"Ah... mm, fuwaaa."
Rei let out a massive yawn and stretched as he woke up in his bed.
Looking around the room, he saw the familiar, cramped space—a tiny room roughly the size of three tatami mats. The bed occupied the vast majority of the floor, leaving just enough room for a single person to navigate.
He recalled a time not long ago when a man nearly two meters tall and his female partner had squeezed into this very room. The memory of how suffocatingly crowded it had felt made him turn his gaze toward the window.
The sky outside was incomparably darker than it had been during the battle with the Lemures the day before, now heavy with thick rain clouds.
"Good thing I fought the Lemures yesterday," he muttered.
He donned his Dragon Robe, stepped into his Sleipnir's Shoes, and pulled the Dagger of Flowing Water from his Misty Ring to groom himself while he spoke.
For someone like Rei, who specialized in flame magic, rain was a nuisance. More than that, he simply had no desire to battle a monster as massive as the Lemures while getting soaked to the bone.
"Still, I suppose we went a bit overboard with the celebration last night. It looks like it’s already close to noon."
Listening to the bustling noise drifting in from the hallway and the street outside, he estimated the time.
The previous night had been a raucous affair of drinking and singing at the guild tavern, and he hadn't returned to the inn until well after midnight. It seemed the residents of this city had stayed up quite late as well.
Rei had actually turned in somewhat early, but a sea of adventurers had remained behind. Considering how they had all scrambled for the dishes using Lemures meat that he had provided from his Misty Ring, the revelry likely continued long after his departure.
"No real point in going to the guild, I suppose."
Even if he went now, he suspected the only things he would find were the hungover, half-dead bodies of drunken adventurers. Deciding against it, Rei began to plan how to spend the ten days he had promised Rosethus.
Since his primary goal was to ensure the Lemures didn't resurface, leaving the city of Emocion was out of the question. With his range of travel restricted, he would have to find a way to kill time nearby.
"Collecting magic stones from the monsters around here isn't a bad idea. I'll need to prepare for that first, though."
He had defeated sea monsters on several occasions, but their carcasses invariably sank into the depths. Normally, a dead body should float, but these were different.
"If I want to haul up the bodies of the monsters I kill, I'll need... a harpoon, maybe? This is a port city; a blacksmith shop should be able to whip one up for me."
Muttering to himself, he left the room and headed down to the 1F dining hall.
A fair number of people were already eating lunch, and the atmosphere was noticeably bright and cheerful.
"Ah, Rei-san. Good morning... or should I say good afternoon? You certainly took your time getting up. Well, I suppose it can't be helped today. What would you like to eat? Given the Lemures incident, today's meal is on the house."
The innkeeper's daughter called out to him as he descended the stairs. Rei gave her a small nod and took a seat.
As expected of a port city, he thought. Word of the Lemures has already made the rounds.
As he waited for his food, he listened to the chatter of the adventurers and sailors around him. Eventually, the girl brought over a sandwich with seasoned flaked grilled fish, a hearty soup with plenty of shellfish dashi, and a glass of cold water. She also brought out a special dish, likely having noted Rei's tastes during his stay: a giant shrimp split lengthwise and baked with a topping of cheese and breadcrumbs, similar to a gratin.
"This is quite the feast."
"Ehehe. It's a thank-you for taking down the Lemures. A lot of adventurers gathered because of the bounty, but the ships still couldn't leave port, so everyone was in a bind. As a resident of this city, this is my way of saying thanks for fixing our problem."
Listening to the shop girl’s bashful laugh, Rei reached for the shrimp first. He scooped out the meat with a fork and ate it with the cheese; the plump, springy texture of the shrimp and the rich flavor of the cheese danced across his tongue.
"Delicious."
"Ehehe, right? We use half of a huge shrimp, so it's a bit pricey, but it's this shop's specialty dish."
"I can see why. It certainly deserves the title. ...Do you happen to know the situation at the port?"
"Oh, yes. The first ship departed early this morning. The other captains were watching to see what happened, but once they saw it pass safely through the area where the Lemures used to be, they all took off at once. I doubt there are many ships left in the port now. Just fishing boats, mostly."
"I see."
Rei muttered, impressed, a faint smile touching his lips.
The girl was momentarily mesmerized by the look on his face, but she quickly snapped back to reality and hurried back to her work.
Rei watched her go, then took a sip of the soup, which was rich with the savory flavor of shellfish.
The first captain to set sail either had nerves of steel, or they were so broke they couldn't afford another day's port fees, he mused. Well, not my concern.
He savored every bite of the meal—which was far too extravagant to be called a simple lunch—and then headed for the stable to check on Seto.
"The city is definitely livelier than it was yesterday, even if the number of adventurers has dropped off."
"Guruuuu."
Rei spoke softly as he walked through the streets with Seto. His arms were laden with an enormous amount of food: grilled fish skewers, dried squid, sandwiches, and tropical fruits. Whenever Seto let out a cry, Rei would toss a red and blue spotted fruit into the griffon's beak.
Rei hadn't spent a single copper coin on this mountain of food; every bit of it had been given to him for free by grateful shopkeepers.
The news of the Lemures' subjugation had spread like wildfire the previous night, sparking celebrations in every tavern in the city. Just as Rei had predicted, the adventurers had told everyone who was responsible, and the result was a pile of food he could barely carry.
Rei had originally come to the city of Emocion for the seafood and had been buying ingredients in bulk. Because of that, the local food vendors already knew him as a high-spending customer, much like the shops in the city of Gilm. That reputation had likely helped fuel the generosity.
