"...Phew."
Rei let out a long breath as he watched the last of the corpses—both horse and human—vanish into nothingness.
He was a specialist in flame magic. Forcing himself to cast a spell that incorporated an element of purification—an element of holy magic—manifested as a massive drain on his magic power. Doing so twice in such short order, following his initial contact with Videre, had taken its toll.
Despite his immense magic power, the consumption had been high enough to leave him feeling a faint wave of fatigue. It had cost him as much, if not more, than activating his Overlord's Armor.
"Guruuuu."
Sensing Rei's condition, Seto hurried to his side from where he had been keeping watch. The griffon rubbed his head against Rei as if to offer encouragement.
At Seto’s endearing behavior, a small smile flickered across Rei’s weary face. He gently reached out and patted Seto's head.
"I’ll recover soon, so don't worry about it. Besides, all that's left is to head back to the camp."
"Guruuu..."
Seto rumbled low in his throat, still looking up at Rei with concern.
The two of them were not the only ones who had noticed. Videre, who had been mourning her fallen steed, approached Rei with a look of surprise.
"Lord Rei, is something wrong?"
Rei shook his head. "I just used a spell I’m not used to. The mana consumption was a bit high, that’s all. I’ll be fine in a moment."
"...I see. I am truly grateful that you humored my selfish request."
"Don't let it bother you. This path leads straight to the Rebel Army's Position anyway. It would be a hassle if they rose up as undead later."
Rei turned a cold gaze toward the captured men.
"And just so you know, don't even think about running. Feel free to try, if you like, but from that moment on, we’ll treat you as enemies to be killed rather than prisoners. Seto, if any of them make a suspicious move, handle them."
"Guruuu!" Seto chirped energetically, as if saying Leave it to me!
Determined to watch the prisoners in place of the tired Rei, Seto fixed his sharp gaze on the men. Several of them reflexively stiffened and looked away. It was painfully obvious what they had been contemplating.
"Well, we can't just stand around here forever. Let's head for the camp. It’s already night; if we waste any more time, we’ll be late getting back. At this rate, we might not even be able to meet Mercurio until tomorrow."
"T-That would be a problem. I wish to speak with His Highness Mercurio as soon as possible."
The other female knights nodded in fervent agreement. Having braved such danger to get this far, they wanted to complete their mission tonight if at all possible. Rei gave Videre a somewhat mischievous look.
"Is that so? Then we’d better hurry. As for the prisoners, I’m afraid it’s your responsibility to escort them."
"Wait! Isn't that a bit much? I was hoping to leave them to you, Lord Rei."
Escorting prisoners would significantly slow their pace. Videre tried to push the burden onto Rei, but he only met her plea with a knowing smile.
"Are you sure about that? If I don't go ahead to the position and warn them that the White Rose Knight Order is coming as messengers from Frizion, there's going to be a fight the moment you try to enter."
"T-That is..."
It was an undeniable fact. As far as the rebel army was concerned, they were currently enemies. If a unit of imperial knights suddenly appeared at the main camp, no one would believe their story without prior notice.
They would be treated as a hostile force, leading to exactly the kind of mess Rei described. At worst, a battle would erupt at the gates, and they would be forced into open conflict with the rebel army.
To avoid such a disaster, having Rei—whose fame and face were well-known among the rebels—go ahead to clear the way was the only logical course. Videre had no choice but to concede.
"...Understood. I will leave the notification to you. I shall take charge of these men."
Rei nodded as she glanced back at the captives.
"Please do. I don't even know if these guys have any valuable info. I only took them alive as a precaution, really. If they try anything, feel free to dispose of them."
The prisoners felt a chill run down their spines, as if ice had been dropped into their armor. It wasn't just because their lives were being dismissed so casually; it was the way Rei looked at them.
His eyes didn't look like he was looking at humans. He looked at them like stones on the roadside—inanimate objects he didn't even recognize as living things. These men were used to dark deeds, but they had never been subjected to such a gaze.
"A-Ah, I see. I will do my best to deliver them all to the camp."
Videre was momentarily cowed by Rei's gaze herself, but she quickly shook it off. Rei felt a flicker of respect; she was indeed a captain of the White Rose Knight Order directly under Frizion.
"Great. Then I’m counting on you. I’m heading back now, so follow me. Just head straight south and you can't miss it. It’s a straight shot through the grasslands, so you won't get lost, right?"
Rei spoke jokingly, but if the knights had known how often he himself had gone astray in the past, the awe and fear they felt toward him might have evaporated instantly. Whether it was luck or misfortune that kept his secret safe, Rei simply climbed onto Seto's back.
"Seto, let's go."
"Guruuuuuu!"
Seto let out a high-pitched cry. After a short run, he leaped into the air and ascended into the night sky.
