Rei was currently listening to an explanation of the Dagger of Flowing Water—a magic item that could be a formidable weapon for those capable of mastering it, but served only as an inexhaustible water source for someone like Rei, who lacked an affinity for water. As he listened, an exasperated voice suddenly echoed through the office.
Rei turned his gaze toward the source and saw a man who appeared to be in his fifties. Though he was approaching old age, his physique remained lean and disciplined, likely a testament to a rigorous daily training regimen.
(Who is he?)
Rei instinctively shifted his hand toward the Mithril Knife concealed within his Dragon Robe, but he quickly checked the impulse, remembering that he was currently in the Guild Master's office. He reasoned that no matter who the man was, he was clearly an associate of Seis.
His judgment was proven correct in the next instant.
"You're late, Dialogo," Seis remarked.
"Don't be absurd. Now that we have the Aurani Grass powder, I have a mountain of orders to issue on my end. I barely managed to wrap things up and come here, only to find..."
Dialogo trailed off and let out a heavy sigh.
It was a natural reaction. A prospect for finally dealing with the Magic Fever epidemic in the City of Baar had appeared, and when he arrived at the guild to discuss future plans, he found his longtime friend using a magic item to destroy cups placed on the floor for no apparent reason.
"I wasn't doing this for my own amusement. I was planning to offer him a small request, and I was merely demonstrating the performance of the Dagger of Flowing Water as his reward."
"Him?"
Hearing that, Dialogo turned his gaze toward Rei, as if only just noticing his presence.
Accepting the look, Rei gave a polite nod and then glanced toward Seis, asking silently for an introduction.
"This is Dialogo, the Acting Lord of this city. He was once a member of the same party as me and Marina, the Guild Master of the City of Gilm. Dialogo, this boy is Rei. He is the adventurer who delivered the Aurani Grass powder from Gilm."
"Oh! So you're the one who brought the powder? You've saved us. Truly, you have my gratitude. With this, many of our residents suffering from Magic Fever will be saved. I know we can't save everyone, but far more will survive now than we initially estimated. I am truly glad you made it here."
Dialogo expressed his gratitude while boisterously slapping Rei's shoulder. Rei gave a small bow to the man now identified as the Acting Lord of the city.
"I am Rei, a D-Rank adventurer from the City of Gilm. I hope the relief supplies I brought can help eradicate the Magic Fever spreading through this city."
"Ah, they certainly will. The adventurers in this city might be somewhat inferior in skill compared to those of the City of Gilm, but our alchemists and pharmacists are every bit their equal."
He nodded proudly, and his boast held a grain of truth.
The adventurers of the City of Gilm fought monsters from the frontier on a daily basis, and their skills were naturally honed in a crucible of survival. Those lacking strength simply did not last as adventurers in Gilm. The only exceptions were H-Rank adventurers who handled menial chores within the city or the rare few lucky enough to be carried by a veteran party.
In comparison, there usually wasn't an extreme difference in the quality of alchemists or pharmacists regardless of the city. While there were slight variations in skill based on the availability of materials compared to those in Gilm, it wasn't to the same degree as adventurer ranks... with the exception of places like the Magic City Ozos.
"Anyway, I've requested that he find the cause of the Magic Fever outbreak in this city."
"...But does this boy even know the layout of the city? Ah, no, wait—I'm sure that woman wouldn't send someone unless she was confident in their abilities. I didn't mean to look down on you, boy."
Thinking his words might have offended Rei, Dialogo hurriedly shook his head to clarify. Rei gave a small wave of his hand to show he wasn't bothered.
"It's a fact that I'm not familiar with this city, and it's also true that I'm still just a D-Rank adventurer."
"And yet, you hold the record for the fastest promotion to D-Rank in the history of the guild in Gilm, don't you?" Seis added with a mischievous grin.
Rei gave a wry smile and nodded. "That's true, but..."
"Furthermore, Dialogo, you lack the senses to perceive it, but this child harbors an amount of magic power that is simply beyond belief. Since contracting Magic Fever depends on one's own magic capacity, he couldn't be safer. If this child were to fall ill, then I doubt anyone in this city would have the strength to resist it."
"...That much?"
At Seis's words, Dialogo turned his gaze toward Rei with an expression of astonishment.
Dialogo was a veteran adventurer himself and had an eye for discerning an opponent's strength. From what he could see, he could instinctively sense that the boy before him possessed extraordinary power. However, since Dialogo had originally been a thief and lacked any ability to perceive magic power, he couldn't feel the vast reserves Rei possessed and only felt a slight sense of incongruity—much like the feeling Rei himself felt when looking at powerful magic items.
"As an aside, Marina's letter also stated that if anything happened, I should rely on Rei."
"...That Marina. I wonder how long she intends to keep playing our guardian."
Though Dialogo and Seis were in their fifties, Marina, as a dark elf, had lived much longer than either of them. Back when they were fledgling adventurers, she had taken on a guardian-like role for their party. It was a role she apparently still felt entitled to, even though Dialogo had been the party leader back then.
"In any case, you have no objections to Rei investigating the cause of the Magic Fever, right? And as you said, he isn't familiar with the city. I'll need you to provide someone to assist him."
"Hmm, I see. ...Boy. No, Rei."
"Yes."
"When you entered the city, I believe you met the soldiers blockading the gate. Among them was a man named Sazanas. Are you familiar with him?"
