“...Whew.”
Rei let out a long sigh as he finished reading the letter from Elena. However, his breath carried a distinct note of satisfaction.
“Kyu?”
Iero, the tiny dragon, tilted its head as it watched him.
“A familiar created using your own magic power, huh?”
“Kyuu!” Iero puffed out its chest proudly, as if to say, That’s right!
Rei couldn’t help but chuckle as he gently stroked the little creature's head. At barely twenty centimeters long, every movement the dragon made was nothing short of adorable.
As he petted the familiar, the smile gradually faded from Rei’s lips.
Creating a familiar using magic power... it’s strikingly similar to Beast Magic. Based on the letter, it probably can’t absorb magic stones, but perhaps Beast Magic was originally developed using Dragon Language Magic as a base? Or rather, Dragon Language Sorcery, as it was called back then.
He paused to sift through the vast stores of Zephyle's Knowledge.
It’s hard to say for sure. Every type of magic was used as a reference during its development, and Dragon Language Sorcery was certainly among them. But so many other diverse schools were involved that it’s impossible to call it the definitive source.
Rei nodded at the retrieved information and looked down at Iero, who was staring up at him as if asking what was wrong.
Now, the real issue is Iero. What should I do with it? A creature this size is bound to attract attention just by being carried around, let alone one that looks like a dragon. I already stand out far too much in this city. If I start walking around with a miniature dragon in addition to Seto, I’ll be a magnet for trouble whether I like it or not. I suppose I could just be defiant about it, but...
“Even if we ignore the attention I’d get, you might end up being targeted by some unsavory characters,” Rei muttered, looking troubled.
“Kyuu? ...Kyu!”
Iero seemed to catch his drift. It flapped its small wings, putting some distance between itself and Rei.
“Kyuu!”
With a sharp cry, the dragon’s form suddenly bled into the surrounding scenery, turning completely transparent.
“...What?” Rei gasped in surprise, reaching out his hand. When he felt around the empty space where Iero had been, his fingers brushed against something solid.
“The special ability mentioned in the letter?”
“Kyu!” Iero’s voice rang out from the void. An instant later, it deactivated its invisibility and reappeared.
Rei recalled the passage in Elena’s letter. “I see. If the enemy can’t find you, they can’t attack you. In that case, your appearance isn't an issue.”
Rei muttered his realization, though the reality was slightly more complex. Elena had been painstakingly teaching herself Dragon Language Magic by scouring ancient texts, but since the art was virtually extinct, her progress was slow. While she had succeeded in creating Iero, its combat prowess was negligible—it would struggle to defeat even a single goblin. It was only through an extreme stroke of luck, a literal one-in-a-million miracle, that Iero had gained its invisibility ability during its creation.
“Well, if you can do that, it should be fine. For now, you’ll deliver my reply to Elena, right?”
“Kyu!” Iero puffed out its chest again, as if saying, Leave it to me!
Rei felt a wave of warmth at the dragon’s enthusiasm. He sat down at the desk in his room and picked up a pen... then immediately froze.
“...What am I even supposed to write?”
The most Rei had ever written in his previous life were New Year’s cards. He considered writing about his time in the City of Baar, but Elena had likely heard those stories from Ara already, making it redundant.
In that case, I should focus on what’s happened since I returned to the City of Gilm... Oh, right. I should mention the magic item I got from the Guild Master. And that she’s a dark elf who used to be in a party with the Acting Lord and the Guild Master of the City of Baar.
Settling on a plan, Rei began to write. His handwriting wasn't exactly elegant, but it had a sincerity to it that only a handwritten letter could convey.
However, Rei made one critical error: he described the Guild Master as a "dark elf beauty." Since Elena had already shared her first kiss with him, his casual mention of Marina’s good looks would eventually cause the noblewoman no small amount of anxiety.
The rest is just my hunt for Blue Caterpillars with Rhodos, a member of the Axe of the Thunder God that Elena knows. As for the spies... I’m not sure if I should share that info yet, so I’ll leave it out.
He added a note about how the Blue Caterpillars were even more revolting than he’d imagined—so much so that even Seto refused to eat them—and closed by telling her to watch her health now that winter had truly arrived.
“Hmm, I guess this works. It’s my first time writing to a noble, but Elena probably won't mind a few mistakes.”
“Kyu!” Iero chirped, as if telling him not to worry. To Iero, the content was irrelevant; its only mission was to deliver the physical letter. Having only just been created, the familiar lacked dragon life experience and didn't bother itself with such trivialities.
Unfamiliar with formal correspondence himself, Rei decided the letter was finished.
“So, what’s your plan? Are you heading back immediately?”
“Kyuu.” Iero shook its head. While its primary task was delivering the reply, Elena had given it other instructions as well.
Rei tilted his head, unaware of the dragon’s hidden agenda. “Oh? You don't have to go back yet? Well, do you want to see the city for a bit?”
