Summer was the hottest season of the year, but since it was still only the beginning of the season, the mornings remained cool. Amidst that crisp early air, Rei stood before the main gate of Gilm.
The 6 o'clock bell had only just finished tolling, so the crowds near the gate were thin, consisting mostly of Rei and the group gathered to see him off. Even so, a few adventurers heading out for quests and traveling merchants leaving the city could be seen here and there.
Among them, Rei's party stood out immensely compared to those around them. The presence of Seto the Gryphon was striking enough, but they were also accompanied by Lenora and Kenny, the guild's star receptionists. Then there was Pamidoor the blacksmith, who possessed the face of a hardened criminal, and Kumito, who was rubbing his sleepy eyes in Pamidoor’s arms. From the Dusk Wheat Inn, only Lana was present; her husband and son were absent, likely busy with breakfast and inn preparations.
One particularly unusual attendee was Mirene of the Scorching Wind. Having somehow heard that Rei was departing for the Labyrinth City, she had come to bid them farewell and was currently clinging to Seto, reluctant to part from him. Had Maruka, who had established a firm friendship with Rei and Seto, still been in Gilm, she undoubtedly would have been there as well. Fortunately or unfortunately, she had already departed on her journey to the Royal Capital.
In the midst of the goodbyes, Kenny turned to Rei with a dead-serious expression.
"Rei-kun, please be careful once you get to the Labyrinth City, okay? Listen, women are wolves, so you have to be on your guard... No, that's not right. Women aren't wolves; they're foxes. Yes, vixens! So please, be very, very careful."
"Hah, honestly... how can you... No, never mind."
Lenora had almost asked if Kenny wanted to just go with him if she was that worried, but she bit her tongue. She realized that if she actually made the suggestion, Kenny might truly try to follow him. Swallowing the rest of her sentence, she turned her gaze toward Rei.
"Rei-san, please do your best as a B-Rank adventurer representing Gilm. Since your destination is the Labyrinth City, I'm sure things will be quite different from your activities here in the frontier, but I believe that with your strength, you can overcome any hardship... though, as a representative of Gilm, it would be a great help if you would be more moderate about 'overcoming' other adventurers."
To Lenora, there was no longer any doubt about Rei's capability now that he was a B-Rank adventurer. Most of the adventurers in Gilm felt the same way. Regardless of how things had been when Rei first arrived in the city, his reputation was now firmly established. Unless someone was remarkably ignorant or delusional, no one dared to pick a fight with him.
Furthermore, the Falcon's Claws, who had been the first to cross paths with Rei, were now treated as something of a cautionary legend. The members themselves, however, spent their days lamenting the fact that their party was now widely known as Goblin Drool. If there was any saving grace, it was that the arrogant personality of Vargas—who had been beaten twice by Rei—had improved somewhat, and he had learned to recognize his own limits.
However, all of that was because Rei was famous in Gilm. Lenora was half-certain that once he arrived in the Labyrinth City, where he was a total stranger, his personality and Seto's presence would almost certainly lead to trouble. She didn't think the trouble would actually pose a threat to Rei, of course.
(Besides, there should be plenty of adventurers in the Labyrinth City who were hired as mercenaries during the war with the Bestia Empire. If they recognize Rei-san and spread the word that he's an Alias Holder...)
Lenora hoped that reputation would precede him enough to deter the worst of it.
Furthermore, though Rei had not told anyone except his closest confidants, he and Seto were not traveling alone. Elena, the renowned Princess General, was also heading to the Labyrinth City. With her involved, it was practically guaranteed that they would attract trouble like a magnet.
"Yeah. As an adventurer of Gilm, I'll work hard so I'm not looked down upon," Rei replied.
Lenora let out a weary sigh. In that moment, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of genuine pity for the guild staff in the Labyrinth City.
Beside Lenora, Lana handed a large basket to Rei.
"Rei-san, this is a lunch for your trip. I made a generous portion, so please eat it before it spoils... though, I suppose with your Item Box, I don't need to worry about that."
"No, I appreciate it. The food at the Dusk Wheat Inn is delicious, after all. I'll make sure to savor it."
"If you ever return to Gilm, please come stay with us again. You'll always be most welcome, Rei-san."
Rei gave a small bow in gratitude for Lana's kindness.
Next to step forward was Pamidoor. Rei couldn't help but crack a smile as he watched a passing merchant who didn't know the blacksmith instinctively recoil in terror. Even with Seto nearby, the man was more frightened of Pamidoor than the Gryphon—a testament either to how common Seto had become or just how much Pamidoor looked like a career criminal.
"...Seto, see you later. Rei-san, bye-bye," Kumito murmured. He was still rubbing his sleepy eyes in Pamidoor's arms but managed a small wave.
"Yeah. I'll be back before winter, so look forward to the souvenirs."
"Yeah... looking forward... to it..."
Before he could finish the thought, Kumito drifted off to sleep. He had woken up much earlier than usual to see Rei off, and he had finally reached his limit.
Pamidoor gazed down at his son with a smile. He likely intended it to be a look of fatherly love, but the fact that the other bystanders instinctively moved several paces away was proof of how terrifying the expression actually appeared.
"Well, there's no point in lingering here forever. It's about time we left."
"Yeah. Stay healthy until winter."
Pamidoor's fierce face shifted into a grin that, for once, conveyed a sense of genuine friendliness.
