"Guruuuuuuuu!"
Seto’s roar echoed through the forest.
Because he was a considerable distance from the Imperial Capital, there was no fear of his voice reaching the city, though it was a different story for any adventurers within the woods.
Seto didn't seem to care in the slightest, but there were quite a few adventurers who heard him.
This forest was located about a half-day's walk from the Imperial Capital. Being so close to the capital, it was not home to particularly powerful monsters. Instead, it was a place where medicinal herbs grew in abundance. It was common for rookie adventurers to come here to gather herbs or hunt wild animals rather than monsters, earning a living by selling meat and pelts.
In a forest like this, most assumed the sound came from a particularly loud wild animal rather than a monster. It was a stroke of luck for Seto.
Seto himself had been separated from Rei for several hours. He was far too focused on bringing down prey to satisfy his hunger to worry about being overheard.
"Guru-ru-ru-ru-ru."
Standing over the carcass of a bear whose head had been pulverized by a single swing of his foreleg enhanced with Power Crush, Seto let out a satisfied purr.
"…Guru?"
However, he soon tilted his head as if realizing something. He stared down at the bear, his expression turning dejected as he remembered he couldn't skin the animal himself.
When he hunted with Rei, his partner would always handle the harvesting. Rei would peel the pelt from the meat, ensuring that the fur never got in Seto's way while he ate. For a beast, complaining about fur in one's meat was the height of luxury, but Seto had grown accustomed to that luxury. He found himself wishing someone was there to handle the skinning for him.
"…Guru? Guru-ru-ru."
Even for a forest near the capital, Seto was currently in a fairly deep area. Since most beginners stayed near the outskirts, few people ever ventured this far.
"Guru-ru-ru-ru…"
Realizing this, Seto let out a disappointed sound and looked back at the bear carcass.
Even if an adventurer had stumbled upon him, it wouldn't have gone the way he hoped. Any novice would have fallen into a total panic upon seeing a Gryphon at close range. In the worst-case scenario, they might even have tried to attack him out of sheer terror.
"Guru-ru-ru!"
Ultimately, he used the talons on his forelegs to tear at the bear’s hide and began pecking at the meat with his beak.
To a wild beast, the bear was a dominant predator; to an A-Rank Monster like a Gryphon, it was merely a snack. If it had been a high-rank monster, the presence of magic power would have made the meat even more delicious, but this was a simple animal.
"Guru-ru."
Seto let out a disappointed cry while eating the bear's right foreleg.
The monsters in this forest were low-rank at best, so in terms of pure flavor, this bear was likely the finest meal available. However, eating the meat without any salt or pepper left him slightly dissatisfied—a clear side effect of living in the city with Rei for so long.
"Guru?"
Seto continued to eat since it was better than going hungry, but he suddenly paused and scanned his surroundings. He heard human voices coming from some distance away.
He cast a regretful look at the bear meat, but he knew it would be a hassle if he were discovered. He strained his ears to listen to the approaching humans.
"Hey, are we really going further? I’ve never heard a beast roar like that before."
"It’ll be fine. This forest is for beginners like us. Whatever beast is out there can’t be that dangerous."
"And if it’s a monster?"
"Impossible. We’re right next to the capital. If there were anything even around Rank C, the knight orders or the army would have been sent out long ago."
"What if it's a monster that just moved into the forest?"
"Honestly, Nina, you worry too much. There’s no way."
Actually, there is, Seto probably would have muttered if he could speak.
If the approaching presences had been monsters, he could have easily dealt with them. However, since they were humans—and seemingly not hostile ones—Seto didn't feel like attacking them. He didn't know how much longer he would be away from Rei, and he didn't want to cause an uproar.
"Guru… Guru-ru-ru-ru…"
He looked at the bear carcass, which he had roughly shredded with his beak and claws. He had barely touched the meat, and it felt like a waste to leave it behind.
"Guru-ru-ru."
With a short rumble in his throat, he decided to leave. Carrying a bear carcass would only make him more conspicuous. He wasn't so hungry that he couldn't wait, and finding more prey wouldn't be difficult for him. Even knowing that, the way he glanced back at the meat one last time proved just how much of a glutton he truly was.
"Guru."
He let out a regretful cry and slipped away.
"Whoa! Look at this bear! What could have done this?"
"See! I told you! There’s something nearby that can kill a bear like this! We need to get out of the forest right now!"
"H-Hey, don't pull on me! I get it! Just wait a second!"
"For what? It’s dangerous, we have to go!"
"Look, it’s just the carcass. Whatever did this is already gone."
"But if it comes back…"
"It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll protect you if anything happens. Besides, we’re here now—let’s harvest whatever parts we can sell from this thing."
"…Are you serious!?"
Listening to the voices fading behind him, Seto moved deeper into the woods. He ran along the ground rather than using his wings, knowing that flying would immediately give away his presence as a Gryphon.
