The day after his mock battle with Mirene, Rei was back in his room at the inn. He was engrossed in a book about dungeons, much as he had been for the past several days, when a knock at the door pulled him back to reality.
"Who is it?"
"I’ve come from the Guild. We have been asked to provide the briefing for the nomination request. I apologize for the suddenness, but could you come with me?"
"Understood. I’ll be ready in a moment. Wait there."
(It’s finally time, then.)
Rei knew this was the detailed explanation Gran had mentioned when the rank-up exam results were posted. He stored the book in his Misty Ring, donned his Dragon Robe, laced up his Sleipnir's Shoes, and opened the door.
A middle-aged man in his forties stood there.
Upon seeing Rei, the man gave a shallow bow.
"I shall guide you immediately."
"Right. ...By the way, am I the only one going?"
"Pardon? We have no record of you being in a party, Rei-san... Is that incorrect?"
"No, that’s not it. I meant, what about the gryphon I’ve tamed?"
The man looked relieved, realizing he hadn't made a clerical error, and nodded.
"Yes. We request that only you come today. If we were heading to the Guild, it would be fine for your tamed monster to accompany you, but..."
"Hm? Didn't you say you were from the Guild just now?"
"I am indeed a staff member of the Guild. However, I am guiding you to the residence of the person who issued this nomination request. ...Does that clarify things?"
The person who had requested Rei. He already knew who it was from his conversation with Gran. Which meant...
"The lord of this city, Margrave Larcus."
"Exactly. Ordinarily, such briefings would take place at the Guild, but given the circumstances, the meeting will be held at the Lord's Mansion."
"...Well, I certainly can't take a gryphon there."
Rei could easily imagine the trouble it would cause. If he pushed the issue and took Set, he might find himself unwelcome in the City of Gilm entirely.
"Fine. But let me stop by the stables first. The gryphon I’ve tamed is quite intelligent. I should let him know I’m heading out. Otherwise, he might think I’ve been kidnapped and come looking for me."
"...Are gryphons really that smart?"
"Who knows? Maybe mine is just special."
Rei excused himself and headed to the stables. On the way, he spotted a rather grand carriage parked in front of the Dusk Wheat Inn. He entered the stables, impressed in spite of himself, thinking that this was exactly the sort of treatment one expected from a Lord's request.
"Gruruuu."
Set greeted Rei with a low purr as he stepped inside.
Rei stroked the gryphon's head as he spoke.
"Sorry, Set. I'm heading out now, but I'm going to the Lord's Mansion, so I can't take you with me this time."
"Gruuu."
Set let out a lonely cry and rubbed his head against Rei.
"Come on, it's not like the rank-up exam. I'll be back soon. It's not as if I'll be gone for days."
"Gruuu."
Despite the gryphon's continued whines, Rei gave his head one last pat and walked out.
Set watched his back intently until he disappeared from sight.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Rei spoke to the Guild's Messenger by the carriage. The man simply shook his head and opened the carriage door.
"Not at all. Working for the Guild, I understand that adventurers have many things to attend to. Please, step inside. The Lord is waiting for you."
"I appreciate that."
The man gestured for him to enter with a smile.
Rei climbed into the carriage, thinking to himself that he didn't recall becoming such a high-profile figure.
Once Rei was settled, the messenger closed the door, moved to the driver's seat, and set the carriage in motion.
"...The weather isn't looking great today."
Rei muttered, glancing out the window.
The sky was heavy with clouds, looking as though it might rain at any moment.
Finding himself with nothing to do, Rei pulled the dungeon book back out of his Misty Ring and lost himself in its pages.
He had made good progress over the last few days, but he was still only about seventy percent through. He wanted to finish it before the actual request began.
After some time spent focused on the text, the carriage—which had been rolling smoothly—suddenly came to a halt. The door opened.
"Rei-san, we have arrived at the Lord's Mansion."
"Right. Got it."
Stepping out, Rei felt scattered drops of water hitting his skin. He followed the messenger through the gate of the Lord's Residence.
(Rather than a Lord's residence... it looks more like a fortress.)
That was Rei's immediate impression of the place.
It was far too large to be called a mere house, yet it lacked the specific grandeur one might associate with a palace or castle. The word that fit best was "fortress." It was clearly built with defense in mind, and Rei guessed that it likely served as a shelter for the residents of the City of Gilm during times of war.
"This way."
He followed the Guild's Messenger inside. There were some concessions to noble decor; paintings hung on the walls and vases were placed at intervals. He also noted magic items powered by magic stones embedded in the walls to provide light.
Still, the sight of halberds and spears displayed in the hallways reinforced the fortress-like atmosphere.
