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Chapter 132

“Wenster Market is crawling with guards, so they’ve probably already searched it all. There’s no need for us to go there,” Loyar said.

There was no need to search the area that had already been thoroughly examined. They had to look elsewhere.

“Those guys don’t like to set up a permanent headquarters. No matter how large their group is, they don’t leave much information behind because the guards could swoop in at any time and capture everyone.”

Loyar marked several completely random points on the map, none of them in the Wenster district.

“These guys change their headquarters periodically. That’s why law enforcement can’t get a handle on where the Thieves’ Guild actually exists,” Loyar continued.

Having a fixed headquarters meant a high risk of exposure for the Thieves’ Guild. That was why, even though the Thieves’ Guild’s main sphere of influence was in Wenster Market, they had not established a headquarters there, but set up several bases dispersed around the area that could be abandoned at any time. The headquarters was somewhere else, and its location was changed periodically.

“Do you know where they could be?” Eleris asked.

“Yeah.” Loyar pointed out numerous spots on the map with her finger. “Here, here, here, here...”

“That’s too many!”

Loyar indicated over twenty places, spread all across the imperial city. Changing the headquarters periodically like this meant a lot of time being wasted just moving around.

Loyar seemed to expect Eleris’s answer.

“What do you think these locations are?” Loyar asked.

“... Well... I don’t know,” Eleris responded.

“Do you know what a retention basin is?”

“A retention basin? What’s that?”

“Well... it’s like a facility that collects rainwater.”

In the event of heavy rain, retention basins were used to hold rainwater temporarily, to prevent rivers from overflowing. Once the river level stabilized, the water would be released. This helped to reduce the chance of flooding.

“These are so large in scale that there’s no better place to use as a hideout. And since they aren’t facilities that are open to public use, bribing a couple of government officials in charge is all it takes to easily assume control. Those guys are using these large underground retention basins as their headquarters, and periodically switch between them.”

Since it was an underground facility prepared in case of flooding, it was enormously large, and occupying it wouldn’t draw public attention as citizens usually did not care about them—bribing the officials in charge made it possible to use it in secret.

“I don’t really get it... So, they’re using these retention basins as their headquarters, moving from one to another?”

“Right.”

Loyar knew this because she was in collusion with the Thieves’ Guild, so she was aware that they moved their headquarters about in this manner.

Eleris, however, tilted her head in confusion.

“Wait. But it’s been quite a while since it last rained.”

If these facilities were meant for collecting rainwater, and given that it had been raining significantly for quite a while, these retention basins had to be pretty full. In that case, the Thieves’ Guild would essentially be left without a headquarters.

Loyar shook her head.

“Hey, come on, think. If they block off the water gates, no rainwater would enter, right?”

“Ah... right.”

Indeed, even if it rained, if all the openings through which the rainwater could flow were blocked, no water would collect in the retention basin. In reality, when it rained, this method would prevent their headquarters from being flooded.

“But if they block the water gates of all the retention basins, that would make them dysfunctional, and it would surely draw attention. So, what they do is they only block the water gates of the location that is currently being used as their headquarters. When they leave, they open them again. That way, it doesn’t attract attention,” explained Loyar.

Since a long tail was likely to be stepped on, the Thieves’ Guild only blocked the water gates of the basin that was being used as the headquarters at that time, and prevented any interference by bribing the necessary officials.

“But it’s raining right now, right?” said Eleris.

“... Yeah. Which means that they can’t change the location of their headquarters right now.”

The flaw in this method was that they could not relocate their headquarters while it was raining, since they couldn’t set up their headquarters in a retention basin that was already full.

“We just need to find the retention basin whose water gates are currently completely shut so no rainwater can enter,” continued Loyar. “That’s where the Thieves’ Guild’s headquarters will be right now.”

Hearing that, Eleris’s expression turned peculiar.

“Weren’t you quite the dumb one before?” she said.

“Ugh. I guess I’ve inadvertently gotten smarter after constantly having to do this kind of work!” Loyar yelled, demanding proper recognition if she was to be praised.

