Chapter 86

Rounding the back of the stairs leading to the second floor, the staff member unlocked the door and opened the entrance to the underground passage.

"Inside is a straight path leading directly to near the town's defensive wall. There should be guards at the gate, so please inform them of the situation."

"Understood."

Slipping into the underground passage, they descended.

Originally designed as an evacuation route, the passage was spacious in width and height. Darkness stretched endlessly ahead without any light.

Shiraha, who had descended after Rio, made a ball of light float up. It was a familiar magic that they often used as a target during training in the village.

"Take care."

"You too."

After watching the staff member close the entrance, Rio dashed into the depths of the underground passage.

Using a walking technique to minimize the sound of his footsteps, Rio led the way, with Shiraha following behind.

"Shiraha, what do you think of this situation?"

"Hakumen is creating the situation. Are we just being swept along?"

It seemed that even though Shiraha hadn't reached a conclusion, she shared the same sense of unease as Rio.

"I agree. But, whether it's the Night Stalker or the evil person Conrads, unexpected events have occurred that are outside Hakumen's plans, giving us a chance to escape. The attack on the guild might be out of desperation, or they might have a plan..."

While straining his eyes to see into the darkness of the passage, Rio's thoughts raced.

"To begin with, it's strange that we were attacked at the inn. How did Hakumen know we were staying there?"

"Maybe they were following us?"

"Given that it was a deserted street, if they were following us, they would have attacked us right then. But, it's possible they waited for us to let our guard down."

Another thing that bothered him was Conrads' parting words.

"Conrads seemed to have no intention of opposing the guild. He also said he didn't want to increase the number of uncertain elements."

"Uncertain elements, like the Night Stalker?"

"Probably. In other words, they might think that Rio and I could become uncertain elements on par with the Night Stalker. Hakumen's persistent targeting of us might also be because we are uncertain elements."

"Why didn't you tell the deputy branch manager?"

In response to Shiraha's question, Rio hesitated.

If Rio's assessment was correct, it would be good news for the guild. After all, it would be equivalent to the Horned Family announcing that they would avoid opposing the guild.

"We are also suspected of being spies for the Horned Family, but more simply, I couldn't fully trust Muzé."

There was a sense of unease.

The inn where they were attacked, including the room, was arranged by Muzé.

The situation at the time of the branch manager's death also suggested that he was cut down from the front without resistance. Given Muzé's position as deputy branch manager, it wouldn't be difficult for her to get close enough to strike.

What was most peculiar was the sword style Muzé practiced.

"The Enro style. It's a school that emphasizes combat against humans. It's a style that doesn't worry about weapon wear and tear, which makes it odd for an adventurer to practice."

"Kari also uses the Enro style."

"Kari uses various sword styles, and the Enro style is just one of them. Besides, with the Enro style, I feel like she could catch the branch manager off guard."

The Enro style is a combat style that is adept at dealing with sudden attacks. It emphasizes quick responses and aims to gain the upper hand by striking the attacker with a decisive blow at the start of combat. It is an ideal style for launching a surprise attack against a superior opponent.

"But, she was suspicious of us."

"I think she was trying to probe us, not just suspect us. Her questions were about our backgrounds. I felt like she was more interested in gathering information than suspecting us, so I kept a lot of things hidden."

While there was only circumstantial evidence, the current problem was that Muzé had instructed them to use this underground passage.

"Hakumen might be waiting."

"Should we turn back?"

"That would make us suspicious too. Let's proceed cautiously. I'm counting on your sharp senses, Shiraha."

"About that..."

Uncharacteristically hesitant, Shiraha looked up at the ceiling.

The ceiling of the underground passage, being hand-dug, exposed the earth. Reinforced with wooden beams, it still seemed somewhat unstable.

Shiraha pointed to the ceiling.

"I've been feeling a strange presence from above."

"…The Night Stalker?"

"No. It feels like the presence of the apes that attacked the village, but weaker."

"I don't really understand, but go on."

Shiraha, also uncertain, kept looking up. The presence was very faint, possibly due to the ceiling separating them.

"I remember. On the way from the guild to the inn today, I felt someone following us."

"Before the chase with the evil person?"

"Yes, that one."

Though overshadowed by the impression of Conrads, Shiraha had mentioned someone following them. They never saw the person, but it was clear from Shiraha's reaction that the stalker was real.

The exit of the underground passage came into view. A staircase led up to a door reinforced with iron.

Pressing his ear to the door, Rio listened for any sounds outside. It was unusually quiet.

Drawing his sword, Rio gently opened the door and peered outside.

"A room?"

It was a simple room with a low shelf decorated with small items, a wooden table, and chairs. It was neither a study nor a private room, and it was unclear what it was used for.

Given the town's prevalence of underground organizations, the exit of the guild's underground passage was likely disguised to avoid detection.

Shiraha looked up at the ceiling.

"They're on the roof."

"The strange presence?"

"Yes. I can't tell anything else."

"…There are people outside."

Pressing his ear to the door, Rio sensed the presence of people outside. He didn't hear any voices, but he could faintly hear the sound of metal rubbing and footsteps.

The absence of voices but the presence of people suggested an ambush.

Shiraha, who had been closing her eyes to sharpen her senses, opened them and drew her sword.

"There's no presence of a mage."

"Then, let's break through. When I rush out, please create a distraction."

"Understood."

If it was Hakumen, it wouldn't be surprising if they sent skilled fighters after repeated failures. In fact, the attack on the guild involved someone wielding an evil sword.

Prepared for a battle with someone as skilled as Conrads, Rio nodded to Shiraha and pushed open the door.

As the view opened up, Rio rushed outside.

It was outside a small building near the defensive wall, facing a square that connected to the main street. Normally, it would be a circular square used for turning carriages smoothly.

Seven figures in white masks came into view, already drawing their swords. One of them held a bola, a rope with a weight at the end.

As Rio rushed out, the white-masked figures closed in simultaneously.

Their extreme forward-leaning posture, swords held horizontally like a bull's horns, and their full-speed charge were characteristic of a specific technique—

"—The Ox School!?"

Caught off guard by the white-masked figures' faithful recreation of the Ox School's advanced formation, Rio hesitated.

While the white-masked figures weren't heavily armed like the Ox School, their perfectly synchronized formation suggested they had been trained in it.

There was no way to withstand a direct attack, and even if they retreated to the building, the door would be broken down.

Avoiding the attack would put Shiraha, who was still inside, in danger.

The sound of the white-masked figures' footsteps grew heavier and faster with each step. There was no time to think.

Following their pre-arranged plan, Shiraha created a ball of light and threw it outside. Despite the light searing their retinas, the white-masked figures, trained to move in formation, continued their charge, even accelerating.

It was the movement of heavily armed knights who had undergone formal training, not something members of an underground organization could do.

As Rio looked around for something to stop their feet, a bell sound came from above.

The moment the sound reached his ears, his confused mind rapidly cleared, and he regained his composure.

The white-masked figures, hearing the bell, turned their swords away from Rio, and their formation was disrupted.

Seeing the slowed white-masked figures, Rio grabbed Shiraha's arm and pulled her out of the building.

Not knowing what had happened, he focused on escaping the town and looked toward the defensive wall, but a voice came from nowhere.

"Go west. The gate is under control."

It was a calm, neutral voice.

It seemed they couldn't leave the town.

"Shiraha, let's hide."

Turning their toes westward, Rio and Shiraha ran together.