The eyes of the Madam, captured by Simon, gradually narrowed. [Damn it, be careful!] The voice of Pier, filled with tension, echoed in Simon's mind.
Simon focused all his attention on the Madam's leg, which was revealed between her dress.
A dagger was hanging from the band tied around her thigh.
However, her hand did not reach for the dagger in the end.
The Madam squeezed her eyes shut and spoke, "I apologize, but could you please let go of my arm?"
Realizing that he had gripped her wrist too tightly, Simon released his hold.
The Madam sat back down and tossed her disheveled hair behind her.
"Alright," she nodded.
"If you truly seek the truth, then there is no helping it. However, the risks associated with sharing information must be borne entirely by you. Are you alright with that?"
"Yes, of course."
"Then please wait here for a moment."
The Madam stood up and walked into another room.
The tense atmosphere dissipated, and Simon let out a light sigh. 'Pier.
I just took a shot in the dark, but it seems there is indeed something here.
If I'm lucky, I might find out the location of Erzebet...'
[Hehehehe!] Pier, sitting next to him, chuckled, shaking his shoulders. [Hahahahahaha!] Simon grimaced and covered his ears.
Of course, that didn't lessen the voices ringing in his head. 'W-What’s with the sudden laughter?' [I was uncertain, but now it's clear.
Stay sharp, boy!] Pier's eyes gleamed from within his helmet. [That woman is Erzebet!]
"...... Huh?!" Simon exclaimed in surprise, unable to hold back his voice.
At that moment, changes began to occur within the Thieves' Guild.
The bodies of those seated, drinking or playing poker, swelled with a loud sound.
[Hahaha! You really have guts, boy! Threatening an Ancient Undead right in front of you! If I hadn't sent my minions to your side, your head would have already rolled!]
Szzzz! Szzzz! The skin on people's faces tore apart, and dozens of eyes, like spiders, sprang out from within.
Simon stumbled back in shock.
-Kiriririri!-
-Kirik! Kiriririri! The 'Corpse Spider,' a type of undead, was one of Erzebet's minions.
In an instant, Simon and Pier found themselves surrounded by spiders.
"That was quite impressive, little Kizen."
The Madam, who had entered the room, walked out with a click of her heels.
She then elegantly stepped onto the table and crossed her legs.
As she touched her forehead with her fingertip and let her hair fall, her otherworldly crimson eyes were revealed. [Kill them all.] Her voice turned ominous.
With that signal, the Corpse Spiders began to rush in from all directions. [Boy!] Pier shouted.
Simon quickly activated the spatial artifact on his finger and summoned Pier's great sword.
Pier, effortlessly gripping the heavy weapon with both hands, stepped forward and swung it wide.
Boom! A massive line sliced through the air, and the bodies of the Corpse Spiders caught in the gap were split in two like straw.
Green blood sprayed into the air, drenching the floor and ceiling.
[Erzebet!]
Clang! Clang! Pier's shout echoed with the force to collapse the underground.
[Oh my, it really is you, Pier.] Erzebet smiled, crossing her legs. [What kind of scheme are you plotting in this backwater? The Legion has been resurrected! Stop your foolishness and return at once!] She winked and extended her arm.
[No way.]
Boom! With a loud crash, the ceiling shattered, and the Corpse Spiders hanging from the webs descended upon them.
Simon quickly ducked, and Pier swung his great sword to cut them down.
Chunks of flesh and entrails fell to the ground with a thud.
[Pier, you’re being foolish.
Richard used us as he pleased and then discarded us like a worn-out shoe.
After experiencing such a chilling event, do you still hold onto the Legion?]
[You fool!] Pier shouted as he impaled a charging spider with his great sword. [Have you become so soft living among humans? The Legion is 'power' and 'will'! To say you were discarded and that you’re trembling with fear, is that how the leader of the Legion should feel?]
[How could I not feel that way?] Her crimson eyes were filled with immense hatred. [I despise Richard for being infatuated with a mere woman, pushing our comrades, whom we shared decades with, into danger.]
The Corpse Spiders kept pouring in endlessly.
In truth, this underground was a paradise for them. [And.] Her gaze turned towards Simon. [Pier, you too are quite pitiful.
Just like the first-year boy from Kizen when you met Richard.
You seduced a well-behaved little one in his place...]
Whoosh! In an instant, a white great sword flew through the air, reaching right in front of Erzebet.
She hurriedly caught it with both palms.
Boom! The shockwave sent objects flying around, shattering glass.
[How arrogant you are, speaking so boldly.] Pier spread his hands.
The hilt of the great sword shimmered black and swiftly returned to Pier's grip.
Seeing this, Simon's eyes lit up. 'The Skeleton's gravitational pull!'
Pier twisted his waist like a connected motion and swung the great sword.
The tsunami-like slash once again struck Erzebet.
Kugugugugugugugu! She grimaced and braced herself with her arms against the strike.
