"...Are you sure that's all you want?" the Knight asked, looking down at the pile at Rei's feet.
About fifty spears lay there. Some had chipped tips or cracks running along their wooden shafts, but the majority were perfectly serviceable weapons. They weren't the broken relics Rei usually collected for his blacksmithing hobby; these were spears taken from the armory of the Bloody Blade's hideout.
While the mercenary band was primarily a cavalry unit, they maintained a force of infantry as well, and these spears had been their standard issue.
In addition to the Mithril pocket watch he had claimed as a magic item, Rei had requested these spears as his reward for the Bloody Blade Subjugation Request.
"Yeah. I didn't see any other useful magic items, and I've got plenty of gold," Rei replied. "As for weapons, I have the Death Scythe for my own use, and I've got several spare stripping knives. I have a decent stock of spears already, but since I use them primarily as throwing weapons, you can never have too many spares. Besides..."
Rei glanced down at the bundle and allowed a small smile to touch his lips.
"These aren't broken; most of them are in good shape. Aside from throwing them, I can always hand them off to an ally in a pinch."
"Well, if you're satisfied, then so be it... but you're a man of remarkably few desires," the Knight muttered, looking somewhat exasperated.
Ranga offered a wry smile in agreement. Rei gave a small shrug and stored the scattered spears into his Misty Ring. Once the ground was clear, he turned his attention back to the interior of the tent.
The soldiers of the Subjugation Force had managed to recover a fair amount of the treasure the Goblins had carried off. However, according to Eberogi, the leader of the Bloody Blade, nearly half of their total loot was still missing.
As Rei's gaze drifted over the recovered goods, a particular gemstone caught his eye. A large green gem sat within the tent, illuminated by the evening sun filtering through the canopy. It was a large emerald, roughly five centimeters across.
Feeling a strange pull toward the stone, Rei picked it up. He found himself thinking of Treidia. He hadn't asked for the specifics, but the merchant had clearly been in dire financial straits—so much so that he had hesitated to hire a proper escort.
(...Yeah. They did help me out, after all.)
Rei made his decision and looked back at Ranga and the Knight.
"Actually, I'll take this emerald too. Also, I have a question—what happened to the caravan I used as a decoy?"
"Hm? Oh, them," Ranga answered. "They're waiting just outside the forest with a few guards. We caught the primary threat, but there are still monsters in these woods."
"Got it. I'd like to go check in on them for a bit. Is that okay?"
In response, Ranga and the Knight looked up at the sky. The summer sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting long, amber shadows through the trees of the hideout. Rei pulled out his new pocket watch and clicked the lid open. It was just past 6:00 PM—long past the hour he usually ate dinner.
"Now, what's our plan?" the Knight asked. "Moving the prisoners back to Abuelo or Gilm tonight would be difficult given the time. It's probably best to stay put, camp here for the night, and head out early tomorrow morning."
Ranga nodded. "I agree. In that case, we'd certainly appreciate it if Rei-kun and Seto could help us keep watch... what do you say?"
"Sure. I'll go meet Treidia and handle my business, then I'll head back here. Sound good?"
Ranga and the Knight exchanged a brief look before nodding.
"Yes, that would be a huge help. I know we're asking a lot of you, but we'd appreciate it."
"Don't sweat it. I've been paid more than enough to cover this much work."
Rei toyed with the Mithril pocket watch in his palm for a moment before stowing it in his Misty Ring and turning to leave. As he walked away, Ranga and the Knight began barking orders to their subordinates to prepare the camp for the night.
"Seto, can you fly us to the edge of the forest?"
"Guruuu?"
Seto looked toward the bound members of the Bloody Blade and let out a questioning rumble. Rei understood the concern and stroked the Gryphon's neck reassuringly.
"The cleanup here is almost done, and the soldiers have things under control. If any of those bastards try to run, they'll just be cut down. There's no need to worry."
Rei's gaze as he looked back at the tied mercenaries was chillingly cold. He had heard the soldiers' reports about the survivor from the raided caravan—how she had been treated by the bandits and the Goblins, and how she had ultimately succumbed to those injuries.
"Besides, even if they did manage to slip away... you and I could track them down in a heartbeat. And if we have to catch them a second time, I'll make sure they experience enough pain to regret ever being born."
The bandits felt the sudden surge of wrath and murderous intent behind those words. Reflexively, they froze, as did the soldiers standing guard nearby.
"...Ah."
A small sound escaped one of the soldiers, and the heavy, murderous pressure around Rei vanished instantly.
"Sorry. I got a little too emotional there."
"N-No, it's fine," another soldier said, shaking his head. He reached out and gripped the shoulder of his paralyzed comrade. "Considering what these scum did, I don't blame you for feeling that way."
The frozen soldier finally regained his senses, his face turning red with embarrassment at his own display of fear.
"Anyway, I'll leave this place to you for a while."
With that short farewell, Rei hopped onto Seto's back. With a few quick strides, the Gryphon leaped into the air and soared above the trees.
The soldiers watched them go from the ground, one of them sighing deeply. "...Honestly, I thought my heart was going to stop."