***

The rain continued to pour.

“Ellen, let’s go inside.”

“I’m fine.”

Ellen remained seated on a bench in front of the Temple’s Royal Class dormitory, staring blankly into space.

Harriet carefully took hold of Ellen’s arm, who was sitting motionless on the bench, but she did not stir.

“That person was incredibly strong. There was nothing you could do. Y-You also fought really well.”

To Harriet, it seemed that Ellen had not yet recovered from the shock of defeat. However, Harriet believed Ellen had fought admirably, and had demonstrated unbelievable abilities.

She did not see any reason for Ellen to be so downcast. Although she was curious about the suddenly summoned sword and such, she couldn’t muster the courage to ask about it. The summoned sword had vanished like a mirage as soon as the fight had ended.

“You’ll catch a cold. Let’s go inside.”

At Harriet’s words, Ellen raised her head and stared blankly at her. “It’s not... it’s not that.”

Drops of water trickling down from Ellen’s hair and down face.

The droplets flowing down her face made it seem to Harriet as if Ellen was crying.

“Just for a bit, I want to stay like this. Just for a moment... I’ll be fine.”

Ellen had no intention of moving because of whatever hardship was weighing her down. The sun had already set, and it was almost completely dark.

Why did she want to be drenched in the rain like this in the middle of the night? What was she thinking?

“... Okay.”

Harriet failed to comfort Ellen.

Harriet wondered if Reinhart could comfort Ellen if he were here, since she didn’t know Ellen well.

However, the thought crossed her mind that if Reinhart were to comfort Ellen while she was in this state, it might make Ellen feel even more miserable. Although Ellen said that she only wanted a few moments on her own, she remained seated, staring blankly into space, for a long, long while.

***

Leaving Ellen outside, Harriet returned to the dormitory. Since it was Friday night, and the weekend was just around the corner, everyone seemed to be enjoying their free time. Despite having an umbrella, Harriet had still had to battle through the downpour, and thus, she returned looking like a drowned rat.

“Harriet! Where have you been? Why are you just returning now?”

“Oh, um... I was just around.”

“You must be cold. Hurry in and take a shower.”

“Yeah, thanks...”

Harriet offered the concerned Adelia a feeble smile. It was true; she was cold and desperately wanted to take a warm shower. Just as she was about to enter her room, someone from across the hallway raised a hand in greeting.

“Where have you been?”

“Oh... Hey Vertus.”

Vertus approached Harriet, who was thoroughly soaked, with his usual kind smile.

“Did you go looking for Reinhart?”

“N-No way! Me? Wh-Why would I?”

Vertus chuckled, amused at Harriet’s blatant excuse.

He was always kind, and when she had just enrolled, she had also liked him. Of course, given his status, there was also a deep-rooted fear of him within her.

At some point, though, Harriet had started to feel uncomfortable around Vertus.

It wasn’t just the difference in their social standings, but an uneasiness that came from not being able to understand what he was thinking.

“What difference is there between someone who is always smiling and someone who is always expressionless?”

Lately, such thoughts had come to Harriet’s mind whenever she saw Vertus.

Setting his status aside, he was somewhat creepy and scary.

“So, any luck?”

Though she’d said she hadn’t been out looking for Reinhart, Vertus didn’t bother to call her out on her flimsy excuse.

“... Not really,” Harriet replied in a subdued voice.

Vertus nodded his head anyway, still wearing that same smile. “It’s okay. Reinhart will come back.”

That did not sound at all consoling.

It sounded more like he was stating a confirmed fact. The comment felt almost prophetic, and it caused Harriet to lift her head abruptly.

“Really?”

“Of course.”

As always, Vertus did not provide any details.

***

The search operation that Loyar and Eleris embarked on was terribly exhausting. They needed to visit a significant number of large retention basins to check if they were overflowing.

However, there was a problem.

“Damn, there’s been so much rain that I can’t tell if these retention basins are overflowing because they’re full or because their water gates are blocked.”

