The 6 o'clock bell had already rung, yet the sun had yet to fully emerge. In the dim light of dawn, Rei and Set stood before the City of Gilm's Main Gate.
Even for winter, it was unusually dark at this hour, likely due to the heavy blanket of clouds covering the sky like a lid. The temperature had dropped compared to the last few days, and the breath of those gathered near the gate came out in white plumes.
In the midst of the bundled-up crowd, Rei was a conspicuous figure. Everyone else wore layers of robes and coats to stave off the biting cold, yet he stood there in nothing but his thin robe. Despite the lack of winter gear, he showed no sign of discomfort, which naturally drew curious stares. Moreover, with the two-meter-long griffon Set rubbing its head against him and purring affectionately, it was impossible for them not to attract attention.
Fortunately, the merchants nearby didn't look on with fear or distaste. They remembered that this youth had saved them from the flock of Icebirds just days prior. The adventurers felt much the same.
"You're Rei, right? Thanks for coming to our rescue the other day. You really saved our skins. Thank you."
A female adventurer carrying a halberd approached Rei to offer her thanks. The way she handled the long weapon suggested she was a seasoned veteran.
"Guruuu?"
Set tilted its head and let out a soft cry at the familiar faces. The gesture was so adorable—despite the creature's massive size—that another female adventurer carrying a bow drifted closer, looking mesmerized.
"Ohh, so cuuuute..."
She reached out with her free hand, murmuring as if in a trance.
"Hey, Luido! I know you love cute things, but at least greet the man properly first!"
"But Taeniaaa..."
"Don't stretch out the end of my name! My name is Taenia, not Taenia-aa. Good grief..."
"Now, now, Taenia. Your mask is slipping," the third woman, a swordswoman carrying a shield, whispered with an exasperated look.
Taenia seemed to realize her professional demeanor had cracked. She hurriedly cleared her throat to compose herself.
"Ahem. My apologies; my party members are a bit rowdy. Regardless, I'd like to handle introductions and discuss the details of the escort, if that's alright with you?"
"Yeah, that works. As you seem to know, I'm Rei. I'm a Magic Warrior—you probably saw me during the Icebird battle. And this griffon is Set."
Rei introduced himself while glancing at Set, who was currently being petted by Luido. Taenia nodded and began her own introduction.
"I'm Taenia, leader of the D-Rank Party, Beautiful Drops. As you can see, I'm a warrior. I usually take the midguard or vanguard with my halberd. And over here..."
She turned her gaze toward the woman with the shield.
"I'm Phabel. My primary weapons are the sword and shield. However, as you can tell from my gear, I'm mostly a tank. The sword is just for backup."
She looked down at her half plate armor. Her shield was slung over her back for easy access, and a sword hung from her waist. For an adventurer, who usually prioritized mobility, she was quite heavily armored. Still, it wasn't the cumbersome full plate armor that required massive strength just to move in, so she still looked the part of a mobile mercenary.
"And finally..."
Taenia turned to Luido, but the archer was still lost in a state of bliss as she stroked Set's feathers, completely oblivious to her surroundings. Taenia's cheek twitched with irritation. Phabel reflexively covered her eyes, knowing what was coming, but Luido didn't even notice that. Finally reaching her limit, Taenia took a deep breath.
"Luido! Stop playing with the griffon and introduce yourself!"
"Wh-whuah?!"
The roar made Luido jump in surprise.
"Taenia, don't yell so suddenly like thaaat..."
Luido protested in a slow, dazed voice, but Taenia fixed her with a sharp glare. Taenia likely intended to project the authority of a party leader, but to an outsider, it looked exactly like an exhausted mother dealing with a wayward daughter. Though they were roughly the same age, their dynamic—honed by years of traveling together—made the comparison inevitable.
"Then introduce yourself properly. Now, hands off the griffon—off Set!"
"Aww, but I want to play with Set more..."
Taenia forcibly pulled Luido up and stood her in front of Rei.
This girl would probably get along well with Mirene, Rei thought to himself, watching her dote on Set. Or maybe they're so similar they'd end up hating each other.
Unaware of the comparison Rei was making, Luido bowed her head as prompted.
"I'm Luido~. My weapon's a bow, so I'm an archer~. Thanks for the help the other day~. Let's do our best on this escort job together~."
"Uh, yeah. Looking forward to it."
Rei gave a slightly bewildered response to her peculiar, sing-song cadence. Deciding her social obligations were fulfilled, Luido immediately drifted back toward Set.
"I'm sorry about her," Taenia said, blushing with embarrassment. "She might not look it, but her skill with the bow is the real deal."
