"...Well, what do you make of this?"
Rei muttered, sounding thoroughly exasperated.
Brasso let out a small sigh and shook his head. "What’s to make of it? It’s exactly what it looks like."
Lying on the ground before them were three adventurers, all sporting various degrees of injury and currently unconscious.
They were in the stables behind the Dusk Wheat Inn. They had come to pick up Set before meeting Galahat, only to find the stable doors smashed open from the inside. The three men were sprawled atop the wreckage. At first, Rei had assumed they were more of the thugs who had stormed the inn, but their equipment told a different story. These men wore proper gear—one was even clad in full plate mail. Given that the thugs in the inn were lucky to have a single longsword between them, Rei figured these were a separate group. At the very least, they weren't with the street toughs.
"They probably—no, definitely—came to capture or kill Set," Phron remarked. "To us, Set is our greatest asset. Besides, Boruntar is likely the one pulling the strings, and we know he wants a gryphon for himself. If they could take it alive, great. If they had to kill it, well, it’s not hard to imagine the fortune they’d make selling off gryphon materials."
"So, the thugs were sent into the inn as a diversion to buy time while the professionals targeted Set in the stables," Rei summarized, glancing back at the three unconscious men. "And this is the result?"
Set was a terror in its own right, but it was currently equipped with the Bracelet of Herculean Strength, a magic item that significantly boosted the wearer’s power. One adventurer’s chainmail had been shredded by a single blow, leaving deep, bloody gashes in the flesh beneath. The man in full plate mail had fared even worse; Set’s strike had literally shattered his armor, scattering metal fragments across the stable floor.
Set had seemingly avoided killing them, likely knowing that would cause a headache later on. Still, with autumn deepening, leaving men with wounds that severe out in the cold for the night would probably result in a nasty illness, if not death.
"Why the mismatched gear, though?" Rei asked. "Chainmail, standard metal armor, and full plate mail. It’s not unusual for a party to have different kits, but these are for completely different roles."
There was the chainmail, which offered better protection than leather armor while remaining flexible. There was a brigandine protecting the torso. And finally, the suit of full plate mail that covered the wearer from head to toe. For a three-man team, it was an oddly inconsistent setup.
"Likely a difference in philosophy," Brasso suggested.
"Philosophy?" Rei tilted his head.
"Aye. For instance, the one in chainmail probably prioritized stealth. On the other hand, the one in full plate was likely so terrified of a gryphon’s power that he decided to hide behind as much metal as humanly possible."
"I see. So their teamwork isn't exactly seamless." Rei nodded, then reached down for the weapons scattered on the ground.
There were two spears and a bow. The bow’s string was snapped, meaning it was useless without repairs.
Even if they were planning a surprise attack, they were probably too scared to get into close quarters with a gryphon using swords or axes, Rei thought. That’s why they chose spears for the reach. Using long spears in a cramped stable is a terrible tactical choice, but I guess that just shows how much they feared Set.
Rei tucked the two spears and the bow into the Misty Ring. He also grabbed a quiver lying near the man in chainmail.
"Isn't that a bit... greedy?" Mult asked.
With the price of iron ore currently skyrocketing, iron spears were practically luxury items. Losing them would be a massive financial blow to these adventurers. Rei simply gave him a thin smile.
"They’re enemies, aren't they? Stripping a defeated enemy of their weapons increases our strength and reduces theirs. Is there something wrong with that logic?"
"Well... no, not when you put it like that," Mult admitted. "I just feel a little bad for them. Since the leadership of the Azoth Firm is shifting from Boruntar to Galahat today, any request they make for compensation is going to be flatly rejected."
"Probably," Phron agreed. "If someone who was just trying to kill you asks for a handout, you usually tell them to get lost."
Mult nodded, but Brasso shook his head. "I wouldn't be so sure. This Galahat fellow is going to need all the allies he can get. These men were likely just siding with whoever was in power. Once the chairman changes, they’ll probably fall in line behind the new one."
"I’m not a fan of people who flip-flop so easily," Mult grumbled.
"Listen," Phron said, sounding tired. "You might respect Galahat or feel like you owe him, but these guys are just mercenaries hired by the Azoth Firm. As long as Boruntar is the chairman, following his orders is just business. This is how most adventurers operate."
Mult looked unconvinced, but his attention shifted as Rei continued stowing the loot. "Wait a second. If these guys lose their weapons, won't the firm eventually have to pay to replace them anyway? Which means Galahat will be the one footing the bill."
"Probably," Rei said.
"Then Galahat’s taking a loss!"
"Look," Rei sighed. "In that case, should I start charging you a fee for my help?"
