"Excuse me, Lord Daskar. I have brought Keo."
As Rei and Daskar were discussing the supply logistics, a knock sounded at the door, followed by a voice from the hallway.
Rei recognized the voice; it belonged to the maid who had guided him to the room earlier.
"Enter," Daskar commanded.
The door opened, and the maid stepped into the office with a large tray in hand, bowing as she entered. Even while balancing a tea set and a plate of sandwiches, her movements were perfectly fluid—a testament to her professional training.
Following behind her was a young man.
Though "young" was relative; he appeared to be in his late twenties, making him over ten years older than Rei. He had near-golden blonde hair that reached his shoulders, and his overall demeanor gave off a somewhat lighthearted, easygoing impression.
"Lord Daskar, you called for me?"
"Indeed. You've heard the reports, but this is the first time you've seen him in person. This is Rei. He is an Item Box user and the person who could be called the cornerstone of this supply plan. Rei, this is Keo Niegs. He is in charge of our logistical operations."
At Daskar’s introduction, the man called Keo widened his eyes and fixed his gaze on Rei.
Rei looked back at him in turn.
However, the meaning behind their stares was entirely different.
Keo’s gaze was filled with interest and goodwill toward someone he had long wanted to meet but never had the chance to.
Rei’s gaze was one of curiosity because a surname holder—a noble—was serving as one of Daskar’s direct subordinates.
(Well, the man is the central figure of the Neutral Faction. I suppose it’s only natural for him to have a noble or two under his command.)
While Rei was processing this, Keo’s face suddenly lit up, and he hurried toward him.
"Well, well, so you’re the rumored Rei-kun! It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Lord Daskar already gave the short version, but I’m Keo Niegs. I handle the logistics for the knight order under Lord Daskar’s banner. I’m looking forward to working with you!"
Keo finished his enthusiastic greeting by thrusting a hand forward.
Taken slightly aback by such a friendly reception, Rei reached out almost reflexively and shook Keo’s hand.
"I’m Rei."
"Yes, yes, I know! You’re exactly as the reports described. I’m counting on you. Now, since you’re here, I take it I can assume you’re accepting the supply request?"
Keo asked with sparkling eyes. Rei nodded, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the man's energy.
"Yeah. I was planning to participate in this war anyway. This just makes it a two-for-one deal, so I figured I’d help out."
"That is a massive help! Honestly, if you hadn't come along, I would have had to spend weeks agonizing over which supplies to cut just to keep our marching speed from tanking. But with an Item Box user like you, all my worries are gone. So, tell me, what’s the capacity? How much can you actually fit in there? Are there any retrieval limits? And does it consume magic power when you use it?"
As Keo rattled off his questions with machine-gun speed, Rei answered them as best he could.
"I don’t actually know the upper limit of the capacity. I’ve never run out of space in all the time I’ve used it. As for limits... I can’t pull everything out at once. If I store twenty longswords individually, I have to pull them out one by one. However, there’s a trick: if I put twenty longswords into a single container and then store the container, I can pull the whole batch out at once. As for magic power, it doesn't consume any during use, but the Item Box is soul-locked to my own magic power. That means it won’t respond to anyone else; it’s restricted to my use only."
"…I see. The container trick sounds incredibly useful for bulk distribution. And while it’s a bit of a shame that no one but Rei-kun can use it, it’s a relief to know we don’t have to worry about anyone stealing the Item Box and using our own supplies against us. …Though, if all our supplies are concentrated in that Item Box, it means our combat strength would plummet if Rei-kun were killed or if the Item Box were stolen. What’s your take on that risk?"
Keo’s tone remained light, but his eyes had turned sharp. Because he took pride in his work, he was naturally looking for any potential points of failure.
Sensing the professional weight behind Keo’s gaze, Rei answered without hesitation.
"First, I don’t think killing me will be an easy feat. I’m confident that my combat ability is on par with an A-Rank adventurer, and Seto the gryphon is always by my side. As for anyone trying to steal the Item Box, they’d likely find themselves facing a Baptism of Flame."
Rei said this while recalling the security magic he had placed on his Misty Ring.
Then, as if a sudden thought had struck him, he looked back at Keo.
"Speaking of which, I just mentioned him, but I have a tamed monster, the gryphon Seto. He’s my partner, my best friend, and my family."
"Ah, yes, I’ve heard. I’m told he’s quite the adorable mascot and very famous in the city."
"In this city, yes," Rei emphasized.
"…Ah, I see what you mean."
Keo nodded, catching Rei’s drift immediately.
As they had seen in the City of Abuelo, most people—whether adventurers, civilians, soldiers, or knights—struggled to remain calm when a gryphon, an A-Rank monster, was in their immediate vicinity. The residents of the City of Gilm were only comfortable with Seto because they lived on the frontier and were used to strange things. Even then, when Rei first arrived, plenty of people had been terrified of Seto despite his Tamed Monster's Necklace.
It wasn't hard to imagine the chaos that would erupt if a gryphon appeared in a military camp where people from all over the kingdom were gathering.
