“Rei-kun! ……Phew, thank goodness. You made it back safe.”
After settling the distribution of the Icebird remains and taking the two remaining wagons under their protection, Rei and the others finally arrived at the City of Gilm.
Waiting for them was Ranga and several other members of the Guard Force, who welcomed them back with a mix of surprise and relieved smiles.
“Did the word come in from the Guild?” Rei asked as he handed his Guild Card to Ranga.
“Yeah, of course. We heard you took off on Set directly from the city center because of an emergency request. Since the Guild filed the proper application, there won’t be any penalties for flying inside the city, so rest easy,” Ranga replied, checking the Guild Card before handing it back.
Ranga’s gaze drifted toward Set. The Gryphon was still wearing his Tamed Monster's Necklace, which would normally have been collected the moment he left the city gates.
“That’s a relief. Still, a flock of Icebirds, huh? Does that happen often?”
“No, no. Sightings of individual Icebirds are common enough, but for them to form a flock that size? That’s extremely rare.”
“……So this was an exceptional case?”
“Most likely.”
While Rei and Ranga talked, the caravan merchants, the escort adventurers, and Mireinu’s relief unit were also moving through the entry procedures. Amidst the bustle, one of the more hefty merchants approached Mireinu, who was currently preoccupied watching Set.
“Excuse me, but just who is that person? To look at him, he seems like nothing more than an apprentice mage in his mid-teens, yet he has a Gryphon—an A-Rank monster—under his command. That one man and one beast displayed such overwhelming combat power out there, and he used magic on top of it. ……It’s a bit hard to believe.”
At the merchant’s voice, the other traders and escorts found themselves listening intently.
Child adventurers weren't rare, nor were monster tamers, mages, or warriors. However, an adventurer who embodied all of those traits at once was an anomaly. It would have been stranger not to be curious.
Mireinu knew this well. Even if she tried to play it off, Rei was already quite famous in Gilm. One could gather plenty of information just by asking a random stall owner on the street.
Calculating quickly, Mireinu held her hand out toward the merchant.
Her meaning was clear: she wanted an information fee.
The man was a merchant himself and understood the value of information. Without hesitation, he handed Mireinu a silver coin.
Mireinu had expected a copper coin at best, and she was inwardly stunned by the amount. Keeping her face neutral, she leaned in and whispered into the merchant’s ear. From the merchant's perspective, information on an adventurer of that caliber was worth far more than a single silver coin; he would have gladly paid a gold one.
“His name is Rei. The Gryphon is Seto-cha—I mean, Set. It’s only been about six months since he arrived in Gilm, but he’s the city’s top up-and-coming adventurer. He climbed to D-Rank in the shortest time in the history of the City of Gilm Adventurer's Guild. ……Actually, wait. He’s supposed to hit C-Rank once he finishes Baslero’s request. Regardless, it’s a fact that he’s moved up the ranks faster than anyone else. While he was still G-Rank, he soloed an Orc King, a B-Rank monster.”
“……You’re joking.”
The merchant stared at her, unable to believe his ears.
It was a natural reaction. To anyone with common sense, the idea of a G-Rank soloing a B-Rank monster was absurd. It was the kind of event that defied the logic of the world.
“A-Ah, I see. I’m sure the rumors have just been blown out of proportion? You know how stories tend to take on a life of their own.”
Mireinu simply shook her head.
“That might be true for other rumors, but the Orc King is an undeniable fact. I know because I was there to see him kill it.”
“……My word……”
“His combat power is the real deal. He’s currently D-Rank, but the consensus among adventurers is that he could probably hold his own against an A-Rank. Personally, I’ve never even seen the limit of what he can do. And besides……”
At that moment, Mireinu thought of the various special abilities she had seen during the battle with the Orcs—powers that a Gryphon shouldn't naturally possess.
However, she kept her mouth shut. A Seed of Restraint had been planted inside her and the rest of Scorching Wind, a magical seal that ensured her silence.
“No, it’s nothing. Also, as you saw during the fight, he possesses a great many magic items. I hear his personal hobby is collecting them. ……Must be nice to have that kind of coin.”
Mireinu let out a small sigh. Between her obsession with Set and her chronic lack of funds, she didn't have a copper to spare for magic items, no matter how hard she looked.
“Magic items, I see. Well, if that’s the case, then perhaps……”
The merchant nodded, murmuring something to himself as if he had a lead on a potential trade. Mireinu continued.
“He collects magic stones, too. Though he has a strange rule about only keeping two of each type. According to him, it’s one for viewing and one for preservation.”
“……Magic stones? Well, if he’s a collector of magic items, I suppose that isn't too strange.”
“He’s also quite the gourmet. You know that Udon dish that’s been all the rage in the city lately? Rei is the one who came up with it.”
“Udon?”
“Yeah. They sell it at stalls, so you should give it a try. The owner of the Full Belly Diner learned the recipe directly from Rei, so if you want the authentic version, go there.”
“Hah…… The fastest rank-up record, guaranteed combat skill, and a deep knowledge of miscellaneous subjects…… What kind of superhuman is this Rei?”
