Rumble, rattle. The eight carriages maintained a steady rhythm as they drew further away from the City of Gilm.
Each carriage was packed with adventurers who had volunteered for the Orc Subjugation Mission. Seated on the driver’s boxes were professional drivers dispatched by the guild, accompanied by at least one adventurer on high alert for monster attacks or bandits.
Rei’s carriage, however, was the exception; only the driver sat out front.
"Relying on a Gryphon’s scouting abilities was a pleasant surprise," Bobbs remarked from inside the carriage. "I’d heard you had a tamed monster, but I never imagined it was a Gryphon. When Gran told me, I honestly thought he’d lost his mind."
"Gahahaha! I bet. I felt the same way when I went to the Main Gate for the rendezvous and saw Rei using a Gryphon as a pillow," Elk added with a boisterous laugh.
"I’m just surprised the horses pulling the carriages are so calm," Rei said. "At the stables of the inn where I’m staying, the horses were terrified of Set. They couldn't settle down at all."
If the carriage horses had been too frightened of Set to move, the Gryphon would have been forced to travel separately. Had that happened, Set would have been seen by travelers and merchants without Rei nearby to vouch for it. It wasn't hard to imagine a scenario where the guild would finish the Orc Subjugation Mission only to immediately post a new request for a Gryphon subjugation.
"I scrambled to secure warhorses the moment Gran told me your monster was a Gryphon," Bobbs said with a wry smile, glancing out the window. "Still, it was well worth the expense."
Set was walking calmly alongside the carriage. Despite the proximity of a high-ranking predator, the horses showed none of the terror exhibited by the animals at the Dusk Wheat Inn. They simply pulled the weight with stoic indifference.
Warhorses were a special breed, the result of crossing elite bloodlines and undergoing rigorous training to ensure they didn't panic or bolt during combat. Standing roughly half again as large as a standard horse, they possessed enough power to trample a minor monster like a Goblin to death. Naturally, such specialized animals cost several times more than a typical merchant’s horse. The fact that the Gilm branch had provided sixteen of them for this mission alone spoke volumes about how seriously the Adventurer's Guild was taking the Orc threat.
"The people in the other carriages don't seem to share your confidence in Set, though," Rei noted.
Rei had suggested they leave the scouting and security to Set, but the other parties hadn't been comfortable with that. Bobbs hadn't pushed the issue once the adventurers insisted on seeing to their own safety.
"It can't be helped," Bobbs replied. "You only registered with the guild a few days ago. To the other parties, you’re an unknown. They can't just take your word for it when you don't have a long record of achievements like Elk."
"Plus, I think those guards are watching your Gryphon more than they're watching for enemies," Rhodos added, chiming in after Bobbs. Elk nodded in agreement.
"Well, to anyone else, being attacked by a Gryphon is the definition of a nightmare. You can't blame them for being wary. Min and I have spent enough time with Set that we aren't worried... though you might be in a bit of trouble, Rhodos," Elk teased, flashing a mischievous smirk at his son.
An instant later, Min, who was sitting across from Rhodos, thrust her staff forward, burying the tip into Elk’s stomach.
"Oof! M-Min... just because the carriage is too cramped to swing that thing doesn't mean you should resort to stabbing. Anyone but me would be in the infirmary right now."
"Be quiet, you old fool. That’s what you get for going out of your way to provoke Rhodos."
"Mother..." Rhodos murmured, his voice filled with genuine affection.
Watching this, I can see how his mother complex just keeps getting worse, Rei thought.
He pulled a meat skewer from his Misty Ring, the steam rising from it as he brought it to his mouth. The texture was reminiscent of chicken, but it was actually the thigh meat of a Poison Toad. It was the same species of venomous frog Rei had fought during his Goblin mission. On the way to the guild earlier, he had spotted a stall selling the meat—detoxified, steamed, and then grilled in a savory special sauce. He’d bought several out of curiosity and tucked them into his Misty Ring. Since time stood still inside the ring, the skewers were just as hot now as they had been hours ago.
"Whoa, I thought I smelled something delicious... Rei, you’re holding out on us!"
His pain apparently forgotten, Elk stared at the skewer with sparkling eyes, his entire being radiating a desperate desire for a bite. Unable to ignore the intense gaze, Rei sighed and pulled another Poison Toad skewer from the ring, handing it over.
"Thanks! Wait... this is still piping hot. How is that possible?"
"It’s a function of the Misty Ring," Rei explained. "Time stops inside. If I put something in while it’s hot, it stays hot. If it's cold, it stays cold."
"Impressive," Min remarked, nodding with genuine interest. "It certainly lives up to its reputation as a world-class rarity."
Watching the exchange, Rhodos’s mood soured even further. "Hmph. It doesn't matter how good your Magic Tools are if the owner is incompetent. I’ll show you what real skill looks like during this mission."
Despite the lingering seeds of tension, the Orc Subjugation Force continued its steady advance.
Inside one of the other carriages, a group of three adventurers sat in hushed conversation while a fourth member kept watch from the driver’s box—his eyes fixed almost exclusively on Set.
"Dammit, what do we do now? We only signed up for this suicide mission because you said it was a chance to steal that Item Box! Nobody mentioned he had a tamed Gryphon!"
"Honestly, Al, get a grip. Stop shaking, it's pathetic," Sni hissed.
"Sni, do you even realize what we’re looking at? That’s a Gryphon! The Grim Reaper of the Skies! It’s a Rank A monster! There is no way a bunch of D-Ranks like us can handle that thing!"
