"Tch, what a pain!"
"Gigigii!"
The sharp edge of the Death Scythe’s blade swept through the air in a wide arc, cleaving the torsos of three goblins simultaneously.
Gore and internal organs lay scattered across the ground. Rei frowned in distaste at the steam rising from the remains before turning his gaze toward Hasta, who was fighting nearby.
There, Hasta deftly avoided the wide swing of a rusted longsword. An instant later, the tip of his estoc darted forward, piercing a goblin’s forehead before being pulled back just as quickly. The fluid series of movements spoke to his experience as a veteran.
"Heh, not bad for a D-Rank adventurer. He’s certainly competent."
Muttering in admiration, Rei decided that Hasta required no assistance and looked toward his partner, Set.
"Guruuu!"
"...I thought as much."
What was happening over there was less of a fight and more of a one-sided slaughter.
Set shattered a rusted spear with a single swipe of its forepaw. For a creature capable of soaring through the skies at will, the stones being thrown by the goblins were trivial to dodge. Every blow Set delivered snuffed out a life with ease.
It took less than five minutes for the group of goblins that had recklessly ambushed them to realize they were hopelessly outmatched and flee.
"I didn't expect to be bothered by goblins out here," Rei remarked.
"True. I don't believe there were any reports of them in this area at the guild," Hasta replied.
Both men sighed as they set to work, slicing off the right ears—the proof of subjugation parts—and extracting magic stones from the monsters' hearts.
"As for the meat... I don't want it. You?"
"I'll pass as well. Goblin meat is wretched. If it at least tasted good, there’d be some profit in this, but they’re just a nuisance that breeds too fast."
"Yeah. They say if you see one, assume there are thirty nearby. That sounds about right."
Rei decided to leave the ten or so corpses behind, figuring other monsters would eventually scavenge them. The two men and the gryphon resumed their trek toward the Gamelion habitat.
"Is this your first time hunting Gamelions?" Rei asked as they walked.
Hasta shook his head. "I've done it several times before, but always as part of other parties. My share of the meat was always too small, so I decided to ask you this time, Rei-san."
"I see. Did you run into goblins back then?"
"Hmm... I don't recall any. However, since we’re heading toward the Forest of Magic, all sorts of monsters show up. Goblins being among them isn't exactly impossible."
"...I hope that's all it is."
"Rei-san?" Hasta looked back, sensing the unease in Rei's voice.
Rei shook his head. "It's nothing."
(True. If there are various monsters originating from the Forest of Magic nearby, creatures as weak as goblins shouldn't be able to survive... but these plains are vast. Perhaps they just got lucky and avoided the predators.)
Rei pushed the thought aside. "What else appears on these plains besides Gamelions?"
"Let's see... floating jellyfish show up around this season."
"...Floating jellyfish?"
"Ah, right. If you were living in the mountains before coming to Gilm, you might not know what a jellyfish is."
Rei waved him off. "No, I've read about them in a book my Master had. Creatures with tentacles hanging from a transparent bell, right?"
"Exactly. They say they're normal jellyfish that turned into monsters for some reason. They're D-Rank monsters, so they aren't very strong, but their tentacles cause paralysis, so be careful. They fly, too... though with Set here, I suppose that won't be much of a problem."
"Guruu?"
Did you call? Set tilted its head back toward them.
"It’s nothing. I was just telling him how reliable you are." Rei smiled and scratched Set’s head as the gryphon leaned into him.
They spent several hours traveling, staying alert while making small talk. They occasionally fought off monsters like poison toads and fang boars, harvesting materials, proof of subjugation parts, meat, and magic stones. Eventually, they reached a spot where the grass grew unusually tall and lush.
It was a bizarre sight. Winter was fast approaching, yet the grass here wasn't withered like the rest of the plains. It was vibrant and deep green, creating the illusion of midsummer. However, the air remained chilly, dipping below ten degrees Celsius, making the vibrant landscape feel even more unnatural.
"This is..."
"Strange, right? They say this area is affected by magical interference originating from the Forest of Magic, so the grass stays lush year-round."
