The exchange of information between Rei and the guards resumed shortly.
"So, were you able to get anything out of the Red Cloth? From their perspective, shouldn't they have known where they'd been staying up until now?"
If the Red Cloth had been used by those who orchestrated the Cobolt incident, it wouldn't be strange for them to have some kind of lead.
Of course, they didn't necessarily hold any crucial information. But there was a chance they were carrying something important without even realizing it. Even seemingly trivial details, when combined with information gathered from many individuals, could potentially form a significant lead.
That was what Rei thought as he asked, but the response he got was a shake of the head.
"The ones pulling the strings probably thought that through carefully. We sent people to the places where the Red Cloth claimed to have been staying, but there was absolutely nothing there."
The fact that they'd moved swiftly before Rei even mentioned it was partly because it was their job as guards, but undoubtedly the anger they felt from having their comrades attacked played a major role.
"I see. So we're back to square one then. Troublesome... or rather, a real pain. What exactly should we do? Still not a single lead."
"Don't worry. We're continuing our footwork investigations on our end. That kind of thing is our specialty."
"Yeah... I figured."
In Rei's understanding, the guards were akin to police—or rather, in the more direct sense of wielding military force, they were better described as an armed police force.
Even so, the fact remained that they protected Gilm's public order, and they enjoyed deep trust from the residents as a result.
Naturally, not every single guard was a virtuous presence. There were some among them who engaged in criminal activities behind the scenes.
But looking at the big picture, the guards were viewed favorably by the residents.
That was precisely why even when they went around asking for information directly, plenty of people were willing to cooperate.
"I'll leave that to you since it's your area of expertise. Considering Gilm's population, there must be a lead lying around somewhere."
"Yeah, no doubt about that. Just think about it—the Red Cloth you encountered, the ones who attacked our people on surveillance today, and the numbers from when they were operating at full scale. Just procuring food and supplies for that many people should leave a trail."
"Besides, the Red Cloth are mostly selfish young hotheads. I don't think those types can stay quiet for long."
A different guard from the one who had been speaking with Rei chimed in.
Rei understood that the Red Cloth were in fact a gathering of hot-blooded, quick-tempered individuals, so he found himself nodding in agreement.
"I get that. I really do, but... you still haven't found any of those leads, have you?"
"...No, we haven't. Well, they were called Red Cloth because they tied red cloth somewhere on their bodies. So if they take off the cloth and pretend to be ordinary citizens, there's no way to tell them apart."
"But there are people who can spot them, right? If they happen to recognize them? Actually, yesterday an adventurer happened to identify one as Red Cloth, and that's how I knew too."
"That kind of thing can happen, I suppose. But the odds of them not being found are still higher, aren't they?"
"Considering Gilm's population, you're right. The chances of them staying hidden are definitely higher."
As another guard said this, the others nodded.
If someone told Rei that yesterday's incident was just luck, he'd have to accept it.
(So there was a major development, but it didn't lead to any clues connecting to whoever's behind this.)
Since Lenora had come rushing over, he'd naturally assumed she had some kind of lead. But the situation had turned out somewhat differently from what he expected.
"More importantly, the real problem is... why the ones controlling the Red Cloth noticed the surveillance in the first place."
One of the guards muttered with an indescribable expression.
Rei understood what that implied.
In other words, there might be someone among the guards who was connected to the ones pulling the Red Cloth's strings.
Naturally, the guards didn't want to suspect their own comrades. But given the circumstances, it was highly likely that information about the surveillance team had been leaked.
"How many people knew about the stakeout?"
"If we're counting everyone who knew, that's quite a lot. It was in the reports."
"...Then figuring out who leaked the information would be difficult."
At Rei's words, several guards in the room wore displeased expressions.
Even knowing the likelihood was high, suspecting their comrades was clearly not something they enjoyed.
But it was also a fact that this was the most probable scenario, and given the current situation, they couldn't afford to ignore it.
(If this isn't dealt with properly and there is a traitor, our information will just keep leaking to the other side.)
As guards, they wanted to avoid suspecting their comrades.
But if this wasn't handled firmly, the situation would become truly unmanageable—that was an undeniable fact.
That was why, no matter how reluctant the guards before him might be, Rei needed them to take this seriously.
Perhaps they understood that too. Eventually, the one who had been speaking with Rei nodded, albeit with a bitter expression.
"We know. We'll take immediate action on our end, so don't worry about that."
The other guards around him seemed to have their own thoughts on the matter, but given the current situation, none of them could voice any complaints.
"I'm counting on you. Is there anything else to discuss?"
The guard replied, "In that case—" and they went over various minor details.
Most of it, while related to the incident, wasn't particularly important.
For example, what would happen to the captured individuals suspected of being Red Cloth.
According to the guards, they would likely be sold as criminal slaves—that was their assessment.
