The Port City Emocion served as the gateway to the Kingdom of Mireana. In a room within that city, the guard force executives were currently engaged in a clamorous and heated debate.
“I am telling you, no! I am absolutely opposed to letting a high-rank monster like a Gryphon into this city!”
A man in his late twenties with a stern, serious face shouted his disapproval. Sitting across from him, a woman of similar age slammed her palm against the table and shouted back.
“Then what do you propose we do?! Are you suggesting we just leave the Lemures alone to do as it pleases?!”
The man fell silent at her retort, and a heavy hush settled over the other meeting participants as well.
Lemures. That was the name of the calamity currently plaguing Emocion, the largest port city in the Kingdom of Mireana.
The creature lurked offshore, sinking passing ships on a whim. Its motivations were a total mystery, and because it destroyed vessels without ever surfacing, no one had even confirmed its appearance.
There were reports from those who had managed to repel it of seeing something like tentacles, but considering how it manipulated seawater into the shape of spears, the administration and the Adventurer's Guild suspected those witnesses might have been mistaken.
Ultimately, the administration had resorted to placing a staggering bounty of 2 Light Gold Coins on the creature—which had been dubbed the Lemures, though the name was merely a temporary designation for the unknown entity.
For Emocion, such a bounty was a painful expense, yet it was an acceptable loss compared to the continued damage of sinking ships.
The worst part was the sheer unpredictability of the attacks. One day, the creature might remain dormant for several days, allowing the port to operate freely, only to sink a ship attempting to enter the harbor the very next morning.
Consequently, ship owners were forced to make desperate gambles. They would head for the port either because they couldn't afford to keep bleeding money while holding cargo, or because their water and food supplies were nearly exhausted. Time and again, those gambles ended with the Lemures sending them to the bottom of the sea.
Desperate to subjugate the creature, the administration had turned to an adventurer dispatched from the City of Gilm—the true heart of the Adventurer's Guild. This was no ordinary adventurer; he was powerful enough to carry a letter of introduction from the Guild Master himself. Furthermore, he was a hero who had achieved great military feats in the recent war against the Bestia Empire. Despite being only Rank C, he was a famous alias holder known as ‘Crimson.’
On paper, he was exactly the kind of person they should have welcomed with open arms. There was only one problem: the adventurer was accompanied by a Gryphon, an A-Rank monster.
This single fact was the sole reason the meeting had devolved into such turmoil. They were deadlocked over whether to welcome Rei as he was or find some way to isolate the Gryphon. However, the fact that Rei’s entry was even being considered spoke volumes about the dire straits the City of Emocion found itself in.
“The Gryphon obeys the adventurer, Rei, perfectly and hasn't laid a claw on any civilians,” argued a man from the faction supporting his entry. “In fact, the civilians—especially the children who were rescued—actually adore it. Given that, aren't we being a bit too paranoid?”
A member of the opposing faction immediately spoke up to highlight the dangers.
“That is why I am telling you to consider the worst-case scenario! Emocion is the largest port city in the kingdom, which means it has a massive population. I hate to speak ill of my own home, but there are bound to be plenty of people up to no good. What happens if some fool decides to mess with the Gryphon? It could go on a rampage in the middle of the city! The resulting damage would be far worse than anything the Lemures is doing!”
“Regarding that, as I mentioned, it shouldn't be an issue as long as the tamer is present.”
“Are you sure? I’ve heard this adventurer is quite rough himself. What do you think happens when a famous alias holder gets into a brawl in the streets? This Rei is barely more than a boy, and I hear he specializes in wide-range annihilation magic. There are rumors that he wiped out a lead unit of the Bestia Imperial Army by creating a flame tornado!”
“That may be true… but doesn't it take that kind of power to kill the Lemures?”
The room remained split between those who believed Seto should be accepted and those who feared the Gryphon.
A person who had been listening to the dispute in silence finally spoke up.
“Wait. This mage, Rei, specializes in flame magic, correct?”
“Yes, according to my information, that is correct,” the woman leading the pro-acceptance faction replied with a nod.
“…Then wouldn't he be a poor choice for this mission? I know it hasn't been confirmed, but the Lemures is believed to stay at the bottom of the ocean. Why would we send an adventurer who specializes in flame magic?”
The meeting room fell silent once more.
In truth, many people had been thinking the exact same thing. If the enemy were like the Kraken that had attacked previously—emerging from the waves—flame magic would be effective enough. In fact, fire might even be a superior weapon against a creature accustomed to the cold depths.
But the Lemures was different. It stayed submerged, and no one had seen its true form. As it stood, he would have to use flame magic against an underwater target, which cast serious doubt on Rei’s utility.
“I’ve heard he specializes in fire, but I’ve also heard he can use wind magic,” the woman offered weakly.
“No, look. The question is whether he can use wind magic powerful enough to affect an enemy deep underwater. It might be better than fire, but isn't fire his primary specialty?”
“That’s… well, maybe he could just boil the harbor seawater whole or something… No, that wouldn't work, would it?”
Realizing she was being absurd, the woman’s voice trailed off.
