"...I'm bored," Maruka murmured from inside the carriage.
Her gaze was fixed on Rei, who sat by the window watching the passing scenery.
With Seto standing guard outside, most monsters and wild animals gave the carriage a wide berth, even though they had long since veered off the main highway. On the rare occasion a creature failed to grasp the overwhelming difference in power and attempted an attack, Seto would casually end its life with a single strike of its foreclaws. The remains invariably ended up inside Seto's stomach.
"Even if you’re bored... I’ve been meaning to ask, why is a Duke's Daughter like you participating in a Rank Up Exam anyway? Especially here in Gilm, which is governed by Lord Daskar of the Neutral Faction, when you belong to the King's Faction."
"Hmm? Well, the original reason Koan and I came to this city was to determine exactly what kind of person you are. My father told us to recruit you into House Quento if possible, but at the very least, we were to evaluate your character. This is simply an extension of that mission."
Maruka explained with a smile, clearly pleased that Rei was engaging her in conversation.
Koan, sitting beside her, watched his master with his customary grin, seemingly happy to see her in such high spirits.
"Didn't that evaluation essentially wrap up when I visited your residence?"
"Certainly, to an extent. But one cannot expect to fully judge a person after only a single meeting, can they?"
"...Though in the Young Lady's case, she's also quite sad about the prospect of parting ways with Rei-san and Seto so soon after finally becoming friends," Koan added helpfully.
Maruka's cheeks flushed bright red with embarrassment at the casual remark.
"K-K-K-Koan! What are you saying all of a sudden!"
"Was it uncalled for?"
"H-Hmph! Well, it is true that I wished to spend a little more time with Rei and Seto. I am not so petty that I cannot admit that much. However, mark my words! Even though I forced my way into this Rank Up Exam for my own reasons... no, precisely because of that, my criteria for Rei's evaluation will be stricter than for the others. Do not think our friendship will grant you any leniency."
Maruka puffed out her chest and pointed a finger at him from across the seat. She looked utterly adorable, but everyone in the carriage knew better than to say so aloud.
"Besides, the reality is that Bicorns are troublesome monsters," Koan said, turning the conversation back to the mission. "Even if the City of Gilm is a Neutral Faction stronghold, it remains the only frontier city in the Kingdom of Mireana. Regardless of factional politics, if the supply of materials that can only be harvested in the frontier were to stagnate, it would cause significant problems for the entire kingdom."
"Indeed," Maruka agreed. "Gilm is one of the kingdom’s most vital locations. I suppose that is exactly why my father built a residence here—to ensure we had a foothold if anything happened."
"I see..." Rei nodded, finally understanding. "I wondered why House Quento had a mansion in Gilm. But that raises another question. Why doesn't House Kerebel have one?"
He recalled Elena's visit to the city. Back then, she had stayed at the Lord's Mansion. If House Kerebel—the leaders of the Noble's Faction—had a residence in the Noble District, surely she would have stayed there.
Maruka simply gave a small shake of her head.
"Several influential nobles within the Noble's Faction likely own property here, but it isn't mandatory for everyone. I imagine Duke Kerebel decided that the other faction mansions were sufficient for gathering information and didn't see the need for his own. ...Oh! Well done, Seto! It just brought down another one!"
Maruka let out a joyful cry as she watched Seto's performance through the window.
At only seven years old, she possessed the sharp insight of a high-ranking noble, yet she could still rejoice with pure innocence at the sight of a creature she adored. Rei found himself marveling at the duality of her nature.
"Mmm, Seto is simply too precious. I truly wish I had one of my own. Rei, do you know where I might find Gryphons other than Seto?"
"No, I’m afraid that’s impossible," Rei replied, sticking to the cover story he had prepared. "Seto is as friendly as he is because we were raised together from the time I was small. I’ve never seen another gryphon in the wild. Even if you were to somehow make another one your Tamed Monster, there’s no guarantee it would have a gentle personality like his. In fact, it would likely be quite difficult."
As Rei spoke, he watched Seto face a pack of five wolves outside. With a blur of eagle claws, a sharp thrust of its beak, and powerful kicks from its hind legs, the pack was annihilated in heartbeats. Seto then began picking out the choice cuts of meat for its stomach.
If anyone else had witnessed that scene, they certainly wouldn't have used words like "friendly" or "gentle" to describe the beast. It was a one-sided massacre—a display of overwhelming power that didn't even qualify as a battle.
"I see. That is a shame. I truly do desire a Tamed Monster like Seto... I envy you, Rei."
In contrast to the carnage outside, Maruka’s envious sigh echoed softly inside the carriage.
Meanwhile, in the rearmost position, the carriage carrying Arnihit and Orchidée was moving in total silence. While the exterior was gaudily decorated, the interior was fortunately more restrained, though still undeniably luxurious.
Arnihit stared out the window, ignoring Robre as if he were invisible—a silent punishment for his lack of respect toward the nobility. Orchidée had his eyes closed, pretending to sleep to avoid being dragged into any tedious drama. Robre, for his part, made no effort to hide his animosity toward Arnihit and refused to speak to the haughty noble.
