I assumed that Adventurers would still be active during the conflict, so I figured I’d just get the info from them…… is that a problem?"
Rei’s question was met with sighs from Daskar, Min, and even Elk. Representing the group’s exasperation, Elk spoke up.
"Listen, why would you rely on something so unreliable for information?"
"Unreliable?"
"Obviously. You don't know if any Adventurers will even come near you, and you won't know if they actually have the facts. You can't even verify if the information is correct if you only hear it from one person."
"……Ngh."
Elk’s logic hit home, and Rei let out a small groan.
"Hah…… Your combat skills and split-second judgment are top-tier, yet you’re like this with everything else. Go to Count Obrisin's Territory. It’s not far from the capital. Her Highness Vihera should be there."
With a look of pure exasperation, Daskar gave him the answer.
"Wait…… how do you know where she is, Lord Daskar? Even in the dining hall, there weren't even rumors about their base yet."
The guests at the Eternal Sky Inn were wealthy and powerful enough to have early access to information. Nobles were desperate to know if they needed to flee, and merchants were looking for war-time profits. If the base's location wasn't even a rumor among them, how did Daskar know?
Elk chimed in with a boastful grin.
"We’ve received word thanks to that idiot son of ours."
"……What?"
Rei knew Rhodos had infiltrated the First Prince Faction, but he hadn't expected him to be able to send word in the middle of all this chaos. Min smiled, looking both troubled and proud of her son’s achievement.
"To be precise, a Third Prince Faction operative made contact late last night. They passed along the First Prince Faction's Information from Rhodos and, in return, informed us where the Third Prince Faction's base is located."
The Third Prince Faction likely wanted to keep their location secret for as long as possible. The later the word spread, the better for them. However, since Rhodos was providing them with vital intelligence from the heart of the enemy camp, they couldn't exactly refuse his request to inform Daskar—nor could they get away with lying to him.
"……But why did Rhodos want us to know where they were?"
"Who knows? Most likely, he realized we were involved in this mess and wanted us to be able to use the information effectively. That’s my guess, anyway."
Daskar shrugged, and Rei nodded, though a lingering doubt remained. It was, at the very least, a logical explanation.
"Regardless, now you have a destination. This afternoon, I’ll spread word to the Guild and the nobles that you’ve left my service. I’ll handle the paperwork for the inn as well. You head to Vihera. ……But remember, many people are waiting for you back in Gilm. You must return without fail."
Rei nodded at Daskar's command, gave Min a small bow, and exchanged a silent, determined glance with Elk before turning to leave the room.