"……Nn……Ah……"
In a room at the Dusk Wheat Inn, Rei shifted restlessly on his bed, letting out a low groan.
After several minutes of tossing and turning, the 6 o'clock bell echoed through the city, and he finally dragged himself upright with a sluggish effort.
"Fwaaaah…… I slept like a log. Or maybe I just slept too much."
Even for someone like Rei, the request to escort Elena Kerebel had apparently taken its toll. The fatigue had piled up more than he realized; last night, after returning to the inn and eating a slightly early dinner, he had collapsed straight into bed.
"Right, first on today's agenda is seeing Elena and the others off. Actually, I haven't even distributed the monsters stored in the Misty Ring yet. I should head over early and clear that up."
Recalling the mountain of monsters they had slain in the dungeon, he glanced down at the Misty Ring on his right wrist.
"……Alright. It’s a bit early, but I’ll grab breakfast and then head to the Lord's Mansion."
Muttering to himself, he quickly got dressed and headed down to the dining hall on the 1F.
"Oh, you’re early today."
Lana, the landlady of the Dusk Wheat Inn, greeted him as he entered the hall.
"Yeah. I have some business to attend to. I’ll have the usual breakfast."
"Understood. Take a seat anywhere and wait."
It was a busy morning, so Lana kept her greeting brief before disappearing into the kitchen. Rei sat down at a random table as instructed, and before long, Lana returned to set his meal before him. It was a standard breakfast: black bread shaped like a coppe-pan, ham steak, potato salad, tart soup, and watered wine. While the components were simple, every dish was prepared with care, reinforcing Rei’s opinion that the Dusk Wheat Inn was a remarkably high-quality establishment.
He spent about thirty minutes eating at a leisurely pace before heading to the stables to pick up Seto.
"Seto-chan, look at this. Come on, try some of this next."
"Guruuu."
For some reason, a familiar female swordsman was there, feeding Seto dish after dish from an armful of food.
"……Mirene."
The woman was indeed Mirene, the leader of the C-Rank party Scorching Wind.
"Ah, Rei. Good morning."
"……Morning. You certainly have a nose for news, catching on to our return this quickly."
"Ahahaha, what are you talking about? You and Seto-chan are so conspicuous that you’re practically the only thing people are talking about. ……Though it’s a shame. If you’d come back just a little earlier yesterday, I could have visited Seto-chan then."
"Hah, you never change."
"Of course I don't. It hasn't even been a month since I last saw Seto-chan, you know? I wouldn't change that fast."
Mirene continued her conversation with Rei while practically burying herself in Seto’s feathers.
"I was hoping you'd at least say you wanted to see me, too."
"Ahahaha. If you were older than me, Rei, I might have felt that way. I’ve always had a thing for older men, you see."
Even while speaking to Rei, her eyes never left Seto. She wore a bright smile as she offered him grilled skewers, fruit, and even a donburi bowl filled to the brim with a thick, meat-heavy soup.
"……It saves me the trouble of feeding him, so I appreciate it, but is your wallet holding up?"
Rei recalled that she had been grinding subjugation requests with Seto to earn money while he was away for his Rank Up Exam. She nodded confidently.
"I was only broke because I had to replace my gear after that Orc incident, and even then, I got out of that hole thanks to Seto-chan. Right now, I’m living pretty comfortably."
"I see. Hey, Seto, what do you want to do? I’m going to see Elena and the others off now. Do you want to stay here with Mirene?"
"Guru…… Guruuuu!"
Seto pondered for a few seconds before giving a small nod and stepping out of its stall.
Before the dungeon expedition, the horses and other mounts in the stable had grown somewhat accustomed to Seto. However, while he was away, the mercenary bands who owned those animals had moved on. Most of the current guests were new, meaning the stable was now filled with unfamiliar horses. As Seto emerged, the entire stable fell into a terrified silence.
A few animals remained from the previous group, and those simply relaxed as if the Gryphon were none of their concern.
"Damn it, I still can’t compete with Rei's influence."
Mirene turned an envious gaze toward Rei—or rather, a half-glare.
"Someday…… someday, I’ll win Seto-chan’s heart for good!"
With a mock cry of despair, she scurried out of the stable.
"……What is she even doing?"
Exasperated as he was, Rei felt a sense of gratitude toward Mirene. When they had set out to destroy the Orc settlement, her proactive doting had helped Seto bond with the rest of the subjugation force, and her influence had gone a long way toward getting the City of Gilm to accept him as a local mascot.
"Guruuu?"
Seto rubbed its head against him as if asking what was wrong. Rei smiled and led the way out of the stable. Their destination was the Lord's Mansion.
"Hey, it’s Rei! I heard you were back from your request. How about it? Want the usual?"
"Rei, I heard you were home, so I saved some grilled skewers for you. Come on, buy a few!"
"I’ve got a new type of sandwich. Want to give it a try?"
As they walked through the city, food stall owners constantly called out to them. Seto showed interest in everything, so Rei ended up buying various snacks, and the pair continued their walk while eating as they usually did.
Rei had just finished breakfast, and Seto had been stuffed with treats by Mirene, but the Gryphon happily munched on the food Rei handed over as if its stomach were a bottomless pit.
"Guruuuu."
Seto let out a pleased trill as it enjoyed a sandwich made of grilled Fang Boar meat seasoned with a sweet and savory sauce, topped with crisp greens.
The stall owners watched Seto with heartwarming smiles. Rei simply gave a wry grin and paid the bills. It was a typical morning for the two of them.
However, as they neared the Lord's Mansion, the stalls thinned out, replaced by a heavy presence of soldiers and knights from the city's Knight Order.
