"Rei-sama, Rei-sama! Can you hear me, Rei-sama?"
Rei had been leaning against Seto, who was sprawled out on the ground for a post-breakfast rest. At the sound of the sudden voice, both of them opened their eyes.
"Guruuu?"
Seto turned its gaze toward the boy using its belly as a pillow while letting out a soft purr.
The intent in those eyes was clear: What should we do? Rei knew that since he’d joined the Third Prince Faction, he couldn't just do whatever he pleased. He stood up and called out.
"Over here!"
The soldier must have heard him. Before long, the man appeared, rustling through the thicket.
Upon emerging from the bushes, the soldier instinctively recoiled at the sight of the Gryphon staring back at him. However, he quickly regained his composure and spoke.
"Rei-sama, Lady Vihera is calling for you. She said she wishes to introduce you to the officers of this army, so she requests your presence."
Though the soldier was clearly nervous, the look in his eyes held no trace of negative emotion toward either Rei or Seto.
Rei guessed that Vihera had carefully selected the messenger. He felt a flicker of inward gratitude as he answered.
"I understand. Let’s head over right away."
After a nod to the soldier, he turned his attention back to Seto.
"What about you, Seto? Do you want to stay here and rest a bit longer? Or..."
"Gururuuu!"
Seto didn't let him finish. Purring, the Gryphon climbed to its feet.
From Seto's perspective, sleeping here would have been pleasant. The sunlight of the clear autumn day filtered through the trees to create a perfect spot for a nap.
Understanding this, Rei stroked Seto's head.
"It's fine if I go alone, you know. You don't have to force yourself."
"Gururururuuu."
Seto purred and insisted on coming along, fixing its round eyes steadily on its partner.
Knowing he couldn't win against that gaze, Rei flashed a happy smile and nodded.
"Alright. Let's go together then. Sorry, but please lead the way."
He spoke to the soldier, who was watching the exchange with wide-eyed surprise. Rei then pulled up the hood he’d lowered while eating.
"A-Ah, yes. Right away."
Snapping back to reality, the soldier nodded hurriedly and began leading Rei and Seto back toward the encampment.
"When I see it in the light like this, there really is quite a large crowd," Rei muttered, looking around as they walked through the camp.
Many of the soldiers averted their eyes when Rei looked their way. Some directed glares of pure hatred toward him, while others, oddly enough, looked at him with admiration.
Then there were those who didn't recognize Rei at all and simply gasped in shock at the sight of Seto walking beside him.
Occasionally, a soldier with the ability to sense magic power would turn toward them, only to freeze in their tracks, breathless after sensing the immense power contained within Rei. By now, such reactions were mere routine for the boy.
"That's right. In addition to the original Third Prince Faction, there are the lords who provided troops at Lady Vihera's request. There are also those in the Imperial Army who admire Lord Theoreme, and adventurers who have gathered here just like you, Rei-sama."
"...Adventurers too?" Rei tilted his head.
While adventurers valued profit, their primary goal was survival. He had assumed that given the overwhelming disparity in military strength, most would have sided with the Imperial side.
Of course, there were always eccentrics who sided with the underdog—Rei himself was a prime example.
"His Highness Mercurio, Lady Vihera, and Lord Theoreme are popular not only with the military but with adventurers as well."
"...Ah, I see."
He hadn't spent enough time with Mercurio to judge him, but he was reasonably close with Vihera and Theoreme. Their popularity made sense to him.
As they walked and talked, they eventually arrived at a tent in The Center of the camp.
It was only slightly larger than a standard tent, but at a glance, Rei guessed it was a type of Magic Tent similar to his own.
"Halt."
The command came from two men standing guard at the entrance. They appeared to be Knights. They thrust out their halberds, crossing them to block the way.
The guide soldier gave a small bow.
"By order of Lady Vihera, I have brought the B-Rank Adventurer, Rei of the Crimson."
"..."
The Knights stared intently at Rei.
Fortunately, his hood was up, concealing his face. If they had seen his girlish face, they might have looked down on him.
...Though with Seto standing right there, few would have had the courage to try.
"Wait a moment."
One of the Knights stepped inside the tent.
The three left outside waited in silence. For several minutes, the only sound was the distant chatter of soldiers. Finally, the Knight reemerged.
"You may enter."
He pulled back his halberd and returned to his post beside the entrance.
"Well then, shall we go?" the soldier asked.
Rei entered the tent with him. Seto lay down a short distance away and slowly closed its eyes. The Knight's expression twitched at the sight of the beast, but Rei ignored him and stepped through the flap.
Despite the tent's modest exterior, the interior was a space of about 30 tatami mats.
The furniture was functional rather than extravagant, featuring comfortable sofas and tables where about 15 people sat engaged in conversation.
