An hour after the six o'clock bell rang the following morning, the caravan—led by Alektor and accompanied by the Beautiful Drops and Rei—gathered near the main gate of Abuelo to complete their departure formalities.
Rei was handing his Guild Card to the officer-in-charge of the guards, who still looked sheepish over the previous day's commotion, when a voice called out from behind him.
"Oh? Hey, aren't you...?"
Rei turned around and found himself facing a group of four people who looked like fellow adventurers.
The most striking among them was the warrior leading the group. He wore a suit of vibrant blue scale armor, likely crafted from the hide of some aquatic serpent, that made him impossible to miss. Looking at the man's distinctive gear, Rei suddenly remembered who he was.
"I believe we met during the Sword Bee incident..."
"That’s the one! You really saved our skins back then! But what are you doing all the way out here in Abuelo?"
"Escort duty, as you can see. Honestly, I'm surprised you recognized me. We were only together for less than an hour, and I'm not exactly dressed in anything eye-catching right now."
Had Set been present, he would have served as an unmistakable landmark, but Rei was currently wearing his Dragon Robe. Its concealment effect made it appear as nothing more than a common, nondescript garment. Furthermore, he wasn't carrying the Death Scythe, which was effectively his trademark. He was genuinely impressed that they had identified him in such a plain state.
"What are you talking about? You gave us almost every one of those Sword Bees. We’d never forget the face of a benefactor like you."
"I see. Well, regardless, I'm glad to see you're doing well. But why are you heading out so early in this season?"
Since they were lined up behind the caravan, it was clear they also had business outside the walls. Rei asked the question naturally, but the adventurers responded with only awkward, weary smiles.
(Ah, I get it. They're broke.)
Rei understood the look instantly. They radiated an aura very similar to Mirene whenever she was short on funds.
He wasn't wrong.
"A-Ahahaha. Well, you know how it is. Things... happen."
The man in the scale armor laughed nervously, trying to dodge the subject. Rei gave him a small, sympathetic nod.
"Well, hang in there. I'm—"
"Hey, Rei! We're moving out! Stop chatting and get over here!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Taenia’s voice rang out from the caravan.
Rei raised a hand to acknowledge her and turned back to the group.
"Looks like my time's up."
As Rei started walking toward the wagons, the warrior in scale armor called out hurriedly.
"We’re the E-Rank party, Blade of the Azure Sky! We’re still grateful for the help with the Sword Bees! If you ever need a hand with anything, just say the word!"
Rei gave them a casual wave over his shoulder and rejoined Alektor's caravan.
"Are they friends of yours?" Phabel asked as the wagons began to roll. Rei shook his head.
"Not exactly friends. I happened to kill a swarm of Sword Bees near here a while back, but I didn't have time to strip the materials. I just let those guys have the carcasses since they happened to be passing by."
"...Even though you have an Item Box?"
Phabel tilted her head in confusion as she walked beside the wagon. Her favorite shield was strapped to her back, and her sword hung at her hip, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice. She had apparently purchased a replacement shield in Gilm to replace the one destroyed during the Icebird battle, and this new one looked significantly sturdier than her old one.
Rei glanced at her gear and nodded.
"Yeah. Even to store things in the Item Box, I have to actually touch the object first. I didn't even have the time for that."
"What was the big rush?"
"Just something... Oh, he's here."
Rei looked up at the sky to dodge the question, spotting Set gliding down toward the ground with his massive wings outstretched.
"Guruuuu!"
The moment his talons touched the earth, Set came charging toward Rei, though he was shedding speed as he ran.
Even with the bird-horse slowing down, a Gryphon with a body length exceeding 2m was an intimidating sight. Phabel’s face twitched as she scrambled away from Rei. The nearby wagon horses, sensing a predator, began to pull with terrified vigor. They were well-trained enough not to bolt in a blind panic, but they were more than happy to increase their pace to get away from the Gryphon.
However...
"Whoa! There, there. Set, you did okay out there last night? You aren't hungry, are you?"
Rei wasn't knocked over by the impact. Instead, he caught the massive beast effortlessly and began to scratch its neck.
While the surrounding merchants and adventurers stared in stunned silence, Set seemed satisfied with his morning affection. Once he had settled down, he took up his usual position at Rei’s side as if to proclaim that this was exactly where he belonged.
"Um... Rei-san? Is everything... all right?" Alektor asked timidly.
"Yeah, sorry if we startled you. There’s no problem. We shouldn't waste any more time here; let's keep moving."
Rei’s casual response left everyone else with the same internal thought: You’re the one who caused the scene!
"Y-Yes, quite right. Now that we've cleared Abuelo, wagons, form up! Guards, please take your positions as you did yesterday. Given the distance to Sablusta, we’ll be camping out tonight regardless, so stay sharp. Let's move!"
Following Alektor’s command, the wagons formed a column. The members of the Beautiful Drops took their places on the flanks, while Rei and Set guarded the rear.
Luido looked like she was dying to fuss over Set again, but Taenia forcefully dragged her away to her post. Without further delay, the journey toward the City of Sablusta began in earnest.
Thanks to Set’s presence, the caravan proceeded along the highway without a single monster attack, just as they had the previous day.