Inevitably, they were intercepted.
"You there. This path leads only to the Lord's Residence. What is your business?"
Rei had been asked this several times already. He didn't hold it against the soldier; in fact, he found it reassuring. Despite the Tamed Monster's Necklace around its neck, a Gryphon over two meters long was a terrifying sight, yet the guard performed his duty without showing fear. Daskar, Margrave Larkus, was a pillar of the Neutral Faction, and a man of his stature was a constant target for assassins. One could never be too careful.
"Hey, let him through."
As Rei was about to speak, another soldier stepped out from behind the first.
"Why?"
"Don't you know the rumors? He’s the adventurer who tamed a Gryphon. His rank is only D, but they say his strength rivals an A-Rank. The Lord gave him a nomination request personally. He’s probably here for that."
"Well, you’re not wrong," Rei admitted.
"See?"
"If you say so, then he’s fine. ……You may pass."
"Thanks."
Rei continued toward the Lord's Mansion with Seto, and soon the fortress-like structure loomed ahead.
The soldiers guarding the gate watched Rei and Seto as they approached. Since Rei had visited several times now, they were familiar with his face, but their refusal to lower their guard was proof of their high discipline.
"Business with the Lord?"
The question came the moment he reached the gate. Rei shook his head slightly.
"No, I’m here to see Lady Elena Kerebel. We had some details to settle regarding our escort request. I wanted to speak with her before her departure."
"Understood. Wait here."
Rei made sure to use the 'Lady' honorific; he could hardly call her 'Elena' in front of the gatekeepers.
For the next ten minutes, Rei, the remaining guard, and Seto stood in a silence that felt increasingly awkward. Or rather, only Rei felt the awkwardness. The guard stood like a statue, and Seto was busy yawning.
(……Am I the weird one here?)
Just as he was questioning his own social anxiety, the first guard returned.
"Lady Elena is waiting. Follow the guide."
Stepping out from the mansion was Ara. She had her Power Axe strapped to her back, making her look more like a veteran warrior than a formal knight.
(Then again, a knight using an axe is an oddball to begin with.)
"Understood. ……Oh, could you take Seto to the stables for a bit?"
Rei asked the guard, who looked at the yawning Gryphon and nodded.
"I can do that. He won't bite, will he?"
"He’s fine. As long as you don't poke him or do anything weird, there won't be any trouble."
"Consider it done."
"In that case, wait here for a while, Seto."
"Guruuu."
Seto trilled as Rei scratched its head. After a final, somewhat rough pat, Rei walked toward the entrance where Ara was waiting.
"Lord Rei, good morning. You're quite early. There’s still a long time before the 9 o'clock bell."
"Yeah, I realized I’d forgotten to confirm a few things with Elena."
"With Lady Elena? Well, it’s you, Lord Rei, so I’m sure it’s fine. She’s waiting in her room."
After a short walk through the mansion, they arrived at a room with a magnificent door.
"……I noticed this in the office, too, but does Margrave Larkus have a thing for doors?"
Ara gave a wry smile at Rei’s murmured observation.
"He might, but this is a guest suite for high-ranking nobles, so it’s special. ……Lady Elena, it is Ara. I have brought Lord Rei."
"Umu. Enter."
Elena’s voice came from within, and Ara opened the door.
The first thing that struck Rei was the sheer luxury of the furnishings. A chandelier that appeared to be a magic item hung from the ceiling, and the walls were seamless, polished stone resembling marble. The carpet was so thick his feet sank several centimeters with every step. Even someone like Rei, who knew little of high society, could tell that the sofas, tables, and chairs were all priceless treasures.
"We still have nearly two hours until departure, but you’ve arrived quite early. ……No matter. I’ve finished my preparations and was growing bored. Sit, let us talk."
Following Elena’s invitation, Rei sat on the sofa. It was even softer than the one in Daskar’s office, and he was momentarily startled by how deeply he sank into the cushions. Elena smiled.
"This room is reserved for the most important guests. It’s only natural for the furniture to be of this quality. Likely, any noble of higher status than Lord Daskar is hosted here."
"Noble vanity, then. Well, that aside, the reason I came today…… we never decided what to do about the monsters we defeated on the way to the dungeon, or the ones inside."
"Mmu. Now that you mention it, you're right. After leaving the dungeon, things were so chaotic I didn't have the chance to think about it. I simply forgot."
Rei nodded, understanding her position. Elena had been forced to deal with the betrayal and death of long-time comrades. Between sending letters to her father, Duke Kerebel, and testing the Ancient Dragon's Power she had inherited through the ritual, she had been buried in work.
If anyone was to be blamed for the oversight, it was likely Rei, who had been the most idle member of the party.
"Setting aside the trivial stuff like Goblins, we have a significant amount of high-quality materials: Lizardmen, Lizardman Generals, Water Monkeys, the Rare Species Water Monkey, Ogres, Spriggans, and Emerald Wolves."
"That is quite a list," Ara remarked from beside Elena. "Hearing you name them all, Lord Rei, makes me realize just how much we actually fought. ……I suppose that’s the nature of a dungeon."
Normally, Ara would be standing guard behind Elena, but Elena had clearly opened her heart to Rei. Ara, too, had developed a profound respect for him after their shared ordeal. The hostility of their first meeting was gone, replaced by a soft, genuine smile.
"I have thought on it," Elena said. "And my mind is already made up."
"Elena?"
"You were put through a great deal of trouble for my sake, Rei. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be sitting here drinking tea right now. It is hardly enough of a reward, but you may have all of the monsters stored in your item box. Do with them as you wish."
The words left Elena’s lips casually, as if she were giving away nothing more than a handful of spare change.