Rei had managed to calm Lindy down for the time being, as she had looked ready to go on a rampage, but that didn't eliminate the need to figure out their next move.
With Anne's situation, doing nothing was not an option.
Rei had no idea why the Dolan Workshop had wanted Anne as a slave. He didn't know, but given the rumors that the Dolan Workshop used humans as materials, connecting the dots wasn't difficult.
And there was no way to know when Anne might be turned into golem material under the current circumstances. That being the case, Rei needed to act quickly—of that there was no doubt.
If they were too slow to act and Anne ended up being turned into golem material as a result, it would be something Rei could never overlook.
"But wait a few more hours. Once evening comes, the workshop will naturally have people moving about actively."
"But... no, I understand."
Lindy was hot-headed, but she seemed to properly understand her current situation. She looked truly reluctant, but in the end, she nodded at Rei's words.
Lindy likely understood that attacking the Dolan Workshop here and now would lead to unpredictable consequences. Given the situation, there was a high probability the worst possible outcome would be waiting for them.
...However, if they were too slow to act and ended up unable to save Anne as a result, that would be absolutely unacceptable. Knowing that, it was only natural to want to attack the Dolan Workshop as quickly as possible.
Additionally, the possibility that attacking the Dolan Workshop might yield clues about Golias was a significant factor.
"The problem is whether Anne is actually in the workshop."
"What do you mean?"
At Rei's mutter, Lindy directed a sharp gaze at him. It was a gaze so sharp that even Camila, who couldn't follow the conversation and was silently watching the two, was frightened. A gaze as though she were directing it at an enemy.
"Calm down. Your blood is rushing to your head, and you can't think straight. Think about it carefully. If they're doing something like using humans as materials, do you think they'd do it in a place where anyone could go?"
"That's..."
Whether she had finally calmed down a little thanks to Rei's words, Lindy fell silent. At the same time, her gaze was no longer as harsh toward him.
"Right? If that's the case, even if we sneak into the Dolan Workshop, the first thing we need to do is pinpoint that location. Specifically, we need to capture a Dolan Workshop staff member—ideally a technician familiar with that area—and extract information from them."
Attacking the Dolan Workshop was one thing, but if they failed to extract any information as a result, Rei and his group would undoubtedly be reported to the guards by the Dolan Workshop and pursued.
In that case, Rei could ultimately leave Egginis temporarily, return to Gilm, and take countermeasures there, but Lindy could not do the same. Well, if it came to the worst and it was only Lindy and Camila, he could put them in the Seto Basket and escape, but the orphanage in Buldan could not be relocated the same way.
Given that, failing here was absolutely not an option.
"You're right. We need to somehow extract information and save Anne."
"Yeah. We can't afford to go in without any leads. Given that, we need to use any means necessary. Even interrogation... no, torture."
"...Yes."
Perhaps being told about torture was unexpected for Lindy, as she fell silent for a few seconds before nodding again.
Having thus steeled her resolve, Lindy... at that moment, something unexpected happened. Or rather, in a way, it might have been exactly as expected.
"Yeah, whether it's torture or whatever, I'll do it. We're saving Anne!"
It was Camila, who had been listening to Rei and Lindy's conversation, who said that.
Eh? Rei and Lindy both muttered in unison, letting out a dumbfounded sound.
Naturally, neither of them had considered bringing Camila along. Thinking about the chaos that would likely be waiting at the Dolan Workshop, bringing Camila along would be tantamount to suicide.
Even with Camila there, he would by no means serve as combat power; rather, he would only hold them back. Depending on the circumstances, there was also the possibility that while Rei and Lindy were interrogating a Dolan Workshop technician, Camila could be taken hostage by the other side. Such a possibility could not be denied.
"What are you talking about? Camila, you're staying here."
"No way! Why?!"
At Rei's words, Camila shouted, looking as though he couldn't believe it. Since he had been listening to Rei and Lindy's conversation, Camila must have been certain that he would be going to the Dolan Workshop with them.
"Obviously. Camila, you might be strong for a child, but... you'd be a burden."
"That's right. Did you forget that you were nearly killed fighting those wolves? The place we're going has enemies far stronger than those wolves."
That was an undeniable fact.
Since the Dolan Workshop produced the finest golems in Egginis, it was safe to assume they also used golems for security. Rei did not know exactly how strong the Dolan Workshop's golems were. Given that they went out of their way to use human materials, there was no doubt they possessed a corresponding level of strength.
It was precisely because their golems had such high performance that they were currently regarded as the foremost workshop in Egginis. That said, according to what Rei had heard from Roger, using humans as materials should not be able to produce such high performance.
As for that matter, their actual performance would remain unknown until they fought them. However, the Stone Golem that Rei had seen near Egginis previously had been devastating the bandits. Even a golem like that was inferior to the Dolan Workshop's golems.
There was no way he could bring Camila to such a place.
