Just as they were about to depart the City of Gilm, Alektor had a cart brought out by a team of laborers. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't have been unusual, but the sight of nearly 100 spears piled onto that cart drew everyone's attention. Almost all of those spears were rusted, or their tips were chipped and broken. They were in such a state that not only a spearman, but any adventurer would have knit their brows in distaste.
The merchants watching the scene wondered why Alektor had brought along spears that seemed like nothing but trash, while Taenia felt a growing sense of dread, fearing she and her party would be told to use them.
Amidst the collective silence, Rei stepped forward.
"I believe I said about twenty would be enough... you certainly managed to gather a lot."
"Not at all. It wasn't as much trouble as you might think. As you can see, they are all items that either can't be used without maintenance or are destined for the scrap heap. The blacksmiths and weapon shop owners were actually happy to be rid of them. This quantity is the result... Honestly, it cost me almost nothing to gather them, so please don't let it weigh on your mind."
Alektor replied to Rei with a beaming smile. Since the reward for hiring a C-rank adventurer consisted of these things close to trash called spears, it was likely impossible for him, as a merchant, not to grin.
...Of course, Alektor's naive calculations would later be crushed once he saw Set's appetite with his own eyes, alongside Rei's.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait just a minute, Rei! What are you planning to do with these spears that seem like nothing but trash!?"
Taenia finally found her voice and called out to Rei as he and the merchant conversed. As a warrior who used a halberd, she clearly had strong opinions about such a massive pile of scrap-grade weapons.
However, in response to Taenia’s mix of indignation and confusion, Rei answered calmly, as if he had nothing to hide. From his perspective, they were simply disposable weapons for throwing, so there was truly no reason to feel guilty. If anything, since they were intended for single use, spears like the ones Alektor had brought were much kinder to his wallet than high-quality steel.
"What do you mean? I’m going to use them in combat, obviously."
"That's what I'm saying! Using spears like this in a fight is dangerous! If you stab an enemy with one, the tip or the shaft will probably snap right then and there!"
Taenia gave her warning with a grave expression. However, Rei merely smiled, looking unconcerned.
"Oh, it's fine. In the first place, as you can see from the fact that I carry a great scythe, I don't engage in close combat with spears during a battle."
"...Huh? What are you talking about? You're contradicting yourself."
Unable to grasp his logic, Taenia directed a suspicious gaze toward him. Ignoring the look of doubt, Rei reached for the spears on the cart.
"I use the spears for long-range attacks. You know how thieves sometimes throw daggers? Think of it like that, but with spears instead."
"No, even if you say you're throwing them..."
Precisely because she used a halberd, Taenia understood the weight of a spear. Generally, even light spears weighed about two to three kilograms. Heavier ones were frequently close to five. The halberd Taenia favored weighed just a little under five kilograms herself.
"Hm? Oh, I see. I suppose it can't be helped that you don't know my strength, given my appearance."
Even in his robe, he was short and slender. Since Taenia and her party were essentially meeting him for the first time, it was hard for them to believe Rei possessed great physical strength just by looking at him. They likely assumed the Death Scythe was a magic item with a weight reduction effect. In truth, they weren't entirely wrong—though it was conditional on only Rei and Set holding it, the weight was reduced to the point where it could be ignored, feeling no heavier than a dry branch, a pair of chopsticks, or a dinner knife.
"It'll be faster if I just show you."
Deciding that seeing was believing, he picked up about 5 spears at once from the cart. Without showing a hint of exertion, he lifted them as if he were picking up twigs from the forest floor. Then, he began storing them into his Misty Ring one by one.
Faced with such an outrageous sight, Taenia was left speechless. The same went for Phabel, who was watching from the side, as well as the other merchants in the caravan. Even the laborers who had struggled to haul more than 100 iron spears to the gate were stunned.
Under their astonished gazes, Rei continued to transfer the spears from the cart into the Misty Ring. In less than ten minutes, every last one of them had vanished.
"...I think I'm just tired. I'm going back to the inn for another night. Phabel, the mission is yours."
"Ah... I see... Hey, wait a minute! Where do you think you're going!?"
Phabel grabbed Taenia’s shoulder as she turned to walk back into the city. If she let her leader retreat from reality now, they would be liable for breach of contract, and more importantly, Phabel would be left to deal with a person who defied common sense like Rei all by herself.
"What is it!? How can he lift spears that easily!? Do you have any idea how much I had to train before I could swing my halberd freely? This has to be a dream. Yes, that's it. So let go, Phabel. I'm going back to the inn to sleep! Until spring!"
"Good grief, you're always so weak when things don't go according to plan. You're human, not a bear—no hibernating! Come on, let's go."
"Nooo! I'm going hoooome!"
It took several minutes for Phabel to successfully calm Taenia and stop her infantile behavior.
