"U-uwaaaaaah!"
A man who looked to be a sailor screamed at the top of his lungs upon seeing Rei and Set on the ship's deck.
Ignoring the shout, Rei forced Set to land on the deck anyway.
"There, you're safe now. Just get off. Explain things to the people on this ship for me. I’m heading back out to continue the rescue."
"Y-yes. Thank you so much for saving us. I thought it was all over for me and my baby..."
The person who climbed down from Set's back was a woman in her 20s, cradling an infant in her arms.
Even while submerged in the ocean, she must have fought desperately to protect the child. Although they were both drenched in seawater, neither appeared to have any significant injuries. The mother had several bite marks on her legs that looked like they were from monsters, but they were only a few centimeters deep—not fatal by any means.
"H-hey! Who are you people? And that monster is..."
Sailors and adventurers who had spotted Set's form approached. They clutched swords, spears, and axes, but none made a move to attack, likely because Rei had just delivered the rescued mother and child.
More likely, however, it was the presence of Set—who was casting a sharp, warning gaze at the crowd beside Rei—that created an atmosphere that discouraged any reckless action.
Even if none of them had ever seen a Gryphon in the flesh, they knew of its legend. That knowledge only served to heighten their fear.
"Sorry, I don't have time to chat, but you can count me as an ally for now. I’m going to go pick up more of the people stranded in the water, so get ready to receive them."
Rei made his declaration unilaterally, then signaled Set. With a short head start of a few steps, they soared back into the sky.
"Ah, wait! Give us more of an explanation than that!"
"Ask the woman for the details!"
Leaving the voices calling after him behind, Set took flight and headed back toward the area where they had been moments ago.
The sailors and adventurers stared blankly at their retreating backs for a short while before finally snapping out of it. They quickly set to work preparing blankets, warm drinks, and medicine to treat the injured.
Having finished barking out orders to the crew, the captain—an elderly man in his 50s—approached the rescued woman to get her side of the story.
"The monster that boy was leading... it was a Gryphon, wasn't it?"
The captain asked as if he couldn't believe his own words. His face was frozen in an expression of such pure bewilderment that it was almost comical. Had the woman not just escaped a brush with death, she might have laughed at the sight.
The woman, however, lacked any such composure. She simply nodded in response to his question.
"Yes. He came to save me and my baby after we were thrown into the sea. There are many others still out there, but he said that because of the Gryphon's stamina, he would prioritize the women and children first since they’re lighter."
"...I see. An adventurer who’s tamed a Gryphon... Could it be that 'Crimson' fellow who made a name for himself in the recent war? No, that doesn't matter right now. Whatever the case, protecting the people he brings here is our top priority. You lot, listen up! That adventurer with the Gryphon will be bringing more survivors soon. In this weather, they shouldn't catch a chill, but prepare blankets, cloths, and warm drinks regardless!"
At the captain's command, the crew immediately sprang into action. Their discipline was superior even to a standard army.
"Captain, we set sail in such a hurry that we barely have any variety in the drinks. What should we do?"
"...Tell the cooks to just serve whatever we’ve got."
"Captain, I brought the blankets!"
"Leave them there. They’ll be here any second."
"Monster! A monster is coming this way, too!"
"Tch, everyone with a free hand, prepare to intercept! This ship is huge, so it won't go down easy, but I’m not interested in seeing her damaged!"
Following the captain's instructions, they prepared for defense, gripping whatever weapons were at hand—bows, harpoons, or short throwing axes.
Amidst the busy work, the sound of flapping wings reached the captain's ears once more.
Looking up, he saw the adventurer from before, this time carrying two children around 10 years old in his arms. The giant scythe he had been holding earlier was nowhere to be seen.
The captain was unaware that Rei possessed an Item Box, but he didn't seem to care. He simply waved his hand grandly and called out as the Gryphon descended toward the deck.
"Hey, over here! Land right here!"
Rei must have heard him. He signaled Set, and they glided down as if sliding through the air.
"Two children. There are a few more kids still out there, so be ready. Here, get down."
"Uwaaaaaaaaah! Daddy! Daddy's gone!"
"Sob... sob... Big sister..."
Whether they had watched their family be killed by monsters or sink with the ship, the two children wailed inconsolably in Rei's arms.
Seeing this, the mother rescued earlier quickly approached and took the two children from Rei.
"Come here, you two. This big brother is trying to help everyone, so you mustn't get in his way. ...Thank you. Please, save them."
Rei nodded to the woman as she bowed to him and took off on Set once more.
The woman continued to bow even as they pulled away. It was a gesture that looked less like a request and more like a prayer. At least, that was how it appeared to the captain watching from the side.
"Alright, kid, we're ready for more whenever you are! This ship won't lose to the likes of monsters, so keep 'em coming!"
Rei waved a hand behind him at the captain's shout, and Set followed suit by wagging its tail. The one man and one beast then returned to the area where the magic item ships were clustered.
"The water's clear enough that I can still see the enemies, but being underwater is a real pain. It absorbs all the power from my attacks... gah!"
Rei pulled a spear from the Misty Ring while they flew, aimed at a monster swimming below, and threw it. However...
"Tch."
Just as Rei had suspected, the spear's power was significantly bled off by the seawater. Instead of piercing the target, it was deflected harmlessly by the giant shell on the creature's back.
"Losing power is one thing, but having the aim thrown off by the impact of the seawater is a nuisance."
As he muttered bitterly, Set flew straight toward their target. In less than five minutes, they arrived back at the cluster of magic item ships.
