"Good morning, Rei-san."
"Kiki, kii!"
As the echoes of the 9 o'clock bell faded, Rei met up with Hendeka. He had timed their rendezvous for when the guild's morning rush had tapered off, allowing for a moment of relative peace.
"Guruuu."
Seto let out a low purr and glanced over its shoulder in greeting as Icebird Shen hopped onto its back.
"Yeah, I'm counting on you again today... is what I’d like to say, but we need to talk."
"...Eh?"
Hendeka caught his breath at the sudden gravity in Rei's voice. As a lower-ranked adventurer, partnering with Rei to lure out the Lemures was the opportunity of a lifetime. To be told there was "something to talk about" only two days into the arrangement naturally made him fear the worst.
"Um, what is it? D-do you mean you won’t be partnering with me anymore?"
Rei shook his head with a wry smile at Hendeka’s timid question.
"No, it’s not that. To start with, I didn't take any requests to lure out the Lemures today. Though I suppose if we headed to the harbor, we could find someone looking for an escort on the fly. Actually, the truth is..."
Rei trailed off, noticing several adventurers nearby sharpening their focus on him as they entered the guild.
Rei was currently a celebrity in the City of Emocion in more ways than one. There were plenty of people scouring the streets for any scrap of information that might lead to a payday. After all, he was an Alias Holder who possessed an Item Box and traveled with a Gryphon. Furthermore, he was the center of the city’s greatest concern—the Lemures. The fact that he was making a fortune by exploiting the monster's habit of targeting him, allowing merchant ships to sail in safety, meant he was constantly under a microscope.
Even the City of Emocion's guards, who had initially regarded him with sharp suspicion, were beginning to soften. They recognized that it was only because of Rei that ships were able to brave the harbor at all.
"Look, I’m not saying we’re parting ways, so you can relax. We'll go over the details once the others arrive. We can find a stall and talk over some food."
"...I only finished breakfast a little while ago, so I’m not really hungry yet."
"Breakfast was over an hour ago, wasn't it? You’ve got a small appetite, Hendeka."
"That’s just you, Rei-san! For normal people, this is the standard!"
"Is that so?"
"...He’s right, you know. I finished my own breakfast about 1 hour ago, and I don't have an ounce of room left either. Only you and Egret could pull off a stunt like that."
Miroir cut into their conversation, with Egret following close behind, contentedly munching on a grilled fish skewer.
"Hmm? I think Rei’s got the right idea. An adventurer’s gotta eat whenever the chance arises. Am I right?"
"Well, I can certainly agree with that sentiment," Rei replied with a nod.
Miroir and Hendeka exchanged a look of weary sympathy, as if they were the only sane people in the group.
"Anyway, the party’s all here. Let’s move and hammer out the plan. Do you know a good spot? Somewhere we can grab a light snack or tea where we won't be easily overheard."
"Ah, I know just the place. It's a bit of a walk, but it’s a shop that serves great snacks, tea, and rare fruits. It’s tucked away in such a hard-to-find spot that it’s never particularly crowded."
"Sounds perfect. Lead the way. Is everyone okay with that?"
At Rei's question, Egret and Miroir nodded their consent. Egret was intrigued by the promise of good food, while Miroir was drawn to the mention of rare fruits. With their agreement secured, Rei followed Hendeka into the city's labyrinthine streets.
"Heh, you weren't kidding. This place really is hidden."
"Seriously, who puts a shop in a place like this? It's no wonder it’s not popular. Do they even want customers?"
"Not really. The owner told me he runs the place as a hobby. He’s happy as long as he stays out of the red," Hendeka explained.
Miroir watched the three men—or rather, the three men and two tamed monsters—before leading the way inside. The shop faced a quiet back street and lacked even a sign. Without prior knowledge, no one would ever stumble upon it.
"Hold down the fort for a while, Seto."
"You stay with Seto too, Shen."
"Guruuu."
"Kiki!"
The two monsters cried out in unison, their sounds carrying a clear request for souvenirs. Their masters exchanged wry smiles before heading through the door.
"Hey, over here."
The shop was small, barely able to seat ten people at capacity. It truly felt like the sort of place someone would run purely for their own amusement. They joined Egret and Miroir at a table, ordering a round of sandwiches, fruit desserts, and black tea. Despite her earlier claims about her stomach being full, Miroir didn't hesitate to order a dessert—proving once again that sweets occupied a separate category entirely.
Once their orders were served, Rei got down to business.
"Hendeka, these two are Miroir and Egret. They're both B-Rank adventurers. And this is Hendeka, whom I mentioned yesterday."
"B-Rank?! A-ah, it’s an honor! I’m Hendeka, a D-Rank adventurer."
"Yeah, good to meet you. I’m Egret. As you can see, I’m a warrior."
"I’m Miroir. Like the big guy here, I’m a warrior too."
A warrior who used a whip? Hendeka looked puzzled for a moment, but he knew better than to question a woman so much higher in rank than himself, so he simply nodded. Seeing that the introductions were finished, Rei took a sip of his chilled mixed juice and continued.
"The reason I wanted you to meet them is, of course, for the Lemures subjugation."
"...But the only ones who can move through the air are you on Seto and Shen. Are Miroir-san and Egret-san going to be on a ship?"
