The day after Vihera’s shocking confession arrived.
In the end, the previous day’s events had concluded on a vague note before they all dispersed. Rei, Elena, Set, and Iero—two men and two beasts—had returned to the Golden Wind Inn and promptly fallen into a deep slumber to recover from their various forms of exhaustion. By the time they finally woke, it was already around ten in the morning.
"Still oversleeping today, just like yesterday... I’ve been leading quite the lazy life lately, haven’t I?"
Rei muttered to himself, still feeling the lingering lethargy of sleep. He took a deep stretch and looked out the window. Down on the streets, people were already moving about with purpose.
Safe within a room kept at a constant temperature by the high-end inn's magic items, he couldn't feel the heat, but out in the streets, he could see the air shimmering under the sun.
"I don't really feel like going out, but... I need to finish the magic stone absorption."
Rei currently had one Forest Panther magic stone and three Kamaitachi magic stones in his possession.
Now that they had secured the Paired Orbs—their primary goal in Exil—his only reason for entering the dungeon was to hunt for magic stones. However...
"If I try to head into the dungeon today, there's a high chance I'll end up running into Vihera," he sighed, tidying his appearance.
Being the object of affection for someone like Vihera was undeniably flattering, but truthfully, he felt more conflicted than anything else.
Vihera was a striking beauty with a body that would appeal to any man. On the inside, she was surprisingly caring, as evidenced by how she looked after Byune. Her greatest quirk was her obsessive love for combat, but Rei could understand that drive if it was framed as a desire to reach greater heights.
Still, having such an attractive person declare their feelings for him left him bewildered.
In that sense, Elena was similar, but the fact that he viewed Elena as an exception proved that he unconditionally saw her as someone special.
"Right. Let's just do the magic stone absorption outside of Exil. If I go into the dungeon this late, I'll barely get anything done anyway."
Deciding to put the matter of Vihera on the shelf for now, Rei donned his Dragon Robe and headed down to the dining hall where Elena was likely waiting.
After a quick early lunch and stocking up on snacks like grilled skewers and sandwiches for dinner, Rei and his companions headed outside the city.
The gates were crowded with people entering and leaving Exil. The frequent conflicts between the houses that had once ruled the city had clearly left merchants and travelers feeling uneasy.
As for the Holy Light Religion, Rei had overheard other guests in the dining hall mentioning that the guard force had placed their members under something akin to house arrest. Since the rumors matched the information he had received from Bosk, their source was obvious.
"The situation with the Holy Light Religion must be a real headache for the adventurers here," Rei noted.
"Indeed," Elena agreed. "The church members demanded high fees, but their skills were supposedly top-notch. With the guard force investigating them, solo adventurers who relied on the church to bolster their ranks will be in a bind. However, the ones who targeted us were only the underground presence of the Holy Light Religion. Those who operated openly are apparently cooperating with the investigation, so it shouldn't lead to any further chaos."
As they walked toward a nearby forest outside Exil, Rei let out a long sigh.
"I hope so. It feels like we've done nothing but get dragged into trouble since we arrived here."
"Trouble following you isn't exactly exclusive to Exil, is it?" Elena said with a small smile. "At least, not in my experience traveling with you."
For Rei, these incidents were disturbances; for Elena, they were cherished memories of their time together.
They had already left the highway and were walking through the grasslands. Set and Iero, who had been the center of attention back at the city gates, were now running and flying about happily, free from prying eyes.
Rei watched them with a fond expression before turning to Elena.
"By the way, what happened with Tsufal? We can't exactly head back and leave him behind, can we?"
"No, especially since I've entrusted the carriage to him. I didn't expect us to obtain the Paired Orbs so easily, so he'll likely be away for a while longer. I told him he should take his time and relax."
Secretly, Elena hoped he would take as long as possible. The longer it took for him to return, the more private time she could spend with Rei.
Conversing as they went, they entered the forest. Rei had Set scout the area to ensure no adventurers or monsters were nearby, then he pulled the magic stones from his Misty Ring.
"Set, let's start with the Kamaitachi magic stone."
"Guruuu!"
Set gave an affirmative trill. It caught the stone Rei tossed and swallowed it instantly.
[Set has learned the skill Wind Arrow Lv.3]
The familiar announcement message echoed in Rei's mind.
"As expected. Set, try it out on that tree over there."
"Gurululuuu."
Set glared at a distant tree with its round eyes.
"Gurululululuuu!"
As the skill activated, arrows of wind materialized around Set. The number, however, was vastly different. Previously, the limit had been seven arrows; now, there were fifteen.
"Does this skill improve exponentially with each level?"
As Rei analyzed the change, Set unleashed the barrage. The fifteen arrows of wind struck the target simultaneously. While the power of each individual arrow hadn't changed much from Level 2, the sheer volume of the attack made it devastating.
It wasn't quite a submachine gun yet, but the repeated impacts gouged deep into the trunk. The tree, unable to support its own weight, groaned and collapsed. Several squirrels that had been nesting in the branches scampered away into the depths of the forest. To them, it must have been a sudden and unprovoked catastrophe.
"That... is significantly more versatile now," Elena murmured in admiration.
"Yeah. The individual power is only slightly up, but in terms of laying down a suppressive barrage, it's excellent. Well done, Set."
