For a moment, Rei failed to comprehend what the alchemist before him—Zboz—had just said.
That was how unexpected the words coming from his mouth were.
But understanding came quickly enough.
As for who Kabajid's enemy was, Rei himself was undoubtedly one of them.
Kabajid had originally kept the alchemists under his control.
Thanks to that arrangement, he had employed numerous magic items, so their relationship couldn't have been all that poor.
In fact, the very existence of someone targeting Rei as Kabajid's enemy proved that much.
Considering that anyone dissatisfied with Kabajid would have simply defected to another faction, Zboz's words were by no means mistaken.
(Kabajid's death was almost self-inflicted, but... I definitely played a part in driving him that far.)
Kabajid's face surfaced in Rei's mind.
But the wish that Kabajid had lived was strong in Rei as well.
After all, Kabajid had spoken of Japan's cherry blossoms—something no native of this world could possibly understand.
In other words, Kabajid had been someone from Rei's homeland.
(Considering Takumu's situation with the Zephyle Clan, it wasn't an impossible thing... but still, losing someone who was right there in front of me when I could have saved him—that weighs heavily.)
The civil war that had erupted in the Bestia Empire flashed through his mind for an instant, but he quickly redirected his focus to the man before him, whose eyes burned with hatred.
"I suppose I should ask, just in case. There's no mistake here, is there? For one thing, Kabajid's death was nearly suicide. Hating me for that seems like you've got the wrong idea in more ways than one."
"Don't screw with me!"
The shout that tore from Zboz's mouth was thick with hatred, just like his eyes.
It was a hatred so intense that no one would believe Zboz normally had a rather mild-mannered personality.
"For that matter, why are you so invested in Kabajid in the first place? The civil war in the Bestia Empire is already over. Instead of pulling something like this, I'd think you'd be better off living in the Bestia Empire as an alchemist."
"His Highness Cabajid found me when I had nothing but death ahead of me, and he raised me. Are you telling me to quietly accept that my benefactor was killed?"
"Benefactor?"
Tilting his head, Rei briefly wondered if Vihera might know the man standing before him. But when he glanced her way, he saw her making wide evasions against the claymore Dias swung, trying to close the distance between them.
(Why is she dodging so widely?)
The usual Vihera would read an attack by a hair's breadth, exploit the opening, and land a counterstrike. That was how she fought.
But right now, Vihera was only making large evasions against Dias's attacks.
He didn't understand why she was fighting that way, but he judged that asking about it now would be meaningless.
(Besides, if Vihera had known this man, she would have said something when he showed up.)
Since Vihera had said nothing when Zboz appeared, Rei concluded she likely had no prior acquaintance with him.
"I see. I can't say I understand why you hate me... but I accept it. Still, if that's the case, why did you give magic items to monsters? The one you hate is me, right? I don't see what Gilm has to do with this."
Keeping a wary eye on Paul and his ice-generating shield, Rei pressed the question.
Countering the ice itself wasn't particularly difficult.
Fortunately, there weren't many buildings in the immediate area, so if he set his mind to it, dealing with the ice shield should be feasible.
But dealing with the shield and capturing the man wielding it were two separate problems.
From what Rei could see, Paul had a robust, mountain-like physique, and it was obvious he trained his body.
Whether he was actually accustomed to rough combat, though, was another matter entirely.
(If he's with the Bestia Empire, it wouldn't be strange for him to have some degree of strength... but judging by his movements, he's only decent. If the question is whether he could withstand attacks from Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor... then I suppose I'll deal with him with magic.)
While Rei deliberated, Zboz smiled and spoke.
"I already know that Gilm is a place precious to you. The feeling of having somewhere important to you devastated... wouldn't you agree that experiencing it firsthand is the best way to understand?"
His earlier excitement seemed to have settled, and Zboz's tone had returned to his usual one.
Watching him, Rei's eyebrows furrowed in displeasure.
"In other words, you caused that whole incident just to harass me?"
"Of course, that's not all. This is what you might call the culmination of the experiments I've been conducting."
"...Figured as much."
The fact that Zboz could make even normal Goblins and Cobolts—creatures that ordinarily lacked the ability to use magic items—wield them meant that, as an alchemist, he undoubtedly possessed considerable skill.
Rei understood this well from his own experience fighting Cobolts. And while it was unclear whether the Cyclops had been a Rare Species or a High-ranking Species, an already powerful specimen had become even more dangerous by wielding a magic item hammer.
It was precisely because it was Rei that he'd been able to dispatch it so easily. Had ordinary adventurers faced it, the casualties would have been severe.
Knowing this, Rei couldn't deny Zboz's claim.
(Actually, in terms of drawing out information, this could work.)
Rei hesitated briefly, but the thought that buying time here would work to Elena and Vihera's advantage held firm in his mind.
It was precisely because he knew their strength that he made that choice.
(Especially Elena's opponent—that one doesn't seem particularly strong either.)
Elena had undergone the Ritual of Inheritance and gained the power of an Ancient Dragon. She hadn't fully mastered that power yet, but even so, her abilities were on an entirely different level from ordinary opponents.
Currently, she was being pressed by a magic item that attacked in unexpected ways, but Elena's victory was, as far as Rei was concerned, a foregone conclusion.
Given that, extracting what information he could now—while the enemy was agitated and loose-tongued—was far from a bad option.
