Rei and Elena emerged from the Silva estate, joined by Seto, who had sensed their departure and flown back from the garden. Together, the two humans and one beast took a carriage back to the vicinity of the guild.
Although hidden by his hood, a faint smile played on Rei’s lips. His good mood was undoubtedly due to Bosk purchasing the suspects' corpses, the dungeon cards, and the Cactus-modoki corpse for the exorbitant sum of four platinum coins.
For Rei, these anomaly species were more of a headache than a harvest; they couldn't be used for magic stone absorption—the foundation of his Beast Magic—without triggering a dangerous magic power backflow. While Seto was a notable exception to this rule, Rei had simply wanted the matter resolved as quickly as possible. He would have been content selling the evidence for a handful of gold coins, never imagining he would receive platinum—let alone four of them.
However, when he murmured his surprise, Elena shook her head.
"He likely realizes that this situation needs an immediate resolution. After all, one of the houses governing Exil is behind this. It’s no ordinary crime; it’s a scandal grave enough to threaten Exil’s very standing as a labyrinth city."
She frowned slightly, her thoughts drifting back to the conversation between Bosk and Sanctions. Though, judging by Bosk’s behavior, there is almost certainly a puppeteer pulling the strings from the shadows.
Rei didn't necessarily notice her internal monologue, but he nodded while surveying their surroundings.
"I see. So it hasn't turned into a massive uproar precisely because House Silwa acted first."
"Correct. There is no sign of House Marstchel moving. If House Silwa had not acted, there was a risk that the kingdom would have intervened in the worst-case scenario. If that happened, the city's honor as an autonomous city would be ruined, and they would be subjected to various interventions from then on. I imagine they wanted to avoid that as well."
"But... if that's the case, why isn't House Marstchel moving? I haven't met the head of House Marstchel yet, but surely they wouldn't want the kingdom to intervene either, right?"
"I wonder. I cannot say for certain until I meet the head, Pri Marstchel."
"For now, regarding the anomaly species incident, we can only pray that they resolve it as quickly as possible."
"Guruuuu."
As Rei and Elena walked while talking, Seto's cry suddenly reached their ears. They followed the griffon's gaze to a shop where a sweet, enticing aroma drifted through the air.
"Is that... bread?" Rei asked.
"It smells wonderful," Elena replied. Despite asking Rei, her feet were already carrying her toward the bakery. It seemed even the Princess General had a weakness for sweets. Rei, who shared that fondness, followed her inside.
The moment they opened the door, a rich, sugary scent hit them far harder than it had outside.
"Welcome to Dazley’s Bakery!" a clerk called out.
The shop was small—certainly not large enough for a griffon. Seto could do little more than poke its head through the doorway, letting out a series of envious purrs. "Guruu... Gurululuuu."
The clerk, a woman in her early twenties, looked at the beast with pity. Though it was Rei's first visit, she didn't seem particularly frightened by the A-rank monster. She had seen Seto in town before, charmed by the sight of him happily purring while munching on a large sausage.
"Excuse me," she said, looking at Rei. "Would it be alright if I gave him a few pieces? He looks so pitiful just watching..."
"Hm? Oh, I don't mind."
Having received Rei's permission, the girl brought out several rolls from the kitchen—mostly pieces that were misshapen or slightly over-baked and unsuitable for sale.
"Guruuu." Seto tilted its head, asking with its round, innocent eyes if it was truly alright to eat. The clerk, having completely forgotten she was dealing with a legendary A-rank monster, began tearing the bread into pieces and feeding him by hand.
"Honestly! What are you doing ignoring the customers in the middle of business?" a middle-aged man in his forties called out from the kitchen. His voice was gruff but lacked any real bite. Seeing how much the man's features resembled the clerk's, Rei and Elena easily guessed they were father and daughter.
"Sorry about that," the owner said. "But our bread is the best in the city. Buying some will be worth the effort just to have a beauty like you enjoy it." He blinked only once in surprise at Elena’s appearance before returning to a professional demeanor. Elena, accustomed to more lingering stares, found his attitude refreshing.
"The sweet smell is drifting all the way outside. What kind of bread is this?" she asked.
"Ah, this? Just a moment. I’ll bring them out." He returned quickly with a wooden tray, and the sweet aroma intensified. The bread was topped with vibrant jams made from actual fruit chunks—red, green, and black—and glistening with honey.
"This is... marvelous."
"Isn't it? But because I use materials that have been carefully selected, the price is set a bit high."
"How much?"
"One silver coin per bread."
"...That's expensive," Rei muttered. One silver coin was quite a lot for a single piece of bread.
The man gave a wry smile and shrugged. "It is certainly expensive, but whether it's the fruit or the honey, they're things harvested from quite deep floors of the dungeon. Honestly, even at one silver coin, I’m barely turning a profit."
"Why go out of your way to do such marginal business?" Rei asked. It was visually vibrant, and the scent alone was enough to tempt anyone. But Rei wondered why he would operate on such thin margins.
The man gave a confident smile. "Because I want people to taste what real bread is like. But I have to eat too, so I only make a limited batch. If you’re going to buy, you’d better do it now." He nodded toward the window. Attracted by the scent, a crowd was already gathering outside.
Rei and Elena quickly purchased the bread using fruit and honey, realizing they were becoming an obstacle to his business. Normally, it was limited to one per person, but they managed to buy three rolls—including one for Seto—mostly due to the daughter's insistent pleading.
They walked through the city, savoring the treat. The outside had the flaky, buttery texture of a pastry, while the inside was soft and moist. The jam was tart, but the rich, floral honey provided a perfect counterpoint. It was more than just a baker’s skill; the quality of the dungeon-grown ingredients was undeniably superior.
"This is... incredible," Rei muttered after his third bite. Elena looked similarly enraptured, her usual stoic mask replaced by an expression of pure bliss. Seto, meanwhile, had finished its portion in seconds and was staring longingly at theirs.
"Guruu..."
Rei and Elena ignored the griffon's pleas, savoring their own portions until they were finished. Rei let out a small sigh of regret once the bread was gone. Looking back, he saw several people leaving the bakery with disappointed faces; they were clearly sold out.
"At this quality, a silver coin is actually quite cheap," Elena mused. Rei nodded in silent agreement, and Seto purred its concurrence. "Let's definitely come back if we get the chance."
"I agree. Oh, before we head back to the inn, mind if we stop there?" Rei pointed to a weapon shop. It was a quiet, rundown shop with no customers in sight.
Elena looked skeptical. "Why that shop? There are far better ones nearby."
Rei shrugged. "I'm not looking for a masterwork weapon. If I find something useful, I might buy it, but my main purpose is restocking on cheap spears. Javelins are a staple for me, and my supply in the Misty Ring is running low."
While Rei used proper spears for close combat, his throwing weapons were usually cheap, chipped, or disposable. Launched with Rei's superhuman strength, even a low-quality weapon could deliver a lethal blow. It was a privilege unique to someone with an infinite item box like the Misty Ring.
They entered the shop, leaving Seto outside. They were greeted by a lethargic "Welcome..." from a boy around Rei's age. He looked bored until his eyes landed on Elena, at which point he froze, completely captivated by her beauty.
The shop was quiet, filled with the dust and silence of a failing business. Rei moved to the discount bin, picking out about ten spears that were slightly damaged or ill-balanced—perfect for being used as disposable projectiles.
"I was hoping for more, but this will have to do," Rei sighed. He paid for the ten spears and led Elena back out into the street.