Several days had passed since Rei taught Arktos how to make okonomiyaki. He had ventured out to sea a few times during that interval, but he never spotted another monster. Instead, he spent his time in a leisurely cycle: eating, sleeping, wandering the city to buy up seafood, and training with Seto on the outskirts just enough to keep his body from getting soft. Deciding that the guild had likely finished its investigation of the magic stone he had left in their care, Rei finally made his way toward their headquarters.
"Here you go, overnight-dried squid. It's hot, so watch yourself."
Naturally, Rei was snacking on seafood with Seto as they walked.
"Here, Seto. We'll go halves."
"Guruuu."
Seto purred happily at the offer. Rei tore the paper-wrapped squid meat in half and held it out; Seto caught the morsel deftly in its beak.
"Hm? That smell..."
Rei caught the distinct, savory scent of scorched sauce and smiled, turning his gaze toward a nearby stall.
The man standing there wasn't Arktos, but a stall owner who had been selling hot dogs and sandwiches until recently. Now, however, there was no bread in sight. His stand had been converted into an okonomiyaki stall.
"The number of okonomiyaki stalls has really shot up," Rei muttered as he watched the vendor.
The dish Rei had taught Arktos was rapidly gaining a foothold in the City of Emocion. It was simple, novel, and hearty enough to make for an excellent light meal, which certainly helped its popularity. But the true secret to its explosive spread in just a few days was the "okonomi"—as you like—nature of the dish. Vendors were stuffing it with everything from shrimp, squid, octopus, shellfish, and fish to pork, chicken, beef, and even monster meat. A vast variety of okonomiyaki now existed throughout the city.
(Though that one with the bread I tried yesterday was a bit much.)
Thinking back to the flavor of the okonomiyaki he had eaten at a different stall the day before, he let out a silent sigh.
That vendor, much like the one Rei was currently looking at, usually sold bread. He had misinterpreted the "okonomi" concept and had roughly chopped up the previous day's leftover sandwiches to use as filling.
(Well, I did see okonomi sandwiches at bakeries back on Earth, and I've heard of people eating rice with okonomiyaki as a side dish, so I suppose it's technically a valid option...)
He shook his head slightly and bit into his squid to overwrite the memory of the "okonomi sandwich."
Eventually, they arrived at the guild. As was his custom, Rei left Seto outside and stepped into the building alone.
"...The crowd has thinned out considerably."
The number of people inside the guild had dropped sharply compared to his last visit. The reason was obvious: the Lemures had been subjugated. Still, Rei hadn't expected the numbers to plummet so quickly.
However, to those associated with the guild—the adventurers and the guild staff—the previous state of affairs during the Lemures' reign was the anomaly. This was just things returning to normal. Even with the decrease, the guild remained busy. This was a port referred to as the Gateway to the Kingdom of Mireana, after all; the sheer volume of requests meant that the number of resident adventurers stayed high regardless.
"Ah, Rei-san. We've been expecting you. I'll go fetch Rosethus-san immediately. Please wait a moment."
Rei nodded to the receptionist, watching as she hurried toward the back of the office.
"Hey, isn't that Rei? The guy who killed the Lemures? Is he really just a brat like that?"
"Now that you mention it, you only just got back on yesterday's ship, didn't you?"
"Yeah. I was stuck at the other port for ages because of the Lemures. Well, my employer covered my expenses the whole time, so I can't complain."
"You lucked out. But listen, don't mess with him. A few guys underestimated his looks and tried to pick a fight, and most of them ended up with injuries that weren't a laughing matter."
"...A kid like that?"
"Looks can be deceiving when it comes to combat power. I heard he's only a C-rank, but in terms of actual strength, he's supposed to be better than the B-rank adventurers he teamed up with to kill the Lemures."
"No way, seriously?"
"Who knows. But I saw him blow the Lemures' head off from a distance. I even got hired for the dismantling afterward and walked away with a mountain of meat as a reward. I’m not about to bite the hand that feeds me. Besides, messing with an Alias Holder is a quick way to commit suicide."
