"W-Whoa! A—A Gryphon!?"
A man cried out, recoiling at the creature that had suddenly appeared before him. His shout, a mixture of terror and shock, drew the attention of everyone nearby.
On the ground lay several men, while another ten or so stood over them, radiating a dangerous aura. They froze, abandoning the brawl that had been underway just seconds prior to stare at the Gryphon that had materialized out of thin air.
"Sigh. As the numbers grow, so do the brawls, it seems. Though I suppose I should praise you for sticking to a fistfight instead of drawing steel," Rei muttered with a weary sigh as he stood beside Seto.
Only then did the men, who had been focused entirely on Seto, realize a hooded figure in a robe stood beside the beast. For anyone who had spent time in this Rebel Army camp, his identity was unmistakable. They had been put through his grueling training sessions time and time again.
At least, that was true for those who had been in the camp for more than a few days. Among those who had just joined the Rebel Army today, however, there were those who didn't recognize Rei and Seto—like the man currently shouting in terror.
"So, what’s the cause? I’d prefer not to see any more trouble than necessary," Rei asked.
He wasn't actually on patrol duty; he had simply happened to pass by the site of the melee. Actual patrols were handled by specialized units. Even in a Rebel Army—or perhaps because it was a Rebel Army—gathering nearly three thousand people naturally led to frequent disputes. Concerned by this, Tilleul’s suggestion had been adopted, making camp security a formal duty for the troops.
News of their overwhelming victory against the Subjugation Army dispatched by Schuls had spread far and wide. Drawn by the tales, new recruits had flocked to the Rebel Army. Even some of the opportunistic nobles—those who had been waiting to see which way the wind blew—had finally decided their prospects were brighter with the rebellion and joined the cause.
However, the Rebel Army Leadership—namely Mercurio, Theoreme, and Vihera—didn't particularly trust these newcomers, especially the nobility. These were people who had sided with them only because they saw an advantage; they were the type who wouldn't hesitate to defect the moment the tide turned.
While they could be utilized, they could not be truly trusted. Furthermore, many of these nobles were egoistic, frequently acting with intolerable arrogance toward ordinary soldiers and civilians. Since the Rebel Army Upper Management had no intention of relying on such fickle allies, they had decided to relegate them to the reserves or the high-attrition front lines.
"T-That is... these guys cut in front of us! And then..."
"Liar! We were just taking over for the guy who was holding our spot!"
The representatives of each group shouted over one another, eager to plead their case. Rei wore a look of mild surprise as he listened.
In Japan, waiting in a queue was common practice. Rei himself had stood in many lines back when he lived there. However, in this world, formal lines were a rarity. Usually, if a shop was crowded, people would simply go elsewhere.
What on earth could they be lining up for? Rei wondered. He looked past the men to the head of the queue and understood immediately.
The building was a brothel—albeit a makeshift one.
In two days, the army was scheduled to move, departing from Count Obrisin's Territory. Once they left this area, the danger of being associated with the rebellion would skyrocket. Those who judged the risk too great would stay behind. Only those who weighed the danger against the potential rewards and chose the latter would follow the army.
The brothel at the end of the line had evidently made its choice.
"I came here to have some fun with Ruruly-chan one last time, but these guys..."
"Don't give me that! Ruruly-chan is going to spend her last day with me!"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I get it, so just shut up for a second."
Rei instinctively pressed a hand to his forehead. He could feel a massive headache coming on.
"So, this isn't a simple case of cutting in line. You're fighting over a specific prostitute?"
When Rei asked for confirmation, the leaders of both groups nodded.
And for a dispute over a single woman, why are there so many of them fighting? No, if I dig into that, I’ll just get dragged into more unnecessary trouble.
Exhaling a long sigh, Rei reached into his Misty Ring and pulled out his Death Scythe. The men, who certainly hadn't expected the massive blade to appear in a place like this, instinctively recoiled.
"I'm sure your business with the girl is important, but causing a scene like this is a nuisance. If you’re going to continue, I’ll be your opponent instead... what will it be?"
"Guruuu!" Seto rumbled, its throat vibrating as if to say, Don't forget about me!
Faced with that pair, few would be stupid enough to continue the fight. They had already learned that they stood no chance against Rei alone, and now a Gryphon was joining the fray.
During the battle with the Subjugation Army, these men hadn't flinched against an enemy that outnumbered them by a thousand thanks to their training with Rei and Seto. But it was a completely different story when those training partners were pointing a weapon at them in earnest.
"...Fine, fine. We understand."
