In front of the Main Gate of the City of Baar, a diverse crowd had gathered. Among them were Seis, who had finally risen from his sickbed after suffering the side effects of the Resonance Necklace; Dialogo, the Acting Lord of the City of Baar; Sazanas, the captain of the Guard Force; and Ara, with her Power Axe strapped to her back.
They were all there to see off Rei, clad in his Dragon Robe, and his companion Set, the Gryphon, who had enjoyed a week of relative peace.
"You’ve been an incredible help. I’ll send word to Marina in the City of Gilm later, but for now, take these."
Seis handed over the documents certifying the completion of the request.
"If you hadn't arrived when you did, the death toll from the Magic Fever would likely have been ten or a hundred times higher. As the Guild Master of the City of Baar, you have my deepest gratitude."
"I only wish I could have saved everyone."
Rei had made it from Gilm to Baar in effectively two days, but even his speed hadn't been enough to save every patient. Over ten people whose magic power was too low to resist the disease had passed away before the medicine could reach them.
As Rei sighed, Dialogo, standing beside Seis, shook his head.
"It’s a tragedy we couldn't save them all, but that’s not your cross to bear. It’s pure arrogance to think you can save every single soul. You did everything you could. As the Acting Lord of the City of Baar, I thank you as well."
"I understand. Good luck with the reconstruction."
"Hah, of course! The people of this city are a resilient lot. We’re already rebuilding the East Storage Facility. Stop by again once the work is finished. When you do, I’ll treat you to all the top-quality distilled liquor you can drink—it's our specialty."
"...Please, go easy on me."
Rei, knowing he wasn't particularly strong when it came to alcohol, could only offer a weak response.
Sazanas, the captain of the Guard Force, was the next to step forward. He held a 30cm cask in his hands.
"Here, take this as a souvenir. It’s a bit awkward following Dialogo-san's offer, but this is a truly top-quality distilled liquor."
"...Wait, Sazanas."
Rei eyed him suspiciously, wondering if he’d pilfered a choice cask from the municipal stores. Sazanas gave a wry smile and shook his head.
"Don't worry. This is a gift from the whole Guard Force. We all chipped in for it."
"I see. In that case, I’ll accept it. I don't drink much myself, but I know someone back in Gilm who’ll love this."
The image of the alcohol-loving Dwarf he’d encountered during the recent turmoil came to mind.
The kind of man who likely had alcohol in his veins instead of blood would surely be thrilled by such a gift.
Thinking this, Rei tucked the cask into his Misty Ring.
"Lord Rei."
Finally, Ara stepped forward, her Battle Axe on her back.
Over the past week, she’d squeezed in several mock battles with Rei between her duties looking after Soleil. Her body bore several minor cuts and bruises as a result, yet her face held a radiant smile.
In truth, she’d been using the sparring sessions to burn off the stress of dealing with Soleil’s whims, so her satisfaction was well-earned.
"Please give my best to Elena."
"I will. And, um... if you wouldn't mind, please write a letter to Lady Elena sometime. I think it would make her very happy."
"A letter... a letter, huh..."
Elgin lacked anything resembling a postal system. To send a letter, one had to hire an adventurer or entrust it to traveling merchants. Depending on the distance and sheer luck, it was common for mail to take months—or even years—to arrive.
Reflecting on this, Rei nonetheless nodded at Ara’s request.
"You're right. I won't have much to do once winter sets in, so I might as well try my hand at it. Though I expect the snow will only delay the delivery further."
"Hehe, I suppose so. ...Ah, damn it! I should have had you write it while you were still here in the City of Baar!"
Ara looked genuinely distraught at having overlooked such an obvious solution.
However, she had spent the last week being run ragged by Soleil. It was only natural that her mind hadn't been on administrative matters.
Then again, Rei hadn't thought of it either, which left him with no way to console her beyond a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.
"Well, we shouldn't linger forever. Let's go, Set."
"Guruuu."
Set, who had been snacking on the treasured dried meat Dialogo had provided, chirped and trotted over at Rei’s call.
"We're taking our leave. If the opportunity arises, I'll definitely visit again."
"Umu. Again, you have our thanks. I’ll have to send Marina a proper thank-you for sending you our way."
"Yeah! Like I said, next time you're here, I'll crack open the good stuff for you. Don't be a stranger!"
To the cheers of Seis and Dialogo, Rei vaulted onto Set's back.
"Set!"
"Gururururuuu!"
Set let out a triumphant cry, took a short running start, and beat its wings.
The pair rose into the air as if ascending an invisible staircase, while those gathered below watched until they were nothing more than a speck in the sky.
Set flew toward the City of Gilm, leaving the City of Baar far behind. As Rei sat atop its back, he felt something cold brush against his hood.
"...Snow?"
"Guruu."
He murmured as he watched the faint white flakes flutter down.
The sky was a heavy, overcast gray, and the clouds had swallowed the sun, casting a dim gloom over the landscape.
