"……I'm sorry."
Rhodos bowed his head toward Rei at the sight spread out before them.
In an effort to pierce through the Blue Caterpillar's Wind Barrier, Rhodos had unleashed what could be called his trump card. The strike had certainly penetrated the barrier and struck the creature's body, but the force was so overwhelming that the torso had been pulverized into tiny pieces. Fragments of the Blue Caterpillar's head were scattered across the snow, while the portion of the torso near the tail remained pinned to the ground by the Thorn Spear. Worst of all, the Magic Stone—the most valuable part of the monster—had been crushed along with the rest of its body.
Rei turned his gaze toward the bowing Rhodos and eventually let out a sigh.
"Well, what's done is done."
If this were an ordinary adventurer—especially one desperate for coin this time of year—it likely would have sparked a major confrontation. Fortunately, Rei wasn't hurting for money. His primary interest in this subjugation request was the Magic Stones themselves. Had there been only one Blue Caterpillar, Rei might have become hostile, but since they were tasked with hunting six in total, he figured securing the rest wouldn't be too difficult. He decided to forgive Rhodos without making a fuss.
"I’m telling you now, though: be prepared for your share of the reward to be smaller to account for this mistake."
Naturally, he didn't forget to drive that point home.
"Yeah, I know," Rhodos replied with a sigh. He drew a dagger from the sheath opposite his longsword and began stripping the right antenna—the proof of subjugation part—along with the tusks, which could be sold as materials.
Watching him, Rei touched the Thorn Spear embedded in the creature. He deactivated the magic to make the thorns retract from the spearhead before retrieving it.
The Thorn Spear, huh? It's a fairly useful magic item, but it’s a bit of a shame that it only produces thorns while the tip is lodged in something. If the thorns remained even after it was pulled out, it would be much more versatile.
Rei mused to himself as he admired the weapon. He pulled a cloth from the Misty Ring to wipe away the Blue Caterpillar's body fluid, then stored the spear and swapped it for his Death Scythe. By the time he was ready, Rhodos had finished the stripping and was waiting.
"Guruuu."
Seto, having nothing better to do, had been passing the time by keeping a sharp watch on their surroundings. Perhaps because the gryphon had inherited some of Rei's preferences when he was created through Beast Magic, he apparently had no appetite for a giant larva like the Blue Caterpillar.
"Alright, time for the next one. Seto, I'm counting on you again."
"Guruuu!"
At Rei's request, Seto took off and soared into the sky once more.
"Flying Slash!"
The wave of force unleashed by the Death Scythe's skill easily tore through the Blue Caterpillar's Wind Barrier, severing its soft torso. Several hours had passed since the first kill. Having finally defeated the sixth and final target, Rei and Rhodos let out heavy sighs of relief.
"Finally finished. It's starting to get dark; we should get back to the city before the sun goes down."
"You're right. Lunch was just a light snack, so I'm dying for something warm for dinner."
Rei agreed as he used his stripping knife to remove the right antenna and tusks. He sliced open the squishy torso—frowning slightly at the rubbery sensation—and retrieved the Magic Stone. He produced a stream of water from his Dagger of Flowing Water to wash away the slime before tucking the stone away.
Rhodos sighed at Rei's comment.
"Calling that meal 'light'... This is why I hate dealing with an Item Box user."
Rhodos muttered with a look of exasperation, but Rei had heard such comments too many times to care.
"Because of that 'light' meal, you got to eat decent food instead of just gnawing on dried meat and bread. You should be thanking me."
"Yeah, that's true. But taking requests with you makes me get used to luxury. It'll be a nightmare when I'm back working with my father and mother... What is it?"
While they were talking, Rei suddenly froze. Rhodos asked reflexively, shifting into a defensive stance and reaching for the longsword at his waist, ready for any emergency.
Rei, who had been cleaning his dismantling knife with a cloth from the Misty Ring, didn't answer. Instead, he scanned their surroundings with narrow eyes. Beside him, Seto was also on high alert, his gaze sweeping the snowy wasteland.
I felt someone watching us for a split second... but it vanished immediately. Was it just my imagination? No, judging by Seto's behavior, there's definitely something out there. Which means it's almost certainly not a mistake. Did they realize I noticed and immediately cut off their line of sight? There's no presence nearby that I can sense, though... nothing.
"Seto?"
"Guruu."
Seto understood the silent question, but the gryphon let out a soft cry and shook his head.
Even Seto can't find them? That means the moment I noticed the gaze, they had already retreated... No, with Seto's five senses, there's no way they could just run away. In that case... could it be teleportation?
Rei quickly connected the dots in his mind.
When he thought of teleportation, the first thing that came to mind were the teleportation magic items used by the alchemists of the Bestia Empire. While there was a chance it was a Space Magic user, Rei had never met one other than Lich Lord Grimm, so he leaned toward the more likely imperial explanation.
"Hey, Rei. What's wrong? Is it another monster?"
"……No, it seems it was just my imagination. I guess I'm just high-strung since it's been a while since I've been out in the field."
Have they reached out toward the City of Gilm again... or am I the target this time?
Rei kept his inner turmoil hidden as he shook his head at Rhodos. After all, he had ruined the assassination plot against Elena in the dungeon, captured the alchemist who was infiltrating Gilm, and caught two of their Beast Soldiers. To the Bestia Empire, Rei was a massive thorn in their side. It was only natural for them to try to eliminate the threat.
Still, in this wasteland, any attempt to attack would be detected instantly with so little cover—especially with Seto here. That means they'll likely try something inside the city.