After ten minutes of walking, they reached a door covered in exquisite carvings. To Rei, it looked more like a masterpiece of art than a door; the materials and craftsmanship alone were likely worth several gold coins, perhaps even a platinum coin.
When they arrived, the messenger reached for the door knocker—but instead of using it on the door, he knocked on the wall beside it.
(Isn't a door knocker meant for the door? Well, I suppose that door is basically an art piece... But why is only this one door so extravagant? From the looks of this fortress, the owner doesn't seem like the type for aristocratic vanity.)
As Rei puzzled over this, a voice came from within.
"Enter."
"Yes. Excuse me."
The messenger reached for the handle, opening the door carefully as if trying not to touch the carvings.
"Lord, I have brought the D-Rank adventurer Rei regarding the nomination request."
"Umu. Good work. I have been waiting. Step inside."
At the Lord's command, Rei entered.
"!?"
The instant he stepped into the room, he sensed a sharp whistle of air and a wave of murderous intent from his flank. Instinctively, he kicked off the floor and dove forward.
He rolled across the rug, and with a movement that was purely reflexive, he pulled the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring and leveled it.
His attacker was clad in metal armor, their face concealed by a matching helmet. In their hand was a sword that immediately drew his eye.
(This feeling... it's like Arrogan's Magic Sword. A magic sword!)
The moment he had the Death Scythe in hand, he kicked off again. This time, it wasn't to evade, but to neutralize the person who had attacked him.
"Hah!"
Rei was fortunate that the room was spacious enough to swing his massive weapon.
Exploiting that space, Rei swung the blade toward the assailant's torso, the edge slicing through the backrest of an expensive sofa in its path.
"Kh!"
Thanks to the properties of Beast Magic, the Death Scythe didn't feel its true weight to Rei. Despite weighing over a hundred kilograms, the blade moved with the speed of a kitchen knife. Sensing the lethality, the attacker leaped backward with desperate speed.
Sshhh! The blade whistled through the air, passing just centimeters from the man's chest with a sound that seemed to slice through space itself. Inside his helmet, the armored man felt cold sweat break out on his brow.
(Impossible. Even if Margrave Larcus recommended him, how can I feel this threatened by a mere D-Rank adventurer? No, that was a fluke. I refuse to believe it!)
When faced with an existence that exceeds imagination, one must choose between hostility and friendship—between trying to eliminate the threat or seeking its favor. The man chose the former instantly.
(If I had known it would come to this, I would have brought my usual Magic Spear instead of this sword!)
Regretting his choice of weapon, the man nonetheless leveled his magic sword at Rei.
Rei faced him, Death Scythe at the ready.
By now, he had a fairly good idea of what was happening. It was unthinkable that an actual assassin would strike inside the Lord's Mansion, especially in the room where the Lord himself was present.
(There's no way.)
Discarding that possibility, the answer was clear: since he had been called here to guard the Princess General in a dungeon, this was a test.
(A test of my skills... I see. And this guy is probably one of the Princess General's retainers.)
Knowing it was a test didn't mean Rei intended to take it easy. If he didn't demonstrate his true strength here, he wouldn't be trusted.
"...Here I come."
With that brief warning, Rei closed the distance.
The man waited, magic sword ready, watching Rei close the gap and forfeit the reach advantage of his long-handled weapon.
"Take this!"
With a sharp cry, the man unleashed a thrust. Even with a sword, the man’s specialty—honed with a spear—delivered an attack of incredible speed and precision.
Rei dodged the strike aimed at his face with the barest tilt of his head.
"Not yet!"
The blade snapped back in an instant, followed immediately by a second, third, and fourth thrust, each following the other like flashes of lightning.
Rei evaded every single one with minimal movement, continuing to close the gap.
(Unbelievable! To dodge my strikes so effortlessly... is he really just D-Rank!?)
Fear began to take root in the man's heart, but he pushed forward, unleashing the final strike of his Five-fold Thrust.
This fifth strike was the fastest of all. Rei parried the blade with the shaft of the Death Scythe and, without losing momentum, slammed the heavy shaft into the man's torso.
A sickening crunch echoed through the room—a sound far removed from the expected ring of metal on metal. The armored man was lifted off his feet as Rei swung the shaft upward through his guard. In the next heartbeat, Rei had already repositioned the blade of the Death Scythe, aiming for the man as he hung in the air.
(Damn, what is this monstrous strength? I'm in trouble. If I can just...)
Bracing for the impact, the man tried to bring his magic sword around to act as a shield, knowing it would be a meager defense against that scythe.
Rei drew back the scythe for the final blow, the blade beginning its descent...
"That is enough!"
Just before the Death Scythe could collide with the magic sword, a booming voice commanded the room to stop.