Anesis was a city that could be considered the second capital of the Kingdom of Mireana. High above it, a small dragon about twenty centimeters long flew through the sky, its tiny wings flapping rhythmically.
The dragon’s name was Iero. It was a familiar created through Dragon Language Magic by Elena Kerebel, Duke Kerebel’s Daughter and the ruler of Anesis.
Iero had traveled all the way to the City of Gilm to deliver its master’s letter and had further carried out secret orders to investigate the women in Rei’s orbit. Now, it was finally returning home.
Using its special ability, the creature turned invisible as it entered the city and headed toward the Duke Kerebel mansion. Since it was connected to Elena through magic power, it navigated straight to its master without the slightest hesitation.
"Kyu!"
Iero tapped repeatedly on the window with its front paws. Though small, they were tipped with sharp claws. It was careful, however, to ensure that its nails did not scratch the glass.
Eventually, Elena noticed the familiar from inside the room. A smile graced her lips as she opened the window to welcome it back.
"Iero, you’ve returned. I am glad to see you uninjured."
Elena, dressed in a gown, pulled Iero into a tight embrace, pressing the creature against her ample chest.
"Kyu! Kyu-kyuu!?"
As a familiar born of magic power, Iero was not an ordinary living being. It did not need to breathe and therefore could not suffocate, but it was only natural that it wanted to struggle when pinned between soft mounds so massive it could barely move.
"Hm? Oh, forgive me. I was simply so happy to see you. Now then, did you deliver the letter safely?"
Stroking Iero to calm it down, she unwound the cloth wrapped around its body. Inside was an envelope. Seeing that the sender was Rei, a faint, tender smile played across Elena's lips.
Her beauty was already worthy of the title Princess General, but when infused with the glow of a maiden in love, her expression was breathtaking. Any onlooker would have likely lost their heart to her in an instant.
"Lady Elena, excuse me. I’ve brought tea."
Among those who might lose their heart was, of course, Ara—Elena’s childhood friend and a member of the guard knights who had served her since they were children.
Upon entering the room, Ara nearly dropped her tray at the sight of Elena’s radiant, alluring expression. However, having grown up alongside the noblewoman, it wasn't difficult for Ara to regain her composure.
"Lady Elena, you seem exceptionally pleased. Oh, is that Iero? I see. A letter from Lord Rei has arrived, then."
"Hm? No, well... yes, I suppose so."
Elena tried to hide her reaction, but she knew a deception like that wouldn't work on someone who had known her as long as Ara had. She let out a small sigh and reluctantly admitted the truth.
Feeling a flush of embarrassment as Ara watched her with a knowing grin, Elena withdrew the letter from its envelope. She took a sip of the tea Ara had brewed to steady herself and began to read.
"I see... a magic item. The 'Thorn Spear' is quite a menacing name, but if the performance is as described here, it should be a fine match for Rei's style of throwing spears... I... see..."
Her finger twitched.
As her eyes scanned the lines, they stopped on a single sentence. Her expression shifted rapidly: shock, impatience, confusion, and finally—jealousy. Her face became a complex tapestry of conflicting emotions.
"Lady Elena?"
Ara asked instinctively, but Elena didn't seem to hear her. Her gaze was locked on one specific part of the letter: the mention that the Guild Master of the City of Gilm’s Adventurer’s Guild was a beautiful Dark Elf woman. She read it again and again.
Eventually, she brought the teacup to her lips to calm her nerves, but her hand trembled so much that the tea rippled. That she didn't spill a drop was a testament to her grace—or perhaps a sign of how desperately she was trying to maintain her dignity despite being as flustered as a smitten girl. Having composed herself, she turned to Ara.
"Ara, you mentioned meeting the Guild Master and the Acting Lord when you were in the City of Baar, correct?"
"Eh? Oh, yes. I certainly did."
Confused by the sudden shift in topic, Ara nodded as she refilled Elena’s empty cup.
"And what kind of people were they?"
"Pardon? I believe I included that in my previous report."
"No, that isn’t what I mean. I am not asking about their competence, but about their character and appearance."
"Well... regarding their character, Lord Dialogo, the Acting Lord, was a boisterous man who didn't care for trivialities. Lord Seis, the Guild Master, was thoughtful and very broad-minded."
"And their appearance? Given their positions, I assume they were of a certain age."
"Indeed. I would say both could be described as elderly."
Ara nodded as if it were obvious. Both Dialogo and Seis had started as adventurers—commoners. Unless a miracle occurred, it was impossible for a commoner to reach such a high office in their youth.
"Then it stands to reason that the Dark Elf mentioned in this letter is likely of a similar age. No... wait. If she is an Elf, she would likely look youthful regardless of her actual years."
Elena began to fret, a serious look on her face, when she noticed Iero curled up and dozing on the edge of the sofa. Among the orders she had given the familiar, she had told it to observe any women near Rei who might harbor feelings for him.
