Several days had passed since Rei’s conversation with Marina at the guild. At long last, the party he had been waiting for returned to Gilm.
Rei, who had woken up a bit late as usual, was pondering how to spend his day after finishing breakfast when a messenger arrived from the lord's mansion. He was whisked away in a carriage—Seto was currently napping in the stables—and led straight to the office. There, he was reunited with Elk, Min, and Rhodos. It was the A-Rank party, the Axe of the Thunder God.
"Yo, Rei... I heard the news."
Normally, Elk would have greeted him with a boisterous reunion, but he had clearly already been briefed on the situation regarding Theoreme. His gaze held a dangerous edge, and his voice was unusually low.
Min, sitting beside him, remained stoic and composed, while Rhodos wore a bitter expression—likely recalling his own kidnapping.
Rei had his own thoughts regarding their various moods, but he gave a slight nod to Daskar before turning to Elk.
"I’m sure you have plenty you want to say, but if this mission succeeds, the era of constant warfare will finally come to an end. I need you to bear with it and cooperate for a while."
When he spoke of war ending, he was referring specifically to the conflict between the Kingdom of Mireana and the Bestia Empire. In truth, a civil war might break out within the Bestia Empire itself... but Rei chose to keep that thought to himself.
Rei watched Elk carefully. Usually, the man looked like a delinquent boy who had simply grown into a large body, but now his face was taut, as if he were forcibly suppressing a volcanic rage.
He’s a family man through and through, so it’s only natural for Elk to feel this way... but I still need him to endure it.
Rei muttered this internally and shifted his gaze toward Min, who sat beside the fuming warrior, hoping she could keep him in check.
For a moment, they exchanged a silent look. Eventually, Min let out a small sigh and brought her staff down onto Elk's head. It was merely a light tap, a sign that she understood his frustration even if she couldn't allow him to act on it.
"Calm down, Elk. In the end, both Rhodos and I were unharmed. Regardless of your personal grievances, there is no need to display them in our current situation."
"Min! But still!"
"Which do you value more? Your own need to vent, or the chance that this country won't have to face war for a time? If you truly consider yourself an A-Rank adventurer, the answer should be obvious."
Faced with his wife's clinical logic, Elk had no choice but to fall silent. He understood. He knew which was more important: Daskar’s request or his own personal feelings. And yet, he couldn't quite extinguish the fire of anger burning in his chest.
Rei cut in to bridge the gap.
"I’m sure Lord Daskar told you, but we’re slated to meet up with Theoreme and his group before we head into the Bestia Empire. If you have feelings to vent, why not let them out then?"
"Rei, you certainly make some bold suggestions. If our Elk were to fight seriously, I don't know if even an Alias Holder like the Flash would come out in one piece."
Min pressed a hand to her forehead as she spoke. Rei gave a small shrug.
"It might get dangerous, sure, but isn't it more dangerous to let Elk’s frustration keep building? I figured it would be better to let him blow off some steam in a controlled environment."
"I am very curious as to what you consider a 'controlled environment'..."
"But Mother, as much as it irks me to agree with Rei, if we enter the Bestia Empire with Father in this state, we’re bound to cause unnecessary trouble."
Rhodos, who hadn't said a word since Rei arrived, finally spoke up. Min seemed to find his point valid. She sighed again and looked at Rei.
"I suppose that is the only way. But if two Alias Holders clash, I’m worried the village where we're meeting might be wiped off the map."
"The meeting point is near the Seremuse Plain. If they’re going to fight, they can just head out there. No one will complain if they tear up a bit of dirt in the middle of nowhere."
"Alright, it's a deal! I’ve got my grievances, and whether I win or lose against the Flash, I’ll consider the debt settled once we're done. ...Though, I have no intention of losing."
Elk seemed to have regained his composure, deciding it was pointless to stay angry after Min’s lecture. Part of his decision likely stemmed from the fact that he didn't want to lose the chance to face Theoreme head-on and knock him down.
"Now then... may I finally get to the business at hand?"
Daskar, who had been silently observing the four of them, spoke up with a weary sigh. While he had been worried about Elk’s foul mood, he hadn't expected the conversation to proceed entirely without him.
"M-My apologies, sir!"
Rhodos was the first to bow his head in a panic. Min, Elk, and Rei followed suit, turning their full attention toward the Margrave.
"Right. As you can tell from the exchange just now, I have already given Elk and his party a general overview. My own preparations on this end will be finished in a few days. Elk, what about your side? You’ve only just returned to Gilm, but..."
"Ah, let's see. We'll take it easy today and tomorrow, then spend a day getting everything ready... so, about three days. Right, Min?"
Elk looked toward his wife for confirmation. She nodded.
"That should be about right. Ideally, I’d like an extra day of leeway just in case... but what do you think, Lord Daskar?"
Daskar shook his head at Min’s inquiry.
"There isn't much time before the fighting tournament begins in the capital. To be honest, until I heard Rei’s report, I was planning to send a proxy. I’ve had to pack quite a bit into the schedule to accommodate this change."
"I see. In that case, what if we skip the rest days, finish our preparations today, and depart tomorrow?"
