That day, after finishing breakfast at the Dusk Wheat Inn, Rei and Seto headed toward the guild as they always did.
But something was off.
(What’s with these stares?)
As they walked, sharing snacks as was their usual routine, Rei felt inquisitive gazes directed at them from every direction. At first, he thought they might be goons sent by Boruntar to seek revenge for yesterday’s incident, but he immediately dismissed the idea. He sensed no hostility, let alone murderous intent.
He glanced toward the source of the stares, but most of the people watching were clearly not suited for combat. While a few possessed well-trained physiques, almost none of them looked accustomed to real violence.
(There’s no doubt this is related to yesterday’s business, but...)
Rei decided there was no point in worrying about it for the moment. He continued toward the guild, snacking as he went.
"Ah, Rei! I’m so glad. You come here every single day, so when you didn't show up yesterday, I was worried something had happened because of the incident the day before."
Lenora, the receptionist, breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Rei enter. After the confrontation at the Boruntar Mansion, Rei hadn't felt like visiting the guild and had headed straight back to his inn. Unaware of the details, Lenora had evidently been quite concerned.
Beside her, Kenny stood with a distinct pout on her face.
"That matter has been settled for now... but why is Kenny sulking?"
Rei spoke up, judging that while the embers might still be smoldering, Boruntar wouldn't dare try anything foolish so soon after being put through such a nightmare. He had considered consulting the staff about the strange gazes he had felt on the way there, but Lenora and Kenny were merely receptionists. He decided it was best not to burden them with information that might get them caught up in a dangerous dispute.
"It’s nothing at all! It’s not like I’m bitter because I was off-duty and couldn't be of help when Rei-kun was in a pinch! Not at all!"
Faced with such an obvious display of resentment, Rei couldn't help but offer a wry smile.
"It’s not that I didn't want your help, Kenny. It was just a matter of bad timing. Besides, everything worked out... well, I can't say nothing happened, but the situation is under control."
"So there really was trouble," Lenora muttered with an exasperated expression.
"Yeah. I could hardly just smile and nod when I was told to hand over my magic items unconditionally or give up Seto. I wasn't about to agree to that."
Lenora’s expression twitched. She had completely forgotten, but the Guild Master had specifically ordered her to report if Rei became embroiled in any trouble. She hadn't viewed a simple summons from Boruntar, the Chairman of the Azoth Firm, as a problem, but what Rei just described was undeniably a major conflict.
(Then again, I feel like Rei could handle just about anything on his own.)
Lenora murmured to herself. Having witnessed Rei’s outrageous feats firsthand, she found it hard to imagine him being defeated by a common merchant's meddling. In fact, her absolute confidence in Rei’s ability to self-solve his problems was exactly why she had forgotten the Guild Master’s instructions.
Just then, a voice called out to Rei at the counter.
"Oh, if it isn't Rei! It’s been a few days. We’ve run into you at just the right time."
Rei turned around to find Phron, a female warrior in her thirties. Beside her stood Brasso, the dwarf from the Crushing Warriors, carrying a massive hammer on his back.
"...You two."
Rei shot them a flat, deadpan look. The pair seemed not to understand why they were receiving such a reception and tilted their heads in confusion.
"What’s with the menacing glare? Did we do something to offend you?"
"You did. I told you I wasn't a heavy drinker, but you went ahead and drank me under the table anyway."
"Ah, hahaha! Honestly, even I didn't think you’d go down quite that easily."
Phron gave a sheepish laugh, but Brasso shook his head in disappointment.
"Collapsing after just a few drinks—you’re a disgrace to warriors everywhere, you are!"
"I’m not a pure warrior; I’m a magic warrior. Besides, being a warrior has nothing to do with alcohol tolerance."
"What are ye saying?! Warriors are supposed to share a victory toast after a battle to deepen their bonds, it is!"
"Sorry, but that doesn't suit me. That's why I work solo."
When Rei said that, Phron stepped forward as if she had been waiting for the opening.
"Right, right. About that—if you’re free, would you be willing to help us with a request?"
Phron glanced toward the B-Rank request board as she spoke.
"A request?"
"Yeah. A subjugation request, just the kind you love."
"I don’t mind, but... why me? You two usually handle things as the Crushing Warriors on your own."
"Well, the target is the problem. Just come over here and take a look."
Phron grabbed Rei and forcefully pulled him toward the board. Kenny, who was attending to other adventurers, shot a sharp look at Phron's pushiness, but fortunately, she didn't seem to view the older woman as a romantic rival.
"Look at this one. It’s been posted for a while now, but if we don’t do something soon, it’s going to start affecting our work too."
Though slightly skeptical, Rei looked over the request form. The target was Harpies. The location was a mountain a fair distance from the City of Gilm, situated well before the Orc settlement Rei’s group had raided previously. It was roughly a ten-hour journey from the city. Harpies had nested near the summit and were attacking travelers, merchants, and even adventurers. However...
