The day after the orc subjugation ended, Rei slept until nearly noon, exhausted from the battle and the journey back. He woke to a growling stomach and, after enjoying a slightly early lunch at the Dusk Wheat Inn, headed toward the guild with Set.
The previous day’s parade must have made an impression, or perhaps word had simply spread; unlike before, the citizens no longer fled in terror at the sight of the gryphon. Many merely looked on with mild surprise, and a few even offered Set scraps of food they were carrying.
Every time this happened, Set would purr or wag its tail in gratitude, emboldening people to timidly pet its head or back. Because of these frequent stops, it was already past noon by the time they reached the guild.
"Alright, Set. Wait for me in the usual spot."
"Guruuu."
Set headed for the carriage waiting area with practiced ease, and Rei stepped inside the guild.
The only thing different from their usual routine was that several adventurers who had been part of the subjugation force spotted Set. They offered casual greetings in the form of head pats and snacks before entering the guild themselves. Set, naturally affectionate, purred happily as it soaked up the attention.
Once inside, Rei bypassed the request boards and walked straight to the counter. Several adventurers tracked his movement with their eyes, but no one moved to intercept him as he approached Lenora.
"Ah, hello, Rei-san. Are you here to settle the orc mission?"
"Yeah. I also want to turn in my proof of subjugation parts and sell some materials."
"Of course. I can handle that for you."
At Lenora’s nod, Rei began pulling items from the Misty Ring. He produced a heap of right ears—the official proof of subjugation—followed by skins and fangs from ordinary orcs, orc archers, orc mages, and orc generals. He laid out eyeballs, hearts, tongues, and molars from the mages, all valuable in alchemy and medicine due to their inherent magic power. Next came tendons from the orc generals to be used as bowstrings, bones for weapons, and various internal organs for alchemical use. Finally, he produced the magic stones from the orcs and orc archers.
There was a stark contrast in how the materials had been processed. The neatly cleaned pieces were those Elk had handled as a demonstration; the others, marred by occasional nicks or jagged edges, were the results of Rei’s own handiwork.
"Um, please wait a moment. Kenny, come help me with this."
The volume of materials was far greater than Lenora had anticipated. She called out to Kenny, who had been hovering nearby, waiting for a gap in the conversation to flirt with Rei.
Kenny jumped at the opportunity, scurrying over to the counter to begin sorting the hoard.
"This one and this one are perfect. This one is a bit rough. This one... it’s borderline, but we’ll count it as a pass..."
"Kenny, stop. I asked for your help, but don't go showing Rei-san favoritism. That orc mage tongue is poorly handled; put it in the low-quality pile."
"Oh, really? Hmm, I think Lenora’s being a little too strict..."
The two continued their banter as they separated the materials by quality.
"Hey, look at that mountain of loot. Is that an orc general’s fang? Why does a kid like that have so much...?"
One of the adventurers drinking in the guild’s tavern stared in shock at the counter and nudged his companion. The second adventurer looked over with an exasperated expression before nodding as if remembering something.
"Ah, right. You just got back to Gilm this morning, didn't you?"
"Hm? Yeah."
"Haven't you heard the talk? An orc settlement formed near the city."
"I know that. I've heard nothing else at the shops and inns since I got in. Dammit, if I hadn't been stuck on that escort mission, I would have joined the subjugation force myself... Wait, no way."
He trailed off as the realization hit him. "Hold on. You're telling me that kid was part of the subjugation force?"
"That’s exactly what I’m telling you."
"You’re joking. He looks like he’s barely in his mid-teens."
"Well, listen to this. According to the guys who were actually there, he’s the one who took down the orc king."
"...The king? That kid?"
"Yeah. And get this: he was a G-rank rookie who had just registered when he did it. I know how it sounds—I’m still having a hard time believing it myself."
"G-rank..."
As his friend gaped at the impossible story, the second adventurer took a sip of his wine with a smug grin, enjoying the look of pure bewilderment on the other man's face.