Strictly speaking, now that they were out of the frontier, monster attacks were less of a concern. However, something else had taken their place.
(Tsk. Another one?)
Thanks to his preternatural vision, Rei spotted a shadow ducking behind a tree further down the road.
They hadn't been away from Abuelo for long, but he had already spotted several individuals keeping tabs on their progress. They were skilled scouts, well-versed in the art of concealment. When Rei had casually mentioned them to Taenia during their lunch break a few hours ago, the rest of the guards had been shocked—it was the first they’d heard of any tails.
It wasn't that the Beautiful Drops were unskilled; rather, it was a testament to the proficiency of the bandits. Rei suspected these men had honed their craft through countless successful ambushes on this specific stretch of highway.
(Maybe I should have ignored Taenia and Alektor and gone off on my own during lunch to deal with them.)
He considered the thought, but Taenia had been adamant. Her professional opinion was that since they were already being watched, splitting their forces would only invite a strike on their weakest link.
Rei had suggested letting Set launch a surprise aerial attack, and while Taenia had been interested, Alektor had voiced a soft objection. While Rei and Set were undeniably powerful, they were only two individuals. If the bandits used their superior numbers to swarm the wagons while the main combatants were distracted, the caravan would be lost.
(But if they started scouting us immediately after we left Abuelo... then the bandits must have eyes inside the city.)
It made sense. If the highway between Abuelo and Sablusta was their primary hunting ground, it was only natural for them to have informants in the city to report on departing caravans.
"What is it, Rei? Another one?"
Taenia, walking beside the wagon, noticed Rei’s furrowed brow. She slowed her pace to match his.
"Yeah. See that cluster of trees ahead? Up until a few seconds ago, there was a scout behind the second tree from the right. He's gone now, though. Likely went to report on our formation and readiness."
Taenia peered down the highway, but she could only see the trees themselves. As Rei had noted, the scout was long gone.
"Hmm. They're definitely planning to hit us."
"Likely. That's why I offered to catch one of them during lunch. If we’d squeezed some info out of them, we could have taken the fight to their camp and ended this."
"The employer said no, so that's the end of it. Besides, those scouts are just low-level lackeys. For all we know, they’re just bait meant to be caught to lure us into a trap."
"Do you really think a bandit leader would be that tactical?"
"I don't know. But these guys have managed to keep operating on a well-known highway for a long time. They have to have some brains. Well, I suppose if they were truly smart, they wouldn't be sticking around a place where everyone knows they exist."
Rei considered Taenia’s words for a few seconds and nodded. Underlings were one thing, but the person leading a successful gang would likely have sharp instincts, if not a tactical mind.
"Regardless, I still think there's a good chance they won't actually pull the trigger," Taenia added.
"And why is that?"
Taenia glanced at Set walking beside Rei.
"Who in their right mind attacks a caravan guarded by a Gryphon? Most bandits would take one look at an A-Rank monster and find a different target. They know they have no chance of winning."
"...True."
Rei conceded the point. It was common sense. Yet, despite the logic, a nagging sense of foreboding refused to leave his chest.
"If... just if they were going to attack, when do you think they’d do it?"
"I told you, I don't think they will. But if they did? Probably tomorrow at dawn. That’s when the night watch is at its most exhausted and least alert."
"Probably. In that case... I should handle the dawn watch myself."
Rei was already operating under the assumption that an attack was inevitable. Taenia looked at him with an exasperated expression, but even she couldn't entirely shake the feeling that he might be right.
(If Rei—the youngest person to ever reach C-Rank in Gilm—is this worried, maybe it’s too soon to write off an ambush.)
The group continued down the highway as the sun began to set, painting the sky in deep oranges and reds. Eventually, Alektor called a halt near a large grove of trees and announced they would be making camp for the night.
"All right, so we're sticking with a two-shift rotation?"
After dinner, the winter darkness had already settled over the landscape. Since it was still too early for sleep, the merchants huddled around the campfires to stay warm, passing the time with drinks and card games.
Meanwhile, the three members of the Beautiful Drops and Rei sat around their own fire to finalize the night’s security.
"A two-shift rotation. It’s fine for us since it means the three of us stay together, but... are you really okay on your own, Rei?"
Rei shrugged and glanced at Set, who was curled up on the ground beside him. Phabel and Taenia were focused on the discussion, while Luido was busy stroking Set’s plumage, her face a mask of pure bliss.
"With Set here, you don't need to worry. Honestly, I’d be confident leaving the whole watch to him."
"But still!"
Rei held up a hand to stop Phabel’s instinctive protest.
"I know. We're hired as guards, so we have to do our jobs properly. I'm not suggesting we slack off. That's why I'm proposing this split."
"You're truly confident with just one man and one beast?" Taenia asked, wanting to be absolutely sure.
Rei nodded without a shred of hesitation. His confidence in Set wasn't based on bravado, but on the countless nights the Gryphon had kept them safe in far more dangerous territory.
"Fine. Given Set’s reputation, I suppose your confidence isn't misplaced. Besides, you outrank us anyway."
Taenia, as the leader of the Beautiful Drops, gave her final nod, and the watch order for the night was set.