"A Harpy subjugation request at B-Rank? If I remember correctly, a Harpy is only a Rank D monster."
Rei was right. Individually, Harpies weren't a massive threat. While far more powerful than something like a goblin, a B-Rank designation felt out of place. B-Rank monsters were usually on the level of an Emerald Wolf pack or an Orc King.
Brasso answered Rei’s confusion simply.
"The problem is the location, it is. As ye say, Rei, a Harpy isn't exactly a titan, but they aren't weak either. The fact that they’ve nested near the mountain summit is what complicates things, it is."
"And the fact that they’re in a flock," Phron added. "No one has confirmed the exact count yet, but there are reportedly twenty or thirty of them."
"...Ah, I see."
Rei nodded. To defeat Harpies, one either had to wait for them to attack or raid their nest. The former relied entirely on luck, and the monsters were smart enough to target defenseless travelers rather than waiting adventurers. To reach a nest at the mountain summit, one would likely have to fight through other monsters along the way. Furthermore, since Harpies were pack creatures, an intruder would be forced to fight a dozen or more at once. Given those factors, a B-Rank rating was appropriate.
"So, why does this affect you two? Just the rumors?"
Brasso shook his head. "I won't say the rumors don't matter, but we have a much more urgent reason, it is."
"An urgent reason?"
"Umu. Rei, ye understand that weapon maintenance, repair, and replacement are vital for an adventurer, right?"
Rei nodded. His primary weapon, the Death Scythe, didn't require maintenance due to its nature, but his other tools—especially the knives used for material stripping—needed constant care. Without it, the accumulation of monster blood, fat, and magic power would ruin them in short order.
As Rei explained this, Brasso nodded.
"Exactly. Maintenance is a requirement for anyone taking on dangerous work. And for that, we need metal."
Rei finally connected the dots. The Harpy nest, the mountain, the metal.
"Can ore be mined from that mountain?"
Phron nodded irritably. "That's it. It’s not rare ore with magic metals, mind you—it’s mostly iron ore. If you’re lucky, you might find some magic crystals or flame ore, but that’s about it."
Magic crystals were common components for a magic catalyst and could slightly boost the power of spells. Flame ore was equally famous as an alchemy material; high-purity samples were known to explode into a burst of fire upon impact.
"Can’t you just have merchants bring in iron ore?"
"We can, but the transportation costs get tacked onto the price. Eventually, low-rank adventurers won't be able to afford to fix their gear."
Rei understood the gravity of the situation. "But if that's the case, why hasn't anyone else taken the request? Why has it been sitting there for days?"
"That’s simple, it is. No one wants to fight Harpies in the mountains where they can drop on ye from anywhere. And since the Harpies themselves are low-ranked, the reward money isn't that high, it is. It’s too much risk for too little pay."
"That’s grim. So, why are you two willing to do it?"
Brasso grinned. "It’s not like we’re acting out of the goodness of our hearts. A blacksmith I’m close with asked for help. He’s done a lot for me, so I can't turn him down. Besides..."
Phron shared the same knowing smile. "The most annoying part of fighting Harpies isn't their numbers; it’s the fact that they fly. But we happen to know an adventurer who has a Gryphon—someone who can handle the air for us. You get it now, right?"
The invitation was clear. They wanted Seto as their aerial combat force.
"What do ye say? Would ye join us for a temporary party to help the city, it is?"
Rei considered the offer for a few seconds. His primary goal was always collecting magic stones, and he hadn't obtained one from a Harpy yet. The mountains might also hold other monsters he had never encountered.
"I suppose I can help. On one condition: I want two magic stones of every type of monster we defeat. If you promise me that, I’m in."
"Hmm, magic stones... Phron, what do ye think? I don’t mind, personally."
"Well..." Phron scratched her head before nodding. "Fine. But I’m deducting the value of those stones from your share of the reward. That okay?"
"Yeah, that’s no problem."
Rei was flush with cash from his mission guarding Elena; he viewed buying magic stones with his reward as a bargain.
(Wait, could I just put out a request to buy magic stones? No... the guild controls the flow of magic stones too strictly. If a random adventurer started trying to buy them up, I’d draw way too much heat. People would think I was an alchemist or something even worse.)
Magic stones were the most valuable part of any monster, used as high-capacity batteries for magic items. An adventurer seeking them out specifically would stand out even more than a man with an Item Box and a Gryphon.
"Rei?"
"No, it’s nothing. I accept the conditions. When do we leave?"
"The sooner we deal with them, the better. As soon as possible... right now, if you can."
"Understood. I’ll get ready immediately."
And so, Rei officially joined a temporary party with Phron and Brasso.