It wasn't even noon yet, but the temperature refused to rise. Fortunately, the wind was relatively calm. Neither Rei nor Set minded the cold, but wind was always a factor when traveling by air.
"Snow, huh... Winter's finally arriving in earnest."
"Guruu."
Financially, Rei had no concerns, but Set’s appetite was another matter. Even in winter, he’d likely have to venture out to secure monster meat. That thought triggered a memory.
"Oh, that's right. The Gamelion magic stones and meat are still in the Misty Ring."
The request to deliver relief supplies to Baar had come right when he was debating what to do with the stones, and the matter had been buried at the back of his mind. The Sword Bee magic stones also crossed his thoughts, prompting a decision.
"I want to see how that Terrain Manipulation skill I got from the Dungeon Core works, so let's camp tonight instead of pushing for a town. You want to try that Gamelion meat, don't you, Set?"
"Gururururuuu!"
Set let out a joyous howl at the mention of the meat. Only a pair like them, unfazed by the cold, would choose to camp in this weather. Any other adventurer would avoid a winter camp at all costs, fearing they might freeze to death in their sleep as the snow piled up.
They soared past the village nearest to the City of Baar, crossed the fork where they had camped previously, and flew over the City of Sablusta. Having flown without a single break, Rei was beginning to feel the weight of mental fatigue. The morning snow had stopped, and the crisp winter air offered a stunning sunset that distracted Rei from his weariness.
"Set, let’s set up camp before it gets dark. Lunch was just something we could eat on the wing, so let's make dinner a bit more special."
"Gurururuu."
They’d had breakfast in Baar, but the city was still technically under lockdown until a week had passed since the last recovery. The restrictions were due to be lifted in a few days, but until then, food was still under a rationing system. There simply hadn't been enough to satisfy the appetites of the man and his beast. On the bright side, the inn’s original owner had returned to the kitchen, so the quality of the meals had improved significantly.
Rei spotted a small cluster of trees below. It wasn't quite a forest, but the trees were thick enough to offer some protection from wind or snow.
"Set, let’s settle there."
"Guruu."
Set chirped in agreement and glided down toward the clearing. Fortunately, the area was clear of monsters, allowing them to begin their preparations in peace.
"Before we eat, I want to check these skills."
"Gurururuu."
Set rubbed its face against Rei, its eyes clearly saying, 'I'm starving!'
Rei sighed. Given the meager rations in Baar, he couldn't blame the bird-cat. He pulled a 2kg block of Orc meat from the Misty Ring.
Normally, he’d slice it up for grilled skewers or a proper meal, but...
"Gururururururuuu!"
Set, having reached the limit of its patience, lunged at the raw Orc meat and began tearing into it.
Watching his partner eat, Rei gave a small sigh, drew his Death Scythe, and pressed the butt end against the ground.
"Terrain Manipulation."
He activated the skill with the intent of causing the ground beneath them to sink by a meter.
"...Is this it for Level 1?"
Rei looked around. His line of sight had dropped, but only by about 10cm.
The ground had sunken in a perfect circle with Rei at its center.
"Guruu?"
Even through its preoccupation with the meat, Set noticed the shift and tilted its head in confusion.
"A 10m radius, maybe?"
Rei noted that the tree they were using for cover had also dropped by 10cm.
"Then how about this?"
Next, he envisioned the ground rising. A moment later, the sunken earth surged upward, lifting his line of sight.
He stepped about ten meters away to inspect the result. The ground had risen about 20cm from its lowest point—or 10cm above its original level.
"I see. So 10cm is the limit, whether I’m sinking it or raising it. If this were a meter, I could do a lot with it in combat... but I suppose I should just be happy I got a skill at all from a Dungeon Core."
Rei walked back to Set.
Beast Magic normally required the consumption of magic stones. The fact that it could absorb a Dungeon Core at all was a surprise, and he decided to count himself lucky for the new utility.
"Alright, next. The Sword Bee magic stone."
Rei looked at Set, but the Gryphon was once again lost in its Orc meat. Sighing at the display of hunger, Rei tossed the Sword Bee magic stone into the air.
"Hah!"
A horizontal slash from the Death Scythe shattered the stone, which vanished into mist.
"No skill, then."
There was no familiar mental chime. He let out another sigh.
By the time Set had finished the meat and regained some composure, Rei turned back to it.
"Set, time for dessert."
He tossed a magic stone toward Set’s beak, but...
"Guruu."
Just as with the Death Scythe, there was no announcement.
"Nothing for you either, huh? Well, the Sword Bee is a low-rank monster, so I guess it’s to be expected. Don't let it get to you."
Rei patted the dejected Gryphon's head. With his other hand, he pulled two Gamelion magic stones from the Misty Ring.
One was from a normal Gamelion, while the other—from a Rare Species—was notably larger.
"Now, how should we split these?"
Rei began to ponder the dilemma once more, just as he had back in the inn at Gilm.