While Rei waited and listened to the rumors, Rosethus eventually emerged from the office. He was carefully carrying a bag, and its contents were obvious.
"I've been waiting for you. I have much to discuss, but we'll draw too many eyes here. Shall we go upstairs?"
"That sounds like a good idea."
Nodding at the curious gazes fixed upon him, Rei followed Rosethus to a meeting room on the 2F.
They were subjected to piercing stares as they climbed the stairs. Rei was already used to it, and as a member of the guild upper management, Rosethus was far too professional to be intimidated by a few disgruntled adventurers.
"Now then, first things first. I am returning your magic stone. Please, confirm the item."
Once they were seated across from one another, Rosethus offered a cloth bag.
Rei took it and reached inside, pulling out the thirty-centimeter magic stone. As far as he could tell, there wasn't a scratch on it. He gave Rosethus a small nod of confirmation.
Rosethus let out an audible sigh of relief. If that stone had been lost, the City of Emocion itself might have faced a crisis. Despite their precautions, several individuals had sensed that the guild held the Lemures' magic stone and had attempted to seize it. That the guild had been able to deal with such opportunistic thieves was a side benefit of the arrangement, but...
"We inquired with various other guilds for any Lemures Information regarding stones seen in the past, but unfortunately, we were able to obtain very little."
Indeed, the information they had gleaned from the stone was minimal at best. Rei had lent it to them at some risk, hoping for any scrap of knowledge about the monster.
"However, considering the purity and the concentration of the magic power within, it is certain that the creature was at least a B-rank monster. The magic power distribution is also remarkably similar to that of a Sea Serpent, so as you predicted, Rei-san, it will likely be classified as a High-ranking Species Sea Serpent. Unfortunately, we could not determine its habitat or population size from the magic stone and materials alone."
"It's fine. That’s pretty much what I expected. I only agreed to your proposal because I thought it would be great if we learned even a little about the Lemures. Don't let it get to you."
"But, after you were generous enough to lend us such a stone..."
Rosethus looked genuinely frustrated by their lack of progress. A look of deep regret shadowed his face.
"Then... how about this? If you get word that another Lemures has appeared somewhere, send a message to Gilm's Guild. I don't know if I'll be available, but if I have the time, I'll come to hunt it. I'd welcome information on any rare species, for that matter."
"Are you sure? It would certainly be a boon to the guild to have someone of your caliber available to hunt rare species in an emergency, but... they are rare species. There's no doubt they'll be far more dangerous than common monsters of the same race."
"That's exactly the point. You can't usually go out and hunt for a rare species magic stone on a whim. Just knowing where they show up is a huge advantage for me."
"...I understand. Fortunately, the City of Emocion is a hub for ships from all over. We receive a vast amount of information here, so we're more likely to hear about rare species than most other guilds."
Rosethus nodded firmly, as if trying to make up for his perceived failure.
"Then I guess we're done here?"
Rei stored the magic stone back in his Misty Ring. Rosethus gave a slight nod.
"Yes. I apologize for having so little to offer in return..."
"Don't worry about it. I went into this thinking anything we learned would be a bonus."
Rei stood up and gave Rosethus an encouraging pat on the shoulder.
"Well then, I probably won't be back at the guild until it's officially confirmed that the Lemures is gone for good."
"Understood. As a resident of this city, I pray for that day to come quickly."
Leaving Rosethus to his bows of apology and gratitude, Rei exited the meeting room and headed downstairs. Ignoring the stares of the common room, he left the guild and headed out of the city with Seto to perform the magic stone absorption.
Thirty minutes later, Seto touched down in a secluded area. It was a short trip for a gryphon, but it would have been a full day's trek for a normal adventurer on foot.
Rei had been told not to wander too far while the Lemures investigation was ongoing, but he had no desire to perform the magic stone absorption—the very essence of Beast Magic—anywhere near prying eyes. He had found a spot near a small river about a meter wide that offered the privacy they needed.
"Nobody should find us out here. ...Are you ready, Seto?"
"Guruu?"