"Yeah, me too."
"Seriously. He was angry enough to be dangerous."
"...Well, given what these guys did, can you really blame him?"
While the soldiers talked, the members of the Bloody Blade remained absolutely still. Even Eberogi sat in silence. The moment Rei had released that killing intent, Eberogi had felt the cold hand of death on his shoulder. He realized that if he so much as twitched a finger—no, even if he did nothing at all—his life could end in an instant. It was an overwhelming, soul-crushing terror.
(Talk about bad luck... to think we ended up on the wrong side of a guy like that.)
Eberogi couldn't move, but he cursed his misfortune in the silence of his mind. Any thought of escape had been utterly purged from his heart. He knew with terrifying certainty that if they fled, Rei would come for them.
Rei and Seto flew over the forest for a few minutes before spotting three wagons parked alongside the highway. Soldiers were stationed around the perimeter, keeping a sharp eye out for monsters or lingering bandits.
When they began their descent, the soldiers instinctively leveled their weapons at the incoming shadow. However, as soon as they recognized Rei—and more specifically, the unmistakable silhouette of Seto—they lowered their swords.
"Rei! Don't scare us like that. I thought we were under attack," one of the soldiers who knew Rei's face called out, sheathing his sword with a practiced flick and a wry smile.
As the other guards followed suit, Rei walked toward Treidia, who was standing nervously by the lead wagon.
"Rei-san! Does you being here mean the matter is settled?"
"Yeah. Things are mostly wrapped up at the hideout."
Hearing those words, a wave of relief washed over Treidia and the other merchants, as well as the soldiers left behind. No matter how much they trusted the Subjugation Force or Rei's outlier combat power, there was always the nagging fear that something could go wrong in a real fight. Being told the outcome directly was a huge weight off their shoulders.
"I see! That's wonderful news. Did you come all this way just to tell us?"
"No, I had one more thing to do. ...Here. This is your share."
Rei reached into his storage and handed over a gem. It was the emerald—enormous and shimmering. In the fading light of the sunset, its brilliance was undeniable. It was a treasure far beyond the means of a small caravan like Treidia's. It was certainly not the kind of thing one should toss casually to another person, as Rei had just done.
Treidia and the other merchants stood frozen, their eyes nearly bulging out of their heads as they took in the stone's value.
"Eh? Um, Rei-san... What is this?" Treidia stammered, his eyes darting between the gem and the adventurer.
Rei pulled a sandwich from the Misty Ring and fed it to Seto before answering.
"I told you. It's your share. Yours and your companions'."
"But... why? Why are we receiving a share of the loot?"
"You played the decoy to help us find the hideout. It was thanks to you that we were able to wipe out the Bloody Blade in one go. You more than earned your cut."
Treidia's face became a mask of conflicting emotions—joy, disbelief, and a lingering suspicion that there might be some hidden catch. He stood there for about thirty seconds, his hand trembling as he finally gripped the emerald tight. Then, he bowed deeply.
"Thank you... Thank you so much. With the horse you gave us and this... my home... my business might actually be saved."
"Don't overthink it," Rei said with a shrug. "If you hadn't been there, the Bloody Blade would still be out there, and this whole mess would have dragged on much longer. Just take it as a fair payment for a job well done."
Rei didn't know the specifics of why the caravan was so desperate for money, and he didn't care to ask for the story. He simply saw a group of people who needed funds and had worked hard to solve a major problem. To him, a reward was only natural.
"...Thank you. I will never forget this kindness," Treidia said, bowing once more. A few tears escaped his eyes and hit the dirt road.
Rei watched him for a moment before turning back to the soldiers. "What's the plan for these guys?"
"Ah—right," one of the soldiers said, shaking himself out of his shock and looking at the wagons.
Before he could continue, another soldier spoke up. "Since the main fight is over, we're going to escort the caravan back to Abuelo. Those were Captain Ranga's orders."
"Is that so? Then I'll leave them in your hands."
"Yeah, count on us. We didn't get to do much during the actual subjugation, so we have to at least do this much. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to show our faces to Lord Daskar."
The soldier sighed, but there was a sense of duty in his voice. Rei offered a rare, genuine smile.
"Glad to hear it. Well then, I'm heading back. ...Oh, and if you get hungry, have these."
Rei pulled a massive basket filled with enough sandwiches to feed ten people from his Misty Ring.
"Oh! This is a lifesaver. But are you sure? What about your own food?"
"Don't worry about me. I've got my own stashed away," Rei said, lifting his right hand to show the Misty Ring.
Since they were Gilm soldiers, they knew Rei was an Item Box user. The gesture told them everything they needed to know. The soldiers laughed and accepted the basket with grins.
"Alright, I'm off. Good luck getting to Abuelo."
"Yes! Thank you, Rei-san!"
"I had my doubts, but I'm glad I trusted you!"
"Thanks for everything... you really saved us."
"Tell Ranga-san we've got things covered over here!"
As the merchants and soldiers called out their thanks, Rei climbed onto Seto's back and took to the sky, heading back toward the hideout where Ranga and the others waited.