"…I wonder how it ended up like this. Not that I mind, though."
Rei muttered softly to himself as he watched Epika frolicking in the grasslands, playing a spirited game of tag with Seto.
Since they were in the grasslands, they were obviously outside the village walls. However, they hadn't strayed far. They were still well within sight of Goto, close enough to see the villagers busily harvesting wheat in the fields bordering the settlement.
"Ahahaha! Look, Seto! Over here, over here!"
"Guruuuu!"
Seto gave a friendly cry as it pursued the laughing boy. To anyone unaware of the situation, the sight would likely be terrifying—a child seemingly being hunted by a Gryphon.
Fortunately, several days had passed since this had become a common sight. The villagers, who had initially watched Epika with bated breath, now simply smiled as they went about their work, watching the boy run and the Gryphon follow.
"Really, though. How did I get stuck with this?" Rei sat down on the grass, sighing again. The thick, heavy scent of summer greenery filled his nose.
The explanation for their current situation wasn't particularly complicated. On the day Rei first arrived in Goto, he and Epika had slipped out of the village to play. When Epika’s parents found out, they had settled for giving the boy a light rap on the head.
The village lacked children Epika’s age; anyone even slightly older was already ten or above and pressed into helping with the harvest. During the day, the only people left in the village were the five-year-old and the elderly who were no longer capable of manual labor. Naturally, the lonely boy had been drawn to Rei.
Eventually, Epika’s parents had approached Rei through Luchard, asking if he wouldn't mind looking after the boy while they worked the fields. Rei had accepted, figuring he would be staying in the village for a while anyway.
Initially, the villagers had been reluctant to let the pair leave the village proper, but the presence of Seto provided an absolute sense of security that was hard to argue with. Rei, not wanting to cause undue anxiety, made sure to stay within sight of the harvest.
"Whoa! Seto, you’re so fast! Wait… hey, Seto!?"
"Guruuuu!"
Seto gently caught Epika’s collar in its beak and tossed the boy onto its back. A moment later, it was dashing across the grass with the child safely mounted. Normally, Seto was unable to fly with anyone other than Rei on its back, but it seemed to have no trouble running along the ground with a single small child.
"Whoa! Amazing! So fast! Amazing!"
Epika shouted with joy, repeating the words over and over. His voice carried across the fields. Several workers stood up to watch, and the older children helping with the harvest looked on with unmistakable envy.
(Once the workday is over, maybe I should let those kids play with Seto for a bit. It wouldn't take long,) Rei thought as he lay back in the grass. Being closer to the earth made the scent of the summer greenery waft over him even more strongly.
He was just beginning to drift off in the pleasant summer breeze when a sharp cry snapped him awake.
"Guruuuuu!"
It wasn't Seto's usual friendly trill; this was a voice tinged with warning and hostility. In an instant, Rei’s mind transitioned from dreams to combat readiness. He stood up immediately.
What met his eyes was a boar. It was slightly smaller than Seto, but it was still a massive beast. It wasn't a monster with a magic stone, just a common animal, but its sheer size made it more dangerous and ferocious than many low-rank monsters. It was clearly a veteran of many battles, its face and body covered in old scars. It was bracing itself to charge at Seto—or more accurately, at the child on the Gryphon's back.
The boar's only misfortune was that its target happened to be protected by an A-rank monster.
"Brurururu!"
The giant boar kicked the earth and charged, tusks aimed at the pair. Seto met the attack head-on.
"Guruu!"
Empowered by the Bracelet of Herculean Strength, Seto’s foreleg came down with bone-crushing force. It didn't even need its Power Crush skill. The blow was enough to crush the boar's head instantly.
The impact sent the headless carcass tumbling sideways. The boar, which must have weighed well over two or three hundred kilograms, went bouncing across the ground, crushing the grass beneath its massive weight.
"…Eh? Eh?"
Epika sat on Seto’s back, unable to process what had just happened. He was completely unhurt; Seto had ensured the child's safety even while delivering the killing blow. However, as the boy finally realized the sheer violence of what he had witnessed, his face began to cramp.
"Uwaaaaaaaaah!"
He broke into loud, terrified sobs.
"Guruu? …Guruu."
Seto looked at the crying boy and let out a troubled rumble, turning a pleading gaze toward Rei as he approached.
"Don't worry, Seto didn't do anything wrong. You were just scared because that big boar showed up so suddenly. Come on, Epika, stop crying. You're a man, aren't you? It's not cool to cry like that."
"Hic… Big Brother…"
As Rei spoke, stroking the head of the flustered Gryphon, Epika slid down and hugged him tightly.
