The previous day, Alektor’s caravan had been saved from a flock of Icebirds by the intervention of Rei, Set, and several adventurers from the City of Gilm, including the members of Scorching Wind. Travel had slowed to a crawl during this season—or more accurately, it had practically vanished—and so Rei asked the merchant why he had bothered to bring a caravan to the city at such a time. Alektor took a long draught of wine, then another, before finally opening his mouth to speak.
"When I first started my caravan, there was a certain noble who supported me. That person’s child has fallen ill. I was told that the ingredients for the medicine to treat that illness could only be found here in the City of Gilm..."
"I feel like I've heard a story like that somewhere before," Rei muttered. The incident with the Magic Fever in the City of Baar flickered through his mind. He set his grilled skewer down on his plate and looked at Alektor. "Is this illness the Magic Fever by any chance?"
"No. I’ve heard reports that the Magic Fever broke out in the City of Baar for some reason, but this is a different matter. Generally, as a child grows, their magic power grows along with them. In this case, however, that growth is being inhibited, and the condition is starting to affect the child's physical ability as well. The material required for the cure is the root of a rare plant's flower that grows only in the Frontier."
"A plant root? In the middle of winter?" Rei asked, his tone skeptical.
Alektor shook his head with a faint, knowing smile. "It is indeed winter, but this is a magic plant, so it doesn't wither. Besides, I managed to secure the root itself just yesterday."
"You move fast."
"I am a merchant, after all. However, simply selling that root to my benefactor won't cover the staggering losses from this trip. I’m currently looking for seeds of business to make up the difference. Fortunately, there are almost no rival merchants from other cities in Gilm right now, so things are looking up on that front, but..."
"But?" Rei prompted when the merchant trailed off meaningfully.
Alektor lowered his voice, casting a wary glance around as if afraid of being overheard. To Rei, it seemed like a bit of a performance. The tavern was filled with the boisterous shouts and laughter of drinking adventurers; even if someone were trying to eavesdrop, they would have struggled to make out a single word over the din.
"To be honest, more of the adventurers I hired as guards died in yesterday's battle than I expected. I’m at a loss as to how I'll fill the gap for the return trip."
"Are you saying the seven who survived aren't enough? You lost one wagon, after all. Shouldn't those seven be sufficient for the rest?"
Alektor shook his head regretfully. "If those seven were willing to guard us on the way back, there wouldn't be a problem. However, the party of four—the D-Rank Blade of the Moonlit Night—was hired on a one-way contract."
"Blade of the Moonlit Night... That's the group with three men and one woman, right?"
"Yes. They were originally aiming for the City of Gilm on their own, but winter caught up with them. They were stranded in the City of Sablusta, judging it too dangerous to travel further, until they met my caravan. They figured that with two other parties of guards, they could make it safely. Now that we’re here, their contract is finished. I had round-trip contracts with the other two parties, but I never imagined one of them would be wiped out like that. I had heard stories about the Frontier, but you don't truly understand until you experience it. I never dreamed we would be swarmed by that many monsters."
Alektor’s expression darkened as he picked at the food on the table. In the middle of the rowdy tavern, the space around Rei and the merchant was wrapped in a somber, quiet atmosphere.
"Ah, my apologies," Alektor said, his voice suddenly brightening as he forced a change in mood. "This isn't the right conversation for a dinner celebrating a Rank Up. Anyway, that’s the situation. And so... Rei-san, I actually have a request for you."
Given everything the man had said, it wasn't hard for Rei to guess what was coming.
"You want to hire me as a guard?"
"Precisely. Your performance yesterday was nothing short of incredible. You swung that Great Scythe and turned those Icebirds into silent corpses in an instant, and your magic is terrifyingly powerful. To be honest, I’d rather sign you to an exclusive contract than just hire you as a temporary guard."
The man wasn't just flattering him; he sounded entirely sincere. However, it was an offer Rei had no intention of accepting. He had become an adventurer to collect magic stones. If he took an exclusive contract, he would lose his freedom to hunt as he pleased. Furthermore, Alektor was clearly new to the Frontier. Rei had no desire to leave the one place where he could find such a vast variety of monsters.
"Sorry, but I have my own goals. I’ll have to decline any exclusive contracts."
"I see..." Alektor sighed. He had suspected as much based on the information he’d bought from Mirene, but a small part of him had hoped for a miracle. "I'm willing to be very generous with the reward."
"I'm not hurting for money."
"Is that so..." Alektor let out another sigh, his final trump card failing.