“Kyu!” Iero nodded enthusiastically.
“Alright. If you’re interested, let’s head out. Seto is probably bored out of his mind in the stables anyway.”
Rei threw on his Dragon Robe and prepared to leave.
“Kyu!” Iero gave a small cry and landed on Rei’s right shoulder, vanishing into invisibility the moment its feet touched the fabric.
“...That really is convenient,” Rei muttered. He took on countless subjugation requests at the Guild to collect magic stones, and the tactical advantage of being invisible was blindingly obvious.
Of course, plenty of monsters sense their prey through sound, smell, or magic power instead of sight, so it’s not a perfect defense.
With those thoughts in mind, he left the inn and headed for the stables. Outside, the snow was already about ten centimeters deep and continuing to fall in a light dusting.
“Well, Seto likes the snow, so I suppose it’s fine.”
He idly wondered if Seto would ever be the type to curl up under a kotatsu like a cat, then realized how much of a nightmare it would be to get him outside for winter quests if he were. As he entered the stables, the horses and the flightless riding birds watched him with curious eyes.
They aren't spooked by Seto. They must have been here for a while... Oh, right, that mercenary band was staying here.
Rei recalled the unfamiliar faces he’d seen in the dining hall over the last few days, often holding loud banquets late into the night. Since they were the tamed monsters of mercenaries, they were far more composed in a gryphon's presence than the average horse. They were still clearly intimidated—they were far quieter than usual—but they weren't paralyzed with fear.
“Guruuu?”
Sensing Rei’s arrival, Seto poked his head out of his stall.
“Guru... Guruuu?” Seto moved to nuzzle Rei as usual, but his keen gryphon senses immediately detected the presence on Rei’s shoulder. He didn't attack, sensing that the invisible Iero wasn't a threat to his partner. Seto simply stared at the empty space on Rei’s shoulder with wide, curious eyes.
“Kyu!”
Realizing it had been spotted, Iero revealed itself and flapped its short wings over to Seto.
“Gurururu.”
“Kyuu!”
“Guru?”
“Kyu!”
“Guruuu, gurururuu.”
“Kyukyu! Kyu!”
Are they... actually having a conversation? Rei wondered.
The two continued their exchange of chirps and trills for a while. Whether they were actually speaking or just using body language, they seemed to reach an understanding within minutes. Iero took a liking to the gryphon and hopped onto his back.
“Well, it’s better than them fighting. Iero, don’t forget to hide yourself if anyone else comes near.”
“Kyu!” Iero chirped and lay down on Seto’s back.
Rei smiled and stroked Seto’s head. “I’m going for a walk through town. You want to come, Seto?”
“Guruuu!” Seto nodded vigorously.
Leaving behind the other stable animals—who seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief as the gryphon departed—Rei, Seto, and the once-again invisible Iero stepped out into the cold.
“Now that I think about it...” Rei looked at the falling snow and muttered, “Iero looks like a dragon, even if it is a familiar. Is it okay in this weather? I’d be in a bind if it suddenly went into hibernation.”
“Kyu?” A voice drifted down from Seto’s back. Iero was invisible, but Rei could tell the little dragon was tilting its head in confusion.
“No, it’s nothing.” Rei shook his head, realizing it was a bit rude to lump dragons and lizards together.
He enjoyed the crunch of the snow under Seto’s paws as they made their way to the main street. Because of the cold and the snow, the usual rows of open-air stalls had thinned out significantly. However, the few food carts that remained were surrounded by surprisingly large crowds. Though the recipes varied, every single one of them was serving the same thing: udon.
“Wow. There are all kinds of udon styles now,” Rei noted as he walked past the carts.
While udon was the core ingredient, the broths were diverse. The most popular version featured the meat and vegetable soup first popularized by the Full Belly Diner. Other carts served the noodles tossed in a meat sauce made of sautéed ground meat, while others—lacking soy sauce—offered a salt-flavored yaki udon.
“Guruuu.” Seto’s stomach rumbled at the savory scents, and he let out an expectant trill.
Rei looked around the carts with a grimace. Udon was primarily a bowl-and-broth dish. Even the yaki udon wasn't exactly "walk-and-eat" food like sandwiches or grilled skewers. More importantly, Seto’s massive two-meter-long frame would be a major obstacle for the other customers. It might have been okay if a cart were empty, but every udon stall Rei saw was packed with people.
“How about some grilled skewers instead, Seto?”
Rei suggested the skewers as they were the perfect food for eating on the move. Many of the udon carts offered them as a side dish, so they didn't have to go far.
“Guruuu,” Seto whined, sounding disappointed.
“Kyu!” Iero’s voice rang out from Seto’s back, seemingly trying to comfort him.
In the end, Rei bought nearly twenty grilled skewers, and the trio continued their trek through the light snow, happily snacking as they went.