The morning after the clash with the bandits was quiet. They encountered no further attacks, and after a quick breakfast, the members of the caravan set out a little earlier than usual to continue their journey along the highway.
Many of the merchants had spent the night wide awake, their nerves frayed by the attack and the gruesome business of disposing of the bandits' corpses. As a result, quite a few were now nodding off inside the carriages as they rumbled along.
(I suppose I can't blame them. They aren't frontier merchants, so they aren't used to this sort of thing. Still, it’s a bit annoying to watch them dump the guard duty entirely on us while they catch up on their sleep.)
Rei muttered to himself as he walked behind the carriages with Set, already accustomed to the routine.
Looking to the left and right of the wagons, he saw Taenia and Phabel keeping watch, showing no signs of fatigue. Since they had slept while Rei handled the watch after the skirmish between the Prairie Wolves and the bandit gang, they were far more alert than the merchants—a level of professionalism expected of a D-Rank party.
Fortunately, they continued down the highway for several hours without being troubled by monsters or thieves.
"The City of Sablusta is in sight!" one of the merchants in the lead carriage shouted, his voice echoing through the air.
The merchants dozing in the rear carriages woke at the sound and let out a cheer.
Rei made his way toward the front of the caravan with Set and called out to Alektor.
"If Set stays with us, it’ll cause another stir when we try to enter the city. I’m thinking of letting him fly free for a bit, just like I did at the City of Abuelo. Is that all right with you?"
"That’s true. Now that we’ve come this far, there’s no need to worry about monsters or bandits. I don't mind at all. In fact, it would be a help to us if we can avoid making a scene."
"Understood. Well, unlike when we were at the City of Abuelo, I won't be staying the night in Sablusta. I won't be away from him for as long. ...All right, Set. Go play on your own for a while."
"Guruuu."
Set nodded, moved a few steps away from the caravan, and took flight after a short run, spreading its wings wide.
Rei watched it go, then turned back to find Alektor staring at him intently.
"What is it?"
"Well, I believe you just said you wouldn't be staying in Sablusta..."
"Hm? Oh. Our contract was to escort you to this city, right? I don't see the problem."
"That may be so, but then, what do you intend to do?"
Thinking back on the journey so far, Alektor had naturally assumed that Rei would stay at an inn in the city before departing for the City of Gilm the next morning. From the way Rei was talking, it sounded as if he intended to head back the moment the job was done.
Rei nodded without a hint of hesitation.
"Naturally. The request was to escort you to this city. I might look around the streets a bit to see if there’s anything rare, but I definitely intend to leave before the day is over."
"But won't you have to camp out again?"
"Hm? Ah, right. I guess you didn't know. Given Set's flight speed, it’ll take half a day at most to get from here to the City of Gilm."
"...Is that really true?"
Rei nodded nonchalantly at Alektor, who was staring with wide eyes.
Based on the time it had taken to reach the City of Baar, Rei had calculated that the return trip would be roughly that long.
"Though, if I leave now, there's a high chance the gates will already be closed by the time I reach Gilm. In that case, I'll probably need to spend one night camping."
"Then wouldn't it be better to stay one night in Sablusta and depart early tomorrow morning?"
"I thought about it, but it’s a headache when Set gets moody."
Rei gave a bitter smile as he looked toward the approaching City of Sablusta.
In the City of Gilm, Set usually slept in the stables while Rei stayed at the inn. While Set didn't complain about the arrangement, it seemed to genuinely enjoy the opportunities to camp out with Rei.
To a Gryphon like Set, the monsters that appeared along the highway weren't even threats; they were snacks at best. For Set, camping with Rei was more like a picnic.
"...I see. That’s a pity. Personally, I find it very regrettable that our connection ends here, Rei-san."
"What, you still haven't given up on hiring me?"
"Of course not. If I could hire a promising adventurer like you as a dedicated escort, it would be the ultimate insurance for my safety. I was hoping to negotiate with you again."
Rei shook his head as Alektor expressed his disappointment.
"I think I told you this back in Gilm, but I’m not interested. Being out here in the frontier is the only way for me and Set to keep growing."
"...I understand. However, please contact me if you ever need anything. My caravan usually operates in the Center, but we have a store based in the Royal Capital, and I will likely open a branch in Sablusta before too long."
"A branch? For the caravan?"
"Yes. While the caravan is my main business, I also manage several stores. I leave the day-to-day operations to an old friend while I lead the caravan, as you can see."
As they talked, the caravan continued down the highway and eventually reached the City of Sablusta.
They went through the procedures to enter the city, showing their identification or Guild Cards. Since Set wasn't with them, they entered without any of the chaos that had occurred at the City of Abuelo. And then...
"Well then, with this, the request is complete. Thank you very much."
Alektor bowed as he handed over the document signed to certify the completion of the request.
"I'm glad I got to work with someone like you too," Phabel said with a smile. "It might be hard since we work in different areas, but let's team up again if we ever have the chance."