The merchant looked toward Rei, who was still talking with Ranga, with an expression that was less admiration and more pure exasperation.
“Word is he was raised by an eccentric mage from the time he was born. Once his training was over, his master basically kicked him out and told him to go be an adventurer.”
“I see…… I suppose there really are all sorts in this world. ……You’ve been a great help. Thank you for the information. I think I’ll try to speak with him later when I go to offer my thanks.”
The merchant bowed and headed into the city with his companions.
Watching him go, Mireinu worried she might have been a bit too talkative, but she quickly hurried over to Ekryl, who was calling for her.
“Young Master!”
The moment Rei and Baslero entered the Guild, a cry bordering on a scream rang out through the hall.
“A-Ashie!?”
Baslero recognized the voice instantly. Before he could even lift his head, his small frame was engulfed in a tight embrace, pinning his arms to his sides.
“Young Master, what were you thinking, going outside the city…… and into a battle with monsters! To think you would hide in a wagon like that! When I came to meet you and heard what happened, do you have any idea how I felt?!”
Ashie hugged him with all her strength, tears streaming down her face.
“Mmph, mgh, mghaa! H-How did you even know!?”
Baslero gasped for air, nearly suffocating against the two ample mounds that were quite impressive for a fifteen-year-old. Once he managed to pull his head back, he shouted his question.
The men drinking in the tavern area turned to look, but they quickly averted their eyes. Despite the pair being a young maid and a ten-year-old boy—prime targets for a drunken harasser—they were flanked by Rei, Mireinu, and the rest of the veteran relief unit.
“You didn't come home at the usual time, so I came to get you. That’s when the receptionist told me you were missing……”
“B-But normally you wouldn't jump to the conclusion that I’d snuck into a wagon, right? You’d think I’d just taken a detour or something.”
“I could never imagine the Young Master doing such a thing while Rei-san and the others were heading out to save people!” Ashie declared with absolute conviction. Baslero recoiled slightly at her intensity. “Besides, my maid's intuition told me you were hiding in that wagon.”
“Couldn't you at least call it a woman's intuition?” Mireinu interjected, unable to stay silent.
The comment seemed to snap Ashie back to reality. She hurriedly looked around the room. In her emotional state upon finding Baslero safe, she had completely forgotten her surroundings.
“Ah, um…… My apologies. I am Ashie, the maid serving Baron Cisne's House. I am so sorry for the trouble the Young Master has caused you all……”
“Don’t worry about it. The only one who actually had to deal with Baslero’s antics was Rei. And even then, it doesn't look like he has a scratch on him.”
Mireinu had seen the Icebird's Ice Arrow hit Rei’s Dragon Robe, but she had no intention of bringing it up. The boy was an outlier in every sense of the word. Since she knew he collected magic items, it was no surprise that the robe he always wore was one as well.
“Rei-san?! Are you hurt? I can use recovery magic……”
“No, I’m fine. Just as Mireinu said, I don’t have a single injury worth mentioning. More importantly, take Baslero back to the mansion. He saw the reality of life and death today. It’s best to let him rest quietly. I’ll stop by the mansion tomorrow.”
Seeing Rei’s perfectly calm expression, Ashie concluded he was indeed unharmed. She tucked the short recovery staff she had produced back into her belt.
“I see. ……In that case, the Young Master and I will take our leave. Thank you for protecting him.”
Ashie gave a deep, respectful bow, and Baslero followed suit.
“I told you, don’t worry about it. If you look at it as combat training, it wasn't a total loss. ……Though it might have been a bit too much, too soon for Baslero.”
“That’s not true! I’m glad I saw that scene with my own eyes. It’s not something Teacher should feel bad about……”
Baslero spoke up frantically, but Rei just reached out and gave his head a gentle pat.
“Regardless, you’re more exhausted than you realize. Go home and get some sleep.”
“Yes. ……Then, I’ll be waiting for you tomorrow.”
With another deep bow, Ashie took Baslero’s hand in a firm grip—as if determined never to let go again—and the two of them walked out of the Guild.
“Looking at them, you’d think they were just a close pair of siblings,” Rei mused.
“Maybe. Anyway, Rei, Kenny is calling for you. It’s time to settle up for the emergency request.”
Following Mireinu’s gaze toward the reception counter, Rei saw Kenny beckoning him over. She was managing a crowd of adventurers alongside Lenora while still managing to catch his eye—an impressive feat of multitasking.
The other adventurers, feeling neglected, weren't particularly happy about the favoritism, but since the one beckoning was the popular Kenny and the one being summoned was Rei, no one complained out loud. Those who were just eager to get to a tavern or a brothel simply finished their business as quickly as possible.
“Go on then. Your beloved Kenny is waiting.”
“She’s not my ‘beloved.’ Though it’s true I owe her for many things……”
At that moment, the image of a certain Princess General flashed through Rei’s mind. Without letting it show on his face, he headed to Kenny’s counter to process the paperwork. In the end, his reward was 5 silver coins—hardly a fortune given the effort—but Rei wasn't hurting for money. The fact that he had obtained two magic stones from the Icebirds, a monster he had never encountered before, was more than enough to satisfy him.