(This really isn't my style,) Rei thought, but he couldn't bring himself to push away a five-year-old. He ended up stroking Seto with his right hand and Epika’s head with his left.
A few minutes later, the villagers who had been working nearby finally arrived. They had started running the moment they saw the giant boar, but the distance had been too great to cover quickly.
"Epika! Are you all right!?"
"Epika!"
Naturally, the boy’s parents were the first to reach them. They were both in their late twenties, which was considered a late marriage in this world.
"Dad! Mom!"
Epika released Rei and ran to his parents, who hugged him fiercely. Luchard approached Rei with a small smile.
"Thank you very much."
At first, Rei didn't understand the gratitude. He had expected to be scolded for letting the boy get so close to danger.
Luchard, however, ignored Rei's confusion and looked at the headless boar lying on the grass. "That boar… if you hadn't been here, Rei-san, it probably would have reached the village or the fields. We would have had our hands full just trying to drive it away. Killing it would have been impossible, and we surely would have had many casualties."
"…I thought for sure you’d blame me," Rei muttered. Epika was currently clinging to his mother while his father stroked his hair.
"Epika might have been given a fright, but without Seto, his life would have been in danger. It would be wrong to hold a grudge. Besides, if he hadn't been with you, he might have slipped out alone and encountered that beast. He’s much safer in your care."
"He’s right. Thank you so much."
"Thank you."
Epika’s parents bowed deeply, echoing Luchard's words. Rei let out a small sigh and shook his head.
"Fine, that's enough. I'm just glad the kid is safe. More importantly, since we've brought down such a huge beast, why don't we have a feast? Boar dishes for everyone."
The villagers, Luchard, and Epika’s parents all stared at Rei in shock.
"Are you sure? We can all share in the meal?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Guruu!" Seto gave a happy cry. It understood that food always tasted better when shared with others.
The villagers erupted in cheers.
"Look at the size of that thing! I wonder if we can even finish it?"
"It’ll be fine. Even if we can't, Seto is here."
"The pelt looks useful, too… though tanning something that size will be a chore."
"True, but for a share of the boar meat, it’s a fair price to pay, don't you think?"
"We should feast to recover from the harvest."
"Roasted meat is definitely the way to go."
"I don't know, a slow-simmered boar stew sounds pretty good right now."
As the villagers buzzed with excitement, one of them suddenly paused. "Wait a minute. How are we supposed to get this thing back to the village? Are we going to have to drag it all that way?"
The crowd went silent. Even without its head, the carcass weighed well over two or three hundred kilograms. Dragging it back after a long day of farm work was the last thing anyone wanted to do.
"Don't worry," Rei announced. "I'll take it back."
"Take it back? How? Is Seto going to carry it?"
"That’s one way, but I have a faster method. Like this."
Rei reached out and touched the carcass. In the blink of an eye, it vanished.
"…Eh?" The man talking to Rei was speechless.
"I have a magic item. This much isn't difficult. Now, where should I deliver it?"
The villagers were momentarily stunned, then remembered how Rei had produced his giant scythe out of thin air when he first arrived. They quickly accepted the miracle. Luchard spoke up as the unofficial representative.
"Please take it to the village plaza. We'll need a lot of people to help with the dismantling, and it's the only place large enough for everyone to gather and eat."
"Understood. And… is it okay if Seto comes into the village this time?"
The villagers had grown accustomed to Seto, but the Gryphon had never actually entered the settlement before. Luchard nodded after a moment of thought.
"I’ll speak to the village head. He’s aware of everything that's been happening, so I don't think it will be a problem."
"Really? Seto can come inside?" Epika asked, still clinging to his mother. Luchard gave the boy a gentle smile.
"Yes, of course. He saved you, after all. No one will complain."
The surrounding villagers murmured their agreement.
"Well then, it's a bit early, but let’s call it a day on the harvest and get to work dismantling that boar."
Luchard led the way back to the village plaza, accompanied by Rei, Seto, and the rest of the villagers.
As evening fell, the dismantling was finished, and the feast began. Tender cuts were roasted over a campfire while still on the bone. Other parts were seared as steaks using a professional frying pan from Rei’s Misty Ring. There were stews and simmered dishes that, while perhaps a bit rushed, were quickly devoured by the hungry crowd. Even with fifty residents, the massive boar provided more than enough for everyone.
In the middle of the festivities…
"Oh, I thought I smelled something good. Is there a party or something today?"
A voice Rei hadn't heard in quite some time reached his ears.