Videre watched them vanish into the darkness in the blink of an eye before snapping back to her senses.
"Right, we don't have time to waste. We have to meet His Highness Mercurio as quickly as possible. Move out! And you lot—listen well. Lord Rei has given me permission. If you try anything, you'll pay with your lives."
"We get it," the leader of the men muttered, nodding. "We're not dumb enough to try anything in this situation."
In truth, the man had no intention of escaping. He knew Videre would strike them down without hesitation, but more than that, he was certain that if they fled and survived now, Rei would simply hunt them down later.
If he cooperated with the rebel army and survived, he might never have to face that monster again. That was the calculation he had made in his heart.
"...Good. Let's move."
The awe Rei inspired was felt just as keenly by Videre and her knights. They managed to keep their composure only by reminding themselves that they were not actually enemies of the rebel army. Driven by the urgency of her mission, Videre led the group toward the camp.
Seto returned to the Rebel Army's Position in about five minutes. Seeing nothing unusual in the state of the camp—which had been fully fortified while he was away—Rei signaled Seto to land.
Apparently, even someone as directionally challenged as Rei couldn't get lost on a five-minute flight. Of course, since Rei didn't believe he had a bad sense of direction, he felt no sense of relief.
"Guruuu."
Seto rumbled his throat as he touched down, drawing the attention of two soldiers guarding one of the entrances.
To defend against monster attacks or thieves at night, the camp was surrounded by fences of wood and metal. There were several gaps in the perimeter to allow for passage, and Rei had landed at one of these gates.
The two soldiers momentarily leveled their spears, startled by the sudden cry from the sky after the sun had fully set. The moon was beginning to peek through a cloudless autumn sky as Seto flapped his wings and descended.
Theoreme had specifically instructed Rei not to land directly in the center of the camp unless it was an emergency. Judging that the matter of the White Rose Knight Order wasn't quite that dire, Rei had opted for the gate.
The soldiers immediately lowered their weapons when they recognized him. Being part of the rebel army, they had all undergone Rei's training and knew his face well. One of them spoke up.
"Lord Rei, back from scouting? That was quite fast."
"Yeah. Something happened."
"Something?"
"Sorry, but this is something I need to report to Theoreme directly. Let me through."
The soldier looked puzzled for a moment but decided it wasn't his place to pry. He stepped aside to clear the way.
"Do you need a guide? If you like, one of us can go with you."
"No, it's just in the middle of the camp, right? I'll be fine."
Rei gave a short reply and walked into the camp with Seto. The two soldiers shrugged at each other and returned to their posts, their stomachs growling at the drifting scent of cooking food.
"Notify Theoreme. Something has happened that requires an immediate judgment."
"Understood. Wait here."
One of the knights guarding the magic tent immediately went inside. This swift, professional treatment was proof that Rei was now recognized as a vital figure within the rebel army.
Rei knew that many in the Bestia Empire had complicated feelings about him. He suspected they were simply suppressing their animosity for the sake of the rebellion's success.
"Permission granted. Please enter."
One of the knights emerged from the tent to let him in. Rei left Seto outside as usual. The knights had once been wary or even terrified of the griffon's presence, but they didn't even flinch now. They had eventually accepted that Seto was nothing like the wild monsters they were used to. Seto lay down near the magic tent to wait for his partner.
Inside the tent, the rebel leadership had gathered. There were a few new faces—likely nobles who had joined the cause during the march.
"Rei, you said it was urgent. Did something happen? You don't look like someone who spotted a subjugation army during scouting."
Theoreme got straight to the point. Rei nodded slightly and began his report.
"While I was scouting, I found a group of five women being attacked by about thirty men. The women were cornered, so I intervened and helped them."
"Thieves? If we've set up camp here, we'll need to clear out any bandit nests in the area," Theoreme mused. The others nodded, but Rei shook his head.
"No, they were wearing matching armor. They claimed to be private soldiers under Cabajid."
"...His Highness Cabajid's men?"
"Yeah. And the women they were attacking were from the White Rose Knight Order, directly under Frizion. Do any of you know them? ...Actually, looking at your faces, it seems they’re quite famous."
The White Rose Knight Order. The moment Rei said the name, almost every noble in the tent looked staggered.
"The White Rose Knight Order!? They’re here, in this land?"
"But why? They are Her Highness Frizion's trump card. To send them here... five of them wouldn't be an attack force, surely."
"Scouts, then?"
"Unlikely. Our perimeter security has dealt with every infiltrator so far. They must know that."
"No, perhaps that is exactly why they sent the White Rose Knight Order?"
As the leadership began to argue among themselves before he could even finish his story, the forgotten Rei could only let out a weary sigh.