"Lord Rei, it has been a long time."
The female knight reached the top of the hill and called out to Rei, who stood beside the reclining Set.
Rei had already realized who she was while she was still making her way up. A female knight wielding a battle axe was a rare sight, and since that specific axe had once belonged to him, there was no mistaking her.
The small dragon perched on her shoulder provided the final confirmation. That was Ielo, a familiar created through Dragon Language Magic. And the woman standing before Rei was the knight serving the very person who wielded that magic.
"Yeah, Ara. I'm glad to see you’re doing well. It’s been since we parted in the City of Baar. You didn't catch the Magic Fever, did you?"
"I didn't. Fortunately, I had no issues with the fever. We were able to return to Anesis shortly after we went our separate ways."
While Rei and Ara exchanged greetings, the other pair also enjoyed a reunion.
"Guruuu?"
"Kyu!"
Set rumbled in its throat, and Ielo gave a small cry in response.
Whether they truly understood each other's words or were simply communicating through nuances, Rei couldn't tell. Nevertheless, the sight of Set and Ielo together was enough to warm the heart of anyone watching.
"...Ah! No, that’s not why I’m here."
Ara had also unintentionally let a gentle smile touch her lips at the sight, but she quickly shook her head to snap herself back to her duties. She turned to Rei, who wore a similar smile, and stated the reason for her visit.
"Lord Rei, Lady Elena wishes to invite you to her camp."
"Elena does? But... is that all right?"
Rei held a position of some importance as the supply officer and mercenary for the Larkus Territorial Army, hired by Daskar. He wondered if it was acceptable to visit Elena for personal reasons. Sensing his hesitation, Ara smiled and nodded.
"Lord Daskar has already given his permission. He said that since you have dinner to prepare, an hour or so would be fine."
"...Is it really okay?" Rei muttered again.
In his mind, he had estimated he needed to start preparing dinner in about thirty minutes.
Of course, "preparing dinner" for Rei simply meant pulling vast quantities of cooked food, liquor, and bread out of the Misty Ring; the actual task of distribution was left to the specialized staff. Normally, he would also have to distribute tents, but since they had already reached the Kingdom of Mireana's campsite, all the camping tents and the like had already been handed out.
"Yes. He said it was no problem. Besides, Lady Elena is very eager to see you."
A teasing light danced in Ara's eyes as she spoke.
For Rei, seeing Elena was certainly not an issue. If anything, it was something he deeply desired.
She was one of only two people with whom he had traveled through a dungeon and shared the truth of his identity. Considering the other person was a Lich, she was the only living person who knew his secret. Furthermore, he was genuinely attracted to her—not just for her physical beauty, but for her kindness and her dignity.
The reason he had never responded to the advances of Kenny, the guild receptionist, was undoubtedly because Elena’s image remained at the back of his mind.
"Kyuu!"
Rei turned toward the adorable cry and saw Ielo perched on Set's back, looking as if it were urging them to set off immediately.
"Gururuu."
Set also rumbled at Rei. Smiling at the two creatures, Rei gave a small nod.
"You're right. I want to see Elena again after all this time too. Shall we go?"
"This way, then. I shall guide you."
As Ara stepped forward to lead the way, Rei spoke up.
"I could find her myself if you just told me where she was, you know?"
"Now, listen, Lord Rei. Do you understand Lady Elena's position? She is the Princess General, the symbol of the Noble's Faction. Do you think an adventurer of unknown origin can just walk up, ask to see her, and be granted an audience? At worst, you would be treated as a Bestia Empire spy."
"...I-I see."
Of course, Rei knew that Elena was the Princess General and the symbol of the Noble's Faction. However, that was merely intellectual knowledge; he hadn't truly seen the reality of it with his own eyes. He had known Kyuste, but Rei had judged him to be a special case of extreme, blind devotion. Because of his lack of awareness, Ara could only sigh.
(Honestly, does Lord Rei have any idea that he is the one Lady Elena loves? ...No, he probably doesn't. Or perhaps he knows but it hasn't truly sunk in. I just hope no strange commotions break out... though that's likely impossible.)
An optimistic thought flashed through her mind for a second, but she immediately shook it off as she recalled the reality of their situation.
Ara judged that even if something did happen, there was almost no one who could actually harm Rei and Set. Some might try to use their authority, but she deemed that would also be difficult. After all, Rei's base was the home of Margrave Larkus, the central figure of the Neutral Faction, and he was currently employed by Daskar as a person of importance. If anyone were to act insolently toward him, Daskar would surely seize on the insult, and the offender would end up owing him an unnecessary debt.
Ara believed this, but she would soon learn that her thinking was still naive—or rather, she had failed to realize the depths of those who, blinded by Elena's beauty, were obsessed with making her their own.
Rei, Ara, Set, and Ielo—the two humans and two creatures—descended the hill and walked through the Kingdom of Mireana’s campsite.
"Heh, once you get this far in, it’s almost like a city," Rei muttered as he took in the surroundings.
Everywhere he looked, there were people who had likely come from nearby towns and villages. Food was being sold at stalls, weapons and armor were being traded at open-air shops, and there were even prostitutes in provocative dresses teasing the men.
(It's fine that there are prostitutes, but... where do they work? Surely not in the tents?)
As Rei watched a prostitute in a blue dress with an incredibly revealing neckline and back, he suddenly realized a cold—nearly frigid—gaze was being directed at him.
"Heeh. So Lord Rei prefers women like that."