"Iero."
"Kyu?"
Hearing its name, the familiar turned toward her. Elena picked up Iero and pressed her forehead against its own.
"Iero, show me the women you saw near Rei."
"Kyuu!"
As if saying "Leave it to me!", Iero let out a cry, and its memories began to flow into Elena through their contact. Elena knit her brows slightly at the sudden influx of compressed imagery, but she accepted it. This ability to share a familiar's vision was one of the greatest benefits of such a bond—though a creature this sophisticated was only possible through Dragon Language Magic.
In Elena's mind, she saw a woman who appeared to be a cat beastman blatantly flirting with Rei, and another woman beside her chiding the beastman while chatting amicably with him. These were, of course, the guild receptionists, Kenny and Lenora.
"...Honestly. Even though I have already given him my lips, he allows himself to be surrounded by other women. However, I don't see the Guild Master here... I suppose I shouldn't expect too much."
Elena didn't feel a strong sense of danger even when seeing Kenny, who was clearly making advances toward Rei. In the memories shared by Iero, Rei didn't seem particularly interested in her. Or perhaps she was simply too preoccupied with the letter’s description of the "beautiful" Dark Elf. Only Elena knew for sure—or perhaps even she didn't fully understand the turmoil in her own heart.
Regardless, for some time after this day, Elena would find herself brooding over the identity of this mysterious Dark Elf in Gilm. She might have obtained more information through the Duke Kerebel’s House information network, but with a war looming next spring, no one had the leisure for such personal requests. Elena herself was far too busy training her subordinates and honing her own skills for the coming conflict.
"Welcome, Rei-san."
The day after the battle with the flock of Icebirds, Rei and Set visited Baron Cisne's house.
As with his previous visits, he was greeted by Ashie and shown to the reception room. The walk was short, and there was little conversation, but Rei noticed that Ashie’s eyes were red and swollen. It was easy to imagine she had spent the previous night crying.
Despite that, the only trace of her distress was in her eyes; her behavior remained perfectly professional. Admiring her as a paragon of maids, Rei entered the room. The moment Muet saw him, the Baron stood up from his sofa and approached.
"Rei-san! Regarding yesterday... truly, thank you so much."
Muet bowed his head deeply. To someone with an arrogant sense of noble pride, such a sight might have been infuriating, but Muet didn't care for such things. Rei had put his own body on the line to protect Muet's only son, Basrero, from the Icebirds' attack. Even though Rei had been unhurt thanks to his magic item, the gesture of bowing was the highest form of gratitude Muet could offer.
Accepting the man’s sincerity, Rei gave a small nod.
"Don't worry about it. As I told Ashie, I was hired for a combat training request. You can consider yesterday’s battle a part of that."
"But... I heard Basrero snuck into the wagon on his own. If he hadn't done that..."
Muet raised his head and turned his gaze toward Basrero, who had also stood up and was bowing his head in shame.
"...Sigh. It's true that yesterday was a dangerous situation in many ways. But as I've said, it wasn't a total waste if you consider that he witnessed and experienced a real battlefield. However..."
Rei shot a sharp, piercing look at Basrero.
"The next time you decide to act, think long and hard about your own capabilities first. If you don't, you won't just get yourself killed—you'll take your comrades down with you."
"...Yes, sir."
Basrero nodded meekly. The bright, energetic expression he had worn during their training sessions was nowhere to be found. He had been lectured severely by Muet—and likely cried over as well—after the Baron learned the details of his stowaway stunt from Ashie. Seeing his father in such a state had truly driven home the weight of his recklessness.
"Listen, Basrero. Look at it this way: if you hadn't seen the reality of combat now, you might have experienced it for the first time when the stakes were even more fatal. Like when your future adventuring party was on the brink of death. You were lucky to see a real battlefield while you had me, Set, Mirene, and Ekryl there to handle things. In that sense, you could even call your actions fortunate."
"...Yes."
"So, make sure you don't repeat the same mistake. Use this experience as fuel. Whether you become an adventurer or take over as the head of your house, just make sure you use what you learned when you face someone in your current position. That’s all I ask."
"Yes!"
A bit of the boy’s spirit seemed to return, and he nodded vigorously. Muet and Ashie both watched him with faint, relieved smiles.
"Thank you. You truly helped us in many ways this time."
"Like I said, it was within the scope of the request. Don't let it weigh on you. If you really want to pay me back, just remember this and lend me a hand if I ever need it in the future. Within reason, of course."
"Indeed. I swear it upon the name of Baron Cisne's House... provided our house still exists by then," Muet replied with a soft, self-deprecating smile, trying to lighten the mood. "At any rate, here is the completion certificate for the request. Please submit it to the guild."
Rei accepted the document signed by Muet. Despite the unexpected turn of events, the combat training request was officially complete.