"Guh..."
Bathed in the rays of the morning sun, Rei forced his eyes open. He tried to sit up, but a dull throb pulsed through his head the moment he moved.
"What in the world... No, when did I even fall asleep?"
Muttering under his breath, he held his temples and surveyed the room. The sight that met his eyes was unmistakably his room at the Dusk Wheat Inn, his regular lodging.
"What happened? I know I went to the guild yesterday..."
He traced his memories back. Eventually, he recalled meeting Phron, a female warrior in her mid-thirties, and the dwarf Brasso. He also remembered being offered alcohol—something he wasn't particularly good at handling— and being unable to refuse, drinking with them for hours.
"I see, so I drank myself under the table. I suppose I should be glad it happened at the tavern inside the guild. If it had been a pub in the city, I probably would have been targeted by pickpockets or thieves."
Letting out a sigh, he glared resentfully at the autumn sun streaming through the window.
"This headache... so this is what a hangover feels like. Maybe I should just take the day off?"
Grimacing as the pain thrummed inside his skull, he poured water from a pitcher into a cup to quench his thirst, draining several refills.
"They say you crave miso soup when you have a hangover... but there’s no way miso soup exists in this world."
Once he felt somewhat settled after the water, he put on his Dragon Robe and Sleipnir's Shoes, which had been removed at some point. He checked his wrists to ensure the Misty Ring and Bracelet of Magic Absorption were still in place. His blood ran cold at the realization that, had he been less fortunate, those magic items could have easily been stolen while he was unconscious.
"I should probably set up some kind of countermeasure."
Solidifying a mental image of the flame magic at his disposal, he drew his magic catalyst, Death Scythe, from the Misty Ring and chanted an incantation.
"O fire, should any touch you against my will, grant them great regret through your scorching hellfire."
Flame gathered along the blade of Death Scythe at his command, and in the next heartbeat, the magic took hold.
"Flames of Regret."
The moment the magic activated, the fire vanished, sinking into the Misty Ring as if absorbed.
As the incantation specified, this was a security spell designed to give a baptism of fire to anyone who attempted to steal the Misty Ring against his will—or while he was unconscious, as he had been the previous day. Of course, given the spell's potency, calling it mere "security" was a massive understatement.
After tidying himself up, he headed down to the first floor.
The morning rush had clearly passed. The dining hall was almost empty, with only a few lingering guests finishing their late meals. Rei took a vacant seat, and as if she had been waiting for him, Lana, the landlady of the Dusk Wheat Inn, appeared at his side.
"Good morning. You certainly drank yourself into a stupor yesterday. Are you feeling alright?"
Lana spoke as she set a light breakfast on the table. Understanding his condition, she had prepared refreshing, hydrating dishes.
"What happened to me yesterday?" Rei asked.
"Lenora and Kenny, the receptionists from the guild, brought you back. They carried you straight to your room."
"...I’ll make sure to thank them when I go to the guild."
"Yes, that would be for the best," Lana replied with a nod and a smile before returning to her work. Rei watched her leave and then reached for his breakfast.
"Ah, Rei. Good morning. Are you feeling okay?"
Lenora called out to him the moment he stepped into the guild. She looked at him with genuine concern, but he simply nodded as if nothing were wrong.
"The hangover was pretty brutal when I first woke up, but I started feeling better after breakfast."
(I owe Zephyle's technical skill for that.)
Zephyle likely never imagined his creations would be thanked for their hangover recovery time, but Rei was sincerely grateful to his creator.
"Anyway, I heard you helped carry me back to the inn yesterday. You saved me."
Rei gave a small bow. He looked to the side to thank Kenny as well, but the cat-type demi-human who usually occupied the station next to Lenora was nowhere to be seen.
"Where’s Kenny?"
"Oh, her? She’s coming in this afternoon. She mentioned having some business to take care of at home."
"I see. When she gets here, tell her I appreciate what she did."
"I will. And, well... there’s actually been a summons for you, Rei."
Lenora spoke with an apologetic tone, a rare departure from her usual brisk, professional self.
"A summons? I don't remember doing anything that would warrant that."
"Yes, we're aware of that here. However, since the summons came from someone who provides a significant portion of the guild's operating funds, we weren't in a position to refuse the message."
"What’s the reason?"
"They didn't tell the guild anything. They only said they wanted you brought to them."
"Who is it that’s being so rude?"
Lenora knit her brows, though her irritation was clearly directed at the person she was about to name rather than Rei.
"It’s Lord Boruntar, the representative of the Azoth Firm."
The Azoth Firm. Boruntar. Rei certainly recognized those names; after all, he had heard them only yesterday.
"I heard he’s the man who coordinates all the weapon shops in this city."
"Yes, that’s him. There are... a lot of rumors about him. But he funds guild activities, and almost all the weapons entering Gilm pass through the Azoth Firm’s hands in some way."
"So, this big shot from the Azoth Firm has business with a mere D-rank adventurer like me."
"So it seems. Of course, this is just a one-sided demand from him. The guild has no right to force its registered adventurers to comply. Whether you answer the summons or not is entirely your decision, Rei."