"Guruuu."
Rei stroked Set’s head as the gryphon leaned in for praise, then he drew the Death Scythe.
"Now, since Set's wind skill powered up, I imagine mine will too..."
Moving a safe distance away, Rei tossed a Kamaitachi magic stone into the air and slashed it with his scythe.
[Death Scythe has learned the skill Penetrate Lv.2]
The message played in his head.
"Wait, what?"
Rei blinked in surprise. Since Set’s Wind Arrow had leveled up, he had assumed Flying Slash would be the one to improve. Given the nature of a Kamaitachi, Flying Slash felt far more appropriate than Penetrate.
"Is something wrong?"
"I just thought for sure it would strengthen Flying Slash. Penetrate caught me off guard."
"I suppose it makes sense," Elena countered. "Penetrate involves wrapping wind around the butt end part of the weapon, so a Kamaitachi magic stone fits. Besides, Penetrate is an incredibly useful skill for piercing through defenses, isn't it? It certainly proved its worth against Oricule."
Rei nodded. He had been surprised, but there was no denying the skill's utility.
(And having more piercing power with the butt end part is useful for other things too...)
Rei recalled the magic he had used to end the battle with Oricule: a cruel spell that sent a flame serpent inside an enemy's body to incinerate them from the brain down. To use Dancing Flame Serpent effectively, he often needed to embed the butt end part of the scythe into the target first. Penetrate made that far easier.
"Guruuu?"
Set tilted its head curiously, watching him with round eyes. Rei gave the gryphon a pat, then reached up to stroke Iero, who had landed on Set’s head to demand his share of affection.
"Kyuu!"
"Well, it's better than learning nothing. Let's give it a test run."
Rei gripped the Death Scythe, spun it once, and leveled the butt end part like a spear toward a nearby tree.
"Penetrate!"
Wind instantly spiraled around the tip. The volume of the gale was visibly greater than it had been during the fight with Oricule.
"Hah!"
With a sharp exhale, he thrust the weapon forward. The butt end part punched through the thick trunk with zero resistance. The wind seemed to absorb the shock of the impact, leaving Rei's hands feeling nothing at all.
"It's a bit hard to tell... is this because the Death Scythe is just that powerful, or is it the skill?"
Considering the weapon weighed over 100kg and Rei swung it with ease, he suspected he could probably punch through a tree even without magic. Still, he felt confident that his piercing power had indeed increased.
Finally, he took out the Forest Panther magic stone and tossed it to Set.
[Set has learned the skill Power Crush Lv.2]
Rei frowned slightly at the message.
"I was hoping for Optical Camouflage. I suppose since the Death Scythe would have learned Power Slash, it translated to this for Set."
"And that’s exactly why you gave it to Set, wasn't it?" Elena noted, feeding a piece of dried meat to Iero.
Rei could use Power Slash, but he had to be careful to manage the recoil. Set, with its immense physical ability, could handle such skills with much less risk.
"Well, Set can handle Power Crush without any issues. Set, give it a try."
"Guruuu."
Set approached a large boulder, one nearly as big as itself.
"Gurulululululuuu!"
The gryphon activated Power Crush and slammed its forepaw down. The rock shattered instantly, sending fragments flying in every direction.
"Impressive. Though, I imagine your natural strength is doing a lot of the heavy lifting there."
"Guruuu?"
You think so? Set tilted its head.
Rei smiled and stroked its feathers. They decided to make a meal of it, spreading out their sandwiches in the forest for a quiet picnic.
As the sun began to sink toward the western horizon, Rei and the others walked back through the streets of Exil toward the Golden Wind Inn. They had spent the afternoon training, testing skills, and simply enjoying a rare, peaceful moment together. Elena seemed particularly keen on the private time, likely influenced by Vihera’s declaration of war the night before.
The group arrived at the inn, stopping at stalls for snacks along the way. As Rei stepped through the entrance, he was immediately greeted.
"Rei, you're back."
It was Vihera, dressed in her usual dancer’s attire. However, her expression was unusually apologetic. The reason was immediately apparent: a black-haired man stood beside her, his sharp gaze fixed intently on Rei.
[Set] Water Ball Lv.3, Fire Breath Lv.3, Wind Arrow Lv.3 (New), King's Intimidation Lv.1, Poison Claw Lv.4, Size Change Lv.1, Tornado Lv.1, Ice Arrow Lv.1, Optical Camouflage Lv.2, Magic Eye of Shock Lv.1, Power Crush Lv.2 (New), Sense of Smell Enhancement Lv.1, Bubble Breath Lv.1
[Death Scythe] Corrosion Lv.3, Flying Slash Lv.3, Magic Shield Lv.1, Power Slash Lv.2, Wind Hand Lv.3, Terrain Manipulation Lv.1, Pain Burst Lv.1, Penetrate Lv.2 (New)
Wind Arrow: Fires up to 15 arrows of wind. The individual power is low, but the arrows are difficult to see and travel at high speeds.
Power Crush: Increases the power of a single strike. Usually, this places a recoil on the user, but Set’s physical ability allows it to use the skill with almost no backlash.
Penetrate: Wraps the Death Scythe in wind to increase piercing power. This effect only applies when attacking with the butt end part.