Night had fallen, and the world was swallowed by darkness save for the moonlight pouring down from the heavens. Within that silvery glow, one man and one beast soared through the sky.
They were, of course, Rei and Set, and they were currently heading toward a specific mountain range located far off the highway.
"Phew. It's a fine moonlit night. Not a single cloud in sight."
"Guruuu."
At Rei's murmur, Set looked back over its shoulder and let out a trill.
Unlike Rei, who had mostly rested inside a carriage during the march, Set had been at the very front of the army, advancing alongside the other adventurers.
It wasn't that the creature was particularly fatigued, nor had it been injured by the monsters—like the Goblins—that occasionally attacked the column without bothering to weigh their own strength.
Even so, for Set, being separated from its beloved Rei throughout the march had been a lonely experience. For that reason, it was letting out an even more spoiled cry than usual, signaling its desire for attention.
Since they were linked by magic power through Beast Magic, Rei sensed the creature's feelings and stroked its neck with a faint smile.
"Still, even if they're known as noble bandits and heroes to the common folk, I didn't think he'd authorize recruiting the Prairie Wolves into the fold so readily."
As he spoke, Rei recalled the scene immediately following his proposal.
Luno, who had been listening beside him, had been left speechless, his eyes wide with shock that Rei was connected to such a group. The two knights assigned to guard Rei had grimaced, arguing that bringing a bandit gang into their ranks was a mistake and pleading with Daskar to reconsider. As for the man of the hour, Daskar himself, he had simply urged Rei to continue with an intrigued glint in his eye.
Rei had then explained the circumstances: how he had been attacked by a bloodthirsty bandit gang while passing through this area on a previous escort request. After repelling them, he had the adventurer he was traveling with track them to their lair so they could wipe them out. However, by the time they reached the hideout, the group had been on the verge of destruction at the hands of the Prairie Wolves. Ultimately, Rei had appeared on the battlefield and spared the Prairie Wolves—who were noble bandits—in exchange for a future favor.
The knights, perhaps because they were unfamiliar with the famous noble bandits of the frontier or because they couldn't decide whether to be impressed by Luno's explanation or simply treat all thieves as the same, had hesitated. Daskar's judgment, however, was swift.
As a Lord, he was well aware of the Prairie Wolves and knew from intelligence reports that their leader, Egg, was a man of his word. He instantly realized the utility of bringing them to his side and requested Rei to recruit the Prairie Wolves into the Larkus Territorial Army on the spot.
The fact that it was a request rather than an order was a testament to how much Daskar valued Rei.
Consequently, after finishing the distribution of lunch rations and dinner rations, handing out camping tents and the like to the entire force, and completing various other logistical tasks with the Misty Ring, Rei was now flying through the night sky with Set.
He didn't know the exact location of the hideout, however. Therefore...
"Guru..."
Set, flapping its wings through the cool night air, let out a low rumble in its throat while staring down at a patch of forest on the ground.
"Oh, did you find them? As expected of Set. Good boy."
"Gurururuuu."
Set purred happily at the praise.
While stroking the creature's neck, Rei smiled.
"Well then... shall we go say hello to the thieves moving around at night?"
"Guruuu!"
Set tucked its wings and plunged toward the forest below. The trees rushed up to meet them, but Rei showed no trace of fear or surprise. Instead, he withdrew a dagger from the Misty Ring on his arm. His usual throwing weapon was a spear, but its power was simply too great for this mission. If he were here for a bandit subjugation, it would be fine, but his goal was to incorporate the Prairie Wolves into the Larkus Territorial Army. He wanted to avoid unnecessary killing, as every death meant one less soldier for their side.
"Hmph!"
From atop Set, who had silenced its wingbeats as it glided, Rei swiftly threw the dagger. Though it was spring, the night was still chilly, and the dagger sliced through the cold air like a needle.
"Gah!"
The blade grazed the target's thigh, leaving a shallow cut before burying itself in the ground.
"Set."
"Guru."
As if understanding the command from that single word, Set tilted its body mid-air to make it easier for Rei to dismount.
Rei rolled off Set's back and landed in the woods.
Despite the five-meter drop, he landed with unnatural grace, absorbing the impact and making almost no sound.
The forest floor wasn't exactly hard-packed, and the soft soil and fallen leaves helped muffle the sound, but his movements were still so preternaturally quiet that the man living in these woods found it utterly abnormal.
"Who's there!?" the man barked, clutching his bleeding right thigh.
Rei threw back his hood, his Dragon Robe fluttering as he approached the wary man without a hint of hesitation.
"Rei, an adventurer from the City of Gilm."
"Tsk, an adventurer!? Where the hell did you sniff us out!?"
The man showed no reaction to the name Rei, instead gripping an axe at his waist.
It wasn't a battle axe made for war, but a simple wood-splitting hand axe.
"...I see. You're not one of them."
If he were a member of the Prairie Wolves, there was no way he wouldn't recognize the name Rei. He had left far too strong an impression on Egg and the others for that. Judging that the person before him was likely a common thief with no connection to his target, Rei pulled another dagger from his Misty Ring.
"Do you know where the Prairie Wolves' Hideout is?"
"Hah? How should I know? And even if I did, you think I'd tell a brat like you after you attacked me?"
The man shouted, veins bulging on his forehead.
In response, Rei merely frowned and flicked his wrist.
A light thud echoed in the man's ears.