The image of the man Rei had spoken to at the gate crossed his mind. "Yes. Since he was leading the soldiers, we spoke briefly."
"Good. Then I'll assign Sazanas to you as an assistant. However, we'll be busy with the relief supplies you brought today, so... tomorrow morning. I'll have him come pick you up. No, wait. If you came here as soon as you arrived, does that mean you haven't decided on an inn yet?"
"That's right. I can't leave the City of Baar for a week anyway to ensure I haven't developed symptoms, so I was planning to look for a room. As you probably saw when you entered the guild, Dialogo-san, I have a gryphon partner. I was hoping you could recommend an inn that accepts tamed monsters."
"Ah, that gryphon. It was a magnificent creature. When I saw it outside, it brought back nightmares from my adventuring days," Dialogo muttered with a distant, sentimental look in his eyes.
"Oh? A gryphon of that caliber?" Seis asked, intrigued.
"Yeah. It looked like it was of an entirely different class than the one we barely escaped from back then."
"That is quite a claim..."
The memory of a gryphon they had accidentally encountered in the depths of the frontier in their youth crossed Seis's mind. It was a time when they were arrogant, believing themselves to be first-rate adventurers. Despite Marina's warnings, they had attacked it, only to be utterly defeated. They had barely escaped with their lives—a bitter memory of a youthful mistake.
"Superior to that gryphon? ...Well then, I'll accompany you to the inn and see this creature for myself. Would you mind?"
"No, I don't mind at all. His name is Seto. As long as you don't pester him, he's very friendly."
"...Friendly?"
Hearing a word so unfitting for an A-Rank monster, Seis and Dialogo both turned stunned gazes toward Rei. Their expressions clearly questioned his sanity.
Noticing their looks, Rei gave a wry smile and nodded, knowing this was the normal reaction. It was a reminder of how much his perspective had been skewed by living in Gilm.
(Well, I suppose that's just how it is on the frontier.)
In the frontier, where monster attacks were a constant threat, people were quick to embrace anything that wasn't hostile and could contribute to their defense. That resilient spirit pervaded the entire city. If they hadn't been that pragmatic, the City of Gilm would have likely been in ruins by now.
"A-anyway. Setting aside the matter of friendliness, let's get you to an inn where you can stay with tamed monsters. Because of the epidemic, that inn has been taking in the sick, but they should still have a few rooms available."
"Please do that. I have to head back to the mansion and issue orders. Regarding the investigation, I'll send Sazanas to your inn tomorrow morning. You can hear the details from him then."
"Understood. If we don't find the cause, there's a possibility it could spread to Gilm as well. I'll do my best to find out what's going on."
Nodding at Rei's words, Dialogo hurried out of the office to return to the mansion to coordinate the distribution of the medicine. Rei and Seis followed shortly after.
"Oh, impressive," Seis remarked as they reached the guild 1F.
Most of the relief supplies had already disappeared from the request board. Furthermore, the massive pot that had contained the udon Rei brought had been properly washed and set aside.
"Ah, Guild Master. And Rei-san, too. The food was delicious!"
Seeing the two of them, the receptionist gave a polite bow with a smile.
"I'm glad it was well-received. ...More importantly, it seems the staff has thinned out?"
There had been few employees when he first entered, but now only a handful remained.
"Yes," the receptionist explained. "They've already begun distributing the medicine we made. We need every hand we can get for that."
"I see."
(That makes sense. Since the sick are scattered throughout the city, the medicine needs to be delivered individually. Those with low magic power probably can't even stand up, let alone come here.)
While Rei was thinking, the receptionist turned her attention to Seis.
"Is there something you need, Guild Master?"
"Rei will be staying in the city for a while to investigate the cause of the outbreak. I was going to guide him to an inn."
"The Guild Master is doing it personally? If you'd like, I can handle it."
"No, every department is short-handed right now. You are currently the only receptionist in the guild. Since I'm not that busy yet, it's best if I handle the introductions."
"...Understood. You're right. I have to hold down the fort until the other girls return."
The receptionist clenched her fists as if to encourage herself. There were naturally other receptionists in the city's guild, but most had fallen ill or were home caring for sick family members.
"With the medicine made from the Aurani Grass powder he brought, they'll all be back on their feet before long. Just believe in that and do your best for now."
"Yes! Have a safe trip!"
With the receptionist's encouragement at their backs, Rei and Seis stepped out of the guild.
"Oho... Just as Dialogo said, he gives the impression of being of a higher class than the one we saw in our youth."
Seis muttered the words as soon as he laid eyes on Seto.
"Guruuu?"
Sensing the murmur and Rei's presence, Seto opened its eyes and stood up, letting out a small cry as it approached. Seis instinctively moved to step back, but he managed to hold his ground. Rei stroked Seto's head as the gryphon rubbed against him, then moved to pet its back.
"Good heavens... to think it would be this attached. Rei, if you don't mind, may I try petting him as well?"
"Sure. As long as you pet him normally, there shouldn't be any problem."
"...Alright."
Taking a deep breath, Seis gingerly reached out and touched Seto's back. The gryphon turned its gaze toward Seis for a moment, but judging that the man meant no harm, it simply leaned into Rei's hand and enjoyed the attention.
"Oh, oh... so this is a gryphon, the King of Beasts and Birds."
Seis murmured, seemingly moved by the smooth texture of the feathers. After about five minutes, he finally came to his senses and led Rei and Seto toward the inn.