On the morning after Rei and Seto had spent their final day in the City of Emocion, Rei stood at the main gate completing the procedures to depart. The sky was clear and bright, as if the weather itself were blessing their journey.
"Rei-san, thank you for everything you’ve done. As soon as we have more information regarding the rare species, I will ensure it is sent to the guild in the City of Gilm."
Rosethus bowed as he spoke. Beside him, the daughter of the Coral Inn of the Blue Sea opened her mouth to speak, her eyes still slightly reddened from tears.
"Um... please come back. Promise me you will!"
"Hmph. You come up with interesting ideas for weapons," the Dwarf blacksmith added. "Come back whenever you like. I’ll make sure to have a barrel of scrap ore and other materials ready for you."
"And as for the okonomiyaki, expect to see it spread from this city to the surrounding lands... no, to the entire world," Arktos declared.
Rei nodded at their words. He received his guild card back from the guard and stored it inside the Misty Ring. He had already returned the Tamed Monster's Necklace that usually hung around Seto’s neck, so there was nothing left to attend to.
"Well then. If I ever get a craving for delicious seafood again, I’ll be sure to stop by."
"Guruuuu."
Rei’s farewell was blunt, as was his way, but Seto let out a poignant warble. The Gryphon seemed to be feeling a lingering attachment to the various seafood dishes he had enjoyed in the city—or perhaps he was simply sad to say goodbye to the people who had doted on him so much.
"Ah, I almost forgot. Here, take this. Even if you’re heading for the City of Gilm, camping is inevitable, right? Have this for today’s lunch."
Arktos handed over a heavy, substantial basket. When Rei peeled back the cloth covering it, he saw a mountain of sandwiches packed inside. The fact that there were so many shrimp sandwiches suggested that Arktos had paid close attention to Rei’s preferences during his visits to the stall. It might have been a bit small considering Seto’s appetite as well, but it was likely the maximum Arktos could reasonably expect them to carry.
"Arktos-san, I already prepared a bento from our inn... and it’s handmade," the daughter of the Coral Inn of the Blue Sea protested, though she muttered the last part under her breath.
"No, this really helps," Rei said, acknowledging both. "It’ll take several nights to reach the City of Gilm. With my Item Box, nothing will go bad."
He tucked the basket into the Misty Ring and mounted Seto’s back.
"Alright, I’m heading out. Thanks for everything. Seto!"
"Guruuuu!"
At Rei’s call, Seto took a short running start, bounded into the air, and beat his wings. The people watching the one man and one beast from the ground were left stunned by their incredible speed, but they eventually returned to their daily lives, holding onto the hope of one day reuniting with the duo who had left such a mark on their city.
Several hours had passed since they took flight from the City of Emocion. As the time for lunch approached, Rei frowned slightly at the intense sunlight beating down on them.
"Man, I appreciate the good weather, but this sunlight is starting to get annoying at this time of year."
"Guruuu."
Despite his complaint, he wasn’t actually suffering; his Dragon Robe regulated his body temperature to a comfortable level. Seto, being a Gryphon, was also largely indifferent to minor shifts in temperature.
Below them, the world was a vast carpet of green. Occasionally, Rei spotted groups of adventurers traveling in parties.
"They’re pretty far off the highway. I bet I know what they’re after."
About several km away from one adventurer party, a group of about twenty Fang Boars was gathered. Though they were normal animals rather than monsters, Fang Boars were famous for the quality of their meat. To low-rank adventurers, they were a literal "delicious target."
"Guruuuu."
Seto let out a low cry as he watched the boars. Seeing them while his stomach was empty had clearly sparked a desire to hunt.
"No, Seto. Those adventurers have already staked a claim on those Fang Boars. We can’t just swoop in and snatch them away."
"Guru... Guruuuu!"
I want to eat them! I want to eat them! Seto cried, looking back at Rei with pleading eyes. Rei gave a wry smile and gradually adjusted their course away from the herd, realizing that staying nearby would only interfere with the other adventurers' hunt.
The adventurers on the plains pointed up at the Gryphon in surprise, likely hearing his cries even if they couldn't understand them. Rei noticed their reaction but ignored it, letting Seto fly on.
Eventually, they descended near a small river some distance away. At Seto’s urging, Rei retrieved the massive basket of sandwiches from the Misty Ring.
"Here, eat these and settle down."
Rei laid out several sandwiches on a large leaf to serve as a plate. While Seto immediately dug in with his beak, Rei went to the river to wash his hands.
"Ah, the water’s nice and cold..."
Muttering to himself, Rei pulled back his hood with his damp hands and breathed in the fresh early summer air. He dipped his hands back into the water, quenched his thirst, and spent a minute just enjoying the cool sensation before he heard Seto warbling behind him.
"Guruuu."
His partner was inviting him to eat together. With a smile, Rei finished playing in the water and sat down to share the meal.
True to Arktos’s reputation, every sandwich was crafted with immense care, and the duo found almost all of them delicious. Rei made an exception for the okonomiyaki sandwich, however; since he viewed okonomiyaki as a staple dish rather than a sandwich filling, he gave those to Seto. Instead, Rei focused on the seafood salad sandwiches, the stewed vegetable and chicken sandwiches, and the boiled egg and bacon sandwiches.
