In the tavern attached to the guild, Rei tilted his head, puzzled by the name of the monster that had just escaped Hasta’s lips.
"Gamelion?"
It was a name he didn't recognize. He sifted through the vast depths of Zephyle's knowledge, but even within those ancient archives, no creature called a Gamelion existed.
"Sorry, but that’s the first time I’ve heard of it. What kind of monster is it?"
"Oh? You don't know? It’s a fairly famous monster around these parts."
Rei couldn't help but let out a wry smile at Hasta’s surprised murmur. The young man seemed to take it for granted that everyone knew the creature.
"It hasn't been that long since I arrived in Gilm. Even if it's common knowledge here, there's still a lot I haven't learned. I’d appreciate it if you could fill me in."
"Ah, now that you mention it..."
Hasta seemed to realize his mistake. He nodded slightly and was about to explain when—
"Thank you for waiting!"
A tavern waitress arrived, carrying the dishes they had ordered.
Hasta gave a polite word of thanks, paid the bill, and immediately reached for a grilled skewer.
"Let’s eat first. It’s only polite to enjoy warm food while it's still hot."
"True enough. I'm not much of a fan of cold skewers myself."
Rei agreed, reaching for his own food as he pressed the topic.
"So, tell me about this Gamelion. What exactly are we looking at?"
"Right. As I mentioned, the Gamelion is a monster that appears in the grasslands near the City of Gilm during the transition from autumn to winter. As for its appearance... well, I suppose 'giant rabbit' is the best way to describe it."
"...A rabbit?"
Rei blinked. Hasta was a veteran who had been promoted to D-Rank over a year ago. Hearing that such a man needed his help to take it down, Rei had been imagining something on the level of a dragon, or at least a Spriggan like the one he'd fought in the dungeon.
His skeptical tone was clear, but Hasta remained perfectly serious.
"Yes, a rabbit. Though it's certainly no ordinary one. It merely shares the silhouette; in reality, it's a ferociously aggressive monster. They’re roughly three meters long, and the fur covering their bodies is incredibly resistant to blade-based attacks. Their main weapons are their ears, which are razor-sharp, and their fangs, which inject poison when they bite. They also have tails about a meter long that they whip around. Combine all that with the explosive agility characteristic of a rabbit, and you have a very troublesome C-Rank monster."
"...A rabbit?" Rei repeated.
In his mind, rabbits were small, fluffy things he’d occasionally seen in the mountains near his old home before he came to Elgin. They were maybe thirty centimeters long. A three-meter version was simply outside his realm of experience.
"Yes, a rabbit. But as I said, that’s just the exterior. Its true nature is entirely monstrous."
"I can imagine."
Rei tried to visualize the creature based on the description, but the image in his head was anything but a harmless bunny.
"So, what do you think? Will you lend me a hand?"
At Hasta’s question, Rei tore off a piece of bread, washed it down with soup, and finally spoke.
"I have a few questions first. Depending on the answers, I’ll decide whether or not to take on this... well, this favor."
"I understand. Go ahead."
Hasta nodded solemnly, and Rei began his interrogation.
"First of all, what’s in this for me? You said you couldn't post a formal request at the guild because you don't have the money for a reward. I assume that means you don't have the funds to pay me directly, either?"
"That’s correct. However, I’ve heard you’re a magic stone collector, Rei-san. All I want is the Gamelion meat for my family’s dining hall. You’re welcome to keep all the magic stones and any other materials we harvest."
Rei suddenly recalled what Kenny had told him earlier.
"I heard you had a falling out with your previous party over those exact terms?"
"Ah... so you heard about that. It’s true, but I think it’ll be fine if we limit the arrangement specifically to this Gamelion hunt. My priority is the meat. Since your goal is the magic stone, giving up the materials shouldn't be an issue."
"I see. Well, setting that aside... this isn't strictly related, but how did you know I was collecting magic stones?"