By the time she was back to normal, the laborers had already taken the empty cart away. The only ones left were the caravan members, the escort adventurer party Beautiful Drops, Rei, and Set.
...Naturally, several merchants still looked a bit uneasy after witnessing Taenia's sudden regression.
"Oh, Rei-kun. You're taking an escort request? That's quite a rare sight."
"Just how things turned out. It’s a connection from when I helped them during the icebird attack the other day."
Rei chatted with Ranga while handing over his guild card and Set's tamed monster's necklace. Nearby, other guards were inspecting the caravan wagons for contraband and verifying the transit passes. Because multiple incidents involving the Bestia Empire had occurred recently, security at the gates had become much stricter. Ranga, the captain of the guard force, was present not just for his usual interest in the city's happenings, but to ensure they were ready for any sudden trouble.
"Ah, now that you mention it."
Ranga nodded, remembering the commotion from a few days prior.
"Has anyone else been hit by monsters since then?"
"No, not since that day. For one thing, very few people are crazy enough to travel to Gilm in this season anyway."
Ranga’s words implied that Alektor’s caravan was an exception to the rule. He was also subtly explaining why the checks on identification were so rigorous.
"I see. Well, as far as I can tell, everything seems fine... but I'll leave the official verdict to the experts."
"Yeah, that would be a help."
While they talked, the inspection was finally completed and the wagons were cleared.
"Alright, you're good to go. ...Rei-kun, be careful out there."
With those final words of caution at their backs, the group began their journey out of the city.
"Alright, I'll take the left flank. Phabel, you're on the right. Luido, stay in the middle with your bow so you can react to monsters or thieves from any direction. Rei, take the rear. Since Set is with you, your sense of smell should be sharper than ours, so you'll know immediately if someone tries to sneak up on us."
Taenia barked out her orders efficiently. Looking at her now, it was hard to believe she had been acting like a child only ten minutes ago.
The caravan merchants’ uneasy expressions finally softened into relief.
(I totally blew it... I can't believe I embarrassed myself like that. Now the merchants are looking at me funny... Honestly, this is all Rei's fault. He's always doing things that make no sense.)
"...Hm? Something wrong?"
As Rei headed toward the rear of the caravan as instructed, he noticed her glare and looked back. Taenia was staring at him with a distinctly resentful pout.
"I-It’s nothing! Just remember, the rear is an important post for an escort, so stay sharp!"
"Is it really okay to put me in such a vital spot?"
"Because Set is there."
Rei felt as though she had just called him a non-factor in so many words, but since he had never actually guarded a caravan before, he simply sighed and let it go. He decided to ask a question that had been on his mind since they started.
"The merchants are riding in the wagons, but are we supposed to walk?"
Taenia looked at Rei with an exasperated expression.
"What, are you an escort who wants to take it easy inside a wagon? If you're inside, you won't be able to react fast enough when monsters jump us, right?"
"I get that, but I thought if everyone rode in the wagons to cover more distance quickly, the overall time spent in danger would be shorter."
"It's true that some parties use that method. Basically, you choose between reducing the number of potential encounters while accepting a slower response time, or staying on foot for maximum readiness. We prefer the latter."
"I see. It makes sense that being in a wagon would slow down your reaction time compared to being on the ground."
Rei nodded at her explanation. Alektor, who happened to be walking nearby, chimed in as well.
"As I mentioned at the guild, we lost several caravan companions and one entire wagon to the icebird attack. Because of that, the remaining wagons are packed to the absolute limit with the goods we bought in Gilm. I'm sorry, but our staff are squeezed in so tightly they can barely breathe. We simply don't have the space to carry our adventurers."
"...So he says. Got it? Now, get to your post! We're leaving the city far behind, so let's tighten up the formation."
"Understood. Set, let's go. We're in the back."
"Guruuu."
Set gave a short trill and obediently followed Rei to the rear.
As he stroked Set’s head, Rei realized he still hadn't used the icebird magic stones he had collected.
With the formation set, the group proceeded along the highway leading from Gilm toward the City of Abuelo.
Though they called it a formation, it was only two wagons. They traveled in a straight line, with Rei and the others spread out around them as Taenia had commanded.
"...The sun is finally coming up."
"Guruu? ...Guruu."
As Rei muttered while looking at the horizon, Set looked up as well. The winter sun shone brilliantly above them. Fortunately, it wasn't snowing; it was a perfectly clear winter day.
"Well, the cold is still a problem, though."
Glancing at the side of the road, Rei saw the ground was covered in thick frost columns. Feeling a bit of a mischievous urge, he stepped onto a patch of them. A satisfying, crisp crunch echoed in the air.
"Guruuu?"
Watching Set trot toward the roadside as if wanting to join in, Rei remembered his duty as an escort and returned to his place behind the wagons.
He smiled as he heard the sound of Set happily growling behind him, rhythmically crushing frost columns with every step.