The Adventurer’s Guild in the City of Gilm. Winter was in full swing, and as usual, the tavern attached to the guild was far livelier than the area in front of the request board. Rei walked straight toward the reception counter.
He had come directly from Baron Cisne’s house after receiving his certificate of completion. Naturally, his purpose for visiting the guild was solely to process his rank-up.
"Oh, Rei-san. What brings you in today? Unfortunately, Kenny has the day off."
Lenora called out to him from across the counter. Perhaps because her usual partner was away on holiday, she seemed to have a bit of free time. Her voice carried a hint of a tease.
If it had been any season other than winter, she would have been far too busy dealing with the usual crush of adventurers to afford such lighthearted banter.
Rei let a faint smile play across his lips at Lenora’s uncharacteristically relaxed attitude. He placed his Guild Card and the certificate of quest completion on the counter.
"The combat training request is finished. This means I move up to C-Rank, right?"
"Yes, that's correct. I’ll go update your Guild Card now. Please wait a moment."
As Lenora headed into the back office, Rei found himself with nothing to do and scanned his surroundings.
Normally, Kenny would have been there to keep him company with her chatter, but there was nothing he could do about her being on leave.
(Now then, what should I do once the card is updated? ...Come to think of it, I still have those Icebird magic stones. I should probably have Set and the Death Scythe absorb them somewhere outside the city. Considering the risk of running into more winter monsters, I shouldn't go too far...)
"Excuse me. By any chance..."
While Rei was mulling over his next steps, a voice suddenly hailed him from the side.
He turned to see a plump, middle-aged man who looked every bit the merchant standing there with a polite smile.
"Do you have business with me?"
"Yes. You’re Rei-san, aren't you? I’m the leader of the caravan you saved from the Icebirds yesterday."
"Ah, that caravan. ...Good to see you’re safe."
"Indeed. I truly don't know how to properly thank Rei-san and the other adventurers from Gilm."
"Don't worry about it. I managed to get my hands on some rare magic stones out of the deal."
Rare magic stones. When Rei mentioned them, the merchant’s eyes flashed with a sharp intensity for a fleeting second.
It was a reaction of recognition—the statement matched the information he had gathered the previous day upon entering the city from an adventurer named Mirene.
However, that piercing gaze vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced once more by a soft, genial expression.
"Actually, I was wondering if I might buy you a meal as thanks for yesterday. I’d certainly like to be on friendly terms with an adventurer as promising as yourself."
Rei hesitated for a moment before nodding. He actually had a few questions of his own for the man in front of him.
"Very well. Grab a table in the tavern. I’ll join you once my business here is done. ...Also, I’m not particularly fond of alcohol, so I’d appreciate it if you ordered some cold tea or juice for me."
The merchant’s eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, but he gave a shallow nod and headed toward the tavern.
"...Quite the shrewd character," Rei muttered to himself as he watched the man walk away.
On the surface, he seemed like nothing more than a wealthy, jovial merchant. But the occasional sharp glint in his eyes told Rei that the man wasn't nearly as simple or good-natured as his appearance suggested.
(Surely another Bestia Empire operative wasn't sent in this soon...? No, given how loudly they approached the city, it seems unlikely. Besides, the Guard Force is on high alert for imperial spies after everything that’s happened.)
"Rei-san, sorry to keep you waiting. ...Rei-san?"
Lenora returned to the counter with the updated Guild Card and called out to him, but Rei was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice her.
"Sigh... Rei-san!"
With an audible sigh, Lenora reached across the counter and gave his Dragon Robe a sharp tug while raising her voice.
Only then did Rei snap out of it and remember where he was.
"Ah, sorry. I was just thinking. ...Is that the card?"
"Yes. Here is your C-Rank Guild Card."
Lenora handed the card over. When Rei inspected it, the rank notation had indeed been changed to "C-Rank."
"Well, only the letter changed, so it doesn't quite feel real yet."
"Don't say that! You’ve set the Youngest Record to reach C-Rank in Gilm, not to mention the Shortest Time Record. Of course, in the Kingdom of Mireana as a whole, there might be those who were even faster... but even so, breaking both records here in the City of Gilm is an incredible feat. This is the frontier; the turnover rate for adventurers is high. ...Though we do get plenty of new recruits to replace them."
Lenora continued her passionate explanation, much to Rei’s surprise. It was rare to see the usually cool-headed receptionist speak with such fervor, unless she was bickering with Kenny.
"Nn, ahem. My apologies. Regardless, as of today, Rei-san is officially a C-Rank Adventurer. At this rank, you are considered part of the Veteran Class, so please be mindful of how you conduct yourself."
"Conduct myself? What kind of behavior are you worried about?"
"Incidents like the one with the Falcon’s Claws."
Rei drew a blank for a moment, unable to figure out what she meant. It took a few seconds for him to realize she was talking about the group he had dubbed Goblin Drool.
