Several days had passed since Elena and Rei had wiped out the bandits who ambushed them on the road. Since then, they had continued along the highway without any further trouble, until finally, a massive city—no, judging by its sheer scale, a metropolis—appeared in the distance.
Gilm, Rei’s current base of operations, was a major city boasting a population of over a hundred thousand, but the labyrinth city now visible through the carriage window looked to be several times that size.
"Is that... the labyrinth city?"
"Indeed. There are several labyrinth cities within the Kingdom of Mireana, so we should properly refer to it as the Labyrinth City Exil. The flow of people is so constant that the exact population is unknown, but it is estimated to be around two or three hundred thousand."
"...That’s quite a lot."
"In terms of numbers, yes," Elena said, shaking her head as she watched the skyline of Exil approach.
"Just in terms of numbers? If it’s at least double the size of Gilm, wouldn't the caliber of the adventurers be significantly higher as well?"
"Not necessarily. The dungeons in labyrinth cities supposedly have very weak monsters on the safer floors. That allows even novice adventurers to maintain a certain level of security. To put it another way, a massive number of adventurers come here specifically for that reason. It is generally said that in terms of raw quality, they are overwhelmingly inferior to the adventurers of Gilm on the frontier. For instance, if you were to hold a mock battle between adventurers of the same rank, the one from Gilm would almost certainly win."
"I see..." Rei nodded, taking in Elena's explanation.
Though Rei and Elena were enjoying each other's company in a nearly harmonious atmosphere, there were absolutely no other carriages or travelers near them on the road. The intimidating presence of the warhorses was part of it, but the primary reason was undoubtedly Seto.
Seto walked quietly beside the carriage, but he seemed to find it lonely when people gave him such frightened looks. He radiated a dejected air as he trudged along the highway. One would never have guessed that this was the same monster who had single-handedly slaughtered nearly thirty bandits just a few days prior.
In a metropolis like Exil, merchants, adventurers, and immigrants were constantly coming and going. However, even these seasoned travelers naturally veered far away from Seto.
"Guruuu," Seto let out a melancholy purr.
Perhaps Rei hadn't actually heard the cry, but he paused his conversation with Elena, opened the window, and called out to his partner.
"Hang in there, Seto. We’re almost to the labyrinth city... to Exil. Once people get to know your personality, I’m sure everyone will adore you just like the people in Gilm do."
"Guruu!" At Rei’s words, Seto regained some of his spirit and purred.
The carriage continued its lonely trek down the center of the highway, kept at a distance by all other traffic, until they finally reached their destination thirty minutes later.
At the main gate, a long queue of travelers waited for entry procedures.
"Young Lady, what are your orders? If we utilize your noble privilege, we can receive priority processing," Tsufal asked from the driver's seat.
"I suppose... we should."
Elena looked out the window as she considered their options. Despite the massive crowd waiting in line, the space around their carriage was a void. The reason, of course, was Seto.
The surrounding crowd watched the Gryphon with gazes full of awe, terror, and a sliver of curiosity. The curiosity was likely directed at Iero, who had recently hopped out of the carriage to perch on Seto’s back. Iero had been napping on the carriage sofa, but upon realizing his friend was being subjected to such fearful glares, the little dragon had come out to comfort him.
After observing the scene for a few seconds, Elena made her decision and spoke to Tsufal.
"Staying here will only frighten the commoners. It would be better to enter the city quickly so we can put a Tamed Monster's Necklace on Seto. He is a Gryphon, so fear is to be expected, but the necklace should at least signify that he is under control and ease their minds."
Normally, Elena disliked flaunting her noble status. She never hesitated to use it if a mission required it, but this was a personal trip. However, given the circumstances, she judged that getting into Exil as fast as possible was the most pragmatic course of action.
"Thanks, that helps," Rei said, offering a brief word of gratitude.
"Think nothing of it. If we stayed out here, the panic might have escalated into something far more troublesome."
Tsufal called out to a guard who had been warily watching their carriage, ready to intervene at a moment's notice. When Tsufal presented their identification, most of the guards looked on with suspicion, but a few of them turned pale and ran to fetch their commander.
Within minutes, a man in his forties arrived. After a brief exchange with Tsufal—during which he kept a very careful eye on Seto—there was a knock on the carriage door.
"Pardon me, Young Lady, Master Rei. Lord Barrett, the officer in charge here, has requested to see Master Rei’s Guild Card."
"Very well. Rei?"
At Elena’s prompt, Rei nodded and stepped out of the carriage.
Barrett, who served as a Guard Force Squad Leader, knew better than to pick a fight with Duke Kerebel's House. Letting Elena into the city was a foregone conclusion. Of course, given that the famous Princess General had arrived, he would have to report it to his superiors immediately.
However, once the driver told him that there was a passenger who did not belong to the ducal house, he could not overlook his duty to verify their identity. A person traveling with the Princess General, leading a Gryphon... Barrett, who was well-acquainted with the high-tier adventurers of Exil, already had a strong suspicion.
