"Hoh," Rei murmured.
The moment those words were heard, many of those present felt a chill run down their spines and reflexively retreated a few steps.
In reality, Rei hadn't actually done anything.
He had truly only murmured... but that alone struck those present as a significant threat.
Those who were reasonably accustomed to combat would have understood that what emanated from Rei was killing intent.
"Just to be sure, let me ask you once more. ...You said, who is that man?"
"Of course... he is an old friend of mine."
Precious replied, trying to keep his expression unchanged, but cold sweat was beading all over his back.
The fact that he didn't let it show on his face suggested he was indeed a first-rate merchant.
...Though he couldn't stop his catfish-like mustache from quivering ever so slightly.
(In that sense, Tris—who completely concealed himself, attitude and expression if not his inner thoughts, even while receiving my killing intent—was the better one, I suppose.)
Thinking this, Rei dispelled the killing intent radiating from his body.
For the record, even while Rei was radiating killing intent, Marina, Vihera, and Set had shown no particular reaction.
Only Byune had wordlessly grabbed the hem of Vihera's thin garment with an expressionless face.
A wordless silence followed.
Rei silently looked at Precious, then at his guards, then at Sleyn's body double.
Only silence spread through the surroundings... and then, Rei opened his mouth.
"I see. Friends are important."
As Rei murmured those words, the silence finally ended, and at the same time, the killing intent that had been radiating from him dissipated.
The silence had lasted, in actuality, barely thirty seconds.
But to those present—especially those other than Marina, Vihera, Byune, and Set—those thirty seconds felt much longer. Some even felt it as several minutes, over ten minutes, dozens of minutes.
Leaving those who sighed in relief at Rei's words, Rei opened his mouth once more.
"Yeah. Friends are important. That's exactly why... if a friend is harmed, I need to retaliate accordingly. Don't you think so?"
"Yes, perhaps that is so. It was Asimov-san, was it? I would hope a tragedy like his never happens again."
"...Heh. I didn't expect Asimov's name to come up here. You seem to know quite a lot about the matter I'm currently involved in."
"I believe we spoke briefly at the branch office before?"
"Ah, now that you mention it, we did. ...Still, don't you think there was a fool who attacked Asimov and even tried to steal my Magic Item?"
Rei's words were almost like provocation.
He wouldn't have minded if they slipped up and said something incriminating, but it was more about purely provoking them to see if they might reveal even a hint of their true colors.
At Rei's words, Precious's guards and Sleyn's subordinates might normally have shown some kind of reaction.
However, given the killing intent Rei had just released, even they couldn't voice anything now.
"Indeed. It can certainly be called a foolish act. But do you remember what I said when we met at the branch office before?"
"Hm? Something about how there's more than one way to look at things, was it?"
"Slightly different, but... yes. Broadly speaking, you're not mistaken. Why don't you try thinking with that in mind?"
Precious may have had various thoughts and feelings internally, but whether fortunately or not, he somehow managed to keep them from showing as he spoke.
"That's true. But even if you change your perspective, the outcome that occurred doesn't change. However, whoever orchestrated it will need to receive an appropriate punishment."
Even after hearing the talk about changing one's perspective, the first thing Rei asserted was that.
That he couldn't leave those who had made an enemy of him as they were.
As he said that, Rei's gaze was directed not at Precious or his guards... but at Sleyn's body double and the men guarding the building.
That gaze contained nothing resembling killing intent, and that was precisely why those who had been bathed in the earlier killing intent felt unsettled by Rei's gaze.
Before Sleyn's subordinates could make any clumsy moves, Precious apparently judged that it would be better for him to take control of the situation.
If Sleyn's subordinates were to blurt out something strange, it could prove to be a fatal blow to himself as well.
"Is that so. It must be pitiable to make an enemy of Rei-san."
"You think so?"
"Yes. Making an enemy of an Alias Holder adventurer is tantamount to suicide, is it not?"
Seeing Precious declare this so calmly, Rei couldn't help but tilt his head.
If he was someone antagonizing him, wasn't it strange that he could remain this composed?
But at the same time, there was no doubt that Precious was undeniably the most suspicious person in this matter.
Of course, Rei had also considered the possibility that Tris was cleverly using him to pit Precious against himself.
But even so, it didn't change the fact that, given the current situation, the most suspicious person was Precious.
"Probably. I don't show mercy to those who've made enemies of me. ...When I find whoever orchestrated this incident, they'll naturally have to pay accordingly. ...By the way, a noble who once made an enemy of me apparently lost everything from both shoulders up. Divine punishment is a scary thing, isn't it?"
Rei drew the Death Scythe from his Misty Ring, showing it off conspicuously as he spoke. What he meant by the "divine punishment" he mentioned was obvious.
As was the question of who would deliver that divine punishment.
What's more, considering Set's flying speed, escaping that divine punishment would be all but impossible.
"Divine punishment, you say... That is frightening indeed."
"Isn't it? But unfortunately... there's no such thing as divine punishment not being carried out against someone who has already made an enemy of me. Unfortunately for them."
As he murmured, Rei's gaze was directed not at Precious... but at Sleyn's subordinates.
