While listening to the words of the man before him—Luchard, who wore a mild, gentle expression—Rei had a fairly good idea why the man was behaving this way.
Unlike Gilm, which was a frontier in a strategic, military sense, Goto was a purely rural backwater. Unless something as massive as the war that broke out in the spring occurred, visitors were likely a rare sight.
Then Rei had arrived.
If it had been an ordinary traveler and not a famous figure like Rei, Luchard probably wouldn't have been so cautious. However, precisely because it was Rei, who had been such a prominent figure during the Spring War, Luchard likely felt he had no choice but to be on his guard.
And despite that wariness, the reason he had invited Rei into his home was...
"I see. You're from the Bestia Empire... or more accurately, you're one of Theorem's men, aren't you?"
At those words, Luchard's body went momentarily rigid. For Rei, that reaction alone was more than enough to confirm his suspicions.
"Just as I thought," Rei murmured.
Hearing this, Luchard's gaze shifted toward a kitchen knife lying nearby. But in the end, he made no move to grab it. He realized that a person like himself could do nothing against a man like Rei. Even if he attacked with a knife, he couldn't see a single future where he succeeded; he would likely be captured in an instant.
Or perhaps he would be cut down by that great scythe he had seen earlier.
Luchard, judging that resistance was futile no matter what he did, let out a small sigh and looked back at Rei. Though met with a gaze bordering on resignation, Rei didn't seem bothered as he continued.
"Relax. I don't intend to do anything to you. Besides, you understood from what I just said, right? The one I'm meeting here is Theorem."
To be precise, it would be more accurate to say it was Vihera leading Theorem, but Rei couldn't very well say that out loud. The man before him was certainly one of Theorem's operatives, but it was clear that didn't necessarily mean he was a high-ranking confidant.
Regardless, Luchard let out a breath of relief at Rei's words.
"I see... Just as I suspected. Honestly, I can't even begin to imagine what kind of relationship you have with Lord Theorem, Rei-san."
That was only natural. Considering they had fought on opposite sides during the Spring War, it would be stranger to think that Rei and Theorem shared a friendly bond. Luchard watched him as if waiting for an explanation, but Rei merely gave a small shrug.
"Well, a lot happened. So, can I ask about you?"
"It's not a particularly interesting story. It’s exactly as you guessed—I am one of Lord Theorem's operatives."
Luchard didn't specify exactly what his duties entailed. Just as Rei didn't completely trust Luchard, Luchard didn't completely trust Rei either. From Luchard's position, it was a sensible judgment. Understanding this, Rei didn't try to dig any deeper into the man's secrets.
Instead, he changed the subject.
"So, have you heard roughly when Theorem and the others will arrive?"
Rei assumed he hadn't, but he asked just in case. As expected, Luchard shook his head.
"Unfortunately, I only know that Lord Theorem might come to this village bringing someone with him. Even then, it was just a message he left for me when he stopped by in secret upon entering the Kingdom of Mireana."
"...I see. In that case, it looks like I'll be staying here for a while longer. Sorry to impose, but I'll be in your care for a bit."
"Yes, since I'm not in a position to refuse someone connected to Lord Theorem, I don't mind. However, even if you stay in this village, there's really nothing to do for entertainment. If I had to name something, there's only the tavern."
"A tavern, huh? Alcohol aside, do they have any decent food?"
Luchard tilted his head at the question. "I wonder. Most of the village food is quite plain... As for whether it would suit your palate, I can only suggest you try it for yourself."
Having spoken that far, he looked at Rei as if remembering something. "Actually, the wheat harvest will begin in a few days. Once that starts, things will get even quieter around here."
"...Maybe I should just head out to the Seremuse Plain and clear out some undead."
Ordinary undead were one thing, but if he found any rare species, he could absorb their magic stones to increase his power. Since he would soon be heading into completely hostile territory, there was no harm in strengthening himself whenever possible.
"That’s a thought. Occasionally... truly only on rare occasions, undead wander out from the Seremuse Plain and reach this village. If you were to hunt them, the villagers would likely be very pleased."
Because of the village's proximity to the Seremuse Plain, skeletons, zombies, and the like made their way here once every few years. The villagers lived here knowing the risks and were capable of handling monsters of that level, but injuries still happened. If Rei were to proactively hunt them, it would be a welcome service.
"It looks like I'm going to be quite bored until Theorem arrives," Rei muttered.
Luchard gave a small shake of his head. "When he came here, he was riding a very fine horse, so I don't think it will take that long. He was also bringing spare horses for the people he was picking up, and those looked like excellent mounts as well."
"...I see."
Rei conceded the point. Since Theorem was going to pick up the Second Princess and needed to return to Bestia as quickly as possible, they would certainly need horses of superior quality.
(That said, even if Theorem and the others arrive, it won't mean anything if Lord Daskar and his group aren't here yet. I’m stuck waiting either way. ...Well, I do need to talk to Theorem beforehand about how to handle the situation between him and Elk.)