"Hey! Take that parent and child next!"
An adventurer man shouted out. He was the one Rei had saved just in the nick of time from a shark-like monster. Rei waved to signal his acknowledgement and descended toward the water's surface.
By now, everyone had seen Set descend several times to rescue people, so the middle-aged woman showed no fear as she desperately grabbed Rei's outstretched hand. A child around 10 years old was clinging to her back.
"Listen, don't struggle or you'll fall. Stay absolutely still."
"Yes!"
While Set remained alert and the other adventurers kept watch for monsters, Set tilted its body mid-air. Once Rei confirmed the woman had a firm grip on his hand, he hauled her up with all his might.
He placed them behind him on Set's back and immediately headed back toward the large rescue ship.
(Tch. If only I could use Set's Intimidation, we could deal with these small-fry monsters easily... but everyone is spread out too far.)
Rei glanced back.
With the magic item ships and the survivors scattered across a wide area, Set's Intimidation would inevitably catch allies in the crossfire. In fact, considering almost everyone in the water was a civilian, the damage to them would be catastrophic.
The Intimidation used by Set could only be focused in a general direction. If released toward the water's surface now, it would devastate more than just the monsters.
"Thank you, thank you so much."
The woman continued to shower Rei with words of gratitude as they rode on Set's back.
She had truly experienced a narrow escape from death; her reaction was only natural.
However, Rei and Set could only save one or two people at a time. Even while they were ferrying these survivors, the less fortunate were being dragged underwater alive and eaten by monsters.
The adventurers on the magic item ships were doing their best to hold the line, but the sheer number of enemies made it feel like throwing water on hot stones.
The woman's gratitude was likely rooted in her awareness of that grim reality.
(The rescue ship is getting closer, but how many can we actually save?)
With the ship approaching, the distance Set had to fly was shrinking. However, to Rei, who knew Set's true speed was like a bolt through the sky, it still felt as agonizingly slow as a turtle's crawl.
(Initially, I joined this rescue to make a good impression on the people in the City of Emocion, but watching innocent passengers become monster food feels terrible. If only there was a better way...)
He racked his brain for a countermeasure, but nothing came to mind.
While he was thinking, they arrived back on the deck of the rescue ship.
"Two more!"
At Rei's shout, sailors with blankets rushed over.
The woman climbed down from Set's back, collapsing onto the deck in relief.
Watching her out of the corner of his eye, Rei called out to the captain.
"Can't you get any more speed out of this ship? At this rate, we're going to reach our limit. A huge number of people are going to end up as monster food."
"I know that! But this is the top speed she’s got! I’m sorry, but you have to hang in there a little longer!"
"...Acknowledged."
He had known the answer before he asked. This was a relief ship sent from the port; they were obviously pushing it to the limit. But Rei couldn't find any other way to change the situation, so he felt he had to say something.
The captain likely felt the same. He answered Rei gruffly, his face twisting with a hint of frustration.
"Just keep rescuing as many as you can. We're giving it everything we've got. ...I’m counting on you."
"Yeah."
Rei nodded, and Set flapped its wings, soaring back into the sky.
The ship grew smaller in the corner of his vision as they flew back toward the passengers in the water... when it happened.
"Guruuuuuuuuu!"
Suddenly, Set gave a sharp cry and tilted its body violently.
Rei reacted instantly, digging his legs in to ensure he wasn't thrown from Set's back.
What had happened? He only understood when Set finally leveled out. Something had just pierced through the exact space where they had been a split second ago.
"A tentacle? ...No, wait. Seawater!?"
A jet of seawater had shot up with the force and straightness of a growing stalk of bamboo. Such a thing was no natural phenomenon. It had clearly been fired intentionally. And it didn't stop there.
"Guruuu!"
Set cried out again, abruptly shifting position in mid-air. As if repeating the previous attack, a seawater spear pierced the air where they had been a moment before.
"Tch, magic!?"
Rei shouted, looking down at the sea to find the source. He noticed that the countless monsters that had been swarming the area just moments ago had completely vanished.
(That many monsters, and they all just disappeared. They weren't all killed, so they must have fled. ...Fled? Why? Obviously, because something stronger than them showed up... which means...)
"Looks like the bounty is making its appearance! Set, focus on evasion for now!"
"Guru!"
Set gave a high-pitched cry in response to Rei's voice, weaving through the air to dodge the jets—no, what were essentially seawater spears—that were firing from the depths.
While having Set focus on dodging, Rei strained his eyes to look into the water, but he couldn't see the monster responsible anywhere.
"Tch. Is it tracking us from the seafloor?"
No matter how clear the water was, he couldn't see all the way to the bottom. Since there were no monsters in the visible range, Rei concluded that the enemy was attacking from the invisible depths.
"Being able to track us and attack unilaterally from that far away... the disadvantage is too much!"
As he spoke, a seawater spear appeared in front of them, curving sharply in mid-air to point its tip directly at Set—no, at Rei.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance. Swapping his throwing spear for Death Scythe, he swung the weapon and sliced the seawater spear apart.
The moment the tip was severed, the spear lost its form and splashed back into the ocean as ordinary water.
Naturally, he couldn't continue the rescue while being hunted by an unseen enemy. He had Set change direction and move away from the immediate area. For about five minutes, they evaded while searching for the culprit, but they found nothing, and the attacks abruptly ceased.
It was as if the attacker had simply grown bored and decided it was enough for now.
Rei frowned at being attacked so one-sidedly, but for the sake of the survivors, he headed back to where the magic item ships were waiting to resume the rescue.