One of the places in Egginis that grew deserted at night was the area surrounding the Dolan Workshop.
When conducting business with the Dolan Workshop, one didn't go directly to the workshop itself. A separate office had been set up where applications to purchase golems could be submitted, rare materials offered for sale, and material deliveries processed.
(Come to think of it, precisely because they were manufacturing golems using human materials, the alchemists of the Dolan Workshop may have wanted to keep people away from the actual facility.)
Rei pondered this as he gazed at the Dolan Workshop before him.
If it was indeed a fact that the Dolan Workshop used humans as golem materials, they absolutely would not want anyone finding out.
That was precisely why they had established an office in a separate location—to minimize any need for non-affiliated personnel to visit the workshop. Rei found that reasoning perfectly sound.
However, it also meant the Dolan Workshop had been operating under the premise of using humans as materials from the very start.
"Well, looking at it from here, it doesn't seem particularly different from an ordinary workshop... what do you think?"
"You're right. I've been around this area a few times myself, and just from looking at it, nothing seems especially off. But... doesn't that itself raise a question? If they have something they don't want people to know—something to feel guilty about—then I'd expect them to have measures in place to keep people from getting inside."
"I'd think so too. The Dolan Workshop has the highest level of technology in Egginis right now. The possibility that other alchemists might try to steal their techniques... that can't be denied either."
Of course, in that case, it wouldn't be the alchemists themselves coming, but rather hired agents attempting to sneak in.
(Maybe the reason there are so many assassin guilds in Egginis is partly related to that. ...Though the work wouldn't strictly be assassination anymore.)
Then again, while Fusetsu and Blood Blade were classified as assassin guilds and did in fact receive many assassination requests, Rei recalled being told by a member of Fusetsu that they also took on jobs that were more along the lines of dirty work.
Given that, it wouldn't be strange for there to be requests to sneak into a workshop and steal technology.
(The problem is, even if someone from an assassin guild was told to steal the technology, whether they could actually pull it off is another matter entirely.)
Just as Rei couldn't understand a golem's internals simply by looking at the outside, and just as Roger had investigated the Dolan Workshop's golems and couldn't immediately determine whether using human materials enhanced their capabilities—stealing technology was not so easily done.
Whether what they hastily stole was actually the technology the client wanted was questionable.
If there were technical manuals and the like, that would be a different story, but it wasn't something that could be accomplished so easily.
"Rei, what are we going to do?"
The lead in this matter belonged to Lindy, but when it came to experience as an adventurer, Rei was her senior.
...In terms of simply how long they had each been adventurers, there wasn't much difference between Rei and Lindy.
Or rather, there was a possibility that Lindy had been one longer.
However, Rei had been caught up in more trouble than an ordinary adventurer would experience in an entire lifetime—far more.
Furthermore, since Rei's body had been created using the Zephyle Clan's technology, he possessed sharp senses—though not to the same extent as Seto—meaning there was a possibility he could see through any traps.
At the very least, Lindy understood that Rei was more capable in that sort of operation than she was, and she was not mistaken.
"Hmm, let's see. From what I can tell, there are several trap-like devices. There are, but... I can't quite figure out what purpose they serve."
Alternatively, there was also the possibility that the ostentatiously displayed traps were fakes.
In fact, Rei recalled seeing a TV program back in Japan showing that simply having a sticker on a car indicating a dashcam was installed, or a sticker indicating an anti-theft device, was enough to reduce car-related trouble.
Even without those devices actually being installed—just having the stickers was sufficiently effective.
Considering that, in this world as well, the possibility couldn't be denied that they had conspicuously installed plausible-looking devices that were actually nothing more than facades.
Rei thought so, but he immediately shook his head and dismissed the idea.
If it were an ordinary workshop—one of middling standing—it wouldn't be strange for them to pull something like that.
But this was the Dolan Workshop, which currently possessed the highest level of technology in Egginis.
On top of that, given the high likelihood that they were manufacturing golems using human materials, there would naturally be many things inside that must not be shown to outsiders.
Given all that, it was safe to assume that every device was genuine.
The Dolan Workshop had sold a large number of golems and had financial leeway, so the probability was very high that they used proper, genuine equipment to counter intruders.
"If there are devices, what do we do? Are we just going to force our way in?"
Though she asked, Lindy's gaze made it clear that if he suggested going home without entering, she would absolutely not forgive him.
And Rei naturally had no intention of choosing not to enter the building in this situation.
"We're going in. However, I want to avoid being detected by the Dolan Workshop people as much as possible. If we're discovered, we won't be able to capture someone inside and interrogate them for information."
"Right."
Though she looked slightly dissatisfied with Rei's words, Lindy nodded.
The Dolan Workshop was a fairly large building with extensive security devices.
Given that, it would be faster to capture a staff member or someone and ask them where Anne was rather than searching for her themselves.
Lindy understood that as well, which was precisely why she had obediently nodded at Rei's words.
Of course, if things truly became hopeless, she would likely cause as much commotion as possible and search for Anne herself.
"The problem is the Slave Collar. Depending on the situation, we might have to resort to fairly forceful methods."
