"This sudden downpour must have been quite a trial for you. This is a small village, so we can only offer humble hospitality, but I invite the Lord Noble to stay at my home. I am truly sorry, but the rest of your party will have to make do at the inn..."
The Village Head, an elderly man in his sixties, bowed apologetically. Daskar shook his head to show it was no concern.
"We are the ones who should apologize for intruding so suddenly. I am grateful for the arrangements at the inn as well. This is a token of my thanks for your help. Please, accept it."
As he spoke, he handed over several Gold Coins.
The Village Head’s eyes widened slightly as he took the coins.
Though it was an unexpected visit, he judged that the village would undoubtedly come out ahead financially. Simply providing food and beds for such a handsome sum was a stroke of luck beyond his expectations. Of course, since half of Daskar's Entourage was staying at the inn, he would likely have to split the payment with the owner.
"I accept this with deep gratitude. We shall welcome you to the best of our ability, so please, rest well for the night. This rain should stop by tomorrow."
"I hope you’re right... Now then, please guide my subordinates to their rooms immediately. They’ve been marching through this rain for a long time, and I want them to get some rest. Elk, do you have anything to add?"
Daskar spoke to Elk, who was standing by as a guard. Seeing him shake his head, Daskar allowed himself to be led to a guest room in the Village Head's House, the largest building in the village.
Meanwhile, Rei and the other Knights who had been shown to the inn immediately began drying themselves with the cloths provided.
"..."
Rei listened to the sound of the falling rain, a faint, melancholy expression crossing his face.
Because the village was small, the inn was naturally cramped, and the stables were equally tiny. Once the group’s Warhorses were accommodated, there was virtually no space left; there was simply no place for Seto to rest.
The suggestion of using stables at other houses had been raised, but the existence of a stable meant livestock like cows or horses were already present. Seto, being an A-Rank Monster, would have his overwhelming difference in rank sensed by ordinary animals, terrifying them instinctively.
They might have found an empty stable elsewhere, but unfortunately, things weren't that convenient. After a discussion between the Village Head and Daskar, it was decided that Seto would spend the night outside the village.
As far as Seto was concerned, while he found it unfortunate that he couldn't stay by Rei’s side, he seemed more relaxed being outdoors than being forced into a cramped space. Ignoring the apologetic look on the Village Head's face, he had quickly taken to the rainy sky.
Rei knew there was no reason to worry about a creature as capable as Seto, yet a lingering sense of unease remained.
"I know there’s no point in worrying about it here, but still..."
At Rei's involuntary murmur, a Knight drying himself nearby glanced over. Rei told him it was nothing. Once they finished a slightly early meal, there was nothing left for him to do.
Daskar had told them to take it easy and recover their strength until their departure the next morning, so everyone was spending their free time as they pleased.
"Those who went to the Village Head's House are probably stuck with guard duty. I guess we’re the lucky ones."
"But in a tiny village like this? There’s almost no chance of an attack. Besides, Elk is over there, so I don't think we have anything to worry about."
"...Wait, a Rioter Attack happened just last night. How can you be so carefree?"
"It’s precisely because it happened yesterday. There’s no way they’d attack two days in a row."
"Have you forgotten that we’re here specifically for the 'what if' scenario?"
a Senior Knight chided the younger, more optimistic man. As members of Daskar’s personal guard, their skills were considerable, but their youth often led to such optimistic thinking.
Watching the exchange, Rei’s thoughts turned to Seto, who was likely filling his stomach by hunting monsters or wild animals in the rain.
"Guruuu!"
A Wild Rabbit, sensing danger instinctively, tried to flee. Seto unleashed his Magic Eye of Shock along its escape route, and in the instant its movement faltered, he closed the distance. With a single strike of his forepaw, he swatted it aside. The rabbit slammed into a tree trunk, dead instantly.
If he had used his full strength, he would have reduced the creature to mere scraps of meat. The blow was heavily restrained. Even so, for a rabbit only thirty centimeters long, survival was impossible; its bones shattered instantly, and its life flickered out.
Seto picked up the rabbit in his beak and swallowed it in a single gulp.
"Guruu."
Since a rabbit was so small, it served more as a snack than a proper meal. He scanned the area for other prey... and suddenly, he sensed a person approaching the village through the rain.
An ordinary person would have missed the presence entirely. However, Seto was no ordinary creature.
"Guruuuu?"
Seto tilted his head slightly as he observed the approaching figure. Judging by her appearance, she looked to be in her twenties. She seemed somewhat trained, but certainly not capable of threatening Daskar—or more specifically, the likes of Elk or Rei.
In fact, she looked like she might struggle to take down even a single Knight.
At first, Seto thought she might simply be a traveler seeking shelter from the rain... until he caught a familiar scent clinging to her.
"Guruu... Guruuuuu!"
Recognizing the scent, Seto took a few bounding steps and flapped his wings, ascending into the rainy sky. The rain pelted his body with significant force, but to Seto, it was merely an annoyance rather than a hindrance.