He had already stored the items he couldn't carry in his Misty Ring; what remained in his arms was only a small fraction of the haul.
"Here we are."
Following the directions given by a stall owner, Rei arrived at his destination: a reputable blacksmith shop.
It was tucked away in a side alley off the main street, making it difficult for a casual passerby to find. The owner was a dwarf known for being stubborn and antisocial, but Rei had been told that the man only stayed in business because his skills were genuinely top-tier.
Rei stepped inside the forge—and instinctively dodged as something came flying at him.
"Uwaaaaaaaaah!"
The object let out a scream as it sailed through the space Rei had occupied a moment ago. It slammed into the wall of the shop across the street and slid to the ground with a dull thud.
"What was that about?"
His curiosity piqued by the unexpected projectile, Rei turned to look. He saw a familiar face; the two-meter-tall man on the ground was none other than Egret, the partner he had worked with just yesterday to defeat the Lemures.
"Guruuuu?"
Seto approached Egret and let out a low purr, gently nudging the massive man—massive by human standards, anyway—with its forepaw.
Are you okay? the griffon seemed to ask. Realizing Seto was worried, Egret stood up and patted the creature's head.
"S-Sorry about that, Seto. ...Wait, Seto? What are you doing here? And Rei..."
Egret finally seemed to register their presence. He tilted his head and looked at Rei.
"I heard there was a master blacksmith here," Rei explained. "Why are you here? Where’s your external conscience, Miroir?"
"Look, I usually work with her, but that doesn't mean we’re joined at the hip. We're doing our own thing today."
Despite being hurled out of the shop, Egret didn't seem to have a scratch on him. Rei wondered if it was his natural sturdiness, his armor's quality, or the skill of the person who threw him.
It's definitely just Egret being built like a tank, Rei concluded.
Leaving Egret behind, Rei had Seto wait outside and stepped into the shop. But the moment he crossed the threshold...
"I told you to get lost! I won't forge a single thing for an ignoramus like you!"
A hammer for striking steel came flying from the back of the forge, accompanied by a furious roar.
"Whoa there. I'm not with Egret."
Rei caught the spinning hammer by the handle with one hand, killing its momentum instantly.
Startled by the lack of a crashing sound, a single dwarf emerged from the back of the shop.
He was only about 130 centimeters tall, but his muscles were incredibly well-developed. In terms of pure weight, he likely rivaled Egret, or perhaps even surpassed him. With his stern features and a beard that reached his chest, he was the picture of a classic dwarf.
"Huh? Not that ignoramus again? ...Look, my mood is foul right now. What do you want?"
The dwarf scowled, glaring over Rei’s shoulder at Egret, who was peeking in from the doorway. Rei decided to get straight to the point.
"I'm looking for a way to deal with sea monsters that sink after they're killed. Do you have a harpoon or something similar? Also, if you have a barrel of trash—scrap iron, scrap ore, blade fragments—I'd like to buy that off you."
"A harpoon I can do, but what in the world do you want with a barrel of garbage?"
"It's for my trump card, of sorts. It's a powerful weapon against massive monsters like the Lemures."
At the mention of the Lemures, the dwarf's bushy eyebrows twitched.
"The Lemures? Wait... don't tell me you're the adventurer they're saying took it down?"
"I am. And for the record, the guy you just threw out is Egret. He was part of the party that did it."
"What!?"
The dwarf’s eyes went wide. Egret offered a sheepish grin from the doorway.
"I mean, we were there, but Rei did most of the heavy lifting. He provided the magic item for forced teleportation and dealt the finishing blow when the rest of us could barely scratch it."
"Your spear did take out its eye, though," Rei added.
The dwarf listened to this exchange, gave a small nod, and addressed Egret.
"Tch. If you're the ones who killed that thing, I suppose I can't just kick you out. Get in here."
With a small click of his tongue, he invited Egret inside and gestured for both of them to take a seat. Once they were settled, the dwarf spoke to Egret first.
"Alright, you ignoramus. Since you helped kill the Lemures, I'll tolerate your nonsense a bit longer. What kind of weapon did you want from those materials?"
"A pole-axe. I want a pole-axe made from the Lemures fangs."
"I told you before: those fangs aren't meant for a pole-axe. They're long and sharp; they'd make a fine spear or halberd. With a halberd, I can use the tip for the point. But for a pole-axe, I'd have to shatter the fangs and mix the fragments into the blade during forging. Purely in terms of attack power, it'll only be sixty percent of what a halberd would be... maybe seventy if I push it. You still want the pole-axe?"
"Absolutely."
Egret nodded without a second's hesitation. The dwarf held his gaze for a moment, then let out a long sigh and scratched his head.
"Fine. I can't say no to the men who cleared the sea. I'll do it. But since my name's on it, don't expect some half-baked toy."
"Great! I brought you the best materials, so I expect the best weapon in return."
"What a waste of good fangs. Whatever. Now, you... Rei, was it? You wanted a harpoon?"
The dwarf turned his attention to Rei, who nodded.
"Right. Specifically, I want a blade with a barb so it stays in once it's struck. And since I'll be throwing it, the harpoon shaft needs a way to attach a rope so I can haul the catch in. Don't worry about the weight; just make it as sturdy as possible."
"Can someone with your build even handle that?"
"I've got more strength than I look. Also, if you have any fragments of flame ore, throw those in the barrel too. The extra boom makes a difference."
The dwarf let out a sigh exactly like the one he'd given Egret, but he nodded all the same.