While Rei was lost in thought, Luchard decided the conversation was over. He stood up to leave.
"Well then, I'm going back to work in the fields. ...I'll say this just in case, but about my affiliation..."
Rei gave a casual nod. "Yeah, I won't go blabbing to the villagers."
"Please don't. I'd actually like to talk more, but I can't just abandon my work... Let's speak again tonight. Oh, as for your room, please use that one over there."
The house consisted of one large room combining the entrance, living area, and kitchen, with three private rooms connected to it. Luchard pointed to one of them.
"That helps."
With that, Luchard left the house to return to his labor.
For a moment, Rei wondered if it was wise to leave a stranger alone in his home, but he figured Luchard trusted him specifically because of his connection to Theorem. Now alone, he pondered how to kill time... and eventually stood up.
Whether he was waiting for Vihera and Theorem or Daskar and Elk, he would be spending some time in Goto regardless. He decided it would be best to see the village for himself and get the lay of the land in case of an emergency.
(And I could take it slow and play with Set for once.)
Once the thought occurred to him, he moved quickly. He had been with Set since leaving Gilm, but that had strictly been travel time. They had shared meals and rest stops, but there had been almost no time for pure leisure.
When he stepped out of Luchard's house, the first thing he noticed were eyes on him. However, they weren't the wary glares the villagers had given him upon his arrival; they were gazes filled with pure curiosity.
The watcher wasn't even trying to hide. Rei turned his head and found a boy standing there. He looked to be about five years old. He was hiding behind a stack of wooden crates beside Luchard's house, peeking out with only his face visible. When their eyes met, the boy gasped.
"!?"
They stared at each other for several seconds in a strange, silent pocket of time. Rei understood why the boy was here—he was too small to help his parents in the fields. If he were ten, he could have done some chores, but at five, he would only be in the way. It was better to let him play as he pleased within the village limits.
"..."
They remained locked in a silent staring contest for about a minute. Eventually, the boy lost his patience and stepped out from behind the crates, walking toward Rei.
"...I'm Epika. What's your name, mister?"
"I'm Rei."
"Hey, mister Rei, I've never seen you before. Are you from the village?"
It was a tiny village with fewer than a hundred people, but even so, a child this young wouldn't have every face memorized. Rei shook his head at the question from the boy—Epika—who watched him with a tilted head.
"Eh? Really? Then, then! Tell me about the world outside!"
"...I suppose I could..."
For a moment, Rei considered it, then spotted a familiar shadow in the sky above. Even at that altitude, he knew it was Set. The griffon was likely hoping Rei would come out soon and was circling to find him as quickly as possible.
Feeling reluctant to just brush off a child looking at him with such sparkling eyes, Rei remembered the children in Gilm who used to swarm around Set. Of course, they hadn't taken to him immediately, but with Set's partner here, it might be alright. He figured it would only be scary for the first few minutes, and the boy would be hooked soon after.
"The outside world is fine, but since we're here, why don't we actually go see it? My partner is waiting out there right now."
"Eh? But Dad and Mom said I shouldn't go outside."
"I'm sure they meant you shouldn't go alone. But I'll be with you."
"Ehh... Hmmm..."
Watching the child struggle with the decision, Rei wondered if it was really okay for the boy to trust him so easily. The adults in this village were insular, but the children were apparently a different story.
He quickly realized the reason. Because the village was so isolated, travelers rarely visited, meaning children grew up without much occasion to learn wariness toward strangers. Their parents surely lectured them, but a five-year-old couldn't grasp the gravity of it.
The result was...
"Okay, let's go!"
He nodded with surprising ease.
"Alright. We have to go through a spot where the adults in the fields won't see us. Do you know a good place?"
"Let's see... Oh, I know! This way!"
Epika grabbed Rei's hand and led him toward a less populated section of the village. Being so small, it took less than thirty minutes to reach the spot. Because of its proximity to the Seremuse Plain, Goto was surrounded by wooden fencing. It wasn't sturdy enough to be called a defensive wall, but it was enough to keep out the brainless skeletons and zombies that occasionally wandered in.
However, since the fencing wasn't all new, there were inevitably some dilapidated sections. Epika led Rei to one such spot. Near the bottom, about knee-high, a section of the boards had rotted away, leaving a gap. In a true frontier like Gilm, this would never be allowed because they didn't know what kind of monsters might sneak in, but here, the villagers seemed to have judged it "good enough."
"Look, you can get out through here. You ready?"
"Yeah, let's go."
Following Epika's lead, Rei dropped down and crawled through the gap. Because Rei was small and not overly bulky with muscle, he managed to squeeze through safely, though it was a bit tight. He was just glad the ground was covered in grass; it meant he wouldn't get too dirty.
Epika followed Rei out of the village, and then...
"Guruuu!"
Taking care to keep its voice low, Set descended from the sky, purring happily.