Flying through the storm, he closed the distance with the woman walking toward the village.
"—!?"
By the time the woman sensed the presence closing in on her, Seto had already landed directly behind her.
"Guruuuuuu?"
Seto trilled a question. The woman could only gasp, frozen by the sight of the Gryphon that had suddenly appeared at her back. They stood facing each other for several seconds.
"Guruu?"
At Seto's Slight tilt of the head, the woman finally snapped out of her shock and hurriedly pulled a Dagger from her breast. It wasn't an attempt to attack. To challenge a Gryphon with nothing but a dagger was beyond bravery; it was pure recklessness.
Seto brought his face close to the Dagger and sniffed it. The scent was faint due to the rain, but once he activated his Sense of Smell Enhancement, he confirmed it was exactly who he thought it was. He trilled happily.
The woman couldn't communicate directly with Seto, but she understood that the creature before her wasn't hostile.
"Um, is it okay if I go to the village?"
"Guruu!"
Seto walked alongside her as if to say, "I'll guide you!"
Bewildered but relieved that she wasn't in danger, she remembered the instructions of the person who had sent her.
"Y-You’re Seto, right?"
"Guruuuu!"
Seto trilled in affirmation. The woman let out a long sigh of relief. Beneath her rain hood, a strained smile touched her lips. She had heard about Seto from her superior, but facing a Gryphon in person was a different matter entirely.
Despite her confidence in her own skills, if she were asked to fight an A-Rank Monster, she would have refused without a second's hesitation.
"Well, you see... I’m sure you already know, but I came here because I was sent by Her Highness Vihera and Lord Theoreme. You understand, right?"
She spoke with a slightly hesitant posture, but handling the situation this well was a testament to her being Theoreme's subordinate.
"Guruu."
Seto nodded and moved toward the village, lightly tugging at her robe with his beak. When he caught the hem, the woman nearly screamed, but she managed to stifle the sound and followed him.
Upon reaching the Village Entrance, they encountered a Villager acting as a Village Gatekeeper.
"—!? ...A-Ah. Right, you’re that noble’s... W-What is it? What happened? Aren’t you supposed to stay outside the village tonight?"
The Villager tried to hide his trembling, but he wasn't doing a very good job of it. However, as he tried to put on a brave face, he noticed the woman beside Seto. Relieved to have a reason to look away from the Gryphon, he spoke up.
"Who are you? Are you part of that noble’s group too?"
"Yes, I am. Um... please give this Dagger to Lord Daskar. He will be able to guarantee my identity."
She handed the Dagger to the Villager. The man flinched at the word "dagger," but seeing it was sheathed, he let out a quiet sigh of relief. As a young man, he clearly didn't want to look pathetic in front of a beautiful woman.
Of course, his struggle was plain to see for a woman trained under Theoreme.
"I get it. Wait here. I’ll go check right away!"
"Ah, wait!"
The man turned and ran straight into the village with the dagger. The woman watched him go with a small sigh.
"Leaving me standing here... If I were a Thief trying to sneak in, that would be a fatal mistake."
She spoke with a hint of exasperation. Keeping a respectful distance from Seto, she waited for the man to return. As the minutes passed in silence, the woman began to feel a bit awkward. Standing next to a silent Gryphon in the rain made it hard not to feel self-conscious.
"Guruuuu?"
Sensing her unease, Seto tilted his head and trilled softly. The woman stiffened for a moment, but seeing no hostility in his round eyes, she took a hesitant step forward, then another.
"Her Highness Vihera and Lord Theoreme said you weren't scary at all... It’s okay, right? You won't bite or scratch me?"
Murmuring to herself, she reached out a hand. Ordinarily, it would have been wiser to stay back. Even if she trusted the word of the Theoreme she respected and the Vihera she adored, animals could be unpredictable.
Yet, looking into Seto's round eyes, she felt an irresistible urge to pet him. Her hand drew closer and closer to his feathers...
"Hey! You’ve got permission!"
"Eep!"
The sudden shout from the Villager made her jerk her hand back. A strange little squeak escaped her, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized only she and Seto had heard it.
The Villager ran up to them and pointed toward the large house in The Center of the village.
"That one in the middle is the Village Head's House where the Lord Noble is staying. Do you want me to show you the way?"
He clearly wanted an excuse to keep talking to her, but the woman shook her head.
"I can see it perfectly fine from here, so there's no need. ...More importantly, where is the dagger?"
"Hmm? Oh, I handed it over to them. You can get it back once you reach the house."
The woman nodded and headed into the village. Seto watched her go, then turned on his heel to return to the outskirts.
The Villager breathed a sigh of relief as the Gryphon left, but then realized the woman had already vanished into the gloom.
"She didn't have to be in such a rush... I guess she really just hated being out in the rain."
Looking up at the downpour, the Villager sighed and shook his head.