Despite her words, Lenora’s expression clearly signaled that it would be safer to go. Boruntar was a man of immense power in Gilm; Lenora’s honest fear was that if Rei refused, there was no telling what kind of petty or dangerous harassment might follow.
Guessing the situation from her face, Rei thought for a moment and gave a small nod.
"I don't know what he wants, but I suppose there’s no harm in finding out. People can say what they want, but I won't know for sure until I meet the man myself. Fine, I'll go. Can you tell me where this merchant lives?"
"Ah, yes. Here you go."
Lenora had a map of Boruntar's residence ready, as if she’d expected him to ask. Rei recognized her handwriting and gave a polite nod as he took the paper.
"Thanks for going to the trouble."
"No, it's nothing! Honestly, summoning an adventurer to a private home through the guild without even making it a nomination request is usually unheard of. Just... please be careful. The rumors about him are quite dark."
"Yeah, I heard a bit about that from the two members of the Crushing Warriors yesterday. By the way, what happened to them after that?"
"What do you mean? They headed out on their request after you passed out."
"...Even after all that drinking?"
"Yes. Well, most people don't drink that much before a job, but it’s not unusual to have a few for luck before heading out."
"...I see."
Rei let out a defeated sigh and shook his head.
"Anyway, the map helps. I’ll head over now."
"Yes, please take care. Oh, and about your skinning request—please wait just a bit longer."
"Understood."
Lenora bowed, watching Rei leave with a worried gaze.
(I definitely can't tell Kenny about this.)
She sighed inwardly. Lately, Kenny’s infatuation with Rei had reached such levels that she might do something reckless if she heard the notorious head of the Azoth Firm was targeting him.
(Though, I suppose I can't blame her.)
The Azoth Firm might have donated a fortune to the guild, but using that as leverage to make these kinds of arrogant demands was frustrating. It was the bitter reality of working for an organization that relied on private funding. Lenora could only pray that no serious trouble would break out between Rei and the Azoth Firm.
When Rei exited the guild and went to the stable area to pick up Seto, he found a surprising scene.
"Seto-chan, you're so cute today too. Here, have another."
"Guruuuu."
Mirene was there, stroking Seto’s head and back while holding a mountain of food she had bought from nearby stalls—sandwiches, grilled skewers, and more.
"Mirene... You’ve been visiting Seto a lot lately. Did Scorching Wind disband or something?"
Normally, Mirene was so focused on Seto that she was slow to notice Rei’s arrival, but she definitely heard that remark. Pouting, she threw a sandwich—stuffed with grilled meat, cheese, and fresh greens—directly at him.
"Whoops!"
Rei caught it without crushing the bread and took a large bite as the sauce began to run. The outside was perfectly toasted, and the meat inside was juicy, the flavors mingling on his tongue.
"Listen, don't say such unlucky things! We've been so busy lately that we decided to take a full week of vacation. And don't just start eating that! It’s a very popular item."
Rei ignored her cold stare and quickly finished the sandwich.
"Don't throw it if you don't want me to eat it. If it were anyone else, they would have dodged and let it hit the ground, or ended up crushing it."
He muttered the retort, though the sandwich was already in his stomach.
"So, are you heading out on a request?" Mirene asked, her expression melting into a smile again as she stroked Seto.
"I’m not sure. It’s not a request, exactly... I’ve been summoned by the chairman of the Azoth Firm."
"...Did you do something?"
"No, nothing. I’ve just been making a lot of noise lately. He probably just wants to see what all the fuss is about."
"...Are you sure about this? The Azoth Firm has a terrible reputation."
"So I've heard. Some adventurers I met yesterday warned me about the same thing. Well, Seto, what do you think? You want to come?"
As Rei called out to his partner, Seto started to stand up, but Mirene stopped them.
"It might be better to leave Seto-chan behind for this one."
"Why? They've definitely heard the rumors about me having a griffon. That's probably why they’re summoning me."
"Exactly. And that’s the problem. They might be planning to... do something to Seto-chan."
Mirene’s brow furrowed. It was clear she held a deep distrust for the firm.
"Guruuu..."
Sensing Mirene's unease, Seto let out a low, dejected whine.
"Would they really go that far? Seto is a bit of a local celebrity in Gilm now. If they tried to mess with him, they’d have the whole city against them."
"I’d like to think so. But the Azoth Firm... or rather, Boruntar... is the type of person who doesn't care about that."
Mirene let out a small sigh and continued.
"A few years ago, an adventurer had a falling out with the firm. I think it started with a miscommunication on an escort mission that got the adventurer's partner killed. When the adventurer complained, Boruntar used his influence to pressure every weapon shop in the city to refuse that person service. You know how vital a weapon is to an adventurer, right? Without anyone to repair or sell him gear, the man eventually gave up and was forced to leave the city."
"That’s ruthless," Rei muttered.
For a warrior, being unable to maintain their equipment was a death sentence for their career.
"That’s why you shouldn't take Seto-chan. Don't give them any leverage to use against you."
"...I suppose you're right. Seto, sorry, but could you wait here for me?"
"Guruuuu."
Seto looked at Rei with worried eyes, but eventually gave a small, understanding nod.