It was a four-on-one battle. On one side was a newcomer who had only just registered at the Adventurer's Guild that day; on the other were four D-Rank adventurers.
Under normal circumstances, the outcome would have seemed a foregone conclusion. However, now that the fight was over, the newcomer had completely dismantled all four D-Rank opponents.
Numerous reasons could be cited for Rei’s victory, but even so, half the crowd accepted the result while the other half remained in a state of stunned disbelief. Such was the weight of an adventurer's rank; in this world, it was viewed as an absolute measure of strength.
Those who accepted it were the ones who figured that since Rei had tamed an A-Rank beast like a Gryphon, he must possess a commensurate level of skill. Those who couldn't believe it were likely the ones who had judged him solely by his appearance—standing around 165 centimeters tall, Rei was neither particularly muscular nor large-framed.
Bathed in the gazes of the curious onlookers, Rei approached Set.
"Set."
"Gruu!"
At the sound of his voice, Set gave a short, happy cry from the back of its throat. It shifted aside and handed over the items it had been guarding as the spoils of the duel.
First, Rei re-equipped the Misty Ring on his right arm and returned the Mithril Knife to his waist. He tucked his own coin purse into his clothes, then gathered the bags of money taken from Vargas and his party, storing them inside the Misty Ring.
Counting coins in front of a crowd like this is just asking for trouble, he thought. I'll check the total later after I've found an inn.
Several onlookers clicked their tongues at the sight. Rei sharply noted their sounds, etching their faces into his memory just in case.
"Now then, are we about finished here?"
The person who spoke was a man who had suppressed his presence and stepped out of the guild before the fight began. He had approached now that the timing seemed right, but Rei shook his head slightly.
"No, wait just a bit longer."
Rei gave the man a short reply and proceeded to collect the longsword, two daggers, a bow, and a quiver of arrows. Finally, he picked up the primary prize—the battle axe—and stored them all in the Misty Ring one by one.
"...I don't think you strictly need to strip them of their weapons too," the man remarked, his voice carrying a hint of a reprimand.
Rei shook his head in silence. "They’re the ones who picked this fight. The wager was for every asset they had on them. If anything, they should be grateful I didn't strip them of their clothes too."
The fact that he had no desire to strip four grown men was his real primary reason for not going that far.
"...Well, fine. The guild's policy is not to intervene in disputes between adventurers. Regardless, I don't think I need to confirm this anymore, but rules are rules. You're Rei, right?"
"Yeah."
"And you requested a rank up from H-Rank to G-Rank."
"That's right. If a person has combat experience, a rank up from H to G is possible even on the first day of registration, isn't it?"
"Indeed it is."
"And I believe my proficiency was confirmed in that fight just now... Is the rank up approved?"
"Without a doubt. I never expected a newcomer to single-handedly wipe out a D-Rank adventurer party right after signing up... Even seeing it with my own eyes, it's hard to believe. Still, I like to think my head isn't so stiff that I'd deny what I've seen for myself."
Rei grew interested in the man and observed him. He appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties, with a scar on his cheek that suggested a history as an adventurer. He was a large man, standing around 190 centimeters—similar to Vargas—with a solid, muscular build.
The man urged Rei to head back into the guild. Ignoring the onlookers who were finally dispersing now that the spectacle had ended, Rei followed him inside.
Once Set saw Rei go back into the building, it returned to the spot where it had been lying earlier. It was a blessing for both Set and the residents of the City of Gilm that none of the dispersing crowd possessed the foolish bravery required to mess with a Gryphon.
"I probably should have asked before we came inside, but is it okay to just leave those guys lying out there?"
"As I said, the guild doesn't intervene in adventurer disputes. There's no problem. More importantly, give me your guild card."
At the man's request, Rei handed over the card. The man immediately disappeared toward the back of the office. While waiting, Rei looked around the guild's interior. Those who had witnessed the commotion were staring at him with expressions ranging from shock to grudging respect.
From the group watching him from a distance, one man approached.
Rei recognized him. He was one of the men who had been drinking with Vargas earlier—the one who had distanced himself from the group, refusing to join in when they started harassing the newcomer.
"I'm surprised, or maybe I'm not... anyway, I guess things turned out the way they were meant to."
"...And you are?"
"Luno. As you probably know, I was a temporary member of that party of idiots who picked a fight with you."
"...Temporary?"
"Yeah. Those guys weren't enough to handle our current request on their own, so I joined up as extra help. Honestly, what were they thinking, trying to push around a monster like you? If I’d stayed with them, I’d have probably been caught in the crossfire."
Monster. Hearing that word made Rei’s cheek twitch.
It wasn't that the term offended him. In fact, Rei himself was the one who most considered his own body to be halfway to being a monster. However, he only felt that way because he knew the true capabilities of his flesh. If someone was just looking at him, they shouldn't have been able to tell—even Set’s presence shouldn't have been enough to give it away to someone who stayed inside the guild.