Since they had attacked guards employed by Daskar to maintain Gilm's security, such an outcome was only natural.
Even so, their crimes were considerably lighter compared to bandits, so the time they'd spend as slaves probably wouldn't be that long.
If things went quickly, perhaps within this year. At the latest, by next year, they should be freed from criminal slave status.
Though if, despite becoming criminal slaves, they showed absolutely no willingness to work, that would be a different story.
After finishing their discussion, Rei exited the guard station.
"Let me know if anything else comes up. I never expected Lenora to ride a horse out to fetch me, though."
"Lenora?"
Among the guards, there were probably many who knew Lenora.
At Rei's words, several of them wore expressions as if to say, You've got to be kidding me.
Then again, the usual Lenora didn't look at all like someone who could handle a horse, so it was understandable they'd think that way.
The fact that the word "ladylike" didn't come to mind was probably because her comedic back-and-forth with Kenny was quite well-known.
"Yeah. Honestly, I had no idea Lenora could ride a horse so skillfully. If you tell me it's because she's a guild staff member, I can accept that."
Guild staff members, depending on the situation, would sometimes transport adventurers by carriage to distant locations. It wasn't uncommon.
Usually that kind of work fell to former adventurers or assistants, but when things were desperately busy and no one had a free hand, it could end up with the receptionists.
If at that moment it turned out they couldn't drive a carriage or ride a horse, and that resulted in unnecessary injuries or deaths that could have been avoided, that would be absolutely unacceptable for a guild staff member.
"Guild staff members really are a remarkable bunch," one of the guards murmured.
Indeed, being hired as a guild staff member required high ability, and "narrow gate" was an apt description.
If anyone were asked which was harder to become—a guard or a guild staff member—unless they were completely ignorant of the world, they'd answer guild staff member.
Of course, becoming a guard was easy enough, but due to the need to protect Gilm's security, training was extremely rigorous. Whether one could persevere through that was another matter entirely.
"Well, I should be going. I know you all have a lot on your plates, but hang in there."
"Leave it to us."
After exchanging those brief words, Rei left the guard station.
Outside, a guard was carefully checking the surroundings just as before. When Rei emerged, the guard gave a small nod.
What exactly that nod signified, Rei didn't know.
But judging that it probably held some meaning for the guards, Rei didn't voice his question and simply returned the nod.
"Guruu!"
Set, noticing Rei had come out of the guard station, approached him with a happy purr.
At that moment, Rei caught an appetite-stimulating scent coming from Set's mouth, and he could roughly guess why.
Most likely, while Rei had been talking inside, someone had come to pet Set.
However, a short distance away, another guard was watching the surroundings with a tense air, so it seemed they hadn't been able to dote on Set for very long.
"I was going to say sorry for keeping you waiting, but it looks like you had plenty of fun on your own, Set."
Normally, making someone wait outside in the cold like that would invite criticism.
But that was only under normal circumstances, and for Set, there was absolutely no problem.
After all, Set could sleep soundly buried in snow in the middle of a winter night without showing the slightest sign of discomfort.
That said, there was no doubt that sleeping somewhere like a stable would be far more comfortable for him.
"Guruu? Gururuu!"
Set purred happily at Rei's words.
Judging that he must have eaten something delicious, Rei stroked Set as he rubbed his head against him.
"Ahem."
As Rei played with Set, the guard in front of the station gave a polite cough.
Deciding that lingering there with Set would be in the way, Rei moved on with Set at his side.
"In the end, this whole thing was just about the guards watching the hideout getting attacked."
"Guruu..."
As Rei spoke with a hint of disappointment while walking, Set purred as if to encourage him.
Rei stroked Set walking beside him and thought about what to do next.
(One of the guards argued that since the enemy already knows we were watching, we should just raid the building and search it... but I wonder about that.)
If they'd gone as far as attacking the surveillance team, anything important inside the hideout had surely already been removed. Investigating it at this point would probably yield nothing.
On the contrary, there was a real chance traps had been laid, depending on the situation.
Even among the guards, some had voiced that concern.
But there was always the possibility that something unexpected had been left behind. And with nowhere else to investigate, the others had no choice but to agree.
(If they could hire bandits... could they detect traps before they're triggered? Then again, whether they could even hire bandits is another question. No, maybe I should just ask Egg to arrange it.)
Among Egg's subordinates, there were naturally bandits who worked as adventurers.
If so, it wouldn't be unusual for the guards to have such people dispatched to them this time.
"Guruu? Gurururuu!"
Suddenly, Rei felt a tug on his Dragon Robe.
He turned to look and, naturally, found Set there.
Set, who had pulled Rei's Dragon Robe with his beak, was staring at a food stall a short distance away.
Drifting from that direction was an appetite-stimulating aroma.
Set had already been fed by someone in front of the guard station, but he was still insisting he was hungry.
Stroking Set, Rei headed toward the food stall.