"Rei-kun, please, stay away from those vixens! You're a very attractive young man, remember that!" Kenny added, her tone frantic.
"Rei-san, have a safe journey. I look forward to hearing about your exploits through the guild reports," Lenora said with her usual earnestness.
"Take care. And remember to patronize our inn when you return to Gilm!" Lana said with an encouraging smile.
"Seto-chan, Seto-chan, Seto-chan... Oh, it's too lonely! I can't believe I won't see Seto-chan until winter! Maybe I should just go to the Labyrinth City, too!" Mirene wailed. Still clinging to Seto, she stroked his back, which felt as smooth as silk.
"Guruuu."
Seto softly rubbed his beak against Mirene's cheek before gently pulling away.
"Don't be ridiculous," Rei said. "I've told you several times that Seto can't carry two people."
"What? In that case, I'll go instead of you, Rei! That'll work, right?"
"I said don't be ridiculous..."
Rei sighed, but he felt a wave of relief when a familiar figure finally appeared.
"Good grief, I thought it would come to this. Mirene, it's fine to see Rei-san off, but you promised you wouldn't cause a scene."
The man who approached was in his forties, wearing a robe and carrying a staff. This was Sulnin the Mage, a member of the Scorching Wind and the man often referred to as Mirene's external conscience.
"Rei-san, it seems she’s been a nuisance."
"Don't worry about it. I understand Mirene's obsession with Seto by now."
"My apologies. I'll be taking her back now... More importantly, I hear the Labyrinth City is a different world compared to the frontier. Please, stay safe."
"Yeah. I've heard enough to know I should proceed with caution."
"Aaaaah, Seto-chan, stay healthy! Don't eat anything strange!" Mirene cried out as she was finally dragged away by force.
(He's surprisingly strong for a mage...) Rei thought. He gave a final nod to the group and spoke.
"Well then, we're off."
"Gurururuuu!"
Following Rei's lead, Seto let out a cry, and the one man and one beast passed through the main gate.
Normally, Rei would have liked to mount Seto and fly off immediately, but Ranga had previously requested that he avoid taking off or landing within the city's immediate vicinity. Forced to comply, they walked until they were a good distance away. Once he was sure they were alone, Rei finally swung himself onto Seto’s back.
"Alright, let's go. First, we head to a small village just before Anesis. I think there’s a retired knight who runs a tavern there—we’re supposed to contact him or something."
"Guruuu?"
Seto purred in response. They didn't have an accurate map to Anesis, but Rei figured they would find their way if they followed the highway and gathered information as they went.
(If I had a map, I could have cut the travel time down drastically, like when I went to Emotion. But I couldn't exactly ask to borrow a map for private business.)
He stroked Seto's back as he sat astride him.
"Well, the meeting was only scheduled for 'early summer'... it shouldn't be a problem if I'm a little late, right?"
"Guruuu?" Seto tilted his head, as if asking if it was really okay.
Rei wasn't particularly worried. With Seto’s wings, he was confident that even a detour would be faster than any carriage on the highway.
"Then again, if I’m too late, I might find a whip-sword flying at my head. I guess we should hurry a little."
A few seconds after his previous casual statement, Rei easily changed his mind and urged Seto to pick up the pace. In response, Seto purred and flapped his powerful wings. Because they were flying through the open sky, the sensation of speed wasn't overwhelming, but the landscape below passed by in a flash.
Since it was still early morning, there were almost no travelers or adventurers on the highway. They quickly overtook the few people who had left Gilm before them. Below them lay a vast carpet of green, with the highway running through it like a single, thin thread. Occasionally, they spotted monsters like Goblins or Fang Wolves, but they vanished from sight after a few flaps of Seto’s wings.
"...I think you've gotten faster."
Rei murmured in surprise. While the sensation of the ride hadn't changed, the speed at which the scenery below was receding had clearly increased.
"Guruuu?" Seto tilted his head again, seemingly unaware of his own improvement.
In this manner, Rei finally departed from Gilm.
Over the following days, they flew past Abuelo, the nearest town, and continued past Sablusta. They spent their nights in a magic tent. Even though they had moved some distance from Sablusta, the area was known for bandits. One night, they were ambushed by a group that couldn't even hide their murderous intent, relying purely on numbers. Rei and Seto repelled them effortlessly.
Afterward, as was his right, Rei interrogated the survivors to find their hideout, then raided the base and seized their loot.
On another occasion, even though they were no longer in the frontier, they found a caravan being harassed by Goblins and intervened. Rei acted as a temporary guard for the caravan for half a day until they reached the next town. During the trip, he discovered he had taken a wrong turn and would never have reached Duke Kerebel's Territory on his current path. After seeing the caravan safely to town, he and Seto hurried back the way they had come.
While crossing a mountain path toward the duchy, they discovered a beautiful lake. They stopped to escape the summer heat and catch some fish, only to be attacked by a giant catfish several meters long. Rei struggled in the underwater battlefield but eventually managed to kill it. He dismantled the creature hoping for a magic stone, only to find it was a normal fish—the so-called Lord of the Lake—much to his disappointment. However, because the lake was so pristine, the fish had no muddy taste. After cleaning it with salt, they enjoyed it as grilled skewers and soup.
And so, between various detours and getting lost, about two weeks passed after Rei and Seto left Gilm. Finally, they arrived at their destination: a village within Duke Kerebel's Territory.