"A monster, huh? What made you judge me like that? It wasn't my looks... was it?"
Rei watched Luno closely, alert for any suspicious movements. However, Luno quickly shook his head, making it clear he had no hostile intent.
"Hey, hey, don't look at me like that. I'll talk. I'll be honest."
"...Well?"
Prodded by Rei, Luno began to explain while breaking into a cold sweat.
"The reason I teamed up with Vargas in the first place is the same reason I can tell. These eyes of mine are a type of Magic Eye."
"A Magic Eye?"
"Yeah. ...I mean, it's not a powerful one that can petrify people or charm them just by looking at them. My Magic Eye has only one ability: I can see magic power."
"See magic power, you say?"
"Right. I teamed up with Vargas because there's a floor in a dungeon a few days from here that's packed with traps powered by magic. They needed my Magic Eye to get through it. And when I looked at you... well, frankly, 'monster' is the only word for the quantity and concentration of your magic power."
"...I see. I'll take your word for it."
While he nodded, Rei’s interest had already shifted toward the mention of a dungeon.
A dungeon was an entity formed when a high concentration of magic power coalesced into a core. These cores birthed boss monsters—masters of the dungeon—and the structure itself would steadily expand until that boss was slain. Once a boss monster was defeated even once, the dungeon’s scale would be fixed at its current size.
Due to their nature, dungeons were prone to creating magic power pools, and it was common for ordinary animals to wander inside and transform into beasts. If the number of monsters inside fell too low, the core would teleport more in or create new ones from scratch.
If the core was destroyed, the dungeon would vanish, but most people didn't do that. The profits—the materials from the monsters, the money spent by the adventurers who gathered there, and the merchants who came to buy the loot—simply far outweighed the disadvantages.
A dungeon... if there are that many monsters, it might be worth visiting with Set, Rei thought. We could probably harvest some good skills. The only question is whether there's enough room for the Death Scythe, fire magic, or for Set to maneuver.
As Rei was lost in thought, the man who had taken his card returned.
"What’s this? You fought Vargas so fiercely, but you seem to be getting along with Luno, even though he was in their party."
"Gran, don't start. I finally convinced him I wasn't one of Vargas's cronies."
"Luno, you're the same as ever, I see. Rei, I should introduce him. Luno here is a fairly capable adventurer. He's basically a warrior, but he's a handy fellow who can use a bit of attack magic, a bit of recovery magic, and even has some thief skills."
While listening to the man—Gran—explain Luno's abilities, Rei muttered under his breath.
"In other words, a jack-of-all-trades, master of none."
"...Well, you're not wrong. But could you maybe have put it a little more vaguely?"
"Regardless, he’s a useful person to have in a group," Gran continued, handing back the card. "How about it? Interested in forming a party with Luno?"
Gran was making a calculated suggestion. To him, Rei was a promising newcomer—too strong to be a typical rookie, given he'd just wiped out four D-Ranks—but he seemed to have issues with interpersonal relationships. He figured that pairing Rei with Luno, who was versatile and socially adept, would help things run smoothly.
"Sorry. I plan to act solo for a while," Rei replied flatly. "I already have a partner."
Rei had no intention of joining a group. When it came to selling monster parts, the magic stones fetched the highest prices. However, his plan was to have Set or the Death Scythe absorb those stones, a practice that would inevitably lead to conflict in a party.
"...Well, true. With a Gryphon by your side, you can handle most threats on your own."
"A Gryphon?"
Since Luno had stayed inside during the fight, this was the first he’d heard of Set. Gran let a smirk play across his lips as he noticed Luno's shock.
"That's right. You were drinking alone while the rest of them were outside. This guy, Rei, has actually tamed a Gryphon."
"...Is that true?"
Luno asked in disbelief, but Rei simply nodded as he tucked his guild card into the Misty Ring.
"Well then. Now that the rank up is official, I'll be going. I still need to secure a room."
"I see. That's a shame... By the way, do you have a place in mind?"
"Yeah. A guy from the guard force named Ranga recommended the Dusk Wheat Inn. He said it's about the only place with the facilities to handle Set."
Gran nodded. He didn't know of any other inn that could accommodate a Gryphon, so he had been planning to suggest it himself if Rei didn't have a lead.
"If you already know the place, then this is simple. Leave the guild and head straight to the right. You'll see a sign with the setting sun and wheat. You can't miss it."
"Got it. Thanks."
Rei thanked Gran and walked out of the guild. Watching his departing back, Gran couldn't shake the premonition that things were about to get a whole lot noisier in Gilm.
"Gruu."
As Rei approached, Set raised its head and gave a happy cry.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. It sounds like the Dusk Wheat Inn is our only option, so let's get moving."
Rei spoke while stroking the smooth fur on Set’s back, but the beast wasn't ready to go just yet.
"Gururuu."
Set, who had never been apart from Rei since the moment of its birth, rubbed its head against him, acting completely spoiled.
In the end, Rei had to spend another ten minutes doting on Set before they finally set off from the guild.