Eleris nodded at Loyar’s frustrated comment. The continuous downpour made it impossible to distinguish whether a retention basin was overflowing because it had reached its capacity limit, or because the Thieves’ Guild had blocked off the water gates.

“I’ll try using life-detection magic.”

Fortunately, Eleris had a solution. High-level detection spells like life-detection could not be used by just anyone, but Eleris was a jack-of-all-trades when it came to magic.

“Wow, mages sure have it easy.”

Eleris chuckled at Loyar’s comment.

“If I couldn’t do this much even after spending hundreds of years poring over books, that would be ridiculous.”

Loyar stared at Eleris intently. “How old are you, anyway?”

“Do you really think I’d answer you if you ask so rudely, you little runt?”

“Are we really going to be tracing genealogies at a time like this?”

“Then don’t ask a lady about her age in the first place.”

“Lady? More like an old hag.”

“What did you just call me, you creature?”

“What? Creature? D-Did you just call me a creature?”

“If I’m an old hag, then you’re definitely a creature. Just wait until we find His Highness; I’ll make sure you get what you deserve. It’s because you didn’t share information that we’ve ended up in this situation. His Highness showed up not too long ago, and I had to say everything was fine because I didn’t know any better.”

“... Damn it, how was I supposed to know it would come to this?”

“Quiet. I’m almost done with the casting.”

Despite their bickering, Eleris, true to her expertise, completed the casting.

The life-detection magic was activated.

“This isn’t the place.”

With that quick judgment, Eleris started heading toward the next destination.

“By the way, how did you hurt your hand?” Eleris asked Loyar as they moved.

Loyar’s right hand was wrapped in a bandage that was stained a deep red.

“You remember how I mentioned that two friends of His Highness informed me about this incident?”

“That’s right.”

“I tried to scare them off since they kept following me, and while one of them was shaking like she wasn’t meant for combat, the other one was incredibly stubborn. So, I had to... deal with them.”

Eleris was slightly taken aback by Loyar’s explanation.

“Wait... you’re saying you got injured fighting a kid?”

“It wasn’t a normal kid!”

“Have you become an actual wild dog now, after taking on the ‘Hound of Irine’ moniker? Getting injured while fighting a teenage kid?”

Eleris seemed to be teetering between genuine concern and mockery as she questioned if Loyar had somehow regressed.

“Forget it, damn it. The Temple is raising monsters. I managed to subdue them this time, but give it a few years, and I wouldn’t stand a chance even if you filled a whole train with the likes of me and pitted us against that kid.”

When she heard this, Eleris’s expression turned serious. She initially thought that the injury was the result of a minor scuffle, but Loyar was now saying that, in a few years, she wouldn’t stand a chance against the child, even with considerable backup.

Loyar was not known for her humility. She wouldn’t make such a claim lightly.

“So, it wasn’t an accident?”

“I did go easy on her, but... damn. She used some strange sword.”

“Wait, she drew a sword against you?”

Eleris seemed shocked, as if wondering what on earth the kid was thinking. As they walked through the rain, Loyar’s expression turned sour.

“No, no... it didn’t happen right from the start.” She let out a sigh. “It was my mistake... Well, not a mistake, really. At that moment, it felt... dangerous... if I didn’t take her out somehow. So I went in seriously. And then, out of nowhere, a sword just appeared in the kid’s hand!”

Eleris was shocked twice over: once at Loyar almost killing a friend of His Highness, and again at the thought of a sword suddenly appearing in the kid’s hand.

“It was a soulbound sword. I don’t know who she is, but she’s no ordinary person, and that was no ordinary sword. I ended up like this while trying to block it. Damn it. It doesn’t seem like it will heal well either.”

As she spoke, Loyar waved her bandaged, red-stained right hand.

“You... How could you think of killing such a commendable child? Are you insane? Are you in your right mind?”

Genuine anger glowed in Eleris’s eyes, and it was clear what she was thinking:“How dare you try and kill that commendable child who was so worried about His Highness that she sought you out?”

“This isn’t the time for this! We need to find His Highness now!”

