If asked whether Augusto felt no tension upon hearing that report, it would have been a lie.
But that was only natural. After all, the person visiting his mansion was a rival — and considering the possibility that the mansion could be attacked by that man's subordinates, he had even asked an acquaintance to stand guard at the gate.
That was precisely why, when Augusto heard from Günter — whom he had tasked with watching the gate — that Daridora had come calling at his home, his eyes widened in astonishment.
"...What will you do? Refusing to meet is also an option," Zarust murmured.
After a moment's thought, Augusto shook his head. "No. If Daridora was also attacked, then he would naturally have learned that I was attacked as well. The fact that he came all the way to my house must mean it's related to that. ...I'll meet him."
"Are you sure?" Rei, who had been sitting across from Augusto, asked in confirmation.
For someone to deliberately visit a rival — as Daridora had done — it wouldn't be unreasonable to think, as Augusto suggested, that it had to do with the attacks. But conversely, neither could they dismiss the possibility that this was merely a pretext for launching an assault.
(The one who attacked us was alone, while Daridora had multiple attackers. ...From their perspective, it wouldn't be strange at all for them to think — just as we did — that the other party's attack was a bluff or alibi fabrication.)
Whatever Augusto and his group had considered, the other side would naturally be thinking the same. It wouldn't be strange for them to try to strike first before this side made a serious move.
Even so, since Daridora — an important figure in this city — had come to visit, there was no option to refuse. Well, perhaps there was, but if he did something like that, there was no telling what kind of retaliation might follow.
"Let's meet."
That Augusto decided to meet Daridora despite the potential danger to his own life was largely due to Rei's presence. Having witnessed Rei's power firsthand, Augusto held the expectation that with Rei around, they could handle whatever Daridora might throw at them.
(Depending this much on someone who looks like a child is, frankly, shameful... or so I think.)
Looking at Rei, whose face was now exposed with his hood lowered, Augusto felt a twinge of shame inwardly. But appearance and ability did not always align — and Augusto, who knew a few others like that, quickly shook off the thought.
"Understood. If you're set on it, I'll help guard you too. ...There's also the matter of the attacks."
"Thank you. I was actually about to ask you myself."
Rei waved his hand dismissively, as if to say not to worry about it, while Augusto felt genuinely pleased that Rei had volunteered before he could even ask.
For Rei, this mansion was his lodging while in Gauche. The cooking that Augusto's wife, Cathy, prepared was exceptionally delicious, and Cathy herself doted on Rei as if he were her own child. If such a comfortable mansion might be attacked by Daridora, he naturally couldn't just stand by and let it happen.
"Well then, shall we go? Even with me here, I can at least serve as a shield if something happens."
Naturally, Zarust also intended to participate in the meeting with Daridora. If the other side tried something and only Rei and Augusto were present, Rei would need to protect Augusto — leaving them vulnerable to the enemy doing as they pleased. To prevent that, it would be better for Zarust to guard Augusto directly and let Rei move freely.
(Besides, guarding Augusto-san was originally my job in the first place.)
Thus, the three of them set off to face the meeting with Daridora.
The mansion Augusto lived in was built by his wealthy ancestors and naturally had many rooms. Not every room was kept spotless, but the frequently used ones were maintained diligently.
In one such well-kept room — a guest room — sat Augusto, Daridora, and the others participating in the discussion. Though, fundamentally, the conversation was supposed to be between Augusto and Daridora alone... for some reason, Rei was also seated on the sofa, despite the fact that Zarust and Daridora's guards were all standing behind the sofas.
This was not what Augusto had wished for — it was Daridora's request. He wanted to hear the opinion of Rei, a high-ranked adventurer and Alias Holder, regarding the recent attacks. When told that, Augusto couldn't exactly refuse.
No — having Rei participate in the discussion was extremely helpful for Augusto as well. After all, it was Rei who had actually defeated the man who attacked him. Moreover, having Rei present meant they wouldn't be looked down upon by the other side — that was also significant. Of course, Rei's presence alone as a guard was already a considerable deterrent, but having him seated right beside him gave Augusto tremendous reassurance.
"Daridora-san. I heard you were attacked by someone earlier, but I'm glad to see you're in good health."
"Oh, word travels fast. But then, I hear you were also assaulted by a thug, Augusto-san?"
"Yes. Embarrassing as it is, I suffered a significant injury on that occasion."
At Augusto readily admitting his injury, Daridora wore a slightly surprised expression. Having one's guards bypassed and sustaining an injury was a disgrace for the guards — he hadn't expected Augusto to acknowledge it so openly. As a result, Daridora's scheme to seize control of the conversation by exploiting the poor performance of Augusto's guards was effortlessly thwarted.
Without letting his inner thoughts show on his face, Daridora directed a seemingly concerned gaze toward Augusto. "Is that so? Then I shouldn't take up too much of your time like this. How is your wound..."
"Ah, it's fine. Rei-san here happened to be nearby. I recovered easily with a potion he had on him."
"...I see."
"If Rei-san hadn't been there, I might not be here right now."
"A potion that can heal such a severe wound. That must have been a very high-quality potion. To have such a thing on hand... I'm envious."
"No, no, not at all. Daridora-san, I've also heard you sustained injuries..."
