After purchasing the specialized throwing spears for sea monsters and the barrels packed with blade fragments and scrap ore—which served as his latest trump cards—Rei and Set headed straight for the port.
Upon arrival, Rei felt a mixture of surprise and understanding.
To his surprise, the swarms of adventurers who had crowded the port until recently were almost entirely gone. Now, the docks were populated mostly by laborers hauling cargo onto ships. The few adventurers who remained were likely those hired as guards for the vessels preparing for departure.
It made sense, however, that the number of anchored ships had dwindled so noticeably. Even though only two days had passed since the Lemures was defeated, the news had clearly spread like wildfire. Captains eager to avoid wasting any more money on docking fees had wasted no time in setting sail.
The ships that had departed at first light yesterday had done so with extreme caution. While shipowners and captains still at anchor watched with bated breath, those who could no longer afford to remain had accepted funds from the guild, the local administration, or other shipowners to act as the vanguard. The results of that gamble were plain to see in the current state of the port. Cunning merchants were now scrambling to depart, and there were even a few ships newly entering the harbor.
"Thinking about it that way, the ships arriving yesterday and today really hit the jackpot," Rei remarked.
It was undeniably lucky to enter the harbor without ever having to worry about a monster like the Lemures attacking from beneath the waves.
With these thoughts in mind, Rei approached a guard stationed at the port to process his departure paperwork.
"Hey there, Rei, was it? Thanks to you, the port’s finally settled down," the guard said.
"It was so crowded when I first arrived that I just assumed that’s how it always looked," Rei replied.
He engaged in brief small talk while handing over his Guild Card and the Tamed Monster's Necklace from Set’s neck. The permit was issued almost immediately.
"The paperwork’s all set. But why head out to sea now that the Lemures is gone?" the guard asked.
"Until now, I’ve mostly been in the City of Gilm, which is closer to the mountains. I wanted to try my hand against sea monsters for once. Besides, the guild will buy whatever materials I harvest."
The guard gave him a look of mild exasperation. From his perspective, he couldn't understand why someone would go out of their way to seek a fight. Rumors were already circulating among the guards that while Rei hadn't collected the Lemures Bounty yet, he had already made a fortune selling its materials.
Rei didn't seem to notice the guard's confusion. He turned his gaze toward Set, who looked eager to get moving.
"Besides, I have to provide for Set’s meals."
At that, the guard—who had heard rumors about just how much the pair could put away—gave a look of profound understanding. There were stories that the sales at stalls and food shops Rei and Set visited would spike by ten percent. While likely an exaggeration, the guard had seen them shopping in the city before and found the idea entirely believable.
"True, with a body that big, his appetite must be enormous. ...Alright, you're clear to go. Just one thing: from now on, try to head out to sea from outside the city walls instead of directly through the port. This area is strictly for ship-related procedures, so it helps keep traffic moving."
Rei blinked in surprise. Until now, he had always used the port to reach the water, even when flying over the ocean to lure the Lemures. He hadn't realized it was an inconvenience.
"Sorry about that. I’ll be careful starting tomorrow."
"Haha, much appreciated."
Rei was about to mount Set's back when a thought occurred to him. He turned back to the guard.
"By the way, do you know what happened to the parties with the Magic Item Ships? I think there were a few of them."
"Hm? Oh, most of them left the City of Emocion yesterday. A few might still be around, but they’ll likely move on soon. Owning a Magic Item Ship usually means they’re highly capable, so they probably have better places to earn money—hunting other bounties or farming high-rank monster materials."
"I see..." Rei looked a bit disappointed.
As someone whose hobby was collecting magic items for combat, he had harbored a small hope of acquiring a Magic Item Ship for himself. It was a vital tool for hunts involving sea monsters, especially if he ever needed extra hands to help him.
If only Set could carry a few more people besides me... Well, I suppose I’ll just have to hope he grows into it eventually, Rei thought.
"Did you need one for something?" the guard asked.
"I was wondering if any of them would be willing to sell. Between the Lemures Bounty and the materials, I should have plenty of gold to spare—though I won't see the actual bounty money for a while."
"Ah, I get it. But those Magic Item Ships are incredibly expensive... and given their rarity, I doubt anyone would part with one easily. You'd probably find one faster at a high-end magic item shop."
Accepting the reality of the situation, Rei nodded and finally climbed onto Set's back.
"Can't be helped. I guess I'll give up on the ship for now."
"Yeah, items like that are few and far between. You can't just get one the moment you want it. I’ve heard they occasionally turn up in Dungeons, though..."
"A Dungeon, huh..."
The image of Elena crossed Rei's mind.
I was focused on finding items like the Paired Orbs, but if a Magic Item Ship is on the table, that might be worth looking into as well.
Satisfied with his internal conclusion, Rei was about to signal Set to take off when the guard called out one last time.
"I’ll send your Tamed Monster's Necklace and the rest over to the Main Gate. When you head back, go there instead of coming back to the port!"