"That would be a bit too fast for my staff to coordinate. My preference is for you to rest today, prepare tomorrow, and depart the day after. Considering the time needed to hand over duties to my subordinates, that is the earliest we can move."
Daskar rhythmically drummed his fingers on his desk as he spoke. Min pondered for a few seconds before nodding.
"Understood. We will align our schedule with yours, Lord Daskar."
"Good, that helps. ...Now, that brings us to Rei."
Daskar turned his gaze toward Rei, and Elk, Min, and Rhodos followed his lead.
"I was told I’d be heading to Goto ahead of the main group... but considering Seto’s speed, wouldn't it be fine if we all departed together?"
"No. I want to hit the Bestia Empire with as much of a surprise as possible. If you depart from here as part of my official escort, word will surely reach them."
"Haven't all the spies been rounded up already?"
Rei asked, recalling the shadow war from the previous year. Daskar gave a wry smile and shook his head.
"That might have been true at the start of this year. But months have passed since then, and more importantly, you stood out far too much during the Spring War. Given your fame, it’s a certainty that agents from many nations—not just the Empire—have infiltrated our ranks. ...Though, thanks to Egg, their numbers are likely quite small."
Rei found himself convinced. He had rushed to support the subjugation force where Ranga and the knights were stationed, but he hadn't encountered Egg, who was currently managing Gilm's underworld for the Margrave, at that time.
"So I’m the main attraction, then? In that sense, they've probably been on a wild goose chase lately."
A small smile played on Rei’s lips. Not long after returning to Gilm after the war, he had headed to the port town of Emotion. Upon his return, he took his Rank Up Exam, passed, and promptly disappeared to the Labyrinth City Exil. From the perspective of those who wanted information on Rei and Seto, they had been run ragged. In that regard, Guild Master Marina had been one step ahead when she sent Rei to Emotion in the first place.
"Well, even if Rei isn't around, there are other ways to gather info. Talking to the commoners is a staple of intelligence gathering, after all."
"That’s true. Elk is right. One way or another, it's a certainty that a variety of details about Rei have leaked out."
"Is that... alright, Lord Daskar? There are rumors going around that Rei is your secret trump card."
Rhodos asked, looking around as if wary of being overheard. To Rhodos, Rei had been an anomaly from the moment they met. At first, he had only recognized him as a low-rank adventurer, but he was shocked to learn Rei had a Gryphon as a tamed monster. Immediately after, Rei had distinguished himself by slaying an Orc King during the raid on the Orc settlement.
Most importantly, Rei had fought his father—an A-Rank adventurer—while Rhodos was a hostage, and Rei had won. He had heard the story from his father directly, but he recalled with embarrassment how he had asked over and over because he simply couldn't believe it. However, Rei had continued to climb the ranks with incredible speed, and was now a B-Rank—higher than Rhodos himself, who remained a C-Rank. At this point, Rhodos had no choice but to acknowledge Rei’s strength.
...Even if, as a self-admitted and widely recognized mother complex, Rhodos found it impossible to be truly honest with a man who had captured his mother’s interest.
"Whether it’s good or bad, it is certainly not ideal. However, this sort of information inevitably leaks. Even if I ordered people to keep silent, it would be impossible. The moment Seto is involved, he becomes a topic of conversation unlike any other."
"That's for sure."
The three members of the Axe of the Thunder God replied in unison, agreeing wholeheartedly with Daskar’s assessment. They all knew that a man traveling with a Gryphon was bound to become a legend.
"I’m glad you understand. Now then, let's get into the specifics of the mission."
"Specifics? Haven't you already explained those?"
Rei, who had seen Elk’s foul mood since entering the room, had assumed that everything had already been laid out. However, Daskar shook his head with a wry smile.
"I only gave them a rough outline. I haven't discussed the specific roles and actions yet."
"I see. So, what is the plan?"
"In short, when we enter the Bestia Empire—specifically, the stretch from Goto through the Seremuse Plain to the imperial capital—Rei and Elk’s party will serve as my official escorts. The Second Princess and the Flash will move independently."
"That makes sense."
After all, the goal was the rescue of the Third Prince, who was both Theoreme's lord and Vihera's younger brother. It would be foolish for them to travel with the group intended to act as a loud, conspicuous decoy. Rei nodded his agreement, and the others followed suit.
"And once we reach the imperial capital, we will file the paperwork for Rei to participate in the fighting tournament."
"Regarding that, please make sure I enter through the qualifying rounds rather than being seeded."
"Why? The qualifying rounds are a battle royal. That's a recipe for all sorts of complications."
Against a man like Crimson, some might decide that their only hope was to gang up on him. Others might target him out of a personal grudge for those lost in the war. There were simply too many variables in such a large melee.
However, Rei shook his head firmly.
"My job is to be as loud as possible and draw the eyes of the Bestia Empire Upper Management toward me. If I participate from the Battle Royal qualifying rounds, the commotion will be much greater. I’ll be the talk of the capital before the finals even begin."
"I see your point."
Daskar pondered Rei’s reasoning for a moment before nodding in approval.
"If you're willing to take that risk, we'll do it your way. Now, for the next point..."
And so, they continued to iron out the details of the rescue.