"Lady Elena, your tea."
Ara placed the cup on the table before Elena, who was sitting on a sofa absorbed in a book.
"Mm."
Elena brought the tea to her lips, turning a page without looking up.
Watching her, Rei let his gaze wander around the interior of the carriage. There was practically no vibration; it truly felt like they were sitting in a stationary room, yet the carriage was undoubtedly racing toward the dungeon.
"I guess this is what 'noble quality' means," he murmured.
Kyuste, who was reading a book of his own on a nearby sofa, shot him a sharp glance but said nothing before returning to his pages. At first, he had looked down on Rei with blatant contempt, but after Elena’s reprimand, he had decided to act as if Rei were invisible.
Meanwhile, Vel was currently outside, steering the carriage from the driver's seat. Whether this was their usual arrangement or not, the groups had naturally separated before departure without a word. Rei had initially asked if he should stay outside to keep watch as an escort, but Elena had explained that one of the carriage’s enchantments allowed it to sense hostility and alert those inside.
Since the vehicle had such a feature, Rei had settled comfortably inside. He reasoned that since Seto was walking alongside them, the Gryphon’s cries would serve as an additional alarm in the event of an ambush. If monsters attacked, they would simply become Seto’s dinner; if they were thieves, their corpses would be left to rot in the fields.
"What is the matter, Rei? You do not look particularly at ease."
Elena called out to him, noticing his restless demeanor. It was only natural; Rei had never set foot in such a luxurious carriage before.
"It’s my first time in such a grand carriage. I’m a bit nervous, I suppose."
"Hmm, I see. However, it will take about two days to reach the dungeon. You will likely grow accustomed to it soon enough, so relax and enjoy the journey. If you are bored, I could lend you a book?"
"No, I brought a few of my own."
Elena nodded, appearing impressed. Books in this world were almost exclusively hand-copied manuscripts, making even a single volume quite expensive. Cheap ones cost several silver coins, while rare editions could command a price of several platinum coins.
"My magic master primarily taught me combat and magic, so if I wanted to succeed as an adventurer, I had to study monster characteristics and skinning methods on my own."
"Is that common for adventurers? In the Knight Order, it is standard for seniors to mentor their subordinates. Ara, how was it for you?"
Elena directed the question toward Ara. Though the memory of nearly being killed the day before was still fresh, Ara had accepted that it had been her own mistake. Her attitude toward Rei was no longer as cold as Kyuste’s.
In that sense, the real problems are Kyuste and Vel, Elena thought, glancing toward Kyuste. Especially Kyuste. He has a high degree of noble pride and tends to look down on commoners. I hope this journey with Rei helps him overcome that.
To Elena, Kyuste was a reliable subordinate, provided one ignored his elitist streak. His skill with a magic spear was among the best in the Duke Kerebel’s Knight Order, and his loyalty was beyond reproach.
As Elena pondered this, Ara began to recount her early days in the order.
"Let’s see... when I first joined the Duke's knights, the seniors taught me a great deal. They showed me where to store training equipment and gave me combat advice. Honestly, I don't think I would have survived the training without their help."
"Just so. My order functions that way, but are adventurers different?"
Rei thought back to his time registering at the guild. If he had managed to get along with the members of the Falcon's Claws when they first crossed paths, perhaps things would have been like what Ara described. But...
"I won't say the opportunity wasn't there, but I spent my life in isolation with only my master and Seto until a few months ago. I’m not very good at social interaction."
"Is that so? You seem to handle yourself well enough while speaking with me."
"It depends on the person. We seem to get along, but..."
Rei flicked his gaze toward Kyuste for a fraction of a second. Elena and Ara nodded, understanding his meaning.
"Anyway, since my start at the guild was a bit rough, I ended up having to learn everything through self-study. Although, I eventually gained a decent amount of knowledge through my interactions with the Axe of the Thunder God."
"Ah, yes. I heard your meeting with Elk happened during the subjugation of that Orc settlement?"
Elena closed her book and took another sip of tea, appearing genuinely interested. Perhaps she was also trying to help Rei feel more included. Ara felt a twinge of jealousy at her superior’s consideration, but she was also curious about the rumors Vel had gathered, so she settled in to listen.
"That's right. Honestly, there's a very high chance the mission would have failed if Elk hadn't been there."
"Hm? I heard it was you who defeated the Orc King?"
"I was the one who finished it off, yes. A C-Rank party called Scorching Wind helped as well. But the Orc King only fled the settlement because it was cornered by Elk—or rather, by the efforts of the Axe of the Thunder God."
"Go on."
"The Axe of the Thunder God took the most conspicuous position during the night raid. They tore through the Orcs with a flashy display, drawing the attention of the entire settlement. As expected of an A-Rank party, they held their ground against a literal army of Orcs without taking a single step back. Eventually, the Orc King realized it had no chance of winning and tried to flee with a few of its closest subordinates. I spotted them from the air while riding Seto and worked with Scorching Wind to take them down."