Naturally, the figurehead of the army, Mercurio, was there, along with his sister Vihera and his confidant Theoreme. Rei also spotted Tilleul and Gurgast, along with several other faces he was seeing for the first time.
Just as I thought.
Rei felt a flicker of satisfaction at being right about the Magic Tent. Beside him, the guide soldier spoke up.
"Pardon the interruption. I have brought Rei-sama of the Crimson!"
At his voice, every gaze in the room shifted to the soldier—or rather, to the boy standing next to him.
Rei was surprised by the nature of those gazes. He had expected to be met with fear, awe, or hatred, but with the exception of a few, most seemed to welcome him.
The few exceptions—precisely three men—directed looks at Rei that were a mix of hatred, loathing, and envy. Rei actually found those reactions more normal. Given the damage he had dealt to the Bestia Empire, such hostility was to be expected.
Notably, Mercurio and Tilleul were not among the three. Since they were capable of understanding the gravity of the situation, they were not foolish enough to alienate a power like Rei in a public setting.
"Rei, you finally made it. You're a bit late; what happened?"
Vihera stood up with a smile and walked toward him.
Seeing this, the three men who had been glaring at Rei turned their eyes away in obvious displeasure. They looked as if they wanted to click their tongues or scoff, but they didn't dare do so in front of Vihera.
Rei glanced at them before lowering his hood.
"I was eating breakfast with Seto and relaxed a bit too much. I was resting in the woods until your soldier came to find me."
"Hmm... maybe I should have just brought you with me then after all?"
Muttering to herself, she grabbed Rei and pulled him toward the center of the tent. The guide soldier retreated to the edge of the room to wait.
As Vihera pulled him along, her attire remained the same as always—the sheer, thin raiment of a dancer. As she hugged Rei’s arm, her ample chest pressed firmly against him.
"Lady Vihera... regardless of whether he is an Alias Holder, he is ultimately just an adventurer. I believe it would be wise to refrain from such light-hearted contact with someone whose background is unknown."
One of the men who had been glaring at Rei finally spoke up.
"He's right. For an Imperial Princess to act this way toward a total stranger... it’s frankly unseemly."
"And besides, all this talk of him being an Alias Holder... what can a child like that actually do? It's impressive that he has a Gryphon as a Tamed Monster, but isn't he just relying entirely on the beast?"
With that opening, the other two joined in, voicing their agreement.
Vihera’s expression, which had been bright with joy at seeing Rei, gradually chilled as she looked at the men.
It was true that Rei’s origins were a mystery—hardly surprising, given he was from Earth. However, there was no way Vihera would sit quietly while the person she had fallen in love with was insulted.
Furthermore, these men who were now feigning "loyal advice" were actually former suitors she had already rejected. They were men who had challenged her and lost, failing her conviction that she would never surrender herself to anyone weaker than her.
Even so, they had come to this battle because they couldn't give up on her. Though they had joined the Third Prince Faction in this overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation for the sake of winning her over, it suggested their feelings were genuine in their own way.
That was precisely why they couldn't stomach the fact that the person Vihera loved was in this army—and that it was someone like Rei, a mere adventurer.
Perhaps if Rei had looked as imposing and authoritative as Theoreme, it might have been different. But to those without the ability to sense magic power, Rei looked like nothing more than a child with a girlish face. At best, he looked like a Rookie Adventurer.
It was natural for them to underestimate him. However...
"Oh? Rei was the runner-up in the Fighting Tournament held just the other day, you know. And the only person he lost to was the S-Rank Adventurer, Noise the Immovable."
"What!?"
"Runner-up in the tournament...?"
"This child?"
At Vihera's words, the men muttered in disbelief—or rather, a desperate desire not to believe. Vihera went in for the kill.
"It might be hard to believe just by looking at him. So, how about it? Want to try fighting him? Maybe then you'll actually understand Rei's true strength."
Vihera’s voice was laced with a mocking smile.
From the men's perspective, having been provoked by the woman they desired, there was no way they could back down. The fact that Rei didn't look strong only bolstered their resolve. They probably thought that if they defeated him, Vihera's affection might finally turn toward them.
Harboring delusions they never would have had if they actually knew who Rei was, the men exchanged silent glances of agreement.
Is this army really going to be okay? Rei wondered.
Even to him, it was clear these men weren't particularly strong. At best, they were slightly above the level of an average Knight. The fact that several such people were in this Magic Tent meant they were being treated as high-level officers.
"It's fine, don't worry," Vihera whispered into his ear. "Those men might have their issues, but the people dispatched as their assistants are actually quite capable. If they weren't, we wouldn't have brought them in, no matter how much they insisted."
The sight of her whispering must have looked incredibly intimate to the suitors. Steeling themselves, the men spoke.
"Fine. We shall judge for ourselves whether this man named Rei is a worthy match for Her Highness Vihera."