The Slave Collar was proof of enslavement, a Magic Item with the effect of compelling obedience to the owner's commands.
If the person at the Dolan Workshop registered as Anne's master had given an order such as never to move from that spot, or never to leave the workshop premises, Anne would be unable to defy it.
With a strong will, physical ability, or magical power, one could presumably resist a Slave Collar... but the person Rei knew as Anne, while admirable in character, did not possess the ability to withstand one.
In that case, they would have to remove or destroy the Slave Collar.
Naturally, since the Slave Collar was a restraint placed on slaves, it was not designed to be easily broken. However... in Rei's case, if he used Death Scythe, destroying it would not be difficult even if it was sturdily built.
"I know. Honestly... if there's anyone who put a Slave Collar on Anne and gave her strange orders, I don't know what I'll do to them."
The look in Lindy's eyes as she said this could not be called gentle by any stretch of the imagination... rather, "vicious" would have been a fitting description.
Rei understood the meaning behind her words, so he lightly patted Seto's head before speaking.
"Seto, hide once we're gone. And if anyone dangerous comes... that's right, you can act on your own judgment. I'm counting on you."
"Gruu!"
Normally, entrusting everything to a Tamed Monster was a dangerous act.
However, Seto was a Gryphon, a High-Rank Monster, and a being created through Beast Magic.
Because of that, he possessed the ability to make his own judgments even in a situation like this.
Then again, in terms of mental age, Seto was still a child in the prime of wanting to play.
"Gruu!"
Leave it to me! Seto purred.
After quietly telling Seto he was counting on him again, Rei turned his gaze to Lindy.
Lindy, whose vicious expression from moments ago had faded, nodded upon receiving Rei's look.
She understood that they were about to sneak into the Dolan Workshop.
Confirming that there was no one around, they approached the wall surrounding the building.
(The problem is what kind of effect the security devices on this wall have as Magic Items. ...I hope it's something like sounding an alarm rather than attacking through some means. No, wait—there's also the possibility that it's the type that doesn't detect anything unless you touch the wall.)
Thinking that, Rei spoke to Lindy.
"Now then, to sneak in, we need to get over this wall. And naturally, you can assume there's some sort of security Magic Item on the wall as well. But those are usually triggered by a certain amount of weight, a human figure, body heat... things like that."
Lindy nodded as she studied the wall during Rei's explanation.
She didn't have a great deal of knowledge on the subject herself.
Given that, all she could do was accept Rei's explanation as reasonable.
That was perhaps only natural, since Lindy didn't yet have the financial means to freely purchase Magic Items.
"So that's why we're going to get to the other side without touching the wall. And not from just a small height—we'll be going from quite high up."
"I understand that, but... how are we going to move? You might be one thing, but I can't jump that high."
"I figured. Even I can't do something like that without using a Magic Item. So... princess carry, rice sack carry, piggyback... which do you prefer?"
"I understand princess carry and piggyback, but what in the world is a rice sack carry?"
Since rice was unavailable... or at least not common, it seemed she couldn't comprehend the term "rice sack carry" coming from Rei's mouth.
"Simply put, it's a method where I carry you slung over my shoulder."
"...That's not even a question of being treated as a woman or not. That's being treated completely like cargo."
Lindy showed a dissatisfied expression at the explanation of the rice sack carry.
Since Lindy was in love with Golias, she didn't particularly want Rei to see her as a woman.
However, being treated as cargo—even before the question of being treated as a woman—was an affront to her pride.
Of course, if there were no other options, she would have accepted such a method, but fortunately there were several other means of carrying Lindy available now...
"Why don't we just have Seto carry me?"
"Did you forget? Even if it were just me... or a child like Camila, Seto can't fly while carrying an adult. Well, if you were hanging from Seto's front legs, it might somehow work."
At the words "hanging from the legs," Lindy pulled a face.
If it were a matter of riding on Seto's back and flying through the sky, that would be one thing, but hanging from his legs and flying was something she very much did not want to do.
Furthermore, for Seto to take flight, he needed a certain amount of running distance, and on top of that, he would need to first ascend to a considerable altitude, then descend to just above the ground in that state, where Lindy would grab on—a method that would be far more conspicuous than Rei simply carrying her.
There was no doubt that there was no one in the immediate vicinity, but if Seto were to fly through the air, it would naturally be visible from afar, and there was no way to know how many people might see it.
It was currently night, so there were fewer lights compared to daytime, which at least lowered the chances of being spotted—a small mercy.
Also, unlike during the day, there were many people who were drunk at present, so in that sense as well, they would be harder to notice.
Or rather, even if a drunkard saw something flying, normally speaking, few people would believe them. Alternatively, it wouldn't be strange for the drunkard themselves to immediately forget what they had said.
Thinking along those lines, Rei once again looked at Lindy, silently asking how do you want to be carried?... and ultimately, Lindy chose piggyback.
The princess carry, from the perspective of a girl in love, was something she wanted from Golias but not from Rei. The rice sack carry, treating her like cargo, was unacceptable... and so, the option she settled on was piggyback, which at least treated her as a human being.