Several of those upon whom that gaze fell couldn't endure it and lost consciousness, collapsing to the ground.
He wasn't particularly releasing killing intent, but that was likely what caused the fear instead.
"Hm? What's wrong? Looks like there are some people with pretty weak bodies. Can they really survive in this Slum District like that?"
"I-It's fine. I just had them push themselves a bit too hard with their work."
It was not Precious who responded to Rei's words... but the body double standing beside him.
"And you are? An old friend of Precious's?"
At Rei's words, which seemed to suggest he had only just noticed the man's presence, the man spoke while desperately suppressing with reason the instinct screaming at him to get as far away from the person in front of him as possible.
"Yes. Precious has helped me with various things in the past, and we've known each other since then."
"Heh."
Are you still keeping up that act? — Rei's words seemed to say, but for the man right now, he had no choice but to push through with the story that he was Sleyn, an old friend of Precious.
Exposed to the atmosphere Rei radiated, he still managed to state that firmly—perhaps because he was the one entrusted with being Sleyn's body double.
"Flying Slash."
Murmuring, Rei swung the Death Scythe.
It was originally a powerful skill, an attack that could easily sever a person without being surprising.
But Rei had no intention of doing such a thing here. The slash he released was significantly weakened, flying straight ahead and carving a sharp gash into the ground right near Precious.
'!?'
At Rei's sudden action, everyone present wore expressions of astonishment.
Marina, Vihera, Byune, and Set—the three people and one creature—didn't seem particularly bothered, as if thinking it was just something Rei would do.
"Oops, sorry. I saw a mouse over there. It looked like it was targeting you, Precious, so I attacked before saying anything... was that a bit too sudden?"
"...Yes. It was so sudden that I was a little startled. But if there was a mouse targeting me, then I'm grateful you drove it off."
That was what Precious said, but of course he didn't actually believe that Rei's action was truly because a mouse had been targeting him.
It was obviously a demonstration, simply expressing how Rei felt about them.
But in this situation, there was no way he could say that out loud.
The atmosphere radiating from Rei's small frame alone dominated this entire area.
That was why, even though what Rei was saying was clearly unreasonable—a threat, or a warning to himself—he couldn't say so.
"When a mouse scurries around your feet, the people nearby inevitably find it annoying. Don't you think so?"
"Indeed. Even from a merchant's standpoint, mice that ruin food and goods are troublesome opponents."
"I'm glad you understand. But while a merchant might think that... what happens when a cat finds a mouse?"
Saying this, Rei stroked Set, who was nearby, with his left hand—the one not holding the Death Scythe.
Set was a gryphon, and a gryphon was a monster with the lower body of a lion and the upper body of an eagle.
Since lions were naturally feline, Rei calling Set a cat wasn't necessarily incorrect.
Set seemed pleased at being stroked by Rei, purring like an actual cat.
However... while Set possessed a side that was practically a pet animal to Rei and the members of Crimson Lotus Wings, it was different for Precious and Sleyn's subordinates.
Considering Rei's words just now, the cat catching the mouse... in other words, he was saying he would have Set attack those who were hostile to him.
Naturally, if a Tamed Monster caused a problem in the city, it would be the Tamer's responsibility.
"Grrru?"
At Set's throaty cry, as if asking What is it?, Rei shook his head as if to say it was nothing and continued stroking.
"Now then, I think you understand... but when a cat faces a mouse, it doesn't hold back. It hunts with everything it's got, apparently."
While speaking to Precious with a smile, Rei recalled a saying he had learned while in Japan.
Even a lion uses all its strength to catch a rabbit.
Though, in reality, there was apparently a theory that lions didn't actually go all out when hunting...
Regardless, at Rei's words, Precious hid his inner thoughts and, still, floated a smile as he opened his mouth.
"Is that so. I also have various countermeasures against mice, so I'll be fine."
Those words were also a check directed at Rei from Precious.
The "mouse" that came from Precious's mouth certainly referred to those investigating him—and just like Tris, it also included Rei.
Understanding that, Rei was slightly surprised, then spoke with a smile floating on his face.
"I see. Mice are working hard at various things too, so we both need to do our best."
"Yes, indeed. ...Let us both do our best. Well then, I have business to attend to, so I would like to take my leave now, if that's alright?"
"Sure. I just came here by chance myself, so it's not like I have pressing business either."
They exchanged those words with each other.
Both understood that it was not the truth, yet outwardly, they revealed nothing of it.
"Then, I will take my leave here. Now, shall we go inside?"
Telling that to Sleyn's body double, he entered the building along with the others.
After seeing them off, Rei eventually opened his mouth once Precious was out of sight.
"Well then, let's head back too. ...Business is done."
"Hehe, right. ...Still, they were quite bold, weren't they?"
At Rei's words, Marina said with an amused smile.
Marina had also met Precious at the Spiel Firm's branch, but at that time, there was barely enough time for a conversation.
Thinking of it that way, being able to have this kind of conversation with Rei was something important for understanding the person called Precious.
"...Right. From how it felt talking to him like this, it seems like they're not done with this matter yet. I need to find some kind of evidence before Tris does."
Muttering those words, he thought about what they should do next.