"Wait, Rei-kun. Is this all the material you have?" Kenny asked, looking over the crowded counter.
"Yeah," Rei replied with a short nod.
"But you only have magic stones for the ordinary orcs and archers. And there’s nothing from the orc king."
"I have my reasons. I’m keeping the stones from the orc mages and generals for my own use. As for the king’s materials, I might need them later, so I’m not selling."
He had only managed to obtain two stones each from the mages and generals; considering he needed to teach skills to both Set and the Death Scythe, he couldn't afford to part with them. Likewise, he only had a single orc king magic stone, making it far too precious to sell. As for the other materials from the king, it was a rare Rank B monster, so he had stored them in the Misty Ring for future use, just as he had done with the Queen Ant.
"Hmm, I’d really prefer it if you sold them to us... Are you sure?" Kenny asked, leaning forward to emphasize her impressive chest.
Rei simply shook his head. "I told you, I have my reasons."
"I see... well, I guess it can't be helped. Is this everything for the buyout, then?"
"Yeah."
"It'll take a while to go through this volume. Please wait a bit."
Rei nodded and moved away to kill time. He stood before the request boards, scanning the notices until the appraisal was finished.
I’m supposed to rise to Rank E today, so I should look at what kind of monsters I’ll be hunting at Rank D and E, he thought.
As he filtered through the subjugation requests, one caught his eye.
"...Dragon Lizard?"
It was a Rank E request for a dragon lizard subjugation.
Is it a dragon or a lizard? Well, if it were an actual dragon, it wouldn't be as low as Rank E, so it’s probably just a lizard.
Intrigued by the name, Rei pulled the Monster Encyclopedia he had purchased from his Misty Ring.
『Dragon Lizard』 Despite the name, this species is a type of large lizard. It was named "dragon" simply because its size exceeds that of an adult human. As it is a lizard, it does not possess a breath attack, but its massive frame allows for powerful physical strikes that require caution. Its fangs carry a weak poison that can dull a target's movements. Being a cold-blooded lizard, it is weak against ice magic. Furthermore, it has a dull sense of pain and is rarely deterred by minor wounds. Rank: E Proof of Subjugation: The tip of the tail. Buyout Price: 1 silver coin. Note: Its meat is rich in flavor and highly prized by gourmets.
A giant lizard, huh? Sounds like it could be interesting.
"Rei-san, the assessment is finished!"
At Lenora’s call, Rei stored the book back in the Misty Ring and returned to the counter.
"The reward for the proof of subjugation, the buyout for the materials and magic stones, the base reward for the orc subjugation mission, and your individual merit bonuses... everything combined comes to a total of nine platinum coins."
The moment Lenora announced the figure, the adventurers eavesdropping in the guild erupted.
"No way! Nine platinum coins? That’s a payout for a B-rank or A-rank mission!"
"Idiot, that just proves how vital that Rei kid was to the operation."
"Damn, I wish he’d join our party."
"Don't bother. Rumor has it the brat took down the orc king solo."
"...Seriously?"
"Yeah. Think about it—the base mission pay is only two platinum coins. To get all the way to nine, even with material sales, you’d have to have claimed the enemy leader’s head."
Rei ignored the chatter as he took the nine platinum coins from Lenora. He produced his coin pouch from the Misty Ring, dropped the heavy coins inside, and stored it away again.
"...That ring is as convenient as ever. Ah, since your rank is increasing, please hand over your guild card."
"Right. I almost forgot."
Lenora took the card and stepped into the back office. She returned in minutes, and though she tried to maintain her professional composure, her face was visibly flushed with shock.
"Here you go. Congratulations on your rank up. But... honestly..."
"Surprised I jumped straight to E?"
"Yes. To be perfectly honest, I had to pinch my cheek to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I've been a receptionist here for years, and I’ve never seen someone jump two ranks from a single request."
"Whoa, really? Rei-kun, you're even more amazing than I thought!" Kenny chirped, leaning over to peer at the card in Rei’s hand.
