"Tomorrow…… no, given the time, it's already today. Either way, we move today."
Those were the words Rei spoke after returning to the Silver Fruit Inn from Mejougo that morning, having explained everything he'd learned.
It was either very late at night or very early in the morning, and Byune — unable to keep her eyes open — was already fast asleep.
Ielo, who had accompanied Rei to Mejougo, also seemed exhausted; after entering Elena's room and sharing its memories, it had drifted off on the spot.
That left only the adults still awake — though whether Rei qualified for that group was a matter of some debate.
The first to react to Rei's declaration was Elena.
"Does this have to do with that woman from the Resistance — Sura? From what I saw in Ielo's memories, she seemed reasonably competent."
Rei had been about to nod, but a thought stopped him — hadn't Ielo been tucked inside the Dragon Robe the whole time he was talking with Sura?
He decided that either Ielo had peeked through some gap without his knowledge, or it had something to do with Ielo's Special Ability, and chose not to press the matter.
"Right. She said a lot, but in all likelihood…… no, there's no doubt — the moment we actually move, they'll do exactly as we demand."
"……Is that really true? I mean, they never actually confirmed their cooperation, did they?"
A feverish gleam burned in Vihera's eyes.
She could fight the Giants tomorrow.
That, above all else, was what mattered to her.
Even so, the fact that she voiced her doubts properly showed that — despite her battle instincts screaming — she still saw herself as a member of the Crimson Lotus Wings.
"They never confirmed it," Rei said, "but Sura leads the Resistance. And with their main fighting force wiped out, if they want to do anything about Jaya, using us is their only option."
Vihera considered this for a moment, then nodded.
It was an undeniable fact that the Resistance in its current state was no match for Jaya, which commanded multiple Giants.
With their main forces annihilated, Jaya likely didn't even regard the Resistance as a threat — more like mosquitoes buzzing around them.
Or, to put it charitably, pests on the level of Goblins.
Under those circumstances, the Resistance had no room to refuse Rei's proposal.
Of course, there was always the possibility they might reject it out of sheer emotion, but from what Rei had seen, Sura didn't strike him as someone who would make that kind of foolish choice.
Besides, if they refused to cooperate given the current situation, Rei would simply conclude that — Resistance or not — they valued their own pride and reputation more than the lives of others.
If it came to that, he would have no reason to hold back against them.
Though whether he'd been holding back to begin with was debatable.
Well, Sharia's cooperating with them, so I doubt things will get too dire.
From Rei's perspective, Sharia was someone driven by emotion.
But precisely because of that, he couldn't see her abandoning people who were essentially victims of Jaya.
"Hmm… makes sense. If you say so, Rei, then I'm good. Honestly, I could head out right now."
"Absolutely not."
The first to voice her approval was, predictably, Vihera.
She was clearly itching to fight the Giants.
Then again, what she was really looking forward to might not be the Giants at all, but rather the Orc-faced woman Rei had encountered before.
In any case, no one present was surprised that Vihera was the first on board.
Rei turned to the remaining two. Elena and Marina each gave a nod.
"To have one's will twisted, to be forced into prostitution…… absolutely unforgivable."
Elena spoke with iron in her voice.
Having acknowledged her love for Rei, the very thought of giving her body to anyone other than the one she loved was unbearable.
Let alone being impregnated as a prostitute, forced to birth a Giant, and then killed.
If she were to suffer such a fate — the mere thought sent killing intent seeping from her body.
"Calm down, Elena. Save that rage for Jaya's people. …Though whether they can withstand it is another question entirely. I have my own feelings about this, too."
Marina urged Elena to calm down, but the truth was, what Jaya was doing was just as unforgivable in Marina's eyes.
The anger burning inside her was every bit as fierce as Elena's.
But Elena had erupted first, and Marina had lost her opening.
"So we're all in agreement, then? …What about Byune?"
"If it's Byune, I'll talk to her today. She'll have plenty to do this time around."
"Figured as much. I'm counting on you."
Rei had expected Byune would play a significant role this time.
They were fighting in a city — storming an enemy stronghold, no less.
Naturally, the thief Byune would be the one checking for traps and handling similar duties.
Rei's party could always brute-force their way through, but taking unnecessary damage would defeat the purpose.
Having a thief on hand to neutralize that risk was undeniably useful.
That said, Rei didn't think Byune would refuse to participate.
Given her personality, she wouldn't object as long as it didn't work against her interests.
And there was also the practical consideration — if they destroyed Jaya, there might be money or Magic Items to claim from the wreckage.
"Then we sleep as planned, wake before noon, and head to Mejougo in the early afternoon. That work for everyone?"