"You have a point. In that case, Lord Daskar, what if we officially notify the other commands that the forces dispatched from the City of Gilm include a gryphon tamer? If we clear it from the top down, we should be able to suppress any major commotions."
Daskar considered Keo’s suggestion for a few seconds before giving a small nod.
"Very well. I shall personally send word to the high-ranking officers. …But Rei, that isn't the only concern, is it?"
Daskar’s gaze suggested he saw right through the situation, and Rei agreed.
"No. If people know Seto is obedient to me, we can avoid a panic. But once people realize he follows orders, there will be those who start entertaining… less than honorable thoughts. Whether they act on them or not is another matter."
"Likely so. The real trouble will come from outside our faction. I have a firm handle on the Neutral Faction, but many in the Noble's Faction don't even view non-nobles as human beings. Duke Kerebel, their leader, values merit over status, so he won't be the problem, but the lesser nobles beneath him are a different story. And then, of course, there’s the King's Faction."
"…I see."
Listening to Rei and Daskar, Keo finally understood the full scope of their worries.
A gryphon was an A-Rank monster. If someone could kill it and harvest its materials and magic stone, the profit would be astronomical. Given that someone like Boruntar of the Azoth Firm had already tried to snatch Seto, Rei couldn't rule out the possibility of it happening again.
(Well, Boruntar should be atoning for his idiocy right about now,) Rei thought, recalling the torture-grade magic he had used on the man.
"Regardless, if I put my name on the line, it should deter most of them—though the political balance means I can't guarantee it will be absolute. If anyone does try to lay a hand on you… you have my permission. Beat them down."
"…Huh?"
The unexpected declaration from Daskar made Rei blink in surprise.
Daskar was a Margrave. If someone chose to interfere even after he had explicitly warned them off, they would likely be someone with significant political backing. Rei hadn't expected to be told to simply resort to violence against such people.
"Are you sure about that? Won't that cause trouble with the other nobles? I can handle myself, but if you get dragged into a political mess because of me…"
Daskar snorted, a predatory smirk crossing his rugged features.
With his imposing face, that smile made him look like nothing so much as a bandit king in Rei’s eyes.
"The Kingdom of Mireana needs to be a united front to stop the Bestia Empire. Anyone who prioritizes their own greed at a time like this is nothing but a liability on the battlefield. They’re the type to ruin an operation just to chase personal glory. If we can keep people like that away from the front lines from the start, it’s actually for the best. …Though, keep in mind, killing them would be problematic, so please show at least some restraint."
"…Understood. If you’re willing to go that far, I have no reason to hold back. I’ll make sure my power is put to good use in the war."
As long as he didn't kill them, he could do as he pleased with any noble who tried to mess with him. Rei returned the smile.
If Daskar’s grin was that of a bandit king, Rei’s was that of a carnivore that had just spotted its prey.
"Um… is it okay if I’m still here for this?"
Keo’s muttered question broke the tension, bringing Rei and Daskar back to the matter at hand.
"Right, where were we? Ah, yes, the Item Box."
"Oh, good, you remembered me. …Now, Rei-kun, is there anything else useful you can tell me about how we can leverage the Item Box?"
"Even if you ask me so suddenly…"
Rei trailed off, taking a sip of his tea. His eyes drifted to the sandwiches on the table, and a thought occurred to him.
"Keo, let me ask you something. What does the army usually eat while on the march?"
"Generally, it’s dried meat, cheese, and hard-baked bread."
"Just as I thought. That’s what most adventurers eat, too. And when I take fresh food out of my Item Box, they’re always beyond shocked."
Keo’s eyes widened as the realization hit him. Daskar, too, wore a look of sudden enlightenment.
"Of course! The food!"
"It’s true that military rations prioritize portability and shelf-life over nutrition or flavor. That’s why we’re stuck with dried meat and hard bread… but if we have an Item Box…"
Rei nodded at Daskar’s expectant look.
"Exactly. Soldiers who eat good food have higher morale."
"Without a doubt. At the very least, it would be on a completely different level compared to choking down standard rations. Hot, delicious soup or stew, and bread baked soft and fluffy since we don't have to worry about it going stale. And alcohol—we can’t usually bring much because of the weight, but if Rei can carry entire barrels…"
"We can do it! We can absolutely do it, Lord Daskar!" Keo shouted, his face beaming with excitement. "If that’s the plan, I’ll immediately coordinate with the cooks and bakers. Since they’ll be prepared here, we can probably only supply the forces departing from Gilm, but if we’re talking about morale, I’d love to find a way to feed the whole army—"
"Keo, don’t get ahead of yourself. This city alone can’t possibly provide meals for every soldier in the entire war effort."
In the end, Rei officially accepted the nomination request, signing a contract to serve as a mercenary and supply officer.
While a standard mercenary earned 1 silver coin per day, Rei’s contract was for 5 silver coins—a reflection of the extraordinary value he brought to the campaign.