"Yes, indeed. But my guards are excellent. The wounds were practically nothing more than scratches."
While seemingly praising his own guards, Daridora was in fact subtly implying that the reason Augusto had suffered severe injuries was because his guards were weak. Understanding this, Zarust — standing behind Augusto — reacted for just a moment, but said nothing. After all, it was undeniably true that his own inadequacy had nearly cost Augusto his life. That Augusto had survived was solely because Rei happened to have a high-quality potion. Knowing that all too well, Zarust couldn't voice any rebuttal.
Afterward, the exchange of thinly veiled barbs continued for some time. Once about ten minutes had passed, they finally moved on to the main topic, as neither could afford to keep up the charade indefinitely.
"Now then, the reason I came to visit you today, Augusto-san, concerns the recent attacks. ...I hear that you captured the one who attacked you alive rather than killing him. I would very much like you to share that information with us."
"My, word certainly does travel fast."
"Yes. Doing business in Gauche inevitably requires quick access to information. ...So, what do you say?"
Daridora fixed his gaze on Augusto. Augusto, subjected to that stare, fell silent for a moment before shaking his head.
"Unfortunately, it is true that we captured him, but he was merely hired help. He has no detailed information whatsoever."
At Augusto's words, Daridora's gaze grew even sharper. Naturally — they were at a critical juncture where he might obtain information about those who had targeted his life, and yet it appeared Augusto had no intention of sharing any of it.
Daridora naturally assumed that Augusto was using every means available to extract information from the captive. That much was a given — but there was a fatal difference between Augusto and Daridora. Augusto, who could be called humanitarian, versus Daridora, who would use any means necessary to achieve his goals. That was precisely why Daridora believed Augusto was withholding information to disadvantage his rival.
"You're saying you can't give me the information?"
"Huh? No — I'm telling you, the man doesn't have any information to begin with. So what would there even be to hand over?"
"...You'll regret this. In fact, I would be forced to conclude that you, Augusto-san, were the one who orchestrated these attacks."
"I told you, he doesn't have any information to begin with—"
Any further conversation would be pointless. Just as Daridora made that judgment and began to stand up...
"Eek!"
A massive blade suddenly materialized before his eyes, forcing a cry of astonishment from Daridora. The moment they saw the blade, the guards standing behind Daridora tried to move — but before they could, Rei manipulated the Death Scythe he held and pressed its edge against Daridora's neck, holding the guards at bay.
If Rei moved his hand even slightly, Daridora's neck would be effortlessly slashed, ending his life. Facing the Death Scythe, whose razor-sharp edge made that entirely believable, the guards couldn't move.
If only Narcus — the most skilled among them — were here... such a thought crossed their minds, but there was no point in wishing for someone who wasn't present. All the guards could do now was somehow find an opening in Rei's defense and remove the Death Scythe blade from Daridora's neck.
Even with a fair amount of space, the fact remained that this was an indoor room. Given that, the Death Scythe — a polearm larger than Rei himself — should have been difficult to maneuver. That would hold true even for an Alias Holder adventurer. Daridora's guards fixed their gazes on each other, silently agreeing to launch a simultaneous attack the moment Rei's movements were slowed by the room's furniture — but in the next instant, the Death Scythe pressed against Daridora's neck vanished.
"......"
Not only Daridora — the very man who'd had a blade thrust at him — but the guards as well were frozen in place, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"Anyway, you've calmed down for now, right? Listen carefully. You seem to be misunderstanding something, but the man we captured truly knows nothing. This is no lie — it's a pure and simple fact."
Well, it wasn't as though Rei had actually witnessed the interrogation, so maybe the man really had said something... Rei thought inwardly, but he certainly wasn't going to voice that.
Regardless, Rei's impulsive act had somewhat calmed the hair-trigger atmosphere in the room. ...Or rather, everyone was so dumbfounded by what Rei had done that they'd lost the frame of mind for hostility.
At Rei's casual demeanor, Zarust covered his face with his right hand and sighed. He had been startled by the suddenness of Rei's action, but what was even greater than that surprise was the fact that he hadn't been able to perceive at all when Rei had drawn the Death Scythe.
He had understood that there was a significant gap in ability between himself and Rei, but to think he couldn't even register the act of Rei drawing his weapon... He had seen Rei retrieve items from the Item Box many times since they'd become acquainted. But what Rei had just done was completely different. It was, so to speak, a combat-oriented retrieval. Not drawing the Death Scythe, assuming a stance, and then pressing the blade to Daridora's neck — rather, the very act of retrieving the Death Scythe from the Item Box was itself the act of pressing the blade to Daridora's neck. The weapon wasn't in his hand until the instant before the attack would have occurred.
That was the terror Zarust had just experienced.
...And naturally, Daridora's guards also understood the significance of what had just happened. They were forced to recognize once more that Rei was an opponent they could not defeat even if they all attacked him at once. And yet, seeing Zarust covering his face and enduring the mental strain, they came to a strange sort of understanding — that simply having Rei as an ally was itself exhausting.
"Well then, now that everyone's calmed down, let's resume our discussion."
Calm? Where!? — that was likely the inner voice of everyone except Rei.
But Rei, oblivious to their silent cries, sat back down on the sofa.