[Have you already forgotten the time you crawled like a dog beneath me? How dare you climb up to the administrator of the Legion!] At that moment, blood-red darkness gathered at Erzebet's fingertips.
The strike that had pushed Erzebet against the wall cracked and shattered like glass.
[You have weakened considerably, Pier.
It seems the seal has only just been lifted.] She stepped over the fallen debris and ascended to the surface.
[Are you running away!] Pier, holding his great sword upright, tried to catch up, but the Corpse Spiders blocked his path.
Pier's expression twisted in anger.
[These little pests!]
[See you next time, Pier.
And.] Erzebet waved her hand from above, her gaze locking onto Simon. [The boy from Kizen.]
With that, she vanished along with the spiders waiting above. '......
So that’s how it is.' The only Thieves' Guild remaining in this territory was actually Erzebet and her crew.
Controlling and altering information must have been a piece of cake for them.
No matter how much time and money the lord invested, there was a reason he couldn't solve the incident.
-Kiririririririk! That aside, even after Erzebet left, the spiders were still disturbingly numerous.
Pier was struggling, but if this dragged on, they might lose track of Erzebet.
"Ah, what a pity."
"......!!" Simon felt a chill run down his spine.
A third voice, completely unexpected, rang out at that moment.
Quickly turning his head, he saw someone rising quietly right behind him.
"I was waiting for the moment when two monsters would destroy each other."
It was a woman cloaked in robes, drinking alone in the Thieves' Guild.
The spiders noticed her and rushed towards her.
"Ah~ what can I do? I guess I’ll have to delete everyone here and chase after her."
With a flash! A pure white light burst forth from the tip of the staff she raised above her head.
Realizing the power of that light, Simon could only gasp in shock.
-Kiiyiyiyiy!
Kikik! Kikik! The spiders writhed in agony as if they were vampires seeing sunlight.
The white light at the tip of the staff grew brighter, expanding to engulf the entire Thieves' Guild.
'Pier! Escape while you can!'
[What?]
"Hurry!" She brought down the staff she had raised high.
"Goodbye to everyone!"
Whoosh! A divine explosion erupted, turning all the undead spiders caught within its range to dust.
The entire Thieves' Guild was enveloped in a blinding white light.
"Phew."
After casting the divine magic, she casually rested the staff on her shoulder and looked around.
"It seems I missed that big skeleton and the boy. It can't be helped."
She turned and leaped towards the ruins in the direction Erzebet had fled.
[Kuhuhu! A priest barging in here! What a mess this situation is!] Pier was running with Simon slung over his shoulder.
'......
A priest.' Simon was deep in thought.
He had chosen a blue request and come to the land of the Dark Alliance, but he never imagined he would encounter a priest here.
"She seemed quite capable, didn’t she? Sweeping away that many at once."
[I saw a white outfit beneath that woman's robe.
It must be the uniform of Efnell.]
"...... Ah!" Not just any priest, but a student from Efnell, the opposing faction of Kizen! By Kizen's standards, she was practically on a black request mission.
[If she’s come this far into the Dark Alliance, she’s probably in her second year.
Be careful, boy! She’s still a formidable opponent for you!]
"Yes, I will be cautious."
It seemed she was also chasing after Erzebet, just like Simon.
This meant that the lord of Arnis had commissioned both Kizen and Efnell for this mission.
'A double commission.
I’ll have to confront them about this later.
That aside.' The scale of this blue request was growing too large.
The Ancient Undead opposing the Legion, and now a student from Efnell.
What would be the best way to untangle this complicated web?
"Pier."
[What is it?]
"Please tell me more about Erzebet."
[What I mentioned earlier is all there is.]
"No, not just her abilities or physical specs, but more personal stories."
Simon swallowed hard.
"What happened between my father and Erzebet?"
Pier let out a hollow laugh. [Kuhuhu, what happened? Damn it!]
"Yes?"
[......
Alright, I’ll tell you.
Erzebet loved Richard.]
Simon's mouth fell open. [An undead loving a human.
And a member of the Legion harboring personal feelings for the Legion Commander.] Pier, saying this, wore a very displeased expression. [From the moment she joined the Legion, she was different.
Emotional, unlike an undead, and excessively swayed by those emotions.]
Pier began to recount the stories intertwined with Erzebet.
Erzebet's love, her obsession with Richard, and even her jealousy towards Anna.
Simon closed his eyes, lost in thought.
[We’ve arrived, boy!] Pier set him down somewhere in the forest near the Arnis territory.
Simon looked around at the dense coniferous forest.
"There's nothing here?"
[Step back!] Pier swung his great sword, slicing through the air.
Suddenly, the space tore apart, revealing an old, abandoned castle wrapped in spider webs.
[Kuhuhu! This is their base.]
"Let’s go."
Simon and Pier opened the door and entered the ruins.
'Ah......!' As soon as they stepped inside, a rather explicit scene unfolded before them.