According to Mirene-san, his hobby is collecting magic items, the merchant thought. But if I gave him a magic item for every trip, I’d never see a copper of profit. And since he only takes two magic stones per species, there’s a limit to what I can offer him on that front. I suppose I have to give up.
But luck had not yet abandoned him.
"However," Rei said, pulling the merchant back from his despair. "It's winter, and I don't have much else to do right now. I don't mind guarding you as far as the City of Sablusta. What do you say?"
"Truly?!"
"Yeah. But like I said, only as far as Sablusta."
"Yes! That's more than enough! Once we reach Sablusta, we're effectively out of the Frontier. I can rely on the members of the Beautiful Drops from there."
"Beautiful Drops?"
"Yes, a party of three female adventurers."
Rei recalled the three women who had fought alongside him and Set—the trio using a sword and shield, a halberd, and a bow. "I remember them. What’s their rank?"
"They're a D-Rank party. Quite impressive for their age... though I suppose you just reached C-Rank at yours."
"Enough with the flattery. About the request..."
"Right. Shall I process it as a Nomination Request?"
"That would be best."
"What about the reward? I've taken quite a hit to my pockets lately, so if you could find it in your heart to go easy on me, I’d be grateful." Alektor gave a self-deprecating chuckle. He was likely playing on Rei's earlier comment about not needing money.
Rei thought for a moment. The reward he eventually proposed was a massive relief to the merchant.
"Let’s see. I’ll take at least 20 iron spears. They don't need to be in good condition; crude or old ones are fine. I just need to make sure the shafts won't snap the moment I use them. As for the heads..." Rei paused, considering his own monstrous strength. For him, a rusty tip wasn't a drawback when the spear was being used as a disposable javelin. If anything, the risk of tetanus made them more lethal. "I don't mind if they're a bit rusty. Just as long as they don't crumble on impact. Beyond that, if we run into monsters I don't have stones for, I want priority on two of them. And finally, you cover the food for me and Set. How's that?"
"Are you sure? That seems incredibly cheap for hiring a C-Rank Adventurer like yourself." Alektor was suspicious. He had asked for a discount, but this was so low he wondered if Rei was plotting something.
Rei, however, felt the price was fair. Once he factored in the cost of Set's massive appetite, the total value wasn't that far off from a standard C-Rank fee. Besides, unlike his masterfully crafted Thorn Spear, he viewed these iron spears as disposable ammunition; quantity mattered more than quality.
"It's fine. Like I said, I have nothing better to do this winter. Consider it a bit of sightseeing. I've never been to Abuelo or Sablusta."
Alektor stared at Rei, trying to read the boy's true intentions. Rei met his gaze with flat, unwavering eyes. Eventually, the merchant was the first to look away.
"I understand. I'll submit the Nomination Request to the Guild tomorrow."
"It doesn't have to be today?"
"No. I have a business meeting regarding my inventory shortly. If you could come to the Guild tomorrow afternoon to accept the request, it would be a great help. I’ll make sure to have plenty of spears ready for you."
"That works for me. When do we leave Gilm?"
"The day after tomorrow. I'll put it in the request form, but we leave when the 6 o'clock bell rings. Please be at the Main Gate then. It’ll still be dark, but the snow makes travel slow, and I want to reach the City of Abuelo before nightfall."
Alektor knew that monsters became far more aggressive at night, especially in winter when rare threats often appeared—like the Icebirds they had faced previously. His plan was to leave early, reach Abuelo on day one, camp on the highway on day two, and arrive in Sablusta on day three.
Daytime wasn't perfectly safe, either, but Alektor felt a surge of confidence. He had Rei, who had slaughtered those birds with ease, and he had the A-Rank Monster, Set. They had fewer guards now, but in terms of sheer quality, the caravan's defense had never been stronger.
"Well then, I should be going. Please, finish the rest of this food, Rei-san. It’s my treat for your promotion."
"I appreciate it. I'll see you at six, the day after tomorrow."
"Yes, I look forward to it." Alektor gave a polite bow and left the tavern with a relieved smile.
Rei watched him go before turning back to the spread of food. The other adventurers in the tavern gave him a wide berth, watching him with curiosity but never approaching. Rei wasn't particularly social, and he was famously ruthless toward anyone who crossed him, though he rarely started trouble himself. Because of this, he was treated like a wild beast—something that was perfectly peaceful as long as you didn't provoke it.
Two days later, Rei’s first caravan escort mission began.