Rei stared back with expressionless eyes at the boy—though he looked more like a young man—who was currently clutching the front of his shirt.
Clearly dissatisfied with the lack of reaction, the boy spoke again, his voice rising even louder than before.
"Answer me. I asked what you did to my mother."
"……Let go," Rei said, his brows knitting in displeasure.
It was a reasonable reaction. He was being accosted for something he had absolutely no memory of doing.
"Just answer the damn question! If you want to play it like that, I’m happy to get rough. This is your last chance. Answer me."
"……"
Concluding that words were a waste of breath, Rei silently reached up and placed his hand on the wrist of the boy gripping his collar.
He was a heartbeat away from crushing the bones in that wrist when a voice intervened.
"Rhodos, let go. The boy didn't do anything to me. I was simply startled when I looked at him; it had nothing to do with him."
A single staff was thrust between Rei’s face and the boy named Rhodos.
"But, Mom! It’s not normal for you to recoil like that if he didn't do anything! I’m certain he did something to you!"
Rhodos argued back with the woman, whose tone was somewhat masculine. She let out a weary sigh and brought the heavy staff down hard on the top of Rhodos’s head.
Thud! The sound of a blunt object striking solid flesh echoed through the room. The nearby adventurers who heard it winced, instinctively imagining the pain.
"Gah!"
Rhodos clutched his head and collapsed to the floor in a heap. Ignoring her son’s plight, the woman bowed deeply toward Rei.
"My apologies, young man. My son was incredibly rude. I hope you can find it in you to forgive him."
"……"
Rei returned her gaze in silence. The woman reached down, hoisted the crouching Rhodos up by his collar, and forced his head down as well.
"See? He’s reflecting now. I’ll ensure he never commits such a discourteous act again. I’d appreciate it if you could let this matter slide. Of course, I’m not asking for a free pass. I promise that if you ever need help, the A-Rank party Axe of the Thunder God will lend you their strength."
Rei’s interest piqued at the mention of an A-Rank party.
For someone like him, who wanted to raise his guild rank quickly to hunt more powerful monsters, having a connection with an A-Rank party was a massive advantage. Making his decision, Rei gave a slight nod.
"It’s not like there was any actual harm done. I’ll consider it a debt owed by an A-Rank party and leave it at that."
The woman let out a long sigh of relief.
At that moment, this boy was definitely going to shatter Rhodos’s wrist, she thought to herself. And then there’s that absurd amount of magic power. I should be glad we didn’t end up as enemies.
She composed herself and spoke again.
"Sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Min. I'm the mother of this idiot son who bothered you."
"Mom!"
Ignoring Rhodos's protest, she turned her gaze toward a man who had been watching the scene with an amused expression.
"And that, unfortunately, is my husband and the leader of the Axe of the Thunder God, Elk."
Hearing his name, Elk approached the three with a broad grin.
"Yo. Sorry my son caused a scene. Like my wife said, I’m Elk. Nice to meet ya."
Elk laughed boisterously, his personality matching his rugged appearance. The tension left Rei’s shoulders, and he let out a short sigh of his own.
"I’m Rei."
"Wait, that's it? Nothing else? Like, your favorite food or your type of woman?"
"Elk, shut up for a second."
Elk fell silent at Min's command, looking a bit like a scolded dog. Rei made a mental note that Min clearly held the most authority among the trio.
"We've been working as adventurers here in Gilm for a long time, but I don't recall seeing your face around, Rei. Did you just arrive in the city?"
"Yeah. It’s only been a few days since I registered at the guild."
The first person to react wasn't Min or Elk. It was Rhodos, who had been staring at Rei with suspicious eyes from Min’s side.
"Huh?! You... do you even realize why everyone is gathered here?!"
"To hunt Orcs, right?"
Rei’s casual reply seemed to strike Rhodos as a personal insult. His face flushed a deep red as he glared at Rei.
However, just as it looked like he might explode again, Min’s staff came down on the back of his head once more.
"Gah! M-Mom! Stop hitting me like I’m a drum! This staff is a magic catalyst, not a club!"
"Then stay silent. Don't butt in while I'm talking and make things hostile for no reason."
"But—!"
Before Rhodos could continue, the man who had been shouting about the emergency request downstairs entered the meeting room.
Min decided the conversation was over. She dragged her husband and son to a row of chairs near Rei and sat down.
"Everyone, thank you for gathering. As for the numbers..."
The man scanned the room.
"Looks like about thirty people."
There had only been about twenty when Rei first entered, but several more had arrived while he was dealing with the Axe of the Thunder God.
Once he had a count, the man spoke up.
"I'm Bobbs, and I'll be overseeing this request. As I mentioned earlier, this is an Orc subjugation mission. The reward is five gold coins as an advance, with two platinum coins upon completion. We will also consider additional bonuses based on your contribution. Furthermore, for the right ear—the proof of subjugation part for an Orc—the rate for participants in this mission will be five silver coins instead of the usual three. Is that clear?"
A collective nod rippled through the room.
"The Orc settlement is about a day's journey from Gilm. We estimate there are at least fifty of them. Listen well—that is the minimum. Assume there are more. Given those numbers, it's almost certain they are led by a rare species or a high-ranking species. We depart this afternoon. Assemble at the main gate once you're ready. We’ll camp once on the way and arrive near the settlement tomorrow afternoon. We’ll rest until nightfall and then launch a night raid. Any questions?"
One of the adventurers raised their hand.
"Has an Orc Mage been confirmed?"
"Not yet, but assume one is present."
"What about guild contribution for completing the request?"
"It will be taken into account for your next rank-up, but only for those who actually distinguish themselves. Participation alone won't guarantee a promotion."
