The carriage rolled down the main street of Exil. Seto walked alongside it, with Iero perched comfortably on the Gryphon's back.
Even in a place as unique as a Labyrinth City, a carriage escorted by a Gryphon and a small dragon commanded immediate attention.
The Tamed Monster's Necklace around Seto's neck seemed to make a significant difference, however. Unlike the panic at the city gates during their entry procedures, very few people fled at the sight of the Gryphon now.
Still, a Gryphon remained an object of profound awe. Seto looked rather forlorn; unlike the friendly citizens of Gilm, no one here approached to offer affection.
"Kyu-kyu, kyuu!"
"Guruuu..."
Iero let out a high-pitched, adorable chirp from its perch as if trying to cheer its companion up. Seto responded with a lonely rumble deep in its throat.
A few onlookers caught themselves thinking, Wait, is it actually kind of cute? However, none of them were brave enough to suddenly try and pet a creature like Seto upon their first meeting.
Regardless, the sight of the two creatures interacting left a lasting impression on everyone watching them pass.
Inside the carriage, Rei and Elena continued their discussion about the Labyrinth City Exil.
"So, three houses govern the city," Rei said. "The story goes that their ancestors were part of a four-person party that discovered the dungeon?"
"Precisely," Elena replied. "Until about three hundred years ago, four families ruled Exil together. Then, one of them fell into ruin. Now, only three remain. There are many theories—conspiracies by the Kingdom, power struggles between the houses, or even internal strife within the family that collapsed. The truth behind the matter has never been made clear."
"I see. They were probably a close-knit party when they found the dungeon, but that was a long time ago. Times change," Rei muttered, shrugging his shoulders.
Elena nodded silently. Even as a noble herself, the fall of a house was a somber topic. Born into the Kerebel dukedom—the pinnacle of the nobility—Elena likely felt that such a fate was more than just a distant tragedy.
"Anyway, what matters is that three houses are in charge," Rei continued. "But we didn't come here to play politics or rule the city. We're just here to dive into the dungeon. Hopefully, that means we won't have much to do with those families... though I doubt it."
He trailed off, looking at Elena’s striking beauty and shrugging with a wry smile.
"The guard mentioned earlier that they’d be informing their superiors of your arrival, Elena."
"I am not concerned. Now that I have set foot in Exil, it was only a matter of time before they discovered my presence."
"Young Lady, we have arrived at the inn Lord Barrett suggested," Tsufal called out from the coach box.
"Good work. Please handle the check-in," Elena instructed.
"As you wish. However, regarding Seto-sama, I believe it would be best for Rei-sama to speak with the staff directly. What are your thoughts?"
Elena turned her gaze toward Rei.
"He makes a fair point. What do you think? I agree that you should probably be the one to explain things regarding Seto. It's a shame to cut our discussion about Exil short, though."
"Yeah, you're right. That's probably for the best. I'll go handle it."
"Very well. Be car—actually, that is hardly a word I need to use for you, Rei. And certainly not when you are simply going to talk about Seto."
Realizing she had nearly made a slip of the tongue out of habit, Elena felt a flutter of excitement. She was in high spirits.
Rei stepped out of the carriage as Elena's words trailed behind him.
"Rei-sama, I shall attend to the room arrangements. Please explain Seto-sama's situation to this man," Tsufal said.
Rei nodded. A man in his 30s standing near Tsufal stepped forward.
"You're the one in charge of the Gryphon? Heh, you don't look the part."
"I get that a lot. More importantly, is Seto... is the Gryphon really okay here?" Rei asked. He watched Iero slip into the carriage as he stroked Seto’s head while the creature rubbed against him.
"Yeah, of course. This is one of the more prestigious inns in Exil. It's not uncommon for nobles to stay here, so we’re equipped to handle this much."
"I see."
Rei nodded, taking a look at the building. It was massive compared to the surrounding structures and sat right on the main street. It was clearly a luxury establishment.
In terms of size, it's three times the size of the Dusk Wheat Inn... no, maybe even larger, Rei thought.
The Dusk Wheat Inn, his usual haunt in Gilm, was high-class but had a cozy, family-run atmosphere. By comparison, the place before him felt far more systematic.
If the Dusk Wheat Inn is a traditional inn, this place is more like a modern hotel.
Lost in thought, Rei followed the man—the Golden Wind Inn's stable hand—around to the back of the inn with Seto in tow.
They arrived at a stable that was two or three times larger than the one back at the Dusk Wheat Inn.
"This place is huge," Rei remarked.
"It is. About thirty years ago, a guest staying with us managed to tame a giant snake monster in the dungeon. The stable back then was too small to fit the creature, and the owner at the time decided that was a blow to the inn’s reputation. He had the whole thing rebuilt."
The man spoke with a touch of pride. The stable was clearly one of the inn's selling points. Since Tsufal had specifically asked Barrett for an inn that could accommodate Seto without any trouble, it made sense that they had been directed here.