It was true; the rank displayed on the guild card had been updated from G to E. The guild erupted into a fresh wave of noise, but Rei simply tucked the card into his Misty Ring.
"Thanks for everything."
"Are you really not taking another request today?" Lenora asked.
"Yesterday was a long day. I’m going to take it easy and spend some time with Set."
"Aww, that’s a shame. I was hoping if you were free, we could go grab a drink together," Kenny said with a wink.
"Kenny! What on earth are you thinking?" Lenora barked, but Kenny merely ignored her and waved at Rei, trying to make an impression.
Rei offered the two of them a wry smile and a brief farewell before walking out of the guild.
"Guruuu."
Set greeted him with a happy purr. A small crowd of adventurers and residents had gathered around the gryphon, but the moment it saw Rei, it gave a short cry and moved to his side. The people looked slightly disappointed to see the majestic creature go.
Noticing the change in how people treated them, Rei felt a smile touch his lips. He reached up and gave Set’s head a firm, affectionate scratch, remembering how things had been just a few days ago.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's head out for a bit."
"Guruuu."
Set purred and nodded. They made their way down the Main Street toward the city gates.
"Oh? Going out for a request already?"
Ranga, the Captain of the Guard Force, stepped forward as if he had been waiting for them. He took the Tamed Monster's Necklace and Rei’s guild card to process the exit paperwork.
"No, nothing like that. I just thought Set and I would take a little stroll through the sky."
"I see. Well, as I've mentioned before, please make sure you don't take off or land too close to the city walls."
"Yeah, I know."
"Also, congratulations on the rank up. A two-rank jump in one go... that’s quite the achievement."
Ranga’s eyes widened slightly as he saw the 'E' on the guild card. Rei gave a small, humble smile. Ranga returned the card with a look of genuine respect.
"Here you go. And... Rei-san."
"Yeah?"
"Good work on the orc subjugation. Both as the captain of the guard and as a citizen of this town, I’m grateful to you."
Rei was taken aback for a moment by Ranga’s deep bow, but he quickly recovered with a wry smile.
"Don't worry about it. I got plenty out of the deal. Like you said, my rank went up. Besides, I live in Gilm now, too. It’s better for me if the city stays safe."
With a casual wave, Rei led Set a short distance from the gate and climbed onto its back.
"Set, let's go."
"Guruuuuuuu!"
With a triumphant cry and a few powerful strides, Set beat its massive wings, treading upon the air as it soared into the sky.
Unlike the clear skies of previous days, thin clouds were beginning to spread, but they weren't the dark gray of rain. They were small, fluffy cumulus clouds—the hallmark of a lingering summer. Despite the direct sunlight, Rei was comfortable in his Dragon Robe, which acted like a personal air conditioner, and Set was entirely unfazed by the heat. They flew for several hours, putting a great distance between themselves and the city.
By Set's wings, it was only a few hours. For anyone traveling on foot, it would have been a journey of at least a day, likely more.
There was a reason for seeking such isolation. Rei needed to perform Magic Stone Absorption with the stones he had claimed from the orcs.
Peering down from above, Rei spotted a clearing in the forest—a circular gap where no trees grew. He scanned the area; there were no signs of other monsters or adventurers nearby.
"Alright, Set. Land there."
"Guruuu."
Set spiraled down and landed in the clearing. The moment its feet hit the ground, it began a vigilant sweep of the perimeter. Rei drew the Death Scythe from his Misty Ring, his eyes sharp as he scanned for any potential ambush.
"...Looks like we're clear."
"Guruuu."
The clearing was silent, save for the rustle of the trees surrounding them. There were no hostile monsters in sight. A few low-rank creatures, like Horned Rabbits, had been in the vicinity, but they had bolted the moment they sensed Set’s overwhelming presence.
"Well then, since we won't be interrupted, let's get started on the magic stones."
In the solitude of the forest, Rei began pulling the magic stones and a generous portion of orc meat for Set’s meal from the Misty Ring.