"Even for Lindy, it's honestly a dangerous place. If we brought you there, what do you think would happen...? You can figure that out without even thinking, right?"
"That's..."
At Rei's words, Camila wore a frustrated expression. He had been fully intending to go save Anne too, so being told that was not allowed was naturally depressing.
That said, Rei had no intention of backing down on this matter. Not just Rei, but Lindy also had absolutely no intention of bringing Camila along.
"Just to be clear, don't even think about sneaking after us once we leave. If you do something like that, Lindy and I would be distracted by you, and as a result, there's a possibility that Anne could die because of you."
"...Okay."
Even with his strong-willed personality, when told that Anne might die because of him, Camila could not do what Rei was warning against.
"Then... hm?"
Rei was about to say something, but suddenly looked toward the door. Lindy and Camila, wondering why Rei had suddenly stopped talking, looked in the direction of his gaze with puzzled expressions... when suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
"Come in, Maruka, Nicky."
Since the room was soundproofed, normally even if Rei raised his voice somewhat, it would not be heard outside the door. However, that was only if the other party was normal. If the other party was not normal, then hearing Rei's voice was, naturally, not difficult.
As if to demonstrate this, the door opened, and the two people Rei had called by name—Maruka and Nicky—entered the room.
"Rei, what is the matter? You had not come to the dining hall at your usual time, so I came to fetch you, but... hmm? There is a face I have not seen before."
"Ah, that's Camila. He's from the same orphanage as Lindy."
"Lindy's...? However, I recall hearing that Lindy's orphanage was in a city called Buldan, not this one."
"Ah. There are some circumstances involved."
Rei was surprised that Maruka knew where Lindy's orphanage was located, but thinking about it, they had waited together at the inn when Rei was attacked by the assassin guild Blood Blade. Also, considering that they had been together when they talked in Ridon's room afterward, it would not be strange for them to have grown close as women despite the age gap.
Given Lindy's personality, it was somewhat surprising that she had become friends with a duke's daughter, even a young one.
"Did something happen?"
From Rei's mention of circumstances alone, she must have understood that some kind of trouble had occurred.
"What will you do?"
The one holding the reins in this matter was, ultimately, Lindy. Of course, Rei also wanted to save Anne, but Lindy had known Anne for longer. Given that, it was only natural for Rei to want to leave such decisions to Lindy.
"Let's talk about it. Maruka might know something."
Rei felt that calling Maruka, who was much younger than Lindy, with an honorific was questionable, but for Lindy, this was likely her maximal concession. Between a duke's daughter and a mere adventurer, and one from an orphanage at that, the difference in social standing between the two was considerable. If anything, the fact that she was not calling her Lady Maruka was proof that various things had transpired between Lindy and Maruka.
Having decided to tell Maruka, Lindy immediately began explaining the situation.
...Beside Lindy was Camila, captivated by Maruka's cuteness.
Age-wise, Camila was slightly older, but there was no doubt that Maruka and Camila were of the same generation. And for Camila, being captivated by Maruka's loveliness was only natural.
(Still...)
Camila was likely harboring feelings close to love at first sight, but Rei felt that romance would never come to fruition. A friendship between Lindy and Maruka was one thing, but a romantic relationship would be impossible to achieve. However, telling Camila that seemed a bit cruel, so for now, Rei kept his mouth shut.
"I see, someone from the orphanage... However, this clearly makes the Dolan Workshop guilty."
"That's right. But first, we need to save this person named Anne... You're going now, right?"
At Nicky's words, Rei and Lindy each nodded. Seeing the two of them, Nicky wore a frustrated expression.
For Nicky, Rei was like a respected older brother figure—despite being younger—and Lindy was Maruka's friend. If those two were sneaking into the Dolan Workshop, he would normally want to assist them as well.
He wanted to assist them, but doing so in the current situation would mean neglecting his duty as Maruka's guard. Honestly, it was not something he could possibly do.
That Maruka was on friendly terms with Rei was something one could find out immediately if they tried to gather information. In that case, there was a possibility that the Dolan Workshop might target Maruka in order to deal with Rei, and that could not be denied.
Of course, Maruka possessed considerable ability. With her ability to wield multiple types of magic, most opponents would not be able to capture Maruka. However, Maruka was still a child. She had received education as a noble and was mature for her age, but if the Dolan Workshop... or someone who had received a request from the Dolan Workshop tried to abduct her, it would not be impossible.
Given that, it was impossible for Nicky to assist Rei. On a personal level, Nicky had very much wanted to help.
"Brother Rei, I would have liked to help if possible, but..."
At Nicky's apologetic tone, Rei shook his head.
"Don't worry about it. Right now, you're Maruka's guard. Prioritizing that is a given. Besides... if the Dolan Workshop is cornered, there's a very real possibility they'll target Maruka."
At Rei's words, Nicky nodded firmly.