That was why his eyes widened in shock when the adventurer actually emerged from the carriage.
The stories were many.
Rumors of a man who commanded a Gryphon.
Rumors of a man whose flame magic had incinerated the Bestia Imperial Army's Lead Unit, inflicting catastrophic damage single-handedly.
Rumors of a man who carried a giant scythe and harvested lives with the ease of a Grim Reaper.
Rumors of a man whose physical strength surpassed human limits.
And the alias bestowed upon him for that overwhelming combat power: Crimson.
Barrett had heard these tales from adventurers returning from the war. At first, he had dismissed them as exaggerations or tavern talk, but so many witnesses had told the exact same story that he had been forced to believe.
He had spent many nights wondering what kind of man this alias holder might be, only to find himself staring at a boy in his mid-teens. Barrett was utterly speechless.
"Er... Ah... Right. My apologies, but may I see your Guild Card?"
"Sure. Here."
Rei handed the card to the man, who had finally regained some semblance of composure. When Barrett looked at the rank listed on the card, his eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
"A Rank B!?"
His voice, though low, carried enough weight to send a shockwave through the nearby guards. Their astonishment was even greater than Barrett's. Barrett had at least suspected Rei might be the legendary Crimson, but the ordinary guards had no such context. They stared at the boy with pure disbelief.
Ignoring their stares, Rei took his card back from Barrett’s trembling hand.
"Is there a problem?"
"N-no. You may pass."
"...Before that, I’ll need a Tamed Monster's Necklace."
"R-right. Of course. You, get a Tamed Monster's Necklace!"
"Yes, sir!"
The subordinate rushed over and handed the device to Rei. Once the Tamed Monster's Necklace was secured around his neck, Seto purred and rubbed his beak against Rei. It was then that Barrett noticed the tiny dragon on the Gryphon's back.
"...Is that a dragon?"
"Yes, that is the Young Lady's familiar. We’ll need a Tamed Monster's Necklace for Iero as well, please."
While they might have been able to forgo it in Duke Kerebel’s Territory, this was a labyrinth city. A Tamed Monster's Necklace was mandatory for all familiars. Tsufal took the small-sized collar—designed for pets like cats or birds—from Barrett.
With the formalities concluded, Tsufal asked one last question.
"May we proceed into the city now?"
"You may. However, since you’ve invoked noble privilege, I am required to notify my superiors..."
"That is perfectly fine. We have nothing to hide. Thank you for your assistance."
Tsufal gave a graceful bow and returned to the driver's seat. Rei gave Seto one last pat and stroked Iero’s back before retreating into the carriage. Moving past the long queue, the carriage rolled through the gates and into the heart of Exil.
"I’ve been a Guard Force Squad Leader for a long time... but it’s been ages since I’ve been that shocked," Barrett muttered, still dazed.
The guard who had provided the necklace gave a strained laugh. "Not since the Mad Beast Incident, sir?"
"At least no one died this time, so I suppose it’s an improvement. Regardless, the storm has passed. I’m going to report this to the higher-ups. You lot get back to your posts."
"Understood!"
As his men returned to the gate, Barrett let out a long sigh.
"I just hope he doesn't bring any unnecessary trouble with him..." He muttered the words knowing, deep down, that it was a vain hope.
"...This certainly matches the descriptions I found," Rei remarked, peering out the window.
His gaze was fixed on the massive defensive walls surrounding Exil. However, these ramparts didn't look like they were built to keep enemies out. Rather, they looked as though they were designed to keep a threat trapped inside.
It made sense. In truth, these walls were a safeguard designed to prevent monsters from escaping Exil should an emergency occur in the dungeon. They were a cage of sorts.
Unlike Gilm, Exil was not on the frontier. While common monsters like Goblins and Orcs existed in the surrounding area, and bandits were a constant nuisance, the true threat of Exil lay within the dungeon. It was a subterranean labyrinth; while the upper floors were relatively safe, it was rumored that A-Rank monsters had appeared in the lower depths in the past. If such a calamity were to emerge from the dungeon, these walls would ensure the disaster remained contained within the city.
Rei had researched this in Gilm, but seeing the physical reality of it was a shock. Elena watched him with a faint smile. Between his ever-present Dragon Robe hood and his usual stoicism, it was rare to see Rei look so genuinely stunned.
(To see a face like that from Rei... I suppose I’m quite lucky today,) she thought, though she kept her expression neutral as she spoke.
"You are aware that the Labyrinth City Exil is treated almost as an autonomous city, correct?"
"Yeah. From what I gathered in Gilm, it’s technically ruled by a noble house... but that’s mostly a formality."
"Precisely. Normally, the Crown would never permit such a thing, but labyrinth cities are unique cases. This isn't limited to Exil; several labyrinth cities within the Kingdom of Mireana are essentially self-governing. They pay their taxes and provide military support when needed—as they did during the war with the Bestia Empire—but they manage their own affairs. As for Exil, it is effectively ruled by four... no, it is down to three houses now."
As the carriage rolled down the main street, Elena's lecture on the city's power dynamics continued.