"Will the guild provide carriages for the trip?"
"Yes. However, if you have your own transport, that's fine. In that case, we'll likely ask you to carry some of the supplies."
"Will the guild pay for those supplies?"
"Yes. Though if you want to bring your own, feel free."
"Who’s in command?"
"I will be taking lead."
Bobbs answered the flurry of questions without hesitation.
Rei raised his hand.
"I can help with transporting the supplies. Will that count toward my contribution?"
"Help with transport? How?"
In response, Rei showed the ring on his right hand.
"This is the Misty Ring, a type of item box. If I use this, we won't have any issues with logistical transport."
To demonstrate, he pulled a potion out of the Misty Ring and then stored it back inside in the blink of an eye.
"An item box... is that for real?!"
"I’ve never actually seen one before."
"Me neither. A high-end magic item like that is usually a once-in-a-lifetime sight."
While many in the room knew about Rei’s clash with the Falcon's Claws, it seemed few realized an item box had been the prize.
Among those who did know, several directed sharp, calculating gazes toward him.
Rei ignored them and looked back at Bobbs.
"……Very well. If you use that item box to assist with logistics, the guild will recognize it as a significant contribution."
A few more minor questions followed before Bobbs wrapped things up.
"Alright, if there are no more questions... finally, I need everyone to tell me what skills they possess. You can keep your secrets if you wish, but I need to know what I’m working with. We'll start from the row closest to the door."
A group of four adventurers stepped forward to brief Bobbs.
The guild needed to know the combat capabilities of the force, but they couldn't force people to reveal their trump cards in front of potential rivals. Bobbs was lenient enough to let them withhold whatever they deemed necessary.
So, am I the only solo participant? Rei wondered as he watched the others. Everyone else was part of a group; he was the only one standing alone.
"Rei, can I have a word?"
Min approached him as he was observing the room. Rei nodded.
"If it's alright with you, I'd love to see that item box up close for research purposes. I know it's an incredibly rare item, so I'll make sure to compensate you properly later."
"I don't mind, but the Misty Ring is bound so that only I can use it."
"That’s fine. Please, let me take a look."
Relenting to her persistent curiosity, he pulled off the bracelet and handed it over.
"Heh... so this is it. I can certainly feel a powerful magic power radiating from it."
Beside her, Rhodos was still eyeing Rei with suspicion.
"Hmph. So you’re just a guy who relies on a fancy magic item instead of his own strength. If I had one of those, I could— Gah!"
Before he could finish his thought, Elk’s fist slammed onto the top of his head.
"F-Father..."
"You're just pouting because Min's attention is on someone else, aren't you?"
"I am not!"
"It’s written all over your face. Good grief. Sorry about him, Rei. He’s about your age, but he’s got a bit of a Mother Complex he can't seem to shake."
Rei glanced at Min, who was now examining the Misty Ring with a manic gleam in her eyes. The cool, collected mage he’d first met was gone, replaced by a scholar with literal stars in her eyes.
"Don't worry about it. I don't care if he's a Mother Complex or whatever."
"Mother Complex?"
"Yeah. It’s what you call someone who loves their mother too much."
"Pfft! Hahaha! I see. Then Rhodos is definitely a Mother Complex."
"Father! You too?! Listen here, you’re just some low-rank who just joined the guild! Stop talking so high and mighty to a C-Rank like me!"
Thud. Elk’s fist landed again, sending Rhodos back to the floor.
"Honestly, don't get so worked up just because he hit the nail on the head."
"I wasn't..." Rhodos muttered, rubbing his sore head.
Before he could argue further, Bobbs’s voice boomed across the room.
"Next! The kid with the item box!"
Rei looked around. The room had emptied out as the other adventurers left to prepare.
"Ah, sorry. Here you go. That was very educational," Min said, returning the Misty Ring.
Rei slid the ring back onto his arm and walked over to Bobbs, ignoring Rhodos’s lingering glares.
"Name?"
"Rei."
"Rank?"
"G-Rank."
Bobbs’s brow furrowed the moment he heard the rank.
"You realize the minimum requirement for this job is the ability to kill an Orc, right?"
"Yeah. I only registered a few days ago, so I'm still G-Rank, but I’m strong enough to take down a Water Bear."
"……What?"
"If you’re worried, ask a guild official named Gran. He can vouch for me."
"……Fine. I’ll check with Gran. But remember, this is your own responsibility. If you’re not up to the task and get yourself killed, don't come crying to me."
Rei gave a small nod.
"Understood. So, what’s your specialty?"
"Flame magic and close combat. I also have a tamed monster."
Rei kept his description brief. Bobbs scribbled the notes down on his parchment.
"Magic and close combat? So you’re a magic sworduser?"
"Something like that. Though I’d call myself a magic warrior rather than a sworduser."
"What's the difference?"
Rei reached into the Misty Ring and pulled out the Death Scythe.
Bobbs’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as the massive weapon appeared—a handle over two meters long tipped with a blade exceeding a meter in length.
The few remaining adventurers in the room stared in stunned silence at the enormous scythe.
"As you can see, my weapon isn't exactly a sword."
"……Understood. And I can rely on you for the logistics?"
"Yeah. No problem. I want to rank up as fast as possible, anyway."
"Then go get your things ready. Be back at the guild before noon to take charge of the supplies."
Rei nodded, lightly brushing his fingers over the Misty Ring.
"I can bring my tamed monster, right?"
"Yeah, that’s fine. We need all the firepower we can get. Just make sure it doesn't attack the other adventurers."
"Set is intelligent. As long as nobody bothers it, it won't start anything."
"Good. You're dismissed. Don't be late."
Rei gave a sharp nod and turned to leave the meeting room.