Though he longed to see Rei, it would still be a little while longer before that wish could be fulfilled.
"Hah!"
With a sharp exhale, Rei swung the Death Scythe with enough speed to slice through the crisp, early morning autumn air.
Anyone watching his movements would have associated the speed of the blade with certain death, while simultaneously being mesmerized by a flow that looked more like a dance performance than a training session.
It was his second day in the Imperial Capital. He had no duties, and Seto wasn't there to play with. Consequently, he had gone to bed early the night before and woken up at dawn. Since breakfast had yet to arrive, he had decided to indulge in a bit of morning exercise with the Death Scythe.
He was aware of the gardeners and others watching him, but he ignored them and trained with abandon. If they wanted to see his combat prowess, they were welcome to look. His skills weren't so simple that they could be mastered or countered just by watching him for a few minutes.
"Haaah!"
The Death Scythe’s butt end swept along the ground before stopping dead. In the next heartbeat, he slammed the butt end into the earth, using the recoil to drive the tip of the massive blade through the air—exactly where a man’s throat would be.
The blade, over a meter long, would have pierced the neck of any foe. Under normal circumstances, it would be a lethal wound; if he channeled magic power through the weapon, its lethality would increase ten-fold.
"Shit!"
From the thrusting position, he suddenly pivoted and swung the Death Scythe in a massive horizontal slash. Had the blade been embedded in a foe’s neck, the follow-up would have effortlessly decapitated them. He repeated these movements, cycling through countless patterns.
It was a martial arts performance that bordered on art. For Rei, combat and the dance were one and the same. Most of the gardeners—actually disguised knights—watching him were utterly captivated.
Once his movements finally came to a halt, the sound of clapping echoed through the garden.
"That was incredible. I thought you were impressive when we sparred before, but today you were on another level entirely. Was that your true strength, Lord Rei?"
Videre stopped clapping and reached for a basket she had set on the ground.
"It wasn't anything that grand. Just a bit of morning exercise."
"…Calling that 'morning exercise' gives the rest of us a lot to think about."
Videre couldn't help but feel a bit discouraged. She had a fair amount of confidence in her own skills, but she knew she couldn't replicate those flowing attacks. She might have been able to mimic the steps, but it would have been a hollow imitation. Rei’s style had no fixed form; it was built on absolute freedom. Then again, when one swung a two-meter-long scythe, certain natural patterns were bound to emerge.
"So, what's up? I’ve been bored, so I’d appreciate the company."
Despite the intensity of his workout, Rei wasn't even breathing hard. He stored the Death Scythe in the Misty Ring and turned to Videre. She shook her head and held out the basket.
"No, I only came to deliver breakfast. I thought you might still be asleep, but it seems you’re an early riser."
"In a place like this, there’s nothing else to do. I got plenty of sleep yesterday."
"Calling it 'a place like this'… for your information, this is Her Highness Frizion's hideout-like place."
Videre sighed at his bluntness.
"I can't exactly go out into the city, much less the castle, can I? It would be fine if I liked to drink, but I never could understand what people find so great about alcohol."
Rei took the basket and smiled when he saw the portions of freshly baked black bread and the seasoned grilled chicken dish packed inside.
"You don't like alcohol? That’s rare. Most people are used to watered-down wine even as children. Was it different for you?"
"…Yeah. I was raised in a mountain retreat by a reclusive master, so I’m a bit out of touch with those kinds of social norms."
Rei lied easily, using the cover story he hadn't touched in a while. Videre simply nodded, seemingly accepting the explanation at face value. Rei reached into the basket for the black bread, feeling the comforting, heavy weight characteristic of the loaf.
"If you're going to eat, you should at least wipe the sweat off your—"
Videre stopped mid-sentence as she realized there wasn't a single bead of sweat on Rei’s face. He had been moving with terrifying intensity for some time, yet he didn't look tired in the least. Once again, she was forced to recognize that the man before her was an outlier in every sense of the word.
Then again, anyone who tames a Gryphon is obviously not normal, she told herself.
"Hm? Something wrong?"
Rei sat on the grass and began tearing off chunks of bread.
"No, nothing. Anyway, is there anything specific you want for lunch? You're essentially confined here—though that might be a harsh way to put it—so Her Highness Frizion instructed me to accommodate your requests as much as possible."
"…I see. In that case, next time, just bring more food."
"Even more than this?"
The basket Videre had brought was large, containing enough food for three average adults. She knew he had a large appetite from their journey to the capital, but it seemed he was eating even more than usual.
"Eating is about the only fun thing to do here. Fortunately, my body doesn't put on weight no matter how much I eat."
"…A word of advice. Do not, under any circumstances, say that in front of Captain Angela."
Rei saw the deadly seriousness in Videre's eyes and gave a firm, silent nod.