While Vihera led her unit to dismantle the Subjugation Army forces blockading the highway one by one, the Frizion Army accompanying Rei pushed ahead, increasing its marching speed toward the Rebel Army's Position.
Despite their haste, they could not cover the distance expected for tomorrow's arrival within a single day. In the end, though they gained more ground than originally planned, they were forced to stop and camp for the night.
"..."
Rei stared silently at the campfire burning near his Magic Tent.
With a sharp snap, a spark jumped from the logs, drawing his consciousness back to reality.
"Guruuu."
Seto, whom Rei had been leaning against, watched him with a worried expression.
"Sorry. I made you worry, didn't I?"
Rei stroked Seto while looking up at the sky. Gaping at the large, round moon, he felt a mysterious sense of calm wash over him.
It was true that he felt a lingering sense of danger. However, as he was currently entrusted with the duty of guarding the Frizion Army, he knew he couldn't simply ignore it.
(And besides...)
Tilleul, Gurgast, Theoreme, Mercurio... and Vihera.
The faces of the Rebel Army’s leaders passed through his mind. While he was superior in terms of pure combat power, they were overwhelmingly his betters in every other field.
"In other words, the things I'm worrying about here have probably already been accounted for over there long ago. If that's the case, there's no point in me losing sleep over it."
Rei shifted his gaze from the moon back to the campfire. Unlike moments before, the sight of the flames flickering in the dark brought peace to his heart.
"Ah... I made you worry too, Seto. Here, do you want some?"
He reached into his Misty Ring and produced some Dried Meat. Seto happily took it in its beak and swallowed it down.
"Besides, the Rebel Army has those of the Mobile Unit I trained. They aren't the type to lose to just anyone... and I’ve got souvenirs for them, too."
"Gururuuu?"
Seto tilted its head as if asking, Souvenirs? Rei nodded while stroking Seto's head.
"Yeah. We defeated those Wyverns, remember? I'm thinking of using their materials to make weapons and armor for the unit. It might look like favoritism, but since I'm strengthening my own squad, I’m sure everyone will overlook it."
"Gurururururuuu!"
Seto purred, seemingly signaling that it preferred meat over materials. Rei couldn't help but smile.
"You never change, Seto. I’m grateful for that."
"Guruuu!"
Seto let out a happy cry. Nothing made the Gryphon happier than knowing it was useful to Rei.
After some time had passed, Rei suddenly thought of something. He left the guarding to Seto as usual and stepped inside the Magic Tent.
Having seen off its partner, Seto lay down by the campfire. It remained vigilant, ready to detect if anyone—or anything—approached Rei with ill intent.
It was an autumn night, making the temperature quite cool—chilly, even—but for a Gryphon like Seto, it was a negligible difference. Still, it had the foresight to realize that an ally arriving on business or Rei exiting the tent might find the cold unpleasant.
After tossing a few of the logs Rei had prepared into the campfire, Seto closed its eyes and entered a state of high alert.
Inside the Magic Tent, Rei sat on the sofa and pulled the intended item from his Misty Ring. It was a magic item that allowed communication over great distances: the Paired Orbs.
And as for the holder of the other of the Paired Orbs...
『Hmm? Rei? What's wrong, calling at this hour?』
The orb reflected Elena’s face. Her hair was styled in blond vertical rolls that gave her the air of a quintessential Young Lady, yet her personality was notoriously fierce.
"Yeah, I just wanted someone to talk to."
『Someone to talk to, is it? Isn't Vihera with you?』
"Unfortunately, I'm currently acting separately from Vihera."
Rei’s words were clearly unexpected; Elena widened her eyes slightly.
『Oh, that is rare. Considering Vihera is usually glued to your side, Rei.』
"Well, there are times like that. So, how are things on your end? Any trouble?"
『Nothing I would call an anomaly. Ah, but the rumors of civil strife within the Bestia Empire have spread considerably. If that counts as one, then I suppose that is it.』
"It’s natural, given the scale of the mess. Usually, if a major power like the Bestia Empire falls into internal conflict, the surrounding countries would jump at the chance to snatch up territory... but..."
Elena shook her head at Rei’s assessment.
『Indeed, some countries attempted such maneuvers for a time—specifically the remnants of nations once occupied and absorbed by the Empire. But as we discussed before, the Bestia Imperial Army is still functioning perfectly well. There are few nations brave enough to move against them so easily.』
Despite her reassurances, Rei could see a shadow of grief on Elena's expression. The situation was likely not as stable as her words implied. Sensing Rei's analytical gaze, Elena let out a small smile before continuing.
『Honestly, I cannot keep a single secret from you, Rei. ...The truth is, there are factions making overtures to the King's Faction. Father hasn't identified them yet, but he suspects they are agents from the nations once conquered by the Empire.』
"Are they telling you to invade while the Bestia Empire is distracted by the chaos?"
『Likely so. They are long-time enemies, after all. To His Majesty the King and those around him, the Empire is more than just a thorn in their side. Of course, they wouldn't listen if our own exhaustion was severe, but since the Empire is in the midst of civil strife... well.』
Elena let out a sigh and reached for a cup of black tea while brushing back her golden hair.
She's exhausted, Rei thought.
"They think it'll be an easy win. But even during a civil war, if the Kingdom of Mireana invaded, the two sides would probably reconcile immediately and join forces to repel us, don't you think?"
『Yes. Those of the King's Faction understand that as well, so unless something extreme happens, they will likely remain evasive and avoid giving any firm commitments.』
"Something extreme, huh."
With that one phrase, Rei understood exactly what the Kingdom of Mireana Upper Management—specifically, the King's Faction Upper Management—was thinking.
"For example, a Flame Tornado appearing in the Imperial Capital and wiping out the castle along with the Imperial Family?"
It was easy to say, but doing it would be incredibly difficult. The castle was bound to have formidable magical defenses.
『That is likely it. In fact, it seems Father was asked about such possibilities in a roundabout way.』
"Just so you know, I have no intention of doing that. I'll fight those who have the resolve to face me, or thieves who attack us, but the people in the castle and the Imperial Capital... well, I'm sure some of them aren't innocent, but there are far more who haven't done anything wrong."
『I know. I have no intention of making you do such a thing, Rei. However, I wanted you to keep in mind that such discussions are taking place over here.』
When Rei nodded, Elena smiled for some reason. Rei tilted his head, find her behavior odd.
『Heh, fufu... No, there isn't any particular reason. It's just that talking to you like this feels natural.』
"I'm not sure how to feel about that, but well, if it makes you happy, Elena, I guess it's fine."
If talking to him helped Elena relax even a little, then being the butt of a small joke was a price he was willing to pay. Elena's cheeks flushed a faint red at his words.
『Honestly... you are far too soft on women, Rei.』
"Not really. Even if I am, it's only because it's you, Elena."
『Wha—!? ...Hmph. You say that, but I'm sure you're being plenty soft on Vihera as well, aren't you?』
"That’s an undeniable fact."
Rei admitted it so easily that Elena’s cheek twitched for a moment.
『O-oh? So that is how it is? I have known