"...Wait. Don't get the wrong idea. I wasn't looking with those kinds of intentions."
"Is that so? You were staring at that sultry woman with a look of complete fascination. Oh, it’s fine. I’ll make sure to report this properly to Lady Elena."
"I told you to wait. I didn't have any intentions like that... well, I won't say absolutely none. But I was just wondering where they did their work."
"'Won't say absolutely none,' is it?"
Seizing on the end of his sentence, the temperature of Ara's gaze dropped even further. Rei felt as though he were being subjected to a look that could freeze a goblin in seconds, but judging that saying anything more would only make things worse, he decided to fall silent.
"Gururuu?"
"Kyu!"
Set and Ielo followed behind the two in silence, carrying on a short conversation of their own.
Incidentally, Elena had the ability to share what Ielo saw by making contact with it... fortunately or unfortunately, Rei was unaware of this.
In this manner, the group proceeded through the campsite toward the area where the Noble's Faction was gathered. Soldiers, knights, and the nobles leading them instinctively recoiled upon seeing Set, or looked on with greedy curiosity. However, once they realized that the one leading Rei and Set was Ara, they understood that interfering would be suicidal and merely frowned.
As Lady Elena's escort knight, Ara was quite well-known. Her fame had spread recently due to her being a female knight who wielded a battle axe. Simultaneously, it was famous that Ara was a childhood friend of the Princess General, Elena Kerebel, and that she was deeply trusted by her. Therefore, most judged that picking a fight with Ara here was equivalent to showing hostility toward Elena herself.
...Yes. Most did. Which meant not everyone.
"Ho, you there. You have a rare monster with you. You look like an adventurer."
As Rei and the others were heading toward Elena's pavilion, a voice abruptly called out to them.
Ara knit her brows and turned toward the voice; Rei followed her lead.
Standing there was a man in his mid-twenties. His features were well-formed, but his eyes were clearly clouded with desire. It was the gaze of a man who believed it only natural that others obey him and that nothing but himself held value.
"Lord Lunojis, do you have business with us?"
"Silence, you mere Count house... and to think a third daughter would dare speak to me. Know your place. I am the next head of Marquis Imahen’s House. Even if you are a member of Lady Elena's Escort Knight Order, you should mind your station."
"...My apologies. However, as it is currently wartime, I was under the impression that rank within the military takes precedence over social status. I am the Escort Knight Order Commander. Lord Lunojis is the commander of the Imahen Knight Order. In that regard, our standing is equal."
At the title "Escort Knight Order Commander," Rei, who had been silently watching the exchange, wore a look of surprise.
When they had delved into the dungeon together, Ara had been nothing more than a member of the Escort Knight Order. He was shocked she had been promoted so far.
(Well, Kyuste is dead and Vel betrayed them. Even if there were other members, Ara would naturally have ended up in a leadership role. She already had Elena's deep trust to begin with.)
Rei reached this conclusion internally, but in truth, the Power Axe Elena had received from Rei played a large part in Ara's promotion. Ara had always possessed Herculean strength, but as a woman, she had been physically inferior to men in terms of endurance. She had overcome this through the Power Axe's constant recovery effect. As a result, she had become the most powerful figure within the Escort Knight Order and was promoted to Knight Commander.
There were voices concerned about making Ara—who tended to act before thinking—the Knight Commander, but that was resolved by appointing a vice-commander to assist her.
"...You. Do you think you can get carried away just because you have Lady Elena's protection?"
His face distorted, and his hand reached for the hilt of the sword at his waist. Seeing this, Rei moved his hand inside his robe, ready to throw a dagger at a moment's notice. Ara maintained a serious expression as she shook her head.
"I am not getting carried away. I am merely exercising my legitimate rights. Lord Lunojis, this is a battlefield; I believe it is questionable for you to use your status to force your will."
To Ara and Rei, these words seemed perfectly reasonable. However, to Lunojis, who took it for granted that others followed his orders, it was an absolutely unforgivable act of defiance from social inferiors against a high-ranking noble.
"If you're going to go that far, then I trust you're prepared. Pay for that insolence with your life!"
With those words, he drew his sword and lunged at Ara.
His speed was overwhelmingly faster than the average adventurers around them. It was proof that Lunojis actually possessed skill to match his arrogance.
In fact, it was perhaps Lunojis's misfortune that he was talented. Because of that skill, he had been able to force his way through life with that attitude until now. But here, things were different. Just as Ara was about to dodge the horizontal slash by leaping backward, and just as Rei was about to throw his dagger—
Clang!
The high-pitched ring of metal striking metal echoed through the air, and in the next instant, the blade of the sword Lunojis held was snapped in half.
The people watching nearby couldn't understand what had happened. Only two humans and two creatures understood: Ara, Rei, Set, and Ielo.
"Honestly, causing a scene the moment you arrive."
The moment a voice as beautiful as the ringing of a bell was heard, all attention was drawn toward its owner.
Luxurious golden hair shone in the sun like real gold, and as the wind swayed the tresses, her sharp beauty was revealed.
The onlookers immediately understood why she was called the Princess General. She possessed an undeniable sensuality and a beauty one could never forget. Yet she was not a weak woman; she radiated an aura as a knight that overwhelmed all who looked upon her.
In her hand was a magic item called a whip-sword, and it was clear its blade had severed Lunojis's sword.
"Lady Elena..."
Ara spoke the name of her revered master.
Elena Kerebel—the woman hailed as the Princess General for her beauty and skill—stood before them.