Seto tilted its head as Rei pulled the magic stone from his Misty Ring. It purred deep in its throat as if asking, Is it really okay for me to have this?
This stone came from a monster that was B-rank at minimum, and likely A-rank in terms of actual threat. It was practically guaranteed to grant a new skill. Rei could have given it to his Death Scythe instead. Seeing Seto watching him with those wide, round eyes, Rei smiled and gave the gryphon a pat on the head.
"I have my flame magic, and I can always throw a spear if I need range. It’s better for us if you have more ways to attack, Seto. So don't worry about it—this one's yours."
"Guruu... Gururururuuu!"
Seto cried out in thanks, and with a grin, Rei tossed the magic stone. The gryphon caught the stone in its beak and swallowed it in a single gulp.
【Seto has acquired the skill 『Optical Camouflage Lv.1』】
The familiar voice echoed in Rei's mind.
"It worked. But... Optical Camouflage?"
Rei tilted his head at the name. Seto seemed equally puzzled by the new acquisition, mirroring Rei’s head tilt.
(The Lemures did have that ability to blend into its surroundings. I guess it makes sense.)
Rei decided that seeing was believing. He suspected the ability was likely more advanced than the monster's natural camouflage, so he spoke to his partner.
"Seto, give it a try."
"Guruu."
Seto purred and moved a short distance away just to be safe. And then...
"Gururururururuuu!"
The moment Seto gave a high-pitched cry, its body vanished. It became transparent in the literal sense of the word.
"Incredible..."
Rei walked toward the spot where Seto had been and reached out. His hand brushed against the unmistakable smoothness of Seto's fur.
"Seto, are you there?"
"Gurururuu."
Seto chirped in response. The gryphon was definitely there; only its form was gone.
Rei was impressed, but as he reached out to touch Seto again, the effect deactivated and the gryphon's form reappeared.
"Hm? What happened?"
"Guruu."
Seto shook its head slightly. A thought occurred to Rei.
"Is that the time limit? Is that as long as you can stay invisible for now?"
"Gurururuu."
Seto purred as if to say, Spot on.
Rei looked stunned for a moment, then remembered the skill was only at level one. It made sense.
"So you can stay invisible for about ten seconds. It's a little short, but unlike your flashier skills, this one is great for deception. And with your power..."
Seto was already a powerhouse of physical strength, made even more formidable by the Bracelet of Herculean Strength. His strikes were powerful enough to slam the thirty-meter Lemures into the ocean floor. Adding invisibility to that repertoire was a terrifying prospect.
"One more thing... Seto, try using it again."
"Guruu! ...Gurururuu?"
Seto purred energetically, but nothing happened. The gryphon looked around, appearing confused.
"Seto?"
"Gurururuu."
Seto shook its head. Rei frowned, then hit upon a possibility.
"Is there a cooldown? You can't use it again right away?"
"Guruu."
Seto nodded dejectedly. Rei reached out to comfort his partner.
"Don't let it get to you. It's a powerful skill; a restriction like that is only natural. It’ll probably get better as the level increases. For now, let's just figure out exactly what it can do."
"Gurururuu."
Seto nodded at Rei's encouragement.
After a series of tests, they determined that the skill had a thirty-minute cooldown. Seto could turn anything he was touching invisible as well, but if Rei tried to stay invisible with him, the effect would break in less than five seconds.
【Seto】 『Water Ball Lv.2』『Fire Breath Lv.3』『Wind Arrow Lv.1』『King's Intimidation Lv.1』『Poison Claw Lv.2』『Size Change Lv.1』『Tornado Lv.1』『Ice Arrow Lv.1』『Optical Camouflage Lv.1』new
【Death Scythe】 『Corrosion Lv.1』『Flying Slash Lv.2』『Magic Shield Lv.1』『Power Slash Lv.2』『Wind Hand Lv.2』『Terrain Manipulation Lv.1』
Optical Camouflage: An ability that renders the user invisible. At Lv.1, the effect lasts for approximately 10 seconds and requires a 30-minute cooldown. Objects the user is touching can also be made transparent, though including another person reduces the duration to approximately 5 seconds.