"No, that’s different..."
"It’s not. These two were dragged into this because they took a harpy subjugation request with me. Since we’re actually putting our lives on the line here, I think I’ve earned a couple of spears."
"But your weapons... the weapon shop..."
"I don’t actually have a problem there," Rei interrupted. "My primary weapons don't need much maintenance as long as I run magic power through them. The only things that really need sharpening are my skinning knives. Even then, since we're in Gilm, I can just go to that blacksmith Pamidoor. He isn't under the firm’s thumb. If I have any complaint, it’s that I won't be able to buy more throwing spears... but then again..."
Rei stooped down and picked up a stone roughly the size of his palm. "If I have stones like this, I don't really need to worry about throwing weapons."
He tossed the rock up and down in his hand.
Though, obviously, a spear has more stopping power than a pebble, he added internally. A stone was just a stone. Its impact was high, but the irregular shape meant wind resistance would vary with every throw, making them unreliable at long distances. A spear was aerodynamically optimized, heavier, and far more stable. Plus, having a blade on the end was an obvious advantage. And I can use a spear to pin someone down. You can’t really do that with a rock.
"Rei?" Mult asked, watching him fiddle with the stone.
Rei simply rolled the pebble into his palm and—
"Hah!"
With a sharp exhale, he whipped his hand forward. It wasn't a baseball pitcher's wind-up; it was the sudden, deceptive flick of a ninja throwing a shuriken. The stone sliced through the night air and vanished into the darkness toward a tree near the inn.
Thwack!
Phron, Brasso, and Mult stood frozen for a second, confused by the sudden move. Then, the two veterans, Phron and Brasso, realized what had happened. Mult only caught on when he heard a heavy thud from the direction of the tree.
"Guruuu."
Set peered out from the stables. It usually waited for Rei to come get it, but tonight it had taken the initiative. Despite the scuffle with the three adventurers, the gryphon didn't have a single scratch. Since the strongest adventurer in Boruntar's pocket was Galahat at Rank B, any others would be Rank C or lower. Even with spears and bows, they were simply outclassed by an A-Rank monster.
Rei gave Set a quick pat on the head and walked over to the tree. Lying at the base of the trunk was a fourth adventurer, out cold.
"I mean... the stone is actually embedded in his leather armor..." Mult muttered, looking at the man with genuine pity. He knew exactly how much raw strength Rei possessed after seeing him blow through walls at Boruntar's residence. He offered a silent prayer for the scout’s well-being.
"Why are you pitying him?" Phron asked. "He’s almost certainly another one of the firm's men."
Rei checked the man’s face and shook his head. "I thought he might be one of the ones who attacked us at Pamidoor's workshop, but no. Those guys wore thick black-dyed clothes to stay quiet. Mult, you know him?"
"Never seen him. But the firm employs a lot of people. I wouldn't know all of them, especially since I was basically Galahat’s personal attendant."
Leaving the boasting Mult aside, Rei, Brasso, and Phron exchanged looks.
"What do you think?" Rei asked.
"A scout, without a doubt," Brasso said. "He was likely there to see if the other three could handle Set. And if they failed, his job was to report back so they could adjust their tactics. Though, given they were taken out in seconds, I doubt he learned much. His main goal was probably to track our movements—or rather, the movements of the Galahat faction."
Phron nodded. "Exactly. And to see if he could figure out where Galahat is hiding."
"The question is, what do we do with them?" Rei looked between the scout and the three men by the stables.
"If they’re going to be our allies once this is over, can’t we just tie them up and leave them with the innkeeper?" Phron suggested.
"That sounds reasonable," Brasso countered, "but they might just be good at rope escapes. I’d rather they didn't show up as enemies again tonight."
"This is their payday, after all," Rei noted.
With Boruntar’s position on the line, he was likely throwing money at anyone willing to fight for him. Unless they had someone to guard them, taking prisoners was a liability.
Just as Rei was weighing their options, he heard the sound of multiple footsteps approaching. He pulled his Death Scythe from the Misty Ring and leveled it. Brasso and the others followed suit, weapons at the ready.
Then, Rei lowered his blade. "Oh, it's just you."
"Are they friends of yours?" Mult asked, his halberd still raised. Being the most invested in Galahat’s cause, he wasn't taking any chances with strangers.
However, the man who emerged from the shadows didn't seem bothered by the weapons pointed his way. He offered a friendly, professional smile.
"We heard a bit of a ruckus behind the inn and came to investigate. It’s been a little while, Rei-san."
The man was Vetman, the leader of the armed merchants staying at the Dusk Wheat Inn.