The other three nodded at Rei's final confirmation.
Normally, one would want plenty of rest before a major battle, but this wasn't quite on that scale.
Rei had no intention of taking it easy, but he was confident they could handle whatever came their way.
They had more than enough fighting power assembled. Of that, he was certain.
The one concern is… fighting indoors. Underground, no less. And outside is an entertainment district packed with prostitutes. This is going to be a tricky battlefield for me.
As a warrior — or rather, as a Magic Warrior — Rei could manage. But as a mage, he specialized in wide-area spells designed to hit large groups, not individuals.
Asking him to fight with magic inside Mejougo would be… difficult.
And using his trump card, the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor, was virtually out of the question.
If the Underground Facility turned out to be a vast, open space, that might change things.
But either way, the battlefield they were about to enter was undeniably a poor fit for Rei's abilities.
If they could simply destroy the place, it would be a different story.
If there were no prostitutes involved and Mejougo was purely a Jaya stronghold, Rei could have gone wild with his magic.
No, no point dwelling on that. The objective is to destroy the Underground Facility and gather evidence of what Jaya has been doing.
This operation was unquestionably retaliation against Jaya for reaching toward Gilm. But an organization brazen enough to operate like this was bound to have other secrets lurking beneath the surface.
Rei wanted to secure as much evidence as possible.
Whether it would prove useful was uncertain, but it was always better to have it and not need it.
"Then let's get some sleep. Tomorrow… well, today's going to be an early one."
With everyone aligned, Rei spoke, and they each nodded in turn.
They were about to storm an important stronghold of a shadow organization — one that, despite operating within a small country, wielded enormous influence over an entire nation.
Under normal circumstances, the tension alone would make sleep impossible.
But that only applied to ordinary adventurers.
Not a single member of Rei's party would lose sleep over something like this.
After all — which was harder: taking on a single organization, or fighting a nation's army head-on? The answer was obvious.
That was precisely why everyone present, Rei included, could rest easy.
"So? What's the plan? What did Rei propose?"
At the Resistance hideout in Mejougo, Sharia — now wearing the clothes Rei had given her — called out to Sura, who was deep in discussion with her comrades.
By any reasonable measure, cooperating with Rei's group was the smart play.
Sharia herself had worked as a prostitute, and she wanted to spare those still trapped in that life as much suffering as possible.
"Shut up, newcomer!"
The voice that answered Sharia didn't belong to Sura, but to one of the Resistance members who'd been challenging her authority.
The man had been a nobody before, but with the main forces wiped out and nearly the entire upper echelon gone, the Resistance was desperately short on manpower.
As a result, someone who should have remained a grunt had found himself elevated to a position of some standing.
And with that sudden promotion came a hunger for greater achievements — proof that he'd earned his rank through ability, not through the simple misfortune of everyone above him dying.
For a man like that, the assault on Mejougo's Underground Facility was a golden opportunity.
But the others around him saw right through it. They offered nothing but cold glances, and almost no one sympathized with his words.
"Newcomer… fine, I'll own that. But I'm still stronger than you, aren't I?"
Sharia, being a Wolf Beastman, was proud by nature.
Even Sura — who had scouted her, or more accurately, been strong-armed into taking her along — would describe her personality as fittingly blunt.
To someone like Sharia, the man throwing his weight around registered as only one thing: a weakling acting tough.
For a woman who respected pack hierarchy, the man confronting her gave her every reason to despise him and none to respect him.
"What's that? You've got quite the mouth on you for a newcomer."
"Suppose so. Probably because I actually have the skill to back it up. Though it seems some people bluster precisely because they don't."
She said it while looking straight at him, and the man wasn't so dense that he missed who she meant.
His face flushed crimson — the fury of being humiliated in front of everyone.
If he'd had even a shred of composure, he would've understood that losing his temper here would accomplish nothing.
But unfortunately, the man had no room for such calculations. Consumed by the conviction that he was a Resistance executive and she a mere recruit, he raised his fist.
"How dare you talk to an executive like that!"
If Sharia had been his subordinate, she might have simply taken the hit.
But she wasn't. She was cooperating with Sura, not answering to this man.
More importantly, he was opposing Rei's plan to rescue the women forced into prostitution.
The others had all agreed with Rei's proposal, however reluctantly. This man alone was fighting it.
While the Resistance intended to use Rei's group, this man wanted to go further — suggesting they should actively exploit Rei and his party, even have them charge into Jaya alongside the Resistance, consequences be damned.
Sharia had received food from Rei. She had received clothes from Rei.
For Sharia, who felt deep gratitude toward him, there was no longer any reason to hold back.
In the next instant, her fist connected, and the man went flying.