"It can't be helped..."
The two representatives spoke with clear lingering regret, but they realized there was no point in pushing their luck. Seeing that the violence had been quelled, Rei stored the Death Scythe back in the Misty Ring.
Normally, the sight of a Misty Ring—an Item Box—would invite shock or greed. However, no one here harbored such thoughts. The soldiers, adventurers, and knights had seen the Misty Ring in use countless times, but they had also seen Rei’s true power when he donned the Overlord's Armor. Among those who had survived his training, there was a quiet consensus: anyone foolish enough to take hostile action against Rei was a "brave idiot"—a man whose courage far outweighed his survival instincts.
Furthermore, Mercurio, Theoreme, and Tilleul had actively spread rumors that Rei was the Fighting Tournament Runner-up and had fought evenly with the S-Rank Adventurer Noise, the reigning Champion.
To Rei, that was a generous assessment. He knew Noise had been holding back and that the fight hadn't truly been on equal terms. Even so, he had reluctantly allowed the propaganda for the sake of the Rebel Army's morale.
Regardless of the details, no one in the camp wanted to be Rei's enemy. The only exception was perhaps Gulgast, who simply enjoyed the prospect of a good fight.
Even the merchants doing business in the camp knew better than to try anything. Early on, someone had thought they could steal the Misty Ring and vanish, only to end up being thrown out of the camp with several broken bones. The thief was lucky that this wasn't the frontier; since the Rebel Army had systematically annihilated every monster in the vicinity when they first arrived, the surrounding area was temporarily safe.
"Good. If you've reached an understanding, leave it at that. We move out soon. Make sure your gear is ready so you aren't missing anything when we depart."
After giving the warning, Rei gave Seto's head a stroke and walked away. The onlookers, realizing the entertainment was over, dispersed to handle their own chores.
"Well, Seto. Shall we get ready to move, too?"
"Guruuu!"
Seto answered cheerfully as they walked, but Rei didn't have much to do. Like his days at the Eternal Sky Inn, his primary belongings were always stored in the Misty Ring. He did have the Magic Tent this time, but even that could be packed away in a matter of seconds. Both the Magic Tent and the Misty Ring were incredibly convenient for a life spent camping and on the move.
"...I guess that's why people keep coming up with stupid ideas to steal them. At least it's safe enough inside the camp."
"Gururururuuu." Seto gave a slightly dissatisfied cry.
Rei smiled and patted its head. He knew the Gryphon was saying, I'm watching over you at night, so Rei is absolutely safe.
"I know. I know you're always working hard for me. ...I'm counting on you again tonight. Here, have some of this."
Rei pulled some dried meat from the Misty Ring. It was a delicacy from the Eternal Sky Inn—an exceptional batch. Seto rumbled happily, taking the savory treat from Rei's hand with its beak. Rei popped a piece into his own mouth as well.
"Yeah, this really is the best. I'm glad I bought plenty of it."
"Guruuu!"
Snacking as they went, they headed for the spot where they had pitched the Magic Tent the previous night. The tent was already gone, of course. While not as rare as the Misty Ring, a Magic Tent was a precious Magic Item. There were only two in the entire Rebel Army: the one used as the General Headquarters and Rei's.
Because it was so valuable, Rei always stored it away in the Misty Ring the moment he finished his morning preparations. While the Misty Ring was soul-bound to its user, the Magic Tent could be used by anyone. Daskar had given it to Rei as a reward for the Spring War, but only because the Margrave had acquired a newer, high-performance model. As an older model, it lacked modern security features. The most effective anti-theft measure was simply not leaving it out.
"Still, the Rebel Army has grown quite large, hasn't it? Though I expect the numbers will drop a bit once we actually start moving."
"Gururuuu?" Seto rumbled in agreement.
As they passed through the camp, the soldiers sent them looks of awe, fear, and admiration. Soft gazes toward Seto were becoming more frequent—a clear sign that the number of Seto Enthusiasts was growing even here.
Seto’s popularity hadn't exploded as it had in Gilm or Exil, primarily because it was a Rebel Army. Many of the soldiers had experienced Seto’s terrifying power firsthand during training, and that fear was etched into their minds. If anything, it was surprising that so many could still find the creature adorable after seeing it in combat.
Naturally, it was the female soldiers, knights, and adventurers who doted on Seto the most. As for the civilians—the merchants and the prostitutes—once they got over the initial shock of meeting a Gryphon, they quickly succumbed to its charm. Seto was always affectionate with those who were kind to it, creating a virtuous cycle of mutual adoration.