His body was momentarily enveloped in light. When the sensation faded, the scenery around Rei had completely transformed.
Just seconds ago, they had been surrounded by the stone corridors of the dungeon and walls that pulsed with a faint, eerie glow. Now, Rei and his companions stood beside the cylindrical teleportation device—a three-meter-tall pillar located at the dungeon entrance.
"Hmph, so this is teleportation. I felt no discomfort whatsoever. It truly is a remarkable legacy of the Ancient Magic Civilization," Elena muttered in admiration as she stepped away from the device.
Walking beside her, Rei nodded in agreement.
He reached out to stroke Seto's head, as the gryphon was looking around in wide-eyed surprise at their sudden relocation. Meanwhile, Iero went scrambling up Rei’s arm. To the onlookers nearby, the sight of the little dragon’s antics was unexpectedly heartwarming.
In truth, Seto was the only one among them who had experienced teleportation before, but one would never have guessed it from the way the creature was currently gawking at its surroundings.
When the group first materialized, some nearby adventurers had flinched in shock and tried to back away, but seeing Iero’s playful behavior caused their tense expressions to soften into smiles.
It was still just past noon, and the fact that there weren't many adventurers around helped keep things from becoming too rowdy.
"Well, what’s the plan? We’re back from the dungeon, so how about some food?" Rei asked, gently moving Iero from his arm back onto Seto’s back.
Elena shook her head slightly. "No, let’s go to the guild first."
"The guild? What for?"
"To sell our materials, magic stones, and proofs of subjugation, of course. I used to leave all of that to Vel, so I actually wanted to experience the process for myself."
"Experience it, huh? I don't think there's anything particularly special about it."
"That is only because you are Rei; settling accounts at the guild has become a mundane part of your daily life. Unfortunately, that is not the case for me. Besides... there is something I wish to ask."
Elena’s eyes flashed with a sharp intensity for a fleeting moment. It was clear that her primary goal wasn't the material sale, but rather the inquiry she had in mind.
Rei, who had a fair idea of what she wanted to ask, didn't press the issue. He agreed to her suggestion, and they made their way toward the guild.
The adventurers present watched the two humans and their two companions depart in stunned silence. Only after the group had vanished from sight did the onlookers find their voices.
"Hey, hey, hey! Did you see that? Why is there an adventurer walking around with a gryphon? That’s insane!"
"Y-yeah. And... if I wasn't seeing things, I think that thing on the gryphon's back was a dragon."
"Since we both saw it, it couldn't have been a hallucination."
"I’ve never seen a woman that beautiful in my life. Man, I’d give anything to spend a night with her."
"Hey, shut your mouth! Don't you know who that was? The guy with her is Crimson."
"...Seriously?"
"Oh, right, you were in the dungeon all night. No wonder you haven't heard. It’s him, for sure. Someone who fought in the war with the Bestia Empire recognized him when he arrived in Exil yesterday and registered his dungeon card. Apparently, Crimson is a B-rank adventurer."
"...Seriously?"
"As serious as it gets. A receptionist saw his guild card and let it slip, so there’s no doubt."
"But he’s just a kid in his mid-teens, isn't he? To be B-rank at that age..."
"Well, if you're dumb enough to lay a hand on them, you’ll end up like this."
The female adventurer speaking made a sharp gesture of slitting her own throat. The man watching her gasped and shook his head vigorously.
"No, no. I wouldn't dream of it..."
"I wonder. Based on the rumors of Crimson, he’s absolutely merciless to anyone who crosses him. Leaving aside the story about him burning the entire Bestia Imperial Army to ash by himself, I’ve heard he once cut off the limbs of a noble who complained to him and turned the guy into a public spectacle."
Severed limbs and a public spectacle. The adventurer man gasped again. If the kid did that just because someone complained, he shuddered to think what would happen to anyone who touched his companion.
"...No matter how hot she is, I'm staying far away from her."
"Smart move. Anyway, I'll be your partner tonight, so stop complaining."
"...Eh?"
And so, through a conversation that used Rei as a cautionary tale, a new couple was born. It was the nature of rumors to spread and mutate without limit. While it was true that Rei had severed both shoulders of the Next Marquis, Lunojis Imahen—a noble of the Noble's Faction—the story had grown tail fins, back fins, and even pectoral fins as it traveled through the city.
"I’m here to sell some materials. I also have a question."
"Eh? Ah, y-yes. Material sales are at the counter over there. As for your question... what is it?" the guild receptionist replied.
It wasn't Rei who answered, but Elena standing beside him.
"It concerns Byune Flaut. Why does the guild permit someone of her age to operate solo within the dungeon?"
"In her case, she is acting of her own volition. There are also family circumstances to consider; the guild simply isn't in a position to refuse her."
"But look at her age!"
"I understand your concern. However, she requires the income, and the guild can never have too many skilled thieves. Furthermore, as you are aware, the life of an adventurer is one of self-responsibility. If an individual possesses the skill and the will, the guild cannot bar them. That holds especially true for a daughter of House Flaut, the family that laid the foundations for Exil’s prosperity."
Though clearly intimidated by Elena’s presence, the receptionist stood her ground. To her, Elena was the most stunning woman she had seen in her twenty years of life—a Duke's Daughter known as the Princess General. Nevertheless, she refused to waver in her duty as a guild employee.
