"...Huh? Where am I?"
Rei sat up in bed and surveyed his unfamiliar surroundings.
The room wasn't particularly large. In fact, considering it was only about four tatami mats in size, it was actually quite cramped.
He scanned the small space until he finally remembered his situation.
"Right. I ended up staying at that tavern."
He stood up, donned his Dragon Robe and Sleipnir's Shoes, and stepped out of the room.
"Morning. You're up pretty late."
The man who was also the tavern shopkeeper called out to him immediately. Rei’s response, however, was laced with irritation.
"I’m fairly certain I told you I’m not good with alcohol."
"Was that so? Well, now that you mention it, I suppose you might have said something of the sort."
"How shameless..."
Indeed. Despite Rei telling him the previous day that he wasn't fond of drinking, the man had gathered the village residents that night to throw a raucous welcoming banquet.
Rei hadn't realized it, but while visitors weren't entirely rare in this village, it was true that overnight guests were few and far between.
Rei had originally intended to stay at an inn, but even if he had turned down the man's invitation, the mere presence of a rare guest would have caused a stir regardless. That was simply the reality of how few travelers stayed in this village.
"Look, there's a well outside. Go get yourself ready. Breakfast will be ready when you're done."
"Yeah, I'll do that... Could I ask for some food for Seto as well?"
"Hmm... that Gryphon has quite an appetite. I’ve got enough for today, but I'll have to figure something out starting tomorrow. At least it's a blessing that it's early summer. We won't have any trouble replenishing food through summer and autumn."
Hearing those words, Rei’s grumpy expression softened into a look of apology.
After all, he had seen for himself at last night's banquet that Seto’s friendliness had won over the villagers, and the beast had consumed a significant portion of the tavern's supplies.
The man might have been a bit of a trickster, but Rei felt guilty taking advantage of his goodwill. He reached into his Dragon Robe, accessed the Misty Ring, and pulled several silver coins from a pouch.
"For now, use this for mine and Seto’s food expenses. Please, take it."
"Whoa, hey, silver coins for just a few days of food...?"
The man started to protest, but the memory of the appetites displayed by the one man and one beast the day before made him trail off.
"It’s better this way. I don't know when Elena will arrive, but considering how much Seto and I eat, you'd best accept it."
"Well, if you're going to insist, I'll take it."
The man accepted the silver coins, though he didn't seem particularly thrilled.
In this village, merchants were rare, and life was mostly self-sufficient. Most transactions between neighbors were closer to bartering. In that context, the man was likely only accepting the coins as a courtesy to Rei's sincerity.
"Anyway, get washed up while I make breakfast. I’ve already fed Seto properly."
"I appreciate it."
Giving a short thanks, Rei stepped outside.
He turned back to look at the building. It was ordinary—well, perhaps a bit grand for the countryside—but it looked like nothing more than a private home. The only sign it was a tavern was the wooden board near the entrance with a picture of a drink on it.
"Well, it seems this village has its own secrets... but that's not my concern. I’d rather not get meddlesome and involve myself too deeply."
"Guruuu?"
As Rei muttered to himself, Seto approached and rubbed its face against him with a rhythmic purr.
"Good morning, Seto. Did you sleep well?"
"Guruuu!"
The Gryphon's energetic response made it clear it had spent a perfectly peaceful night.
"I see. That’s good. It’s been a while since I’ve slept soundly in something other than the Magic Tent myself."
Rei finished grooming at the well and, as an afterthought, pulled a few pieces of dried meat from his storage for Seto.
Even though it had already finished its morning meal, Seto ate the dried meat without a moment's hesitation. Watching it purr happily, the creature looked less like an A-Rank monster known as the Grim Reaper of the Skies and more like an oversized kitten.
Well, its lower body is a lion, so it definitely belongs to the feline family, Rei thought.
He spent five minutes playing with Seto as a morning ritual—stroking its head, scratching its back, and brushing its fur. Eventually, the tavern keeper poked his head out and let out an exasperated sigh.
"Hey! I told you I was making breakfast. I was wondering why you weren't coming back... Rei! Get in here and eat!"
"Ah, sorry. I'm coming."
"Guruuu."
As Rei stood up, Seto let out a slightly forlorn purr.
"Don't worry. I’ll be free until Elena arrives anyway. Let's relax together after I eat."
"Guruuuu!"
At Rei’s promise, the Gryphon's lonely mood vanished instantly, replaced by a joyful purr.
Watching the one man and one beast, the shopkeeper nodded to himself, convinced that Rei was certainly a man worthy of being associated with the Princess General.
Rei then finished a breakfast consisting of bacon, sausage, ham, dried meat, and bread—hardly the typical morning fare for most people. After eating a meal that was almost entirely meat, Rei decided that he would provide for their future meals using the stock inside his Misty Ring.
"Oh, you two. What are you doing in a place like this?"
After finishing his meat-and-bread breakfast—a dream for some, but a heavy start for others—Rei had nothing to do, so he began exploring the village with Seto.
From an outsider's perspective, it was a perfectly ordinary farming village. Rei decided to wander through the farms to see if he could find any fresh vegetables. He had already managed to acquire some by bartering Bicorn meat—harvested from the creature he defeated during his Rank Up Exam—for various summer vegetables.