“Of course not. The Lemures is a nightmare for this city, but I doubt he could boil the ocean itself. And even if he could, we can’t have him doing that. Imagine the fallout! Not just the deep-sea fishermen, but every local fisherman would lose their livelihood. Not to mention the astronomical sums we’d have to pay in compensation for the ships anchored in the harbor.”
“I suppose… but Captain, what do you want us to do? He’s an alias holder; his skill is beyond question. Besides, are you really going to tell an adventurer with a letter of introduction from the Guild Master of the City of Gilm to turn around and leave because his tamed Gryphon is inconvenient?”
The mention of the letter of introduction from Gilm's Guild Master effectively ended the debate.
The dark elf named Marina Alianza held that much political weight.
“Tch. True enough. Once that’s brought up, our hands are tied. …Fine. I’ll grant him entry into the city.”
“Captain!”
A chorus of voices erupted—some filled with disappointment, others with relief.
“However!” the Captain barked, cutting through the noise. He directed a sharp gaze at everyone in the room.
“Just because he has a letter from the Guild Master of the City of Gilm doesn't mean he gets blatant favoritism. Treat him like any other adventurer who came for the bounty. The same goes for the Gryphon. Like any other tamer, make it clear that he is solely responsible for any trouble it causes. Let him in on those terms. And don't forget the Tamed Monster's Necklace.”
With that, one side nodded happily while the other looked disgruntled, and they filed out of the room to carry out their instructions.
Watching his subordinates leave, the Captain let out a long, weary sigh.
“Good grief. It’s one thing that the higher-ups don't trust our own adventurers, but now I’m drowning in work because of all these bounty hunters causing trouble. I don't mind the bounty, but I wish they’d send us more manpower to handle the crowds.”
Since the bounty had been announced, adventurers had been pouring in from all over the region. Most were rough, lawless types, and when that many gathered in one place, conflict was inevitable. The guards of Emocion had been working around the clock for weeks.
The Captain was no exception. By the time he dragged himself home, his four-year-old daughter was already in bed. In the morning, he left before she even woke up. He hadn't seen his little girl awake in nearly a month.
“Damn it… I’m definitely going to be late again tonight.”
Since the Lemures had sunk another ship, he knew there was no avoiding it. The man slumped over the table with a heavy sigh, mourning the fact that he would miss his daughter yet again.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Rei-san.”
Back at the harbor, Rei and Seto were waiting on the deck of the rescue ship when two people approached them.
One was a woman with a friendly smile; the other was a man who looked at Rei with a sharp, almost accusatory glare. Both appeared to be in their late twenties.
“You certainly took your time,” Rei noted.
About three hours had passed since the rescue ship docked, and the sun had already begun its descent into twilight. Naturally, the survivors had long since disembarked. The only ones left were Rei and Seto, along with the Captain, who had insisted on staying as long as Rei remained on his ship.
The rest of the crew had likely finished their duties and headed off to the bars or brothels.
“I apologize. We had a great deal to discuss on our end. …As you can imagine, we can't simply let a Gryphon into the city without some deliberation.”
“Guruuu?”
As if sensing they were talking about it, Seto purred softly and turned its round, curious eyes toward the woman.
“!?”
The man behind the woman gasped and scrambled back several paces, startled by the Gryphon's movement.
Realizing how he must have looked, he flushed crimson and blustered, “L-Listen here! Entry is permitted, but any trouble you cause is on your own head! Don't forget that, and don't you dare make more work for us!”
“Hey, don't be so rude! …I’m sorry, but he’s not entirely wrong. Permission has been granted for the Gryphon… um, Seto, was it? We have permission to let Seto into the city.”
The woman stepped forward and handed Rei a Tamed Monster's Necklace.
“Since you have a letter of introduction from Gilm's Guild Master, everything is in order. However, the rules for tamed monsters still apply as usual. I’m sorry, but we cannot wave those requirements, even with the letter. We ask for your understanding.”
“I understand. I wasn't expecting special treatment. Seto won't cause any problems for people.”
“Gururuuu.”
At Rei's words, Seto purred as if to say, ‘Of course not!’
Watching Rei stroke Seto's head, the woman breathed a sigh of relief, feeling reassured. The man, however, continued to watch them with suspicious eyes.
“Well then, we need to process your entry. May I see your Guild Card? Your details were mentioned in the letter, but rules are rules.”
“Sure, no problem.”
Rei reached into his robe, accessed the Misty Ring, and produced his Guild Card.
The two guards took the card and began the paperwork.
The contrast in their attitudes was stark—the woman was clearly favorable, while the man remained wary.
However, the man didn't necessarily hate Rei personally; he was simply exhausted and dreading the inevitable headache a conspicuous adventurer would bring to his city. Conversely, the woman was hopeful, seeing Rei as a potential solution to the unknown monster, the Lemures.
Either way, both were acting out of a genuine desire to protect Emocion. It was that shared sense of duty that allowed them to work together so effectively despite their differing perspectives.
The process took less than five minutes, and the woman returned the Guild Card to Rei.
“Everything is in order. Welcome to the Port City Emocion, the largest port in the Kingdom of Mireana. We are glad to have you, Rei-san. May your stay in our city be a fortunate one.”