After about twenty minutes, the mountain of sandwiches—enough for ten people—had completely vanished into the stomachs of the one man and one beast. They took a short break afterward, eating some tart, mulberry-like fruit growing nearby for dessert. Seto even ventured into the river to flick a few fish onto the bank with his forelegs. Rei used his magic to start a campfire and roast the fish as an extra snack for his partner. Between eating and drying Seto’s fur, two hours slipped by before they knew it.
"...We played around a bit too much."
"Guruuu?"
Seto tilted his head as if asking, Is that so? The sight made Rei chuckle, but he knew that if they lingered any longer, they’d end up stuck here for the night. He wanted to cover at least a bit more ground.
"It’ll take forever to get back to Gilm at this rate. Let’s get moving."
"Guru... Guruuu!"
Seto shared Rei’s affection for the City of Gilm and readily agreed, crouching down so Rei could climb on.
"Alright, let’s go!"
"Guruuuuu!"
Fueled by lunch, dessert, and roasted fish, Seto gave a spirited cry and took a short running start before soaring back into the sky. He climbed higher and higher, his powerful legs seemingly kicking the very air as he ascended.
On Seto’s back, Rei squinted at the sun, which had become even more overbearing as the afternoon progressed. The heat wasn't the problem, but the glare was bright enough to dazzle him.
"Guru."
Seto warbled irritably. Having just spent time by the cool river, the direct sunlight was a nuisance. Even with a body that could withstand harsh climates, a Gryphon could still find the relentless glare of the sun exhausting.
"Maybe it would be better to rest during the day and fly at night," Rei mused, remembering how desert travelers often moved during the cooler night hours.
"Guru?"
Seto looked back as if asking if they should stop now, but Rei shook his head.
"No, let’s keep going. If we stop for every little thing, we’ll never get anywhere."
"Guruuu."
I’ll do my best, Seto seemed to say. Rei stroked his back and offered him a few more of the mulberry-like fruits from the Misty Ring. Seto snatched them up and finished them in an instant. Rei popped a few into his own mouth as well. They were about three times larger than the mulberries he had eaten in the mountains back on Earth, but the sweet and sour flavor was exactly as he remembered.
"Alright. Just a few more days to Gilm. Let’s push through!"
"Guruuuu!"
Seto gave a loud cry, his energy renewed by the fruit, and flapped his wings as he flew through the vast sky.
"Right, let’s set up camp for the night."
"Guru."
It had been about five hours since they had resumed their flight after lunch. The sky wasn't dark yet, but the setting sun had painted the horizon in a deep, melancholic crimson. Taking in the sight of the early summer sunset, Rei decided to start their preparations early and signaled Seto to descend.
They landed in a convenient patch of meadow. Seto touched down with the silent grace of a predator, taking a few steps to kill his momentum before Rei dismounted.
"Time to get started."
Rei retrieved the Magic Tent from the Misty Ring and channeled magic power into it. In the blink of an eye, the tent materialized before them.
"Seto, you coming in?"
"Guru..."
Rei asked, but Seto shook his head and looked up at the sky. He wagged his tail and warbled, clearly wanting to go play for a bit. Rei nodded.
"Fair enough. Just make sure you’re back before it gets dark. And if you find any edible monsters or animals, bring them back. We’ve got plenty of food from Emocion and the landlady’s bento, but it’s always good to save our supplies."
"Guruuu!"
Leave it to me! Seto gave a sharp cry, took a short run, and took off.
(I guess spending all day traveling was starting to stress him out,) Rei thought as he stepped inside the Magic Tent.
The interior was about ten tatami mats in size. It lacked the kitchen facilities found in the luxury tent Elena used, but it was more than enough space for one man and one beast.
"Well, I can cook over a fire outside, and as for water, I have this."
Rei placed a cup on the table and drew the Dagger of Flowing Water. He channeled his magic power into the blade, and a steady stream of water began to trickle from the tip. This magic item, received as a reward for a previous job, was intended to create whips of water, but Rei’s fire-specialized magic meant he could only use it to produce liquid. However, the quality of the water scaled with the user's magic power. Because Rei’s power was so vast, the dagger produced water of such extreme purity and flavor that even royalty would never have tasted anything like it.
"Yeah, that’s the stuff."
He drank several cups, savoring the cold, delicious water. Suddenly, he noticed Seto peeking his head through the tent entrance.
"What is it?"
"Guruuuuu!"
Look at this! Seto warbled. Rei set down his cup and went outside. There, lying on the grass, was the corpse of a massive Fang Boar—nearly as large as Seto himself.
"Whoa... a Fang Boar this big is a rare find."
"Guru!"
Seto warbled proudly, practically preening as Rei stroked his head. Rei then pulled his dismantling dagger from the Misty Ring. Fang Boars weren't monsters, but their meat was highly sought after, and their distinctive tusks could be sold as materials.
"Of course, I expect most of this meat is going to end up in your stomach, Seto."
"Guruuuu!"
Seto cried out happily.
Rei made quick work of dismantling the beast. He started a campfire, heated an iron plate, and began searing the fresh meat. He also took the opportunity to grill some of the seafood they had brought from Emocion.
They enjoyed a meal so luxurious it was hard to believe they were traveling through the wilderness. After a good night's sleep, they continued this routine for several days until, at last, the City of Gilm appeared on the horizon.