"That was their fault for picking a fight, wasn't it? Surely you aren't telling me I should just let people mess with me and roll over?"
"I’m not saying that, but... taking every last scrap of their assets was going too far. After that, the members of the Falcon’s Claws had to take a loan from the guild, and they’ve been struggling to pay it back ever since."
"That sounds like their problem. Besides, shouldn't the guild take some responsibility for not reining in adventurers like that in the first place?"
"Ugh, that’s... well, you’re not wrong. But there are a lot of rough types out there, and that rough energy is part of what keeps Gilm so lively. We need every bit of combat strength we can get sometimes... anyway, fine. Regardless, I’ll say it as many times as I have to: please don't forget that you are a C-Rank Adventurer from here on out."
"I hear you. Thanks for the help with the paperwork."
With that, he stepped away from the counter.
"Rei-san, over here!"
When Rei entered the tavern, the merchant spotted him immediately and waved him over. Rei noted that several dishes were already spread across the table.
"Did I keep you waiting?"
"No, not at all. For a chance to speak with an adventurer of your caliber, a wait like that is nothing. More importantly, I hear you’ve officially reached C-Rank. Congratulations! This is a celebration on my tab, so please, eat your fill."
"...Hoh. You’re well-informed. My rank-up isn't exactly common knowledge yet."
Rei muttered with a mix of genuine impression and lingering wariness as he took the seat opposite the merchant.
"Well, you know how it is. Information is life for a merchant. Come now, help yourself."
As the man spoke, he slid a mug toward Rei. Rei’s brow furrowed slightly.
"I believe I mentioned that I don't care for alcohol."
"Now, now, this is a celebration for your hard-earned promotion. Surely one glass won't hurt? I made sure to pick a weak wine."
"...Well, I suppose it’s fine."
Not wanting to outright reject the man’s gesture, Rei waited silently as the wine was poured into his cup.
"My apologies. I'm sure it would be much more pleasant to be served by a beautiful woman rather than a middle-aged man like myself."
"Don't worry about it. The food here is good enough that I don't mind. It beats drinking at some third-rate dive."
Rei took a cautious sip, then another, checking for any physical reaction or strange aftertaste. He couldn't necessarily taste a drug or poison, but he could monitor his own state.
Of course, his body was a masterpiece of Zephyle's magical engineering; he was naturally resistant to most toxins and drugs.
Seeing Rei’s careful movements, the merchant couldn't help but let a wry smile touch his lips. He could tell the young man suspected him. Rei might have thought he was being subtle, but to a merchant who had spent his life in high-stakes negotiations, the boy’s wariness was plain to see.
(He showed overwhelming power in yesterday’s battle, but I suppose he still has traits befitting his age. Or perhaps the fact that he has that kind of power at this age is the truly abnormal part.)
With his hood down, Rei’s appearance as a fifteen-year-old was clear. He had kept his face hidden during the battle the day before, but seeing him eat now, he looked like any other youth his age.
"...So, I assume you didn't treat me to this meal just to celebrate my rank-up. What do you actually want?" Rei asked around a mouthful of Fang Boar Skewer.
The merchant’s smile widened as if he had been waiting for that exact opening.
"Quite right. But first, let’s start with introductions. I know your name, Rei-san, but I don't believe you know mine."
"Yeah. That’d be helpful." Rei nodded, refreshing his palate with some vegetable salad.
"As I mentioned, I’m the leader of the caravan you rescued yesterday. My name is Alektor."
"...Heh."
Rei paused mid-salad, sounding slightly impressed. He had known the man was a merchant, but he hadn't realized he was the one in charge of the entire caravan.
"That must have been a rough trip, in more ways than one."
"It was... truly," Alektor agreed, a shadow of gloom passing through his eyes.
Alektor’s caravan had been relatively small—only three wagons. The Icebird attack had completely destroyed one of them. The death of the adventurers was tragic, but he accepted it as an occupational hazard for guards. The loss of the horses was a steep expense, but still within his calculations. However, the wagon itself was shattered beyond repair, along with most of the cargo. But the heaviest blow was the loss of the merchants hiding inside that wagon.
They were more than just employees; they were family who had shared his hardships for years. To have more than ten of them slaughtered before his eyes... while he maintained a brave face for business, it had taken a massive toll on him.
Then he had met Rei and Set. At the very moment he had steeled himself for death, they had appeared as if despair itself didn't exist and swept the Icebirds aside. It was only natural that his interest in the pair went beyond professional curiosity.
"Fortunately, I should be able to recover some of the losses through my deals here in Gilm. ...Though overall, there's no way to avoid being in the red."
"Why did you even come out here in the middle of winter anyway? You had to have known that this season brings out specialized monsters like those Icebirds."
"Indeed... Normally, I wouldn't dream of traveling to the frontier during winter. If we weren't in a place like this, we wouldn't have to worry about so many monster attacks, but..."
Alektor trailed off, his expression turning sour as he raised his cup. He looked like a man who truly needed the drink.