"Anyway, we've got all six caterpillars. It’s freezing out here, so let's head back."
"Yeah, let's. I just remembered a few things I need to take care of."
"Things you need to do?"
"Just some errands. Sorry, but once we hand in the proof of subjugation at the guild, I’m heading straight back to the inn. Have that celebratory drink with your family."
"A celebratory drink? We just finished a routine request; my parents aren't going to throw a party for that. Come on, move it. I don't want my mother worrying because we're late."
"Yeah, yeah."
"……Hey, are you sure you're okay?"
Normally, Rei would have immediately fired back with a tease, but seeing him so preoccupied, Rhodos couldn't help but ask.
"Hm? Oh, I'm fine. Just thinking about the errands."
"If you're in that much of a rush, do you want to ride Seto back first? I don't mind."
Rhodos looked toward Seto, but the gryphon pointedly looked away and ignored him as usual. Rei smiled at his partner's stubbornness and stroked his head, shaking his head at Rhodos.
"No, it's not that urgent. Besides, I'd never hear the end of it from Elk and Min if I left you alone and ditched you out here."
Furthermore, if I really am being targeted by a Bestia Empire operative, there's a chance Rhodos might be grabbed as a hostage if he's alone. Once we're back in the City of Gilm, Elk will be there. It's safer to stick together until then.
The moment Rhodos heard that, his eyebrows shot up.
"Hey, I'm not some kid who needs a babysitter, nor am I a rookie fresh out of the guild. I can handle myself fine."
"Don't be stupid. You know better than I do that wandering alone outside the city is a death wish."
Traveling alone outside the safety of the walls was suicide by any standard. Perhaps near a more developed city it might be common, but they were on the frontier. Only those with immense skill, overconfident idiots, or amateurs who knew nothing of the dangers would travel alone.
Well, I suppose being C-Rank gives him some confidence... but even so, moving alone without a good reason is not what a veteran does. This kind of attitude is probably why people say he's riding his parent's coat-tails.
Rhodos seemed to cool down after Rei's warning, and he reluctantly headed back toward the city with them.
"Alright, your guild cards are checked. And here is the Tamed Monster's Necklace."
After the usual exchange with Ranga at the entrance to the City of Gilm, Rei tucked his guild card into the Misty Ring and fastened the necklace around Seto's neck.
"Even so, you make plenty of money already... why take a request now? And with Rhodos-kun of the Axe of the Thunder God, no less."
"Good question."
Ranga tilted his head at Rei's vague answer.
"Is it something I shouldn't have asked? If so, forget I said anything."
"No, it's nothing like that. Honestly, I don't even know why I took the job. It was all Elk's whim."
"Ouch, that explains it..."
Ranga had been the captain of the guards for a long time, so he was well-acquainted with Elk's impulsive nature. He looked at Rei with genuine sympathy.
"It would have been better if it were a monster with meat Seto liked, but even he didn't want to touch those caterpillars."
"Guruuu."
Seto purred in agreement, as if to say, "Obviously."
"Hahaha. Well, Blue Caterpillars are nasty things. As a guard, I'm just happy there are fewer of them. They've been causing quite a lot of trouble lately."
After their brief chat, they entered the city. Rei and Rhodos headed to the guild, where they sold the materials and proof of subjugation. After splitting the reward—Rei took the two Magic Stones, so his monetary share was smaller—he left Rhodos to deal with Elk's attempt to drag them to a banquet and dodged Kenny's dinner invitation. He slipped away and began walking through the city with Seto.
……There they are.
Rei felt a gaze fixed on him and narrowed his eyes. Seto also seemed restless, eating a sandwich Rei had bought for him while constantly scanning the street.
The crowd is too thick to pinpoint them.
It was already evening, and the streets were packed with people looking for dinner, heading to taverns, or returning home from work. Someone was watching Rei while blending into the throng, but their position remained elusive.
"Seto?"
"Guruu."
Seto gave a frustrated purr, indicating he couldn't find them in the crowd either.
In that case, I have to lure them somewhere quiet. Given how they acted in the wasteland, they'll likely bolt the moment they realize they're being baited, but I can't stand having someone watch me like this indefinitely.
"Sorry, guys. Seto and I have some business to take care of. Let's play tomorrow."
Despite the bitter cold, several children had come up to play with Seto. Rei spoke to them gently but firmly.
"Aww! But we just got here to see Seto-chan!"
"Yeah! Look, we even brought dried meat! Just a few more minutes, please!"
"Seto-chan..."
They all protested, but Rei couldn't risk having children nearby when he confronted the stalker. It took about five minutes of persuasion, but he finally managed to send them home.
"……Alright, let's do this."
"Guruu."
With a wry smile at the kids' lingering enthusiasm, Rei stepped into a quiet back alley. He confirmed that the gaze was still on him and began navigating a series of narrow, maze-like passages until he reached a dead end.
"I wonder if it’ll be a demon or a serpent," he muttered.
He pulled a knife for material stripping from the Misty Ring. In such a confined space, a long weapon like the Death Scythe was too cumbersome. He kept the knife hidden inside his Dragon Robe so his opponent wouldn't know he was armed. The reason he didn't use the higher-quality Mithril Knife was that he was considering the possibility of having to throw this one.
They've stopped trying to hide their presence.
Even though they were at a dead end with no one else around, the gaze remained fixed on him. Seeing that his opponent was finally ready to face him—a complete shift from their behavior outside the city—Rei waited. A few minutes later, a single figure emerged from the path they had just taken.
"Good grief. I was quite confident in my stealth... but I never imagined you would detect my gaze so easily."