Rei followed the man inside the stables and was surprised to see more than just horses. There were ox-type monsters with ferocious horns and even a giant spider.
"I thought Tamers were supposed to be rare, but there are quite a few here."
"Partying up with a large group is safe, but it cuts into the rewards. Because of that, treating Tamed Monsters as combat assets has become a bit of a trend lately. Though, I expect it’s just a fad. You don't have to split the loot with a beast, but monsters are dim-witted. Their ability to adapt to a crisis doesn't hold a candle to a real adventurer. ...Well, for the most part."
The man glanced at Seto, who was curiously peering around the stable. Most of the other monsters and horses were huddled in silence, clearly intimidated by the arrival of an A-Rank Monster.
"I imagine a high-rank monster like your Gryphon has better judgment than the average adventurer, though."
"He does. Still, I'm glad to see there are other Tamers around," Rei muttered.
His bond with Seto was actually rooted in Beast Magic, regardless of appearances. He figured that if the number of Tamers grew, they wouldn't stand out as much. Then again, bringing a Gryphon along meant they were destined to stand out regardless.
"Well, I'll leave Seto in your care."
"Leave it to me. It's an honor to look after an A-Rank Monster. Normally I'd be too terrified to try, but this Seto looks smart. It seems like he understands what we're saying."
"Guruuuu."
"Alright, Seto. I'm going back to the inn. Rest up here for a bit."
Rei gave Seto’s back a final pat. Seto let out a reassuring trill, as if telling Rei not to worry, and headed deeper into the stable.
Rei watched him go before leaving the stable hand to his work and returning to the inn's entrance. The carriage had already been moved. An inn employee spotted Rei and bowed.
"Rei-sama, I presume? Welcome to the Golden Wind Inn. I have already been briefed by Elena-sama and Tsufal-sama. I shall show you to your room immediately."
The man was a professional. His bow was deep and his manners were impeccable, even if he didn't quite possess Tsufal’s innate grace. Rei, however, wasn't one to notice such subtle distinctions.
"Thanks. As for the lodging fees..."
Rei reached for his Misty Ring to pull out a pouch of coins, but the man stopped him.
"The fees have already been settled by Tsufal-sama."
"...What?"
Rei blinked, caught off guard. He had expected a high-end place like this to be expensive, but he wasn't exactly hurting for cash. In fact, he possessed enough wealth that an average family could live in luxury for a lifetime and still have change.
"This trip is, in a sense, my own whim. As such, it is only natural that I cover your lodging, Rei."
"Elena..."
Rei looked toward the source of the voice. Elena was smiling at him.
"I am, for better or worse, the daughter of a Duke. I also hold the rank of Princess General within the Knight Order. Since I am traveling with you, it is my duty to handle the expenses. Won't you let me do this? It is a matter of my prestige as a noble."
Their eyes met for a few long seconds. Eventually, Rei was the first to look away. He didn't care much for noble pride or face, but when someone he cared for insisted that much, he wasn't about to be stubborn.
"Fine. I'll take you up on that, then."
Elena let out a quiet sigh of relief. Personally, she simply wanted to do something nice for him, but as a daughter of the Kerebel family, it would look poor if she didn't cover the costs for her companion. Rei's easy acceptance was a stroke of luck for her.
"Thank you. Now, then—I would like to enter the dungeon as soon as tomorrow. Does that suit you?"
"Yeah. The sooner the better. I told the people back home I'd be back by winter."
"Heh, I said much the same. Ara aside, as long as Mechen is around, the paperwork will be handled even in my absence. ...Once we've dropped our things off, shall we head to the Guild? We need to register there before we can enter the dungeon."
Rei closed his eyes, a memory flickering in his mind.
"Right. I think I heard about that rule back in Gilm."
Usually, adventuring was a matter of self-responsibility. In the last dungeon Rei and Elena had explored, they had only needed to show their Guild Cards for identification.
However, because of Exil's unique nature, a massive number of adventurers entered the labyrinth every day. To track them all, the city issued a specialized card known as a Dungeon Card, separate from one's Guild Card.
The official reason was to accommodate those who weren't Guild members—like nobles or knights—but Rei suspected it had more to do with the vested interests of the three houses that ruled the city. In fact, the system had been implemented shortly after one of the four original houses fell into ruin, which supported his theory.
Still, it was a convenient system for non-adventurers, so the Kingdom hadn't raised any objections.
Though I heard they had to pay a fortune in bribes to get the crown to sign off on it, Rei thought, recalling rumors from Gilm.
"The registration shouldn't be too difficult," Elena said. "Especially with my credentials from the Duke's house. However, it will still take some time. It's better to get it over with now than to waste our morning tomorrow. Shall we?"
Rei agreed. He wasn't in the mood to waste time the next morning. After a quick stop to confirm their room locations, the pair headed out toward the Guild.