(Besides, that magic item generating the ice shield can't be used indefinitely either.)
Rei glanced at the shield magic item in Paul's hands, then addressed Zboz.
"How about an introduction, for starters? It seems you know my name, but unfortunately, I don't know yours."
Rei's words caught Zboz off guard, if only for a moment.
He clearly hadn't expected to be asked for a self-introduction at this stage.
But he quickly recovered and spoke.
"Very well. It would be pitiful to die without even knowing who's taking your life, after all."
"Save the sleep talk for when you're asleep. ...No, you shouldn't say it even then. It's annoying."
Zboz's cheek twitched at Rei's flippant provocation, but knowing that rising to the bait would play right into Rei's hands, he had no intention of taking the bait.
His cheek still twitching slightly, Zboz continued.
"First, the one over there using the magic sword Wind Scale, which I created, is Dias. As you can see, it's a claymore with high single-hit power, but at the same time, it's difficult to wield against opponents like Vihera who focus on evasion."
"For the record, Vihera is a former member of the Bestia Empire's Imperial Family who fled. Are you sure it's all right not to use an honorific with her name?"
"You want me to show respect to the person who caused the circumstances leading to His Highness Cabajid's death? If that woman hadn't interfered, His Highness Cabajid would never have died?"
Judging from how deeply entrenched his hatred over Kabajid's death was, Rei concluded that saying anything more would be a waste of breath and changed the subject.
"So, are you going to tell me about that magic item—Wind Scale, was it?—that this Dias fellow is using?"
"What are you talking about? I said I'd introduce them, but did you expect me to go out of my way to explain our weapons?"
"...You were just saying something about how it's difficult to use against opponents who focus on evasion, like Vihera."
As Rei needled him, Zboz's face flushed red with anger.
What Zboz wanted was to make Rei understand that they were at a disadvantage—to make him taste despair.
But from the start, Zboz was the only one reacting emotionally to the exchange. Rei hadn't shown the slightest sign of being rattled.
That was because Rei believed in Elena's and Vihera's strength—but that only made it all the more infuriating for Zboz.
"Zboz, calm down."
Perhaps unable to watch any longer, Paul spoke up, the ice-generating shield magic item in hand.
Being a massive man, Paul didn't budge an inch despite holding a considerable shield.
Whether Paul's words had done the trick, Zboz let out a small breath and spoke again.
"My apologies, my apologies. I nearly lost myself to your words so easily. ...Now then, shall I continue? The one fighting the Princess General is Adria, my partner. As you can see, she's also using the magic sword Wind Fang, which I prepared."
Looking at Adria, who continued to unleash a barrage of arrows from the hilt of her weapon, Zboz made a show of shrugging before speaking.
"As for that one... well, I've been watching her use it to her heart's content, so I don't think there's any need to specially explain its abilities."
"Fair enough. I am curious, though, about how she's fitting that many arrows inside the hilt."
It wasn't a genuine question.
It was a magic item capable of storing things that would normally be impossible to store.
Rei knew exactly what it was.
No—it wasn't just that he knew of it. The most iconic example of one was strapped to his own right arm.
(It's not an Item Box like the Misty Ring. More likely, they built something with inferior performance—like what Elena has—into the longsword's hilt. But if that were all, even if she tried to summon them, the arrows would just appear in that woman's... Adria, was it? They'd appear in Adria's hand.)
Recalling his own Misty Ring and the simplified—or rather, degraded—magic item Elena had once used, Rei reasoned through it.
(In other words, there must be something else built into that longsword besides just that.)
Seeing Zboz wearing a smug smile, Rei returned one of his own.
That clearly didn't sit well. Zboz, who had been smiling mere seconds ago, opened his mouth with visible displeasure.
"Why are you smiling? She may be called the Princess General, but she's still just one person. Do you really think she can keep defending against an endless barrage of arrows forever?"
"She can."
Saying that, Rei briefly flicked his gaze toward Elena... or rather, to a spot slightly offset from where she stood.
Seeing exactly what he expected to find there, his smile deepened.
"That's Elena—the woman who bears the title Princess General. You think someone like her can be brought down by a magic item whose only trick is firing arrows endlessly? You're underestimating Elena a bit too much."
"...But she's clearly on the defensive like that, isn't she?"
"True. I'll admit that honestly surprised me. She's just shooting arrows... no, in this case, I should say discharging them? Even in that state, she's firing in a way that actively interferes with Elena's evasion. From the looks of it, she's a warrior-type, but she can handle a bow too."
"Yes, of course. That's precisely why I entrusted her with Wind Fang."
Those words were half bravado.
When they fled the magic item shop, they'd been forced to leave most of their stock behind. Among the magic items stored at the base Adria had prepared in the slum district and the few they'd barely managed to carry out, Wind Fang was simply the one Adria could wield most effectively.
Then, as if seeing right through Zboz's bluff, Rei smiled and spoke.
"I see. That woman—Adria, was it?—does seem to be handling that Wind Fang or whatever quite proficiently. But... let me tell you something good."
Timing his words to the moment when the presence he'd been watching from the corner of his eye finally made its move, Rei continued.
"A familiar and its master are one body... so to speak."
"Kyuuuh!"
As if on cue with Rei's words, Ielo crashed into Adria's right hand... and the Wind Fang she'd been gripping was sent flying into the air.