"I see. It certainly sounds as if Elk’s presence was vital... but was it truly impossible for you to do it alone?"
A sudden chill ran down Rei’s spine, as if a shard of ice had been pressed against his neck.
In truth, if Rei hadn't cared about the methods used, he and Seto could have handled the Orc settlement alone. He would have simply used his magic power to incinerate the entire village.
"Regarding yesterday’s incident with Ara... I parried your great scythe, and I felt the weight behind that strike. That, combined with the magic power I sense from you... well, never mind. It's pointless to speculate now, isn't it?"
Rei suppressed his inner turmoil and maintained a neutral expression, tilting his head curiously.
"I’m afraid I don't quite know what you're talking about."
Elena only offered a dry, knowing smile.
"I am not particularly skilled at political maneuvering myself, but you are even less suited for it than I. Very well. As a substitute for this conversation, I'll have you spar with me during our camp tonight. You don't mind, do you?"
"I don't think there's any need for a mock battle."
"What are you saying? We are about to enter a dungeon together. It is only logical to understand each other's capabilities. It is the bare minimum preparation."
"Kyuste and Ara already know my strength well enough."
Kyuste shot Rei a loathing look, while Ara smiled wryly at her superior.
"Lord Rei, please just give up. Once Lady Elena gets like this, there is no stopping her."
Rei realized there was no escape. He let out a resigned sigh and nodded.
"Fine. It wouldn't be good to go into a dungeon without knowing what we're capable of. I accept."
"Good. Now that I have something to look forward to tonight, I shall simply wait for the hours to pass. Rei, make sure you're in peak condition for our match."
"...Yes, ma'am."
Just as he answered, a sound like a high-pitched whistle echoed through the carriage.
"What's that?" Rei asked.
Ara’s expression turned grave as she drew her sword. "Lord Rei, that is the carriage’s warning enchantment. It means someone—or something—is attempting to harm us."
"An ambush?"
"Likely. I don't know if it's a monster or..."
Ara trailed off as the whistling sound abruptly stopped.
"Wait... what happened?"
Confused by the sudden silence, Kyuste leaned toward the window behind the driver's seat. "Vel! What’s going on?"
"Oh, uh, an Iron Snake tried to jump us, but..."
"An Iron Snake!?" Kyuste instinctively reached for his magic spear, but Vel’s voice stopped him.
"No, it's fine. Totally fine. See for yourself."
Following Vel’s line of sight, they saw Seto. The Gryphon was currently standing over the carcass of a massive snake, nearly twice its own length. Seto had used its eagle claws to completely crush the creature’s head. With the iron-like skull shattered, the creature’s brain matter was splattered across the grass.
"Killing an Iron Snake so effortlessly... I suppose a Gryphon really is a league of its own."
Iron Snakes were Rank E, but that was only because their offensive capabilities were low. Their bodies were covered in scales as hard as iron, and most low-rank adventurers found their weapons bouncing off the hide. Only heavy, blunt weapons like hammers or axes stood a chance of dealing damage. But even that legendary defense had proved useless against a single strike from Seto—especially when augmented by Rei's magic item, the Bracelet of Herculean Strength.
"Klulu!"
Seto’s cry drifted in through the door Kyuste had opened. Rei caught the expectant tone in the Gryphon’s voice and gave Elena a wry smile.
"Lady Elena, would you mind if I stepped out for a moment? Seto has a request."
"A request? Because of the Iron Snake?" Elena asked, fastening her whip-sword to her hip.
"It seems he’s the one who killed it, and now he wants me to store it."
"Store it?"
"It's his dinner."
"Ah, of course. Even a legendary beast needs to eat. And it eats Iron Snakes?"
"Yes. I have plenty of food in the Item Box, but it's better to live off the land when we can, considering how much he eats."
"Hmph. Very well. Kyuste."
"Understood."
At Elena’s word, Kyuste signaled Vel to bring the carriage to a slow halt. Rei stepped down onto the road.
"Klulu!"
Seto lowered its head, practically begging for praise. Rei gave the Gryphon a thorough scratching behind the ears before using his Item Box to store the headless Iron Snake.
"Man, that really is convenient," Vel remarked, watching from the driver's seat with an impressed look.
Rei tossed Seto a piece of dried meat as a reward and looked up at Vel.
"It is. It’s the only way I can manage as a solo adventurer. Anyway, sorry for the delay. We should keep moving."
"Right. And hey... I know Kyuste is a pain, but try to play nice, yeah? He’s a prickly guy, so he doesn't have many friends."
"I'll play nice as long as he does."
Rei climbed back into the carriage, leaving Vel’s comment hanging in the air.
I thought Vel hated me too... but maybe not?
He pushed the thought aside as the carriage began to roll once more.