Rei had never made a public declaration of his hobby, and he’d only told a handful of people. He was curious how Hasta had stumbled upon the information.
"Eh? Rei-san, are you really unaware of how famous you've become among the adventurers in Gilm?"
Hasta looked genuinely shocked.
"...What?"
"The amount of materials and proof of subjugation parts you bring to the guild is insane for a solo adventurer. It’s been common gossip for a while now that the number of magic stones you turn in—which are usually the most valuable part—doesn't match the mountain of materials you provide."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. It’s rare for a solo to earn that much. Eventually, people who were hoping to get a share of your 'leftovers' noticed the missing stones when you were selling your haul. The word just spread from there."
"...I see."
Rei let out a long sigh at the mundane explanation.
He wondered briefly if he should have sold his loot directly to a shop instead of the guild, where adventurers congregated. However, he quickly discarded the idea. Dealing with the headache of price negotiations was the last thing he wanted. As Hasta said, the materials he sold were often more than what entire parties brought in. If he had to haggle with wily merchants every time, he’d never get anything else done. The guild was fast, consistent, and required zero negotiation, even if the payout was slightly lower.
He cleared his throat and got back on track.
"Returning to the subject... did you consider that I might just turn you down? For instance, I could go and hunt the monster myself. If I did that, I wouldn't have to split the meat and materials with anyone."
"Of course I thought about that. But someone gave me a bit of advice. They said that if I explained the situation to you, you probably wouldn't be heartless enough to walk away."
Rei’s cheek twitched.
The number of people he truly knew in Gilm was small. He didn't think he’d left an impression of being such a soft touch.
"And who exactly said such a meddlesome thing?"
"Um, it was Pamidoor, the blacksmith whose shop is near my place."
Pamidoor. The blacksmith. The image of a man who looked more like a mountain bandit than a craftsman appeared in Rei's mind.
"That guy, huh."
"Yes. He hasn't been in the neighborhood that long, but he’s already famous. People say the gap between his scary face and his actual personality is massive."
"...I can believe that."
Rei did a quick mental calculation. If it was a recommendation from Pamidoor, he couldn't really say no. According to Brasso, Pamidoor was one of the finest blacksmiths in the kingdom. More importantly, when the Azoth Firm had tried to blackball Rei, Pamidoor had ignored their orders and offered to keep selling to him. He was a man Rei wanted to stay on good terms with. If Rei honored the connection, the blacksmith would surely return the favor down the line.
"Fine. Since Pamidoor recommended you, I can't really turn you away. I’ll help you bag this Gamelion. A magic stone from a seasonal monster is too good to pass up anyway."
"Thank you so much!"
"Now, we need to decide when to head out, but..."
"Actually, before that... I wanted to confirm something. Is it true that you’re an Item Box user, Rei-san?"
"Hmm? Oh, that. Yeah, it’s true. Watch."
Without another word, Rei pulled a sheathed dagger out of the Misty Ring.
Hasta’s face lit up with pure joy.
"Whoa! A real Item Box... I’ve never seen one in person before."
"They’re supposed to be rare. I assume you asked for a reason?"
"Yes. As I mentioned, a Gamelion is about three meters long. If possible... would you mind using your Item Box to help transport the meat?"
"..."
"I don't mean for free, of course!"
Rei fell silent for a moment as he considered the request. Seeing his hesitation, Hasta spoke up immediately.
To Rei, using the ring was as natural as breathing, but to an ordinary adventurer, requesting the use of a legendary magic item like an Item Box was probably a massive favor that felt almost inappropriate to ask.
I might as well use this to see how serious he is, Rei thought.
He fixed his gaze on Hasta.
"You’ve already said you have no money. What could you possibly offer me as payment?"
"It’s true, I don't have much money to my name. All I can offer is my labor."
"Labor?"
