Naturally, Set couldn't enter Viscount Gail's manor.
The guards showed no signs of fear toward the gryphon, however, so Rei simply left him in their care and stepped inside.
The maid guided him not to an office like Daskar's, but to a reception room.
The moment Rei entered, the man seated on the sofa rose to his feet with a delighted smile.
A figure who appeared to be a bodyguard stood nearby.
This wasn't because they were wary of Rei; it was simply standard procedure.
Seeing the bodyguard give a small bow upon noticing him, Rei had already expected as much.
"Hey there, Rei. Glad you came."
The man looked to be in his late twenties to early thirties. For a noble, he was neither too young nor too old. He was slightly plump, though not enough to hinder his movement.
This was the man who now greeted Rei with a broad, welcoming smile.
There was no doubt—this was Viscount Gail. Rei bowed his head.
"Thank you for making time for me."
"Not at all. Thanks to you, we suffered almost no casualties in the war against the Bestia Empire. Given that, you're practically a benefactor. Please, have a seat."
Prompted by Gail, Rei sat on the sofa and immediately produced a letter from his Misty Ring.
Unlike the letter of introduction from Daskar that he had handed to the guards earlier, this one contained detailed information regarding the current matter.
"This is from Lord Daskar."
"Hmm."
Gail accepted the letter, slipped it out of the envelope, and began to read.
As Rei watched, the maid who had guided him to the reception room placed a cup of black tea in front of him. After a polite bow, she withdrew.
Rei took a sip of tea while glancing at Gail, who was still reading. The bodyguards remained silent as well, and a quiet stillness settled over the room.
After some time passed, Gail finally finished the letter and let out a sigh—one that could only be described as bitter.
"I see. So that's what they're doing. I don't know what they were thinking, reaching out toward Gilm... No, to be precise, I do understand. I just don't want to accept it."
Even with the Noble's Faction backing them, it was highly doubtful that backing would actually prove useful if they made a move against Gilm. For the Noble's Faction, Count Relduct was not someone they needed to protect at the cost of openly opposing the Neutral Faction.
Of course, there were likely those within the Noble's Faction—especially those with excessive pride in their bloodlines—who would insist on defending Relduct even if it meant clashing directly with the Neutral Faction.
But doing so would allow the unscathed King's Faction to reap the benefits. Duke Kerebel would almost certainly never allow that to happen.
"...And according to this letter, Lord Daskar has entrusted you with carrying out retaliation against Count Relduct. What do you plan to do?"
"I have a general idea. But I was hoping to gather some information from you first."
"I see. The letter did mention providing you with information. Very well. What would you like to know?"
"Specifically, if you could tell me where Count Relduct keeps his valuables—particularly any Magic Items—that would be very helpful."
Hearing the words "Magic Item," Gail nodded in understanding.
While it wasn't widely known that Rei had a habit of collecting Magic Items, it wasn't exactly a secret either. Anyone with even a moderate interest in information would likely be aware of it. There was no way Gail, who belonged to the Neutral Faction, wouldn't know.
And the fact that Rei was asking for this kind of information made his intentions perfectly clear.
There were Magic Items like simple lighting or fire-starting tools that could be bought in any shop, but there were also items as rare as the Misty Ring that Rei carried, of which only a handful existed in the entire world.
What Rei was asking about was clearly the latter.
"When you ask where... the first place that comes to mind is naturally Count Relduct's own residence. As for exactly where inside, I'm afraid I don't know."
That answer was more or less what Rei had expected.
After all, the Neutral Faction and the Noble's Faction had been enemies for a very long time. Given that history, it would be stranger if Gail did know where Relduct hid his treasures. Though it was possible Relduct's side had intentionally spread false information.
"In that case, I'll need to sneak in first."
"Ah... Rei. Just a word of warning—there's a very real possibility that the only Magic Items there won't be worth the effort."
Relduct did not hold a particularly high position within the Noble's Faction. Even Gail, whose territory bordered his, understood that much. He wasn't quite a "cold rice eater," but he was likely only average in capability.
Therefore, when asked whether he possessed Magic Items that someone like Rei would desire, one could only tilt their head in doubt.
Of course, for ordinary adventurers, there were still many Magic Items they would desperately want. However, Rei fundamentally sought Magic Items that were actually useful. He had no interest in ones that were purely decorative.
Even so, since acquiring Magic Items this time was only a secondary objective—something nice if he could get them—Rei simply nodded at Gail's words.
"That's true. That possibility does exist. But that's only a side objective this time. Regardless of what they are, the fact that their Magic Items have disappeared will still deal a significant blow to the other side."
"Ah... Well, that's..."
If the treasured Magic Items stolen from him turned out to be of no particular interest to the thief, the damage from their loss would be one thing, but the mental shock to Relduct would likely be far greater.
(If he does something like that, I think Rei will simply end up resented... But given Rei's strength, he can easily brush off anything the other party tries to do.)
