<h4>Chapter 154</h4>


    The front of Bolton’s mansion was now wrapped in silence.


    The thugs and low ranked adventurers that surrounded Rei had no words to describe what they had seen.


    As soon as Rei had swung hisrge scythe, a sh had flown out, cutting the branches of arge tree and dropping the archer that was hiding there. With the reverse swing, he had then sent another sh that flew towards a window on the second floor where another archer was. In the end, Vargas, who was a big man, was unexpectedly sted away by Rei’s Death Scythe, destroying the mansion door as he smashed into it.


    『……』


    If anything, the series of developments was too rapid and they couldn’t say anything as they looked towards Rei.


    Still, even though Set had blocked the arrow for Ghat with his ws, it was hardly noticed because Rei’s actions were too shy.


    Even the person who had shot the arrow at the end decided that there was no point to arrow attacks, and though unhappy, disappeared in case he was hit by a Flying sh like the other two.


    While such silence wrapped around the surroundings, Rei swung the Death Scythe onto his shoulder and nced at the people surrounding him.


    「Well then, you were relying on Vargas but he’s down now……what are you going to do? If any of you feel motivated, step forward.」


    Even though he dered that, seeing that brutal attack, no one wanted to step out.


    Some people looked towards Vargas, who had been sted away. Until a few minutes ago, Vargas had been wearing a metal armour. But it was now crushed and he was unconscious after smashing into the doors of the mansion.


    If he was still conscious, he would have experience the suffering of hell with his rib fractures.


    Even in Bolton’s mansion, Vargas was already one of the adventurers with better skills. Yet he was defeated easily. It had the effect of sapping the morale of the people still here.


    「What’s wrong? You were yelling at me so energetically just before. Show me your strength. Didn’t you say it wasmon sense for us to run away since you had so many people?」


    『……』


    Now that they had seen Rei’s overwhelming strength, they couldn’t say anything. If they said something, they knew that it would taken as an act of hostility and would follow the same fate as Vargas.


    「Really, you’re all small fry. When you grouped together, you immediately thought you could be more aggressive. ……Well, fine then. Go and disperse.」


    『……』


    Rei told them that, but if they ran away from here, they wouldn’t be able to stay in Azoth Firm.


    However, their nonmittal attitude made Rei frustrated.


    「After this, we’ll be going inside Bolton’s mansion. If you say you won’t permit it, then stand in front of me. In that case, I will consider you an enemy and will eliminate you. If you don’t want that to happen, then run as fast as you can with your tail between your legs. ……Here Ie.」


    Behind him were, Freon, Brazos, Ghat and Murt. Rei called out to Set and stepped forward. Naturally, the Death Scythe was on his shoulder, ready to be swung at any time.


    Every time Rei took a step forward, the people surrounding them took a step back. Such a situation continued until eventually, Rei arrived at the front of the gate without having to do anything. That said, the gate had already been forced apart when Vargas was sted through it.


    At the gate were Sakant and Fader. The two gatekeepers stayed in ce, holding their spears.


    「Move aside.」


    Rei gave a short order. Hearing that, Fader trembled for a moment and turned to look at his partner, Sakant. Sakant had a pale face, but his expression didn’t change.


    「H-Hey, Sakant.」


    Seeing that, Fader called out unintentionally. Seeing the series of events with Vargas, it was obvious that Rei was someone they couldn’t handle by themselves. Fader was asking why Sakant still stood there given that.


    「It’s because up to now, I have been hired here. That is what I feel. ……Fader, you don’t have to follow me, do as you like.」


    「……Ahh, damn it! Damn it! Saying that and telling me I can leave like this!」


    Fader shouted at his partner’s unexpected words and pointed the tip of his own spear towards Rei.


    「You don’t have to follow me. ……You really are stupid.」


    「Shut up! I don’t have to be told I’m stupid. Seriously, why bother doing something like this……」


    Seeing the two of them point their spears at him while arguing, Rei smiled for a moment before it quickly disappeared.


    「You’re acting against me. I can take that as such right?」


    「OHHHHHHH!」


    Rei’s question was answered with a shout. It was a courageous shout instead of words to erase their fear as Sakant and Fader thrust their spears towards Rei’s body. As expected of two people who guarded the gate, their coordination was very good. Sakant thrust first while Fader thrust at the ce Rei would have to move to dodge or block the spear. It was a kind of dyed attack.


    It would have been effective on ordinary people. However, that was Sakant and Fader’srgest miscalction. Their opponent was Rei.


    「This is fine……right!」


    Catching Sakant’s spear with the Death Scythe, he used the de to cut off it’s tip before flicking his wrist to quickly move the Death Scythe, parrying Fader’s spear with the handle.


    「Gah!」


    Fader gave a cry of pain at the unexpected power in the parry. Sakant’s spear wasn’t damaged but it’s tip had been cleanly cut off. With the the overwhelming weight of the Death Scythe’s handle, Fader’s spear had been knocked out of his hands by Rei. He couldn’t handle the shock and was forced to open his hands,unching the spear far off to the right.


    「……」


    Sakant had a stunned look when he saw Rei instantly cut his spear and parry the other.


