The skirmish behind the Dusk Wheat Inn's stables had been so one-sided it barely qualified as a fight. As Rei and his companions stood wondering what to do with the four unconscious men—presumably adventurers employed by the Azoth Firm—Vetman stepped out of the shadows. He was the leader of the armed merchants currently staying at the inn.
"You say we were noisy, but I didn't think I made that big of a scene," Rei said.
Though he was no longer brandishing his Death Scythe, Rei still directed a wary gaze toward the newcomer.
"Well, my people have various specialized talents," Vetman replied. "More importantly, I've overheard a bit of your situation. Would you like some assistance? Of course, I don't mean providing actual combat strength to your group."
"And what’s your angle?"
"I don't have a specific objective. However, I’ve finally had the chance to become acquainted with such a skilled adventurer. I simply wish to establish a connection here. To put it bluntly, think of it as a preemptive investment."
"Skilled, huh?"
Rei cast a sidelong glance toward Brasso and Phron.
Mult, who didn't receive even a moment’s consideration during that glance, looked slightly disgruntled, though he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut given the circumstances.
"No, no. Those two are certainly formidable, but when I say 'skilled,' I am referring to you, Rei. They are veteran adventurers with a wealth of experience, yes. But to my eyes, you are the most capable person here."
Vetman fixed him with a sharp, calculating gaze while maintaining a polite smile. Rei met that gaze head-on and gave a small shrug.
"I'm still just a D-Rank adventurer. It hasn't even been a year since I ranked up."
"Rank is a guideline for gauging ability, but in my judgment, it is not an absolute evaluation. I’m aware that's a minority opinion in this world, but it would be absurd to claim that anyone capable of taming a gryphon lacked strength."
Vetman looked toward Set, who was standing quietly by Rei's side. It was a testament to the merchant leader’s composure that he remained calm while looking directly at a gryphon. In contrast, the men who had accompanied Vetman were standing stiffly, their eyes glued to the creature in terror.
Watching the exchange, Phron and Brasso traded glances, holding a silent conversation. They were weighing whether this man could be trusted.
Eventually reaching a conclusion, Brasso spoke up.
"Rei, since they won't actually be participating in the fight, why not accept the help? I’ve heard of Vetman; he leads a group of highly respected merchants. I doubt a man like him would go out of his way to deceive us."
The group consisted of skilled armed merchants who traveled from frontier to frontier rather than sticking to safe routes near the Royal Capital. They were known for hiring almost no guards, yet they had operated successfully for over a decade. Vetman's name carried significant weight among adventurers. In a frontier town like the City of Gilm, anyone who claimed to be an adventurer or merchant and didn't know his name was either a fraud or someone like Rei, who lacked common knowledge of this world.
Rei considered Brasso’s words as he looked down at the four fallen adventurers.
"In that case, can you keep an eye on these four? I can't kill them for various reasons, but if I just leave them here, they'll probably run right back to the enemy."
"Understood," Vetman replied. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, then opened them with a nod. "That is an easy enough favor. We will keep watch over them in our rooms. How long will you need?"
"Probably until tomorrow. If we're delayed, I'll send someone to contact you. Does that work?"
"Y-yeah. No matter how long it takes, it should be settled by tomorrow," Mult added, sounding a bit flustered at being addressed.
Vetman nodded with a kind smile. "Then it’s settled. For us, it’s a pleasure to establish a connection with whoever ends up controlling the weapon trade in Gilm. Dealing with the Azoth Firm lately has been... unpleasant. We’ve had to endure many unfavorable transactions. But there's no point in boring you with the details."
Watching Vetman's bitter smile, Rei finally understood his motivation. Given Boruntar’s personality, fair trade was likely a foreign concept to him. He undoubtedly forced aggressive, one-sided deals by leveraging his monopoly. This was likely Vetman's way of striking back, or perhaps he simply hoped to do business with someone who valued mutual benefit over exploitation.
"I think I understand why you're helping us. But just because you're doing this, I can't promise you preferential treatment in future deals. Are you okay with that?"
"Yes, of course. I’m not looking for special favors. All I expect is fair trade."
"And what do you think?" Rei asked, turning to Mult.
"Eh? Why are you asking me?"
"Because you're the only one here officially employed by the Azoth Firm and acting as Galahat's subordinate. Boruntar is just targeting me, and Brasso and Phron are essentially just caught up in my mess."
Mult was taken aback, but Rei's logic brought him back to reality.
"I guess that's true. I am the one in that position. Mr. Vetman, I've heard the rumors about your caravan—including how Boruntar harassed you because he hated how much effort you put into helping people on the frontier. If Galahat-san becomes the head of the Azoth Firm, I don't think things will be as coercive as they’ve been. But I can't give you a firm promise. Galahat-san doesn't have the background to run a firm alone, so the management will likely be decided by a council of members who are supporting him in this coup. All I can do is report that you helped us. Is that enough?"