"That's not fair! I want to keep going with Set!" Luido whined.
"Luido, honestly. You've always liked animals, but why are you so obsessed with Set specifically?" Taenia sighed, holding her back.
Rei couldn't help but smile at the scene, one he had witnessed many times over the past few days.
Because it was winter, the city entrance wasn't particularly crowded, so the caravan and its guards drew curious looks from those passing by.
"Yeah. I don't know if the opportunity will come, but I'd be happy to take another request with you. I'll be counting on you then."
"What are you saying? By then, you'll be a higher rank, Rei, so you'll have to be the one looking after us."
After sharing those parting words, Rei left the group and walked further into the city. He could still hear Luido making a fuss about Set while Taenia held her down and scolded her.
With a smile at their antics, Rei looked down the main street, wondering if there was anything interesting to find in Sablusta.
Nothing particularly rare caught his eye, save for one thing: a single food stall. If it had been selling ordinary grilled skewers, he wouldn't have given it a second look. However, the stall was selling udon, which had originally spread from the City of Gilm. Having had no time to explore Abuelo, Rei hadn't seen any stalls there. He was surprised to find that udon had reached Sablusta, so far from Gilm, and immediately ordered a bowl.
However... the noodles had been simmered in the soup until all their firmness was gone. They were a soggy, mushy mess. Even a glutton like Rei had to practically force himself to finish the bowl.
After walking around the city and finding no other magic items or interesting dishes, Rei bought some firewood for the night and headed toward the city gate. It was just past noon, and he judged he could cover a good distance if he rode Set starting now.
"Identification, please."
"Here."
Rei handed his Guild Card to the guard. Dressed in his simple robe and carrying no luggage, he didn't look particularly suspicious as he prepared to leave.
The guard felt a momentary flicker of doubt seeing an adventurer with no gear in the middle of winter, but the "C-Rank" written on the Guild Card made him hesitate to speak up.
Fortunately for Rei, this guard was one of those who had processed Alektor's caravan transit pass and Guild Cards earlier. Because he remembered Rei's presence as an escort, he accepted the C-Rank status without question. Had it been a more stubborn guard, Rei might have been detained for carrying a forged card. After all, Rei was slight of build and youthful; he didn't look like a veteran C-Rank adventurer at all.
"Even if I reunite with Set, it'll cause a stir if it's too close to the city," Rei muttered, walking a short distance down the highway. Once Sablusta was no longer in sight, he looked around and called out.
"Set!"
His voice was loud, but not enough to reach the city. However...
"Gurururuuu."
Set, with its superior hearing, didn't miss it. The Gryphon purred and rushed to Rei's side instantly.
Rei rubbed its face as it pampered him, then took a large sandwich made with plenty of meat from the Misty Ring.
"Here, sorry to keep you waiting. It's a souvenir from the city. The shop seemed popular, so it should be pretty good."
"Guruu."
Set chirped happily and began to eat. The pile of sandwiches, which had cost 1 silver coin, disappeared into Set's stomach in a matter of minutes.
"All right, let's head back to Gilm. We'll have to camp on the way, but since we don't have to worry about protecting anyone, it shouldn't be too hard for us. We don't mind the cold, either."
Rei climbed onto Set's back. Set lowered its body to make it easier for him to mount.
"Let's go home. I want to eat some proper udon at the Full Belly Diner."
Rei muttered, recalling the soggy mess he had eaten in Sablusta. Set purred in agreement; although udon was a bit difficult for a Gryphon to eat, it liked the taste well enough.
"You think so too? Then, let's go!"
"Gurururuuu!"
Set flapped its wings and took off into the sky after a short run. Nearby monsters scattered in terror at the cry of the Gryphon, but that mattered little to one man and one beast.
Several hours had passed since they left Sablusta. Rei and Set had already flown past the spot where they had camped and been attacked by bandits, and they had even passed Abuelo. However, the sun was beginning to set. Realizing they wouldn't reach Gilm until the middle of the night or early morning, Rei had Set land on a rocky mountain near the highway.
"Guruu?" Set tilted its head as if to ask if this spot was okay.
"It’s fine," Rei said, stroking its head. "I bought firewood in Sablusta since I knew we’d be camping."
Rei took the wood and his Death Scythe, which doubled as a magic catalyst, from his Misty Ring. He used magic to light a campfire, then set a pot of stew over the flames and stuck icebird meat skewers into the ground around the heat.
The stew was pre-made, but he prepared the meal with practiced ease, taking some freshly baked bread from the Misty Ring. Together, they finished a dinner that would have seemed incredibly luxurious to any ordinary adventurer.
After eating some dried fruit for dessert and taking a breather, Rei called out to Set, who was lying on the ground, completely unfazed by the winter night's chill.
"All right, then. Let’s move on to today's main event."
As he spoke, he drew an Icebird magic stone from the Misty Ring.