At the next field, he encountered the farmer man who had given him directions to the tavern the previous day. However, seeing the man again as he gripped his hoe, Rei’s eyebrows twitched.
The man wore long sleeves to protect against the summer sun and insects, but the fabric couldn't hide his powerful physique. To a casual observer, he was just a farmer, and he certainly functioned as one now, but it was unmistakable that he had once been a warrior.
Rei had suspected since yesterday that this village held some secret related to Duke Kerebel's Territory, but he chose not to pursue it. Instead, he simply stated his purpose.
"Actually, I was looking for some quality summer vegetables. I’m not asking for a handout; I’d like to trade some Bicorn meat for them. Interested?"
"Hmm. Well, I’ve got some potatoes I just harvested... would those work?"
The farmer man glanced toward a nearby cottage, where the harvest was likely stored.
Potatoes could be preserved for nearly a year if dried in the shade, though the flavor naturally degraded over time. Knowing this well from his life in Japan, Rei nodded and pulled the Bicorn meat from his Misty Ring.
The block of meat, an amount of about 30kg, was still perfectly fresh despite the time that had passed since the hunt.
The benefit of the Misty Ring is that things don't spoil, but they don't age either, Rei mused.
The higher a monster's magic power, the better its meat tasted. Rei wondered how exquisite it would be if aged properly, but as a wandering adventurer, he lacked a suitable facility. He could have asked to use Hasta's dismantling shed, but he didn't want to interfere with the boy's dismantling work, not to mention the difficulty of temperature control.
If it's just one type, maybe I could ask the Dusk Wheat Inn to handle it? It would have to be from the highest-rank monster I have. Currently, that's the Lemures.
The Sea Serpent had been over thirty meters long. Even after the head was destroyed and he had given portions to the adventurers who helped with the dismantling and at various banquets, an enormous amount remained in the Misty Ring. It was enough for Rei and Seto to eat for over a year.
"Whoa, this is incredible. So this is Bicorn meat? I’d be happy to trade my potatoes for this. In fact, I should be the one thanking you."
"Good. Then I'll take the potatoes."
"Sure thing. How much do you need?"
"The same weight as the meat is fine."
The farmer man looked shocked by the offer, but since Rei didn't seem to mind, he led him to the cottage.
"This is... quite the hoard."
The interior of the cottage was a sea of tubers. It was truly a carpet of potatoes.
They look more like white potatoes than sweet potatoes. Well, that makes sense for a summer harvest.
Rei nodded, weighed out an amount of about 30kg, and began storing them in his Misty Ring. They were large, and the sheer volume meant it took about 20 minutes to store them all.
"Thanks for the meat!"
The farmer man waved them off as Rei and Seto continued their walk.
They spent the rest of the day wandering the village, collecting more vegetables and even joining the children at the river to catch river fish. It was a day that felt, in its own way, like a quintessential summer vacation.
Come to think of it, it’s already been over a year since I arrived in Elgin.
Rei stared idly at the summer sun dipping toward the horizon.
He didn't regret his transition from Japan to Elgin. If he hadn't come here, he would have died. He felt nothing but gratitude toward Zephyle.
"Guruuu."
Seto, sensing Rei's contemplative mood through their deep bond, rubbed its face against him with a soft purr.
Rei stroked the Gryphon's head while gazing at the green stalks of barley, a hallmark of summer. He let out a small laugh.
It wasn't for any particular reason. He simply realized that in the world he once knew, green stalks like these would have been rice, not barley. The fleeting memory brought a smile to his face.
He scratched Seto’s head—specifically the spot the Gryphon liked—and spoke softly.
"I haven't really had the chance to just sit and relax in a village like this since I came to Elgin. I’m just feeling a bit sentimental, that's all."
"Guruuuu."
Rei had visited villages before, especially during the war with the Bestia Empire, but there had never been time to simply sit and watch the summer sunset.
Seto purred contentedly, clearly enjoying the attention.
The one man and one beast were soaking in the nostalgic summer scenery when a sudden commotion broke out near the village entrance.
"What is it...?"
Rei squinted toward the entrance. A crowd of villagers had gathered, but they didn't seem hostile. On the contrary, many of them looked delighted.
Intrigued, Rei and Seto made their way toward the village entrance.
Through the crowd, he saw a luxurious carriage drawn by two Warhorses approaching the village. It wasn't the gaudy, ostentatious luxury he had seen during the Rank Up Exam, but the understated elegance of a high-tier magic item.
Rei recognized the carriage immediately and understood the cause of the excitement. However, his look of understanding quickly turned to confusion. The person sitting on the coach box, handling the Warhorses, was someone he didn't know.
He had expected to see Ara, or perhaps Mechen, whom he had met during the war.
The carriage continued its steady pace, ignoring Rei's confusion, and came to a stop at the village entrance.
"Good work, everyone. I heard an adventurer named Rei has arrived."
The person who stepped out of the carriage possessed an aura of refined beauty and command.
"Kyu-kyu!"
Following behind her, a small, stylized dragon emerged from the interior.
It was Elena, the famed Princess General, accompanied by Iero, the familiar she had birthed with Dragon Language Magic.
The very pair Rei had traveled so far to meet had finally arrived.