"Yes. You kill a lot of monsters, Rei-san, but you aren't exactly an expert at material stripping or dismantling, are you? I’ve been helping my family dismantle monsters for our dining hall since I was a kid. I’m very good at it. I think I could be a real asset to you. I can't do it forever, but... how about I help you with ten sessions of material stripping for free?"
"...Ho."
Rei nodded, genuinely impressed.
He really wasn't fond of the tedious work of dismantling carcasses to extract magic stones and materials. Hasta’s offer hit him right where he needed it. Plus, having a personal expert meant he wouldn't have to post requests at the guild and deal with the annoyance of interviewing strangers.
"That’s a very tempting offer. But why go this far for Gamelion meat? It’s a seasonal rarity, sure, but this seems like a lot of trouble."
Hasta was silent for a few seconds before he began to speak softly.
"The truth is, our dining hall is in a bit of debt right now. I want to pay it off as quickly as I can."
"Debt?"
"Yes. It’s nothing bad—we didn't borrow from shady merchants or anything. We just took out a loan to expand the facilities. The interest is fair, too. But my parents raised me to be very strict about borrowing and lending. Being in debt just... it doesn't sit right with me."
Hasta took a sip of his cooling soup, looking a bit sheepish.
"And your solution is the Gamelion?"
"Exactly. It's a C-Rank monster, so the meat is delicious, and its seasonal nature makes it a high-value item."
"...But if you’re in debt, wouldn't it be better to sell the magic stone and materials too?"
"Ahahaha. I told my father the same thing, but he just yelled at me. He said, 'Are we such failures that we have to let our child shoulder our debts?!' So, we reached a compromise. Instead of the usual low-rank meat I bring back, I’d hunt a high-rank monster to provide a special, expensive dish for the menu."
"I see."
Rei nodded, though he suspected that a single high-end dish wouldn't exactly clear a renovation debt overnight. Orders for expensive food would probably be infrequent.
Then again, maybe they’re confident they can sell every scrap of meat from a three-meter rabbit before it spoils, Rei thought.
Hasta, who had been speaking quite energetically, suddenly turned hesitant.
"And, um... I actually heard a story from a friend of my father’s recently."
"A story?"
"Yes. He runs a stall on the main street—you know, simple things like sandwiches and grilled skewers. He said that after he got some advice from you, Rei-san, his food started tasting better and his sales spiked. I was hoping... if it's not too much trouble... could you give our dining hall some advice too?"
The image of the stall owner who always pampered Set with sandwiches came to Rei's mind. The man was kind to the griffon, so in return, Rei had given him a simple recipe for a hot sandwich. It was barely even a recipe—just grilling the sandwich before serving—but apparently, the concept didn't exist in Gilm. It had become a hit. Of course, since it was such a simple tweak, other stalls had probably started copying the method already.
"No one really thinks to grill a sandwich like that, but it's delicious when you do. The cheese, the ham... well, it doesn't work for every ingredient, but still. Knowing you have that kind of insight, I was hoping you could help us come up with a signature dish of our own."
"...I’m a total amateur when it comes to cooking. The hot sandwich thing was just common sense where I’m from. Anyone could have thought of it."
"But you’re the one who actually did. Please... would you help us?"
Faced with Hasta’s pleading gaze, Rei agonized for a moment. Finally, an idea struck him, and he gave a small nod.
Noodle dishes didn't seem to exist in Elgin. At least, he hadn't seen them in Gilm. Maybe they existed in other countries, but here, they would be a complete novelty. Was this the right time? Something like udon only needed flour, salt, and water.
The problem is I only have a vague idea of how to make it from scratch. I made it at home once or twice, but that’s it. Well, his father is a professional cook. I only need to provide the hint; I can leave the trial and error to them.
He made up his mind and looked back at Hasta.
"Alright. I have an idea for a dish I’ve been wanting to try out. This seems like a good chance to see if it works. But keep in mind, I can only provide the concept. Whether it actually tastes good or not will depend entirely on the cook’s skill."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Hasta bowed his head with enough force to make the table rattle.