"From the Forest of Magic?" Rei was genuinely surprised. The forest where he had been brought into this world was quite a distance away—hours by Set's wings, or days on foot. Its influence reached much further than he had imagined.
"Apparently so. Some say it’s also the reason the Gamelions migrate this far. It’s not a bad thing for the people of Gilm."
"Is it really okay to just leave a mysterious phenomenon like this alone?"
"Well, it doesn't cause any problems. Why not?"
(It seems like it could lead to trouble eventually... I should look into it later. Though I can't sense magic power, so I can't investigate it myself. That means...)
Rei thought of Luno, the adventurer with the Magic Eye. (He'd definitely want payment to use his ability, but it might be worth it.)
"Ah, long time no see!" Hasta called out.
"Yo, Hasta. Been a while. If you're here, that means... ah, I see. Right."
Rei was snapped out of his thoughts by the exchange. A party of five adventurers had stopped in their tracks, staring at Rei—or more specifically, at Set. Their cart held several monster carcasses: pure white fur, long tails, and blade-sharp ears.
(An adventurer party aiming for Gamelions, then.)
"I was going to warn you about coming out here with only two people," the lead adventurer said, his eyes on Set. "But with the rumored Rei here, two is plenty. Actually, with a gryphon, the Gamelions won't stand a chance."
"Ahaha. I managed to negotiate a deal for Rei-san to lend me his strength," Hasta explained.
"I see. With someone as skilled as Rei, I shouldn't worry, but listen: be careful. The ones we caught were strangely aggressive. It’s different from last year."
"That's what I thought. I heard at the main gate that there might be a Rare Species... wait, if you're already heading back, did you stay overnight?"
"Yeah. We couldn't find any for a while, so we had to. Luckily, nothing attacked us while we were camping." The adventurers laughed, clearly relieved.
"Other parties are scattered around here too, so it shouldn't be too dangerous, but..." The leader trailed off, then pulled Rei aside. "Hey, can I have a word?"
"I don't mind. What is it?"
"Look, I know it's weird for me to ask this of you, but look after Hasta," the man whispered. "He's a good kid, polite and energetic. But he cares about his family too much. Sometimes he gets reckless. Just keep an eye on him."
"Technically, we’re the same rank. And he’s more of a veteran than I am."
"Hah! Don't be modest. Any adventurer in Gilm who doesn't know your strength is either a newcomer or a complete fool. You've got the achievements to prove it. Honestly, it’s a mystery why you’re still D-Rank. Plus, you’ve got that gryphon."
The man’s eyes were sincere. He clearly respected Rei’s power.
(Hasta is really well-loved by these veterans.)
Rei sighed and nodded. "Understood. I wouldn't want to see a cook that talented end up grieving, anyway."
"Good. I appreciate it." The man grinned and gave Rei a firm pat on the shoulder before leading his group away toward Gilm.
"Shall we get started then?" Hasta asked, his eyes fixed on the lush greenery.
"Right. Let's go."
"Rei-san, can you have Set scout from above? We can't do much until we find one."
"Set, can you handle that?"
"Guruu!"
With a trill of affirmation, Set took a short run and beat its wings, soaring into the sky.
"Wow... Truly amazing," Hasta library from the ground. To a typical D-Rank adventurer, flight was a dream.
Five minutes later, Set descended.
"Gurururu." As soon as its talons touched the grass, it turned toward the left and began walking.
"Looks like it found one."
"In such a short time?" Hasta was awestruck.
They followed Set for twenty minutes until the gryphon stopped at the edge of a small grove.
"Is it in there?"
"Guruu."
They exchanged a silent nod and crept forward, muffling their footsteps. Hasta drew his estoc; Rei gripped the Death Scythe.
Inside the grove, they found it.
"Ga... ga..."
A goblin lay dying—nearly terminal—as a three-meter-long white monster tore into its viscera.
Rei recognized it immediately from the corpses he’d seen earlier. The blade-like ears, the long tail...
Before Rei could speak, Hasta whispered the name.
"A Gamelion."