“You... We’re not done with this.”

Eleris’s footsteps were filled with fury. It appeared as if she was ready to make Loyar face her demise once this situation had been sorted out.

‘A soulbound sword, though?’ Eleris thought.

Loyar had said that they were raising monsters at the Temple, and the reality that Loyar had been injured while fighting a child made the statement all the more tangible to Eleris.

“Anyway, don’t ever tell Sarkegar about this. He’ll go berserk and insist that the kid must be killed,” Eleris said.

“Damn it. Wouldn’t it have been better to just eliminate her on the spot? I still regret not doing so.”

“Shut up! As soon as you bring that up in front of Sarkegar, you’ll die, I’ll die, and Sarkegar will die too.”

Of course, that aside, Eleris considered a friend of their lord as absolutely precious.

***

It was early Saturday morning, just before first light.

“Here it is. This is this place.”

Eleris and Loyar had finally pinpointed their location after arriving at the thirteenth retention basin, to the north of the Irine River.

Eleris sensed numerous life-forces underground. Of course, sensing the life force alone wasn’t enough to identify how many individuals there were, or their specific identities.

“Okay, I’ll take it from here,” Loyar said.

Loyar, as the Hound of Irine, was entering to retrieve Reinhart. Therefore, it wasn’t appropriate for her to rely on the help of Eleris, a demon spy mage.

“Can you handle it alone?”

“There are quite a few skilled members in the Thieves’ Guild. But if things get too tough, I’ll transform and kill them all.”

The Thieves’ Guild was a massive criminal organization, completely different from the run-of-the-mill gangs that were filled with random weaklings. It was inevitable that they harbored dangerously skilled individuals.

However, if their lord’s life was judged to be in danger, there was no point in concealing identities or hesitating. The priority was to tear through whatever enemies were there, retrieve their lord, and consider the consequences later.

“You seem to have loyalty one moment and none the next,” Eleris said.

“Shut up.”

Eleris would cast invisibility magic on herself and observe the situation, ready to assist with the annihilation if Loyar found herself in danger.

Loyar began searching for an entrance to the underground section of the retention basin. She was not looking for the path that the rainwater would take, but an entrance meant for people. There had to be one, and her goal was to find it.

Loyar started to comb through the surroundings thoroughly.

***

“Sir. What I mean is, could you explain a bit more clearly—”

“Why on earth would you address me as ‘sir’? I’m much younger than you.”

“Then, how should we address you...?”

“I don’t care about the title. Just keep talking. Go on flirting with disaster, and you’ll see what happens.”

“No, we understand what you’re saying... but to suddenly demand the entire organization be placed in your possession...”

“Who said anything about swallowing the organization whole? And wouldn’t having someone like me as a connection be beneficial for you? Did I ever ask for money?”

“Well... If it were money, we could somehow arrange an amount...”

“Ugh, why would I covet the money that you’ve earned, albeit not in the most righteous way, with your own hard work? Really, some folks just can’t understand anything... I’m not saying that I would smash everything or kill everyone; I’m offering a peaceful way out.”

“But still...”

“What do you mean by ‘still’? Do you really want to see how far this can go? Shall we go at it?”

“N-No, that’s not what I meant...”

.

.

.

Bang!

A sudden noise erupted from one side of the retention basin, which was as vast as a cavern, interrupting the unidentified squabble.

—Who’s there?

—Where’s Reinhart, you bastards?! I’ll kill you all!

Bang! Crash! Bang!

The noise started spreading around the edges, and not the centrally lit orange-lit area. The expressions of the people sitting at the round table became peculiar.

“... What’s that?”

Among them, a boy seated at the most prestigious spot tilted his head in curiosity.

After a moment of harsh bickering, the unexpected attacker revealed themselves, their expression filled with rage.

“... Reinhart?”

The people sitting around the round table chuckled, and Reinhart chuckled as well.

“Sister, you’re a bit late, aren’t you?”

At that moment, as Loyar saw it, Reinhart hardly looked like someone who had been kidnapped.