Sensing the receptionist's resolve, Rei placed a hand on the shoulder of Elena's white armor.
"Elena, you lose this one. Being an adventurer is a matter of self-responsibility, just like she says. That’s exactly why adventurers have been able to gain so much power and independence."
"But still!"
Rei continued to soothe her as she argued.
Self-responsibility or not, normally if a ten-year-old child tried to register, the other adventurers would stop them. The fact that no one does is suspicious. It probably has to do with her family being the ones who discovered the dungeon and founded the city... but House Flaut fell nearly three hundred years ago. Can a name really carry that much influence for so long?
Rei harbored his own doubts, but he realized that causing a scene would only make things difficult for the guild. Ignoring the curious stares from the surrounding crowd, he led Elena toward the material purchase counter.
The strict separation between reception and sales was likely a system unique to a massive labyrinth city like Exil.
"Rei! Why did you—"
"Elena," Rei interrupted, his voice firm.
"...What is it?" she replied reluctantly.
"You’ve spent your life as a soldier. Because of that, you aren't really familiar with the ways of adventurers, are you?"
Elena nodded silently. She knew the military and the nobility inside and out, but as someone who had never interacted with adventurers beyond hiring them to kill monsters, she had no choice but to agree.
"Soldiers have their ways, and adventurers have theirs. You understand that, right?"
"..." Elena nodded again. She didn't seem emotionally convinced, but she accepted the logic.
"Look, we can just ask Byune about it next time we see her. For now, let’s finish the sale and get back to the inn."
"Fine."
Following Rei’s lead, they approached the purchase counter. Fortunately, because it was still midday, the line wasn't long, and several windows were open. They walked up to one and spoke to the staff.
"I have materials to sell."
"...Certainly. But where are they? You don't appear to be carrying anything."
Gran, a guild employee in her thirties, tilted her head in confusion. Internally, however, she was practically screaming with excitement at seeing the famous Princess General up close. Her ability to keep a straight face was proof of her professionalism.
"Ah, my bad. Here they are," Rei muttered.
He began pulling stripped materials, magic stones, and proofs of subjugation from the Misty Ring, lining them up on the counter. The materials themselves were common, and their quality ranged from lower-middle to upper-middle at best. Nevertheless, Gran’s eyes widened in shock.
"An... Item Box..."
"Yeah, something like that. Anyway, I’d like an appraisal. These are just from B1F and 2F, so I’m not expecting much."
Gran was momentarily stunned by Rei’s casual admission, but she quickly snapped back to her senses and began the appraisal. A few nearby adventurers watched with sighs and shakes of their heads before leaving the guild. They likely figured that for a famous alias holder, owning an Item Box wasn't that surprising.
Had it been a busier time of day, some reckless fool might have tried to pick a fight to steal the Misty Ring. But given the low turnout at noon, Rei’s luck held.
"Ah, yes. One moment, please."
Gran set to work, and since the quantity wasn't huge, she finished the inspection quickly.
"Materials, magic stones, and proofs of subjugation. The total comes to four silver coins and five copper coins. Is that acceptable?"
"Yeah, that works. Actually, that's higher than I thought. I was expecting two silver coins at most."
"The price of magic stones has been climbing recently. House Marstchel and House Rebisole are competing to buy up as many as they can from the guild. The guild can't complain since they're paying the official rate, but it's leaving us short on stones for magic items. That’s why the purchase price is currently inflated. These are stones for everyday magic items used by the citizens, so we're looking for quantity over quality. If you don't mind, Rei-san, Elena-san, it would be a huge help if you could keep that in mind during your future dives."
Gran stole a quick glance at Rei’s wrist as she continued. "Especially since you have an Item Box, Rei-san. You won't need a porter to haul them back."
"We plan on moving through the dungeon quickly, so selling stones from weak monsters might only be an option for a little while. But I'll bring back as many as I can for now."
"That would be a great help."
As Rei nodded, Elena spoke up, her voice sounding a bit like a wet blanket. "Though, keep in mind that Rei has a strange hobby of collecting magic stones, so he might not have many left over to sell."
"A collection?" Gran asked, shooting a look at Rei.
Elena knew that Rei’s primary goal in the dungeon was to find magic stones for Seto and the Death Scythe to absorb, in addition to finding magic items. Her comment was a preemptive move to ensure he could keep what he needed without pressure to sell everything.
Rei caught her drift. He gave a wry smile and nodded to Gran. "Yeah. I generally keep two of every stone I find—one for preservation and one for viewing. I won't be selling those."
"...I see. But that means you'll sell us everything beyond those two, right? Oh, and it doesn't have to be the guild; you can sell directly to shops in the city if you prefer."
Rei nodded, though he was inwardly confused. If the major houses were buying stones, the guild should want to be the one selling them to make a profit. Gran's suggestion to sell elsewhere seemed counter-intuitive.
In reality, Exil was facing a severe shortage. While there was still stock for now, the rate at which the stones were being bought up meant they would eventually run out of stones for local magic item production. The guild wanted to get as many stones into the market as possible, regardless of who handled the transaction.
Elena, whose noble upbringing allowed her to grasp the woman's reasoning, stayed quiet. Rei was about to ask for clarification when a voice cut through the guild.
"Don't screw with me! We took losses because of you, and now you're being greedy about the reward!?"
An angry shout erupted, echoing through the guild hall.