"Yes, certainly. To forcefully demand a reward now would be the height of pushiness. Such a thing would go against the Merchant's Code."
"Then... we're counting on you," Mult said, bowing his head.
Vetman looked surprised for a moment, then gave a small smile and patted Mult’s shoulder.
"Leave it to me. Now, go and do what needs to be done. Just please, make sure you don't lose. If the other side wins after I’ve helped you, they’ll look down on us even more than before."
"If you're that worried, shouldn't you help us with all your might instead of just watching the prisoners?" Rei asked. "You're clearly famous enough that your help would secure you a great position once this is over."
Vetman shook his head with a rueful smile. "Unfortunately, I cannot. We are traveling merchants, not mercenaries. Our weapons are for self-defense only. We do not sell military force as a product. You might think us cold, but this is an absolute rule of our caravan—our code. Even if I am the leader, I cannot break it unless we are the ones being attacked."
The man standing before Rei was someone who would never stray from the path he had chosen. Rei gave a small nod of respect.
"I see. My apologies. I didn't know your style and tried to force something impossible."
"Don't worry about it. To others, it may seem foolish. There are caravans that operate as half-mercenaries, after all. It just so happens that our rules are different. Now, leave these four to us and move quickly. We'll carry them inside."
With a word to his companions, Vetman and his group began hauling the unconscious men back into the inn. After they disappeared, Rei, Phron, Brasso, and Set all turned their eyes to Mult.
"Alright," Mult said. "Let's go."
The group nodded and slipped away from the Dusk Wheat Inn.
"It's certainly dark out here," Phron muttered as they hurried toward the slum district.
Following Mult's lead, they headed toward the cottage where Galahat was hiding. While the nightlife districts with their bars and brothels were bright, this area near the slums was different. The residents here couldn't afford lamps, so the only light came from the autumn moon.
Even in another world, there's only one moon, and it looks the same, Rei thought as he glanced upward. Being in another world, he wouldn't have been surprised by two or three moons, or even a purple or green one, but the moon he saw was identical to the one on Earth. Perhaps an expert would have noticed subtle differences, but to a former country high school student like Rei, it was indistinguishable.
"Damn it, I'd like to run if we could," Mult whispered, clicking his tongue.
"Don't be reckless," Brasso countered. "You're the only one who knows where the hideout is. If you run ahead and get ambushed by the firm's adventurers, you wouldn't be able to hold them off alone."
"Guh..."
Mult fell silent, knowing the dwarf was right. He was a capable D-Rank adventurer, and Galahat had personally trained him, so he didn't fear his peers.
Compared to an average D-Rank adventurer, anyway, he thought, glancing back at Rei.
Rei was also a D-Rank, yet he had climbed the ranks at a speed unprecedented in Gilm's history. His strength was clearly beyond his rank. Mult remembered when Rei had directed his murderous intent toward Boruntar; even though it wasn't aimed at him, Mult’s legs had nearly given out from the sheer pressure.
Wait. If I was frozen in fear just being near him, and Boruntar took that bloodlust head-on and was still able to speak... does that mean Boruntar has more guts than I do?
He hurriedly shook the thought from his head.
"It's true that the only B-Rank on their side is Galahat-san, but they have plenty of C and D-Ranks. Going alone would be suicide," Mult muttered, trying to convince himself his caution wasn't just cowardice.
Brasso nodded as they moved through the darkness. "Good that you realize it. By the way, we've already taken down nearly ten of their men. That leaves about thirty. Do you know the breakdown of their remaining forces?"
"Not exactly, but I have an idea. They have almost no C-Ranks left, and not many D-Ranks either. Their main force consists of E and F-Ranks. They probably didn't even bother calling up the G and H-Ranks for a fight like this."
Phron tilted her head as she listened. "So the guys we took down at the workshop and the ones who tried to jump Set at the inn were actually their heavy hitters?"
"Yeah, pretty much. At the very least, they’re running low on experienced fighters."
"Guruuu?"
Set, hearing its name, tilted its head and gave a soft trill. As a gryphon with excellent night vision, it moved through the dark streets with absolute confidence.
"It's nothing, Set. We were just saying you did a great job," Phron said, stroking its back.
"Guruu."
Watching Set purr happily, Mult felt some of his nervous tension begin to dissolve.
They continued through the night until a familiar building finally came into view. From the outside, it looked like a decrepit, abandoned shack. The interior had been reinforced and repaired, but the exterior was a perfect camouflage of decay.
"That's it," Mult whispered.
It was the cottage where Galahat was waiting.