"...Eh?"
It happened in the blink of an eye. The man saw the hand of the small child who looks to be in his mid-teens move, and the next instant, the dagger vanished from the boy's grip. The handle was now protruding from a tree trunk directly behind the man. Piercing a living tree all the way to the crossguard was an incredible feat, requiring either mastery far beyond the man's ken or monstrous physical strength.
The man stole a glance at the dagger buried in the wood, then at the child's robe. It looked like a typical, unremarkable mage's robe.
Because Rei's Dragon Robe was enchanted with concealment, it appeared as nothing more than ordinary cloth to someone without magical training. For this thief, that was a stroke of grave misfortune.
Probably some apprentice mage, the man thought. But he didn't chant. That means... a magic item. He probably thought he was being clever with a bluff, but throwing away his weapon was a fatal mistake.
To move through the night forest alone, the man was certainly skilled among his kind. However, by the standards of the adventurers in the City of Gilm, the gap between them was night and day.
Had he sensed the difference in their power and fled, he might have survived. It would have been the smarter choice, but he was deceived by Rei's appearance. The fact that Set was circling high above and out of sight further lulled him into a false sense of security.
"Your bluffs won't work on me!"
The man lunged backward, landing beside the tree where the dagger was stuck.
He reached out his hand for the hilt.
I've got it! For that brat to win, he should have gotten this magic item back before me. But I'm faster!
A triumphant grin spread across his face as he grabbed the handle. But...
"...Eh?"
His voice went flat as the dagger refused to budge.
"You seem to be mistaken about something. That dagger isn't special. It's just a common blade you can buy anywhere in the city."
"–!?"
Rei's voice sounded right next to him, though he had been several meters away just a moment ago. The man spun around reflexively.
"For now, learn your place."
With those words, a powerful impact slammed into his abdomen, and his consciousness plunged into darkness.
"Honestly. Do I really look that much like a child?"
Rei sighed, checking his own reflection as best he could.
Coming from Japan, he didn't think he was exceptionally short, but in this world where the average height was much higher, he was frequently mistaken for being younger than he was. Recalling the countless times this had led to unnecessary trouble, he shook his head and reached for the dagger in the tree, pulling it out effortlessly.
The man had pulled with his entire weight and couldn't move it an inch, yet Rei extracted it as if it were stuck in butter.
If the man had seen this, he would have been speechless at Rei's physical strength. Fortunately or unfortunately, he was out cold on the ground.
"Now then..."
Holding the dagger, Rei delivered a sharp kick to the man's thigh—hard enough to hurt, but not enough to break bone.
"Gwah!?"
The man jolted awake from the pain. Still disoriented, he looked around frantically until Rei spoke.
"Are you awake now?"
"Hieee!"
The moment he saw Rei, the memories of the struggle came rushing back. The man's previous bravado vanished, replaced by a terrified scream as he tried to scramble away.
"Guru."
"What? Hie—Hieeeeeee!?"
He bumped into something massive and looked up to find a face with a sharp beak staring down at him. The man shrieked and scrambled away from the presence—Set—as fast as he could.
"I assume you understand your position now?"
The thief seemed to decide that the child was less terrifying than the monster. He nodded frantically while cowering behind Rei.
"Then I'll ask again. Do you know where the Prairie Wolves' Hideout is?"
"I—I don't know the exact spot, but I know the general area..."
"Good. Guide me there, and I'll let you go. You're lucky. It's not every day a C-Rank adventurer offers to overlook a thief."
"...C-C-Rank!?"
"Yeah. I gave you a taste of my skill, didn't I? Don't underestimate people based on how they look."
"..."
The man nodded silently, over and over.
"Good. Then get moving and show me the way."
"Y-Yeah. ...This way."
He had clearly realized that further resistance would only lead to a shallow grave. Even if he were somewhat skilled among bandits, he was nothing compared to a C-Rank adventurer. He quietly led Rei toward the place rumored to be the Prairie Wolves' Hideout. His steps were heavy, likely from the lingering pain of the kick to his thigh.
If that rumor was a lie... I'm dead, aren't I?
He proceeded through the woods with Rei and Set, his heart hammering against his ribs.
Every time he stole a glance back, he met Set's unblinking gaze. After an hour of agonizing tension...
"As far as I've heard, the Prairie Wolves' Hideout should be near here."
They arrived at a cluster of several massive rocks, each about five meters tall, piled atop one another.
"Is this the place? It's certainly a clear landmark, but... wait, it seems we have a hit."
Rei muttered as he took in the scene, which looked almost fantastical under the moonlight, but his attention quickly shifted to the darkness around them.
He had sensed several presences rapidly closing in.
"Guru."
Set agreed, letting out a short, low rumble.
"Alright, it seems you were telling the truth. You can go now. But if you try to pull anything... you know what will happen."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Met with a cold gaze that treated him as nothing more than a pebble on the road, the man swallowed hard, nodded, and bolted into the darkness as if staying a second longer would cost him his soul.
Watching him go, Rei turned his attention back to the forest, which had grown eerily silent, and spoke into the shadows.
"I am Rei. A C-Rank adventurer of the City of Gilm. Tell Egg I've come to collect on his debt."
He projected his voice to those lurking nearby.
He had no doubt that the people surrounding them were the Prairie Wolves. The way the guide had been terrified, and the sheer competence with which these newcomers concealed their presence, told him that these were no ordinary bandits.