"No. I’ve managed to get my hands on a powerful magic item through a certain contact. It’s capable of forced teleportation. We're going to use it to drag the Lemures out of the water and onto land."
"Huh?"
Hendeka looked at Rei with a completely blank expression, unable to process what he’d just heard. He gaped at Rei so wide that the tea he’d just swallowed began to dribble from the corner of his mouth. Taking pity on the poor man, Miroir interjected.
"You're Hendeka, right? I get why you're stunned. But Rei has no reason to lie to us, so that’s the reality of the situation. The question is: are you in or out? Personally, I’m fine either way, but we need to go scout out the teleportation destination soon, so make up your mind."
"Eh? No, it’s not that... um, what exactly do you want me to do? I’m just an ordinary D-Rank adventurer. To face off against a monster like the Lemures alongside B-Ranks like you..."
Hendeka stammered, his eyes darting between the three of them in a state of sheer confusion. His indecisiveness finally grated on Egret, who was often called a muscle-brain by his own partner.
"Gah, quit with the waffling! It’s annoying. Just tell us if you're doing it or not. All we want from you is aerial support with your Icebird. You can just stay up in the sky and fire your bow. That's plenty."
"Eh? My bow?"
For some reason, a look of relief washed over Hendeka’s face. In truth, being told he could act as rearguard with his bow was far more comforting than the idea of going toe-to-toe with a monster as mysterious and dangerous as the Lemures.
(And this guy supposedly came to this city for the bounty...)
Rei thought to himself as he bit into a steamed scallop and shrimp sandwich with sauce. He took a moment to enjoy the taste and texture before swallowing and speaking again.
"To be blunt, I’m not looking for your personal combat power. I need Shen’s ability to harass the enemy from the air. Since the Lemures is a sea monster, it’s almost certainly incapable of flight. If it could fly, it wouldn't need to hide at the bottom of the ocean. If we can attack it from the sky, we might be able to pick it apart without taking a single hit."
"...I see."
Rei's explanation seemed to satisfy him. Knowing his own limitations, Hendeka didn't argue. He thought for a few seconds before asking his next question.
"In that case, how will the rewards be handled?"
"Since I’m providing a magic item capable of forced space teleportation, I’m claiming the rights to the monster’s magic stone."
"That’s fine by me. I’m interested in the materials. If there are parts that can be used for a strong weapon, I want first dibs."
"As for me, I’m all about the coin."
Rei, Egret, and Miroir laid out their demands, and all three turned their gaze toward Hendeka.
"Um, I’d like money as well. Just a fair share of the bounty."
"Splitting the bounty seems like the best approach. Naturally, Miroir and Hendeka will get a larger cut since they’re prioritizing cash. Any objections?"
Rei looked around the table for a final confirmation. Everyone remained silent.
"Good. Then it’s settled. All that’s left is to find a spot to teleport the Lemures to. Fortunately, it’s still morning, so we have plenty of time."
With their temporary party officially formed, the group headed toward the city gates.
"...We’re being followed."
Rei spoke up abruptly about thirty minutes after they had cleared the City of Emocion's outskirts.
"By who?"
"Hard to say, but it’s not just one or two people. I’d guess ten or twenty, at least."
"What's the play? Set an ambush? It’ll be a headache if they keep tailing us, whatever their goal is."
Egret reached for the pole-axe on his back as he looked at Rei, but Miroir promptly smacked him on the back of the head.
"Don't be an idiot. If we strike first, we're the villains. I’m not about to have us branded as bounties just because some idiots are following us. We’d never hear the end of it from the guild."
"Yeah, but what else are we supposed to do? Keep looking for a teleportation spot with them breathing down our necks? They might try to jump in and interfere once the fight starts, or worse, wait until it’s over and demand a cut of the loot."
"...He has a point. That's a very real possibility," Hendeka added with a small nod.
"So, what’s the call? This is your operation, Rei. You decide."
"You're right. I'm not in the mood for uninvited guests... Hm?"
Rei started to answer, then paused as if he’d sensed something. He looked back over his shoulder, and a thin smile spread across his face.
"Rei? What is it?"
Egret noticed the shift in his expression, but Rei simply shook his head, the smile remaining.
"Don't worry about it. It looks like they’re not an issue anymore. Honestly, walking in a clump like that... it was only a matter of time."
"Rei?" Miroir echoed.
Rei gave a small shrug. "Like I said, those guys back there don't have the leisure to follow us anymore."
Satisfied, he turned back and continued their march toward the perfect battleground for the Lemures.
"Eei! Damn it! Why are mere Goblins coming at us!?"
A significant distance behind Rei’s group, the pack of pursuers had been forced into an engagement.
Though the human forces consisted of about twenty people—mostly D-Rank adventurers with a few C-Ranks—they were vastly outnumbered. The Goblins were numerous, but in terms of individual strength, the adventurers held the advantage. In fact, the thief leader could see that his men were slaughtering the Goblins without sustaining much more than a few scratches.
He judged that they would win without any real casualties, but then...
"Hi—hieeeee!"
The scream of one of the merchants who had hired them made him click his tongue in irritation.
"Get back and stay out of the way! Keep your mouths shut!"
These were men who had been contracted for a bit of dirty work—an item box robbery—but it seemed their plans were effectively ruined. At least for today.