    While receiving that look, Rei picked up Fader’s spear, which had fallen down, and stabbed into the ground.


    Zugon~ There was a sound that shouldn’t happen when a spear was pierced into the ground. Including the spear tip and handle, the spear went 50cm into the ground.


    「That’s enough already. You have no way to stop us. Move aside.」


    「……Please. Even I don’t want to injure you. Move aside quietly.」


    Ghat’s words leaked out after Rei’s words. Sakant heard them but still took a step forward……


    「Sakant, it will be okay. We’ve fulfilled our role well enough.」


    At Fader’s words, Sakant stopped


    「……」


    「You know what? Bolton-san was already hard pressed by Rei before. Even so, he still challenged him, we’ve yed our role as gatekeepers well enough」


    「……That’s right.」


    At Fader’s words, Sakant replied with a small sigh.


    「I understand, Ghat-san. ……Please enter.」


    「Sorry about this. However, you don’t need to worry, nothing bad will happen to you.」


    Ghat nodded as if tofort Sakant and Fader as they walked through the gate between the two.


    「Please wait for Ghat-san. Right now, Ghat-san isn’t in his best condition!」


    As Murt said that, Rei, Freon and Brazos followed after.


    As they left, the thugs and low ranking adventurers who had surrounded them just earlier were silent.


    「What to say, that was, wow……the door’s gone.」


    The entrance to Bolton’s mansion was about 10m from the gate. The door that was supposed to be there had been cleanly demolished when Vargas had been smashed into it by Rei’s attack.


    With the door destroyed, they entered the entrance hall of the mansion. Vargas had copsed on the floor unconscious.


    「Well, there might be a trap in the door……wouldn’t it be nice if everything was fine?」


    Rei said that as Freon looked at the unconscious Vargas in amazement.


    To Freon, Vargas had fought Rei before and should have know his ability. Even so, without learning from his experience, he challenged Rei again. Even though he challenged Rei to a rematch after training himself, he still used snipers with bows from long range. They were not targeted at Rei either but towards the injured Ghat to hold him hostage. Freon could see the result.


    That was the same for Brazos. Turning to look at Vargas for a moment, who had copsed on the floor, he gave a snort before looking somewhere else.


    To begin with, they had seen part of Rei’s ability during the Harpy subjugation. In ranks C and D, they didn’t believe there was anyone who could defeat Rei even if they attacked him in a group. It was possible to fight an endless war of attrition……but even so, as far as Rei’s abilities were concerned, he could probably just sweep them away with fire magic.


    「Gurururu~」


    Thest to enter the entrance hall was Set, who looked around as he gave a cry.


    Normally, as a Griffon, Set would never enter the mansion. But this time, they were going to fight the adventurers hired by Bolton, so no one was going toin about it. Even Ghat, who had the closest feelings about the mansion, could not exclude him and had no choice but to wee Set in because of hisbat strength.


    「Even so, it’s quite lonely that no one is here greet you.」


    Brazos looked around the entrance hall with his Earthshaker Hammer on his shoulder, but there was no one in sight.


    「That is……are they concentrating their forces to wait for us?」


    Freon muttered while reading to swing the sword at her waist at any time.


    「I wonder. With Rei, they are at a disadvantage in strength so they will probably gather their forces to a single location to try to break the current situation. ……Speaking of my older brother, that’s definitely like him.」


    「In that case, where do you think he’s gathered his forces? Most of them are at the front of the mansion, we’ve already cleared some of them out to some extent beforeing here as well. There shouldn’t be many left in terms of numbers.」


    「Ahh, that’s quite reasonable for Rei to say. ……They’re probably in the room where Rei met my older brother. The neighbouring or opposite rooms are also a possibility. There should be several rooms over there aside from my older brother’s office. ……No, that’s not right.」


    Ghat rejected his own words. He looked around while thinking about something……and then spoke again.


    「It’s true that my older brother’s office is the most likely, but it would be too narrow for adventurers to fight there. Even if they could, my older brother would be uneasy with their ability to protect him. In that case……」


    Muttering, Ghat turned to look towards the second floor.


    「What’s on the second floor?」


    「It’s a kind of dance hall. My older brother often invited over his acquaintances for parties, it would be used then.」


    「I see. The dance hall, is reasonably wide. ……For example, can adventurers fight there.」


    Listening into the conversation between Brazos and Ghat, Freon muttered in understanding.


    「Ah. It’s thergest room in the mansion. Of course, there’s still a possibility that my older brother has ced his own safety as the highest priority and barricaded himself in his office.」


    「Well, any how, it would be stupid to rush straight ahead without checking his office only to be attacked from behind. If it’s not a hassle, should we check anyway?」


    「……No, it seems that won’t be necessary.」


    Rei’s words interrupted Freon. He caught the shadow near the entrance to the dance hall on the second floor.


    And that person drew back their bow……


    「Haah!」


    The moment the arrow was released, Rei was already one step ahead, swinging the Death Scythe. The de of the Death Scythe was like a sh of light, easily slicing the arrow that was aimed at Ghat.


    「As you can we, we have an invitation. I don’t want to have to break up the mansion more than needed.」


    Rei said that as he watched the person who shot the arrow enter into the dance hall behind him.