Rei's level of power had been thoroughly demonstrated during the war against the Bestia Empire. Since he possessed enough strength to contend with an entire army, someone as insignificant as Relduct within the Noble's Faction would have no hope of dealing with him.
(And besides...)
As a member of the Neutral Faction, Gail was well aware of how much Rei had accomplished during the Bestia Empire's civil war. Not only had he distinguished himself in the war itself, but he had also played a major role in the internal conflict that followed, completing numerous other notable requests along the way.
It was clear to anyone that he possessed strength befitting an Alias Holder.
(If that's the case, even if Count Relduct were to throw everything he has at Rei, I can only see a future where he loses. That said... if it comes to that, it will undoubtedly cause a massive uproar.)
If a noble were to use every available force against a single adventurer and suffer a crushing defeat, it would cause an enormous disturbance for both nobles and adventurers alike.
The nobles would likely feel their honor had been tarnished, while the adventurers would likely believe the nobles were using their status to oppress them. While there were certainly various underlying circumstances, it was only natural that many would interpret the surface-level events that way.
And if the situation escalated further, it could ultimately lead to conflict between nobles and adventurers. In the worst case, it might even spark a civil war, or the Adventurer's Guild might withdraw its presence from the entire Kingdom of Mireana.
Whether it would truly develop into something that large was uncertain, but the possibility was definitely there.
"Rei, I'm counting on you not to be too flashy about this."
"Huh? Ah, right."
Rei himself hadn't thought that far ahead, but he seemed to vaguely understand that going too far could lead to all sorts of troublesome situations. He nodded in response to Gail's words.
"So, regarding information on Count Relduct's territory..."
"Yes. First of all, I'm not sure if you already know this, but taxes in Count Relduct's domain are extremely high."
"I'm aware. The father of someone I happened to rescue on my way here was originally from Count Relduct's territory."
"Oh? That's... well, I suppose it's not that unusual."
"Indeed."
Once someone became an adventurer and saw places outside their home with their own eyes, they would realize that their own life wasn't necessarily blessed. Moreover, while taxes in Viscount Gail's territory—which bordered Count Relduct's—couldn't exactly be called low, they were certainly not high either.
Having seen both their own livelihood and life under another noble's rule, it was hardly strange to want to escape the latter. While many people were reluctant to abandon the land where they were born and raised, those who chose to become adventurers often lacked such strong attachments.
As a result, the population of Count Relduct's territory had been gradually declining. And if the population decreased but they still needed the same amount of revenue, there was only one solution—raise the tax rate.
The already high tax rate grew even higher, leaving the residents of Count Relduct's territory struggling just to survive day to day.
"I think if they lowered the taxes a little, the population might actually increase... But since the people fleeing end up coming to my territory, the hostility from the other side has grown incredibly intense."
Letting out a sigh heavy with exhaustion, Gail offered a weak smile.
Even though it wasn't his fault, being unilaterally hated by Relduct clearly took a mental toll.
(And judging from his appearance, Viscount Gail doesn't seem like the type with a particularly strong personality... No, if anything, he seems like a friendly, approachable person.)
Watching Gail's tired expression, Rei spoke again.
"Is there any other information about Count Relduct's territory that might be useful?"
"Hmm, let's see... It seems there are several mines in Count Relduct's domain."
"Mines, you say."
Depending on their reserves, mines could bring enormous wealth. In some cases, the minerals they produced could even allow one to aim for a higher peerage. Especially if they contained rare ores like Flame Ore, the value would be immeasurable.
"If possible, I'd appreciate it if you could render those mines unusable. What do you think?"
The words were spoken so casually.
Even though the person sitting before him appeared to be a good-natured man, that single statement reminded Rei that he was, without a doubt, a noble.
"That's quite a proposal to come from someone who was just expressing concern for the livelihood of the other territory's people."
"Indeed. I do feel sympathy for the people living there. However, that doesn't change the fact that I want to prevent Count Relduct from strengthening his military power."
A noble who viewed him with hostility would use the ore mined from those mines—or the money earned from selling it—to bolster his forces. That meant acquiring more powerful weapons and armor, as well as hiring stronger mercenaries and adventurers with gold.
While he was concerned for his neighbor's people, he could not afford to put his own domain at risk. That was simply the natural course of action for a noble.
"About those mines... do you know their specific locations?"
"No, I only have a general idea. Gathering information from the other side is quite difficult."
"I can imagine."
Since they were hostile parties, entering Count Relduct's territory from Viscount Gail's domain would naturally raise suspicions. Rei nodded in understanding as Gail explained this.
"Can you do it?"
"...Since the mines should be conducting fairly large-scale excavation, I should be able to find them from the air. Also, as I mentioned earlier, the younger brother of the person who fled from Count Relduct's territory is still there. So if I can get information from that direction..."
Hearing Rei's words, Gail let out a visible breath of relief. For the next hour or so, the two exchanged what information they each possessed.
What Rei was most interested in was information about the city of Hazlui, where Jazz's younger brother Dostri lived. Fortunately, they were able to obtain that information rather quickly.