"Quiet, both of you," the oldest woman in the group commanded, silencing them. "Just because he tamed it doesn't mean the beast will be at that rookie’s side every single second. If we wait for the right moment during a fight or when we're making camp..."
The two younger adventurers continued to simmer as the woman, Ceryl, calmed them down.
"But Boss," Al whispered, "if we pull this off, won't the subjugation mission fail?"
"And?" Ceryl replied coldly.
"What do you mean, 'and'? If the Orcs aren't stopped, the City of Gilm will—"
"Relax, Al. The city isn't going to fall just because one mission fails. Worst case scenario, the kingdom sends in reinforcements."
Though the Noble's Faction will probably use that as an excuse to seize control of the city, Ceryl thought privately.
Ceryl was a C-Rank adventurer and the leader of the party Night Dark Star, which included Al, Sni, and Murgas, the man currently on the driver’s seat. Under normal circumstances, they never would have accepted a mission involving high-ranking Orcs or Rare Species. They were only here to steal Rei’s Item Box.
A magic item that rare was worth a fortune. Just thinking about the gold made a thrill of anticipation run down Ceryl's spine.
With that kind of money, I can leave this dangerous frontier behind for good. I’ll move to the Royal Capital and live a life of luxury.
Ceryl was in her thirties and knew her days as an active adventurer were numbered. She had already accepted that she would never reach the elite B-Rank. She was a C-Rank talent, and that was her limit.
Then this teenager had appeared out of nowhere, carrying an Item Box. The moment she heard the rumors, her mind was made up. She would take it. In her mind, it belonged to her anyway—a reward for all her years of struggle.
She had tasked her subordinates with tracking Rei’s movements, and when she learned he had joined the Orc Subjugation Mission, she saw it as the perfect opportunity.
"But Boss, that Rei kid is supposed to be a monster. He took down the Falcon’s Claws all by himself," Al argued. "Even if the Gryphon isn't there..."
"Use your head. We don't have to beat him in a fair fight. We can rob him while he sleeps or put a blade in his back during the chaos of battle. There are a dozen ways to handle a brat like him."
Ceryl wore a confident smirk, but Al wasn't convinced. He didn't care much for Rei, but he actually liked the City of Gilm. He had no desire to sabotage a mission that protected his home.
Besides, he made short work of Vargas, Al thought. Vargas was a beast. Everyone said he was basically a C-Rank in terms of raw power.
Al looked toward the driver’s box and wondered what Murgas was thinking. Murgas was a coward by nature, which was why he’d volunteered for lookout duty—he wanted to be the first to know if the Gryphon turned aggressive so he could bolt.
"Ah..."
Sni, who had been silent, let out a small, stunned gasp.
"What is it, Sni?" Ceryl asked.
"Boss... look. The Gryphon..."
Ceryl and Al followed Sni’s gaze out the window, their bodies tensing.
In the distance, a pack of Fang Wolves—creatures significantly larger than standard wolves with massive, protruding fangs—was being systematically slaughtered.
Set moved with terrifying efficiency. A single swipe of its taloned foreleg sent a wolf’s head spinning through the air. When another wolf bared its fangs and leaped, Set’s beak lashed out, skewering the predator’s skull mid-air. A third wolf tried to circle around to bite at the Gryphon's tail, only to have its ribs crushed into splinters by a powerful kick from Set's leonine hind legs.
"It’s tearing through a pack of Fang Wolves like they're nothing..." Al whispered, his voice trembling.
Fang Wolves were F-Rank monsters, not particularly dangerous on their own, but they were famous for hunting in highly coordinated packs. Every year, rookie adventurers underestimated them and ended up as lunch. Even as a pack, they were considered an E-Rank threat—roughly equivalent to a D-Rank in terms of actual danger.
A C-Rank party like theirs could handle a pack, but they could never do it with such overwhelming, casual ease. As far as they could see, the Gryphon hadn't taken a single scratch.
The sight was so unnerving that even Sni, who usually mocked Al’s cowardice, began to pale. She couldn't help but imagine what would happen if they tried to cross the boy who owned that creature and failed.
"Boss..." Sni’s voice was thin, brittle with fear.
Ceryl realized she was losing them. If she didn't act now, their resolve would shatter before they even saw an Orc. She turned and snapped at them.
"Stop shaking! I told you, we aren't fighting that thing head-on. Our goal is the Item Box. No matter how strong that Gryphon is, it can't protect the boy from a sneak attack. We grab the ring and we disappear. It's that simple."
They would have to leave Gilm forever, of course. Sabotaging a mission of this importance was a one-way ticket to a bounty. But Ceryl didn't care. With the gold from the Item Box, she could hire elite mercenaries for protection or pay off the Noble’s Faction to get the charges dropped.
The guild was independent, but it still operated on the kingdom's soil. Ceryl gambled that the guild wouldn't risk a political war with powerful nobles over a single C-Rank thief.
As she visualized her golden future, her own fear evaporated. She slapped Al and Sni on the shoulders, her voice gaining strength.
"It's going to be fine. We'll make our move at the first camp. If we're lucky, we'll have the ring and be halfway to the border before they even reach the settlement. Just stay sharp and wait for my signal."
A short distance from the carriage, Set ignored the conspirators, its attention focused on finishing its meal. It was currently pecking at the carcass of the pack leader—a wolf significantly larger than the rest.