Shtie was the only one attempting to maintain some semblance of conversation, but her efforts to engage them only ever yielded one or two curt words before the silence returned.
Seriously, what am I supposed to do with this? Shtie wailed inwardly.
Since the Rank Up Exam supposedly evaluated every aspect of their behavior, she couldn't just sit there in a foul mood like Robre.
I can't believe we ended up with a noble who has the absolute worst compatibility with Robre. But if we had stayed in the guild’s carriage, it probably would have counted against us. Still, this heavy silence is killing me.
She let out a faint sigh and looked out the window. Just then, she saw Seto swing a foreleg and crush a wolf's skull with casual ease.
"Wow... even if they're just wolves, he's so overwhelming."
"Naturally," Arnihit said, finally breaking the silence, perhaps bored of the quiet. "One should expect as much from a Gryphon. As an A-Rank Monster, it wouldn't even consider the likes of wolves to be opponents."
Startled by the sudden comment but relieved the silence had ended, Shtie replied with a small smile. "Right? It really makes you realize how incredible Rei is."
"It isn't just the gryphon. The reason his name has spread so far is partly due to his Tamed Monster, yes, but it's primarily because his own personal strength is so far beyond the norm. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have—"
"Arnihit," Orchidée interrupted, his eyes still closed.
Arnihit snapped her mouth shut, her words trailing off.
"Lord Arnihit?" Shtie asked.
"No, it's nothing. Forget I said anything."
"Hmph. Rei might be strong, but that doesn't mean we're beneath him. Don't worry, Shtie," Robre cut in. He had decided to ignore Arnihit, but his jealousy was piqued by his lover praising another man.
Arnihit responded with nothing but a heavy sigh and a dismissive shake of her head.
"What was that? You got something to say?" Robre growled.
"...No. Regardless of what someone like you says, bravado alone won't get you far. You'll learn that soon enough on your own, so I will say nothing more."
"What!?"
Insulted as a man of mere bluster, Robre moved to lunge at her, but Shtie grabbed his arm and held him back.
"..."
She gave him a silent, pleading look to endure it. Robre let out a long, frustrated breath and sank back into his seat, honoring his lover's request. Shtie realized that any further conversation would only worsen the friction between the two, and the rest of the journey passed in a stifling, voiceless tension.
In the carriage provided by the Guild, the atmosphere was entirely different. Only Onz and Residence were inside, and they had been silent since the moment they departed.
Onz was naturally laconic and never spoke without reason, and Residence felt no need to force a conversation. However, unlike the carriage ahead of them, this wasn't a heavy or awkward silence; it was a comfortable, professional quiet. Had Shtie been there, she likely would have wept at the difference.
Eventually, Residence looked out the window and murmured.
"We've arrived."
The carriage had reached the area where the Bicorn pack had last been sighted.
These were the first words spoken since the start of the trip.
Upon arriving at the destination, they didn't find the Bicorns immediately. Their first task was to locate the pack while simultaneously setting up a perimeter to protect the carriages, the drivers, and the nobles.
Under normal circumstances, nobles wouldn't be present for such a hunt, but because this was a Rank Up Exam, the candidates had to allocate resources for their protection.
"So, about the roles. How should we handle this?" Robre asked. "Should Shtie and I go out scouting?"
He was confident that their beastman senses would allow them to track the Bicorns easily.
"If you're talking about scouting, Seto and I can search from the air," Rei countered. "And Onz is a Thief, so he's naturally suited for reconnaissance as well."
The "misfortune" here was that every single candidate for the Rank Up Exam possessed exceptional scouting abilities. Between beastman senses, thief skills, and the wings of an A-Rank Monster, they were spoiled for choice.
"With so many scouts, it's hard to decide who to send out," Shtie noted.
"It'd be fastest if we just went, right?" Robre muttered, clearly wanting to get away from the nobles.
Shtie shook her head. "Our senses of smell and hearing are sharp, but for this terrain, Seto is the best choice. This is open grassland; there are almost no trees or forests for the Bicorns to hide in."
"I mean... fine... oh, I know! Why don't Shtie and I ride with you on Seto to scout?"
"Denied," Rei said flatly.
"Why not!?"
"First, Seto can't fly freely with two extra adults on his back. Second—and this is the real reason—Seto hates letting anyone but me ride him."
"Ugh... seriously?"
"You're welcome to try, but I wouldn't recommend being thrown off mid-air."
Robre looked up at the vast blue sky, then gave a reluctant nod. Even with a beastman's superior physical ability, falling from forty meters was a death sentence.
"So, Seto and I will handle the scouting. Any objections?" Rei asked.
Robre gave a sulky nod, Shtie agreed immediately, and Onz remained expressionless as he signaled his assent.
"Alright. Seto, let's go."
"Guruuu!"
Seto, who had been cleaning its bloodstained claws on the grass, gave a soft trill and stepped toward Rei.
"I'll notify you the moment we find the pack. Be ready to move out on your end," Rei said.
He mounted Seto's back, and with a few running steps, the gryphon flapped its wings and soared into the sky.