"I don't doubt it. She was hitting her marks pretty accurately during the battle. Don't worry, I know better than to judge an adventurer's skill by their personality."
Rei said this to reassure her, though the image of Elk, the Leader of the Axe of the Thunder God, flashed through his mind. Elk was essentially a boisterous brat in a man's body—wild at best, crude at worst. If a man like that could reach A-Rank, Rei had long since abandoned the idea that personality correlated with power.
Of course, Rei failed to realize that he wasn't exactly the model of a C-Rank adventurer himself. He was a magnet for trouble, and whenever he was picked on at the guild, he would casually crush his detractors with overwhelming force rather than trying to parry their insults. He also had no idea how to speak respectfully to his elders.
"Ah, haha. That's a relief to hear. By the way... you were using a giant scythe the other day, but you don't have it on you now? It doesn't look like the kind of thing you can hide under a robe."
Taenia laughed to hide her embarrassment while asking the question that had been bugging her. Rei tilted his head for a moment, then realized what was wrong. He had a habit of immediately storing monster parts and weapons in the Misty Ring, but during the battle, Basrero had been clinging to his Dragon Robe. He had only put the scythe away after the boy calmed down on the way back to the city. Naturally, the people who had been with him hadn't seen him do it.
"Oh, right. I have an Item Box. See?"
He reached into the void and pulled the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring.
"Eeeeeeeeeeeek?!"
"Hey, Phabel! Too loud!"
Phabel, who had been listening with a cool expression, let out a piercing shriek when the massive scythe appeared out of nowhere. Taenia, whose ear had taken the brunt of the noise, reflexively clouted Phabel over her helmet.
"Ow! Hey, Taenia! The shock still goes through the helmet, have some mercy! But more importantly—an Item Box! That's an Item Box! How are you so calm about this?!"
As Phabel ranted at her leader, Taenia let out a weary sigh.
"How can I be calm? You were so busy screaming that you stole my chance to be surprised. Besides, look. Even Luido isn't fazed."
Taenia pointed to Luido, who was still petting Set as if the revelation meant nothing to her. Set didn't mind the attention—in fact, it quite enjoyed being pampered—so it purred and let the archer do as she pleased.
"Luido has been like that since we were kids. I'm used to it by now."
"Well, I guess so. But that's the first time I've ever seen a real Item Box. I'm plenty shocked."
Listening to them, Rei grew curious about their background. He addressed Taenia, sensing she was the most grounded of the group.
"You mentioned being kids... are you three from the same place?"
"Eh? Oh, yes. We're childhood friends from the same village."
"It's rare to see childhood friends stay together as a party."
"Is it? I thought it was pretty common for people from the same hometown to group up."
Rei realized the discrepancy came from his perspective. In Gilm, a harsh frontier city where meritocracy ruled, most high-level adventurers formed parties based on skill rather than sentiment. While hometown parties existed, Rei was generally too antisocial to know much about them.
"Anyway, introductions aside... let's talk about the escort. Rei, have you ever done an escort mission before?"
"Nothing formal."
The request to guard Elena in the dungeon came to mind, but that had involved sensitive politics and the eventual defection of Viscount Sails's House. It wasn't the sort of thing he could mention casually.
"That's a bit of a problem. In that case... would you mind if I took command for this trip? Ordinarily, you as the C-Rank should lead, but if you don't have experience with formal escorts..."
Taenia trailed off, looking apologetic. She didn't want to offend a superior-ranked adventurer, but she had a sense of pride in her own experience and believed she could lead more effectively. She had been worried Rei would insist on leading out of ego.
"Sure. I'll leave it to you," Rei said without a moment's hesitation.
"Wait... really?"
Taenia was taken aback by how easily he conceded. For Rei, however, it was a relief. He usually acted solo and wasn't particularly interested in the logistics of leadership. Letting someone else handle the thinking while he just followed orders was far more efficient.
"Rei, are you really sur—"
Before she could finish, a voice called out from behind them.
"Rei-san, Taenia-san, good morning. I'll be in your care starting today."
It was Alektor. The portly merchant approached them, accompanied by the rattling of a cart being pulled by several laborers.
"..."
The moment they saw the cart's contents, the members of the caravan and the women of Beautiful Drops fell silent. Only Luido remained oblivious, still focused entirely on petting Set.
The source of their collective shock was the cart's cargo: nearly a hundred spears. They were piled high, and every single one was a rusted, pitted mess. It was a mountain of junk that would be utterly useless without extensive work at a blacksmith shop.