"Got it, thanks! Set!"
"Guruuu!"
With a short word of gratitude, Rei gave a light kick to Set's sides. In the next instant, Set let out a resonant cry and, after a brief trot, flapped his wings and surged into the sky.
Watching them go, the male guard seriously wondered how he was supposed to handle all the stares from the people around him who had been startled by Set's cry.
Gazing at the endless horizon, Rei occasionally scanned the surface of the water.
He was searching for his target—sea monsters—but an hour had passed since they left the port without a single sighting.
"Guruuu..."
Set, who had been full of energy at departure, seemed to be getting bored. He trilled softly and looked back at Rei as if asking, Are we still looking?
"You're right. If we don't find anything soon, let's head back to land for a rest."
"Guru."
Set nodded and, regaining his focus, continued to fly.
Unbeknownst to them, there were currently almost no monsters near the City of Emocion, whether in the sea or on the surrounding land. The reason was quite simple: Rei had relied on Grimm to perform the Forced Teleportation on the Lemures.
Grimm's magic power had been released like a sonar pulse to find the creature, followed by the massive surge required for the teleportation itself. Every monster in the vicinity had fled in terror from the overwhelming aura of a Lich. It was a touch of irony that the merchant fleet's departures were proceeding so smoothly because Rei had inadvertently cleared the path.
"Man, there really isn't anything out here. Even your eyes can't spot a thing, Set?"
"Guru..." Set trilled apologetically.
Rei stroked his neck to reassure him.
"Don't worry about it. If we strike out here, we'll try heading further out after our break. There's bound to be something if we go far enough offshore. ...I hope."
Just as he muttered that, Set suddenly looked down at the water and let out a sharp cry.
"Guruuu!"
"Did you find one!?"
Rei followed Set's gaze, but instead of a monster, he saw two ships. Normally, that wouldn't be strange; merchant fleets often traveled together. However, these two were incredibly close. Usually, ships in a fleet maintained a gap of several hundred meters, if not a kilometer. These two were running side-by-side, nearly touching. Arrows and magic were being exchanged between the decks, making the situation immediately clear.
"Pirates."
The waters around the Kingdom of Mireana's Largest Port Town had always been a prime target for outlaws. However, the Lemures had changed the rules of the game. Since the monster attacked anything that moved, a significant number of pirate ships had also been sent to the bottom. Most pirates had eventually decided that the risk wasn't worth the reward and retreated from the area. But...
"They sure didn't waste any time coming back. They must have had spies in the city. Well, I can't tell if they're lucky or unlucky to run into us, though looking at them now, it's definitely the latter. Set!"
"Guruuu!"
Set responded to the call and dove toward the vessels.
As they drew closer, the crews of both ships noticed them. The exchange of arrows and magic ceased. One of the ships—the one being attacked—erupted in cheers upon recognizing Rei and Set.
"If they're happy to see us, I guess they're the victims. In that case..."
Rei signaled Set to land on the deck of the other ship.
"Just to be sure, are you lot pirates!?" Rei shouted.
Most of the men on the ship stared in shock at the Gryphon that had suddenly appeared in their midst. A few of them gritted their teeth in frustration.
Having returned to these waters after hearing the Lemures was dead, most of them knew about the adventurer who had done the deed. They knew he was accompanied by a Gryphon. Knowing they stood no chance against someone capable of killing the sea monster, all they could do was seethe.
Fortunately for Rei—and unfortunately for the pirates—the spies in the city hadn't provided much detail beyond the Gryphon. They knew about the monster, but they hadn't learned that the adventurer was a powerhouse who had earned a title during the War with the Bestia Empire.
"Agggh! Die!"
One pirate, deciding it was better to go down fighting than to be taken quietly, threw a hand axe at Rei in a desperate gamble.
The spinning axe didn't even reach its target. Set effortlessly slapped it out of the air with a single forepaw, sending it splashing into the sea.
"...Oh? I see. So you have no intention of surrendering peacefully. Would you prefer to become fish food?"
As he spoke, Rei drew a spear from his Misty Ring and threw it. In the next instant, it punched through the deck at the pirate’s feet and vanished into the hull below.
"Now then, what's it going to be? I'll ask again: do you want to fight me and have your ship sunk, or will you surrender and be sold as criminal slaves? Take your pick. I'm not exactly hurting for money, so either works for me."
Witnessing Rei's casual display of power, the pirates realized they were outmatched. Deciding that slavery was better than a watery grave, the vast majority of them threw down their weapons. A small group tried to rush Rei, but he made short work of them, breaking several of their ribs with his spear and knocking them unconscious.
The fact that Rei didn't kill them was simply a matter of business; if he was going to sell them as criminal slaves, there was no point in wasting the merchandise. It was a practical, if ruthless, decision that was very much in character for him.
The merchant ship appeared to be largely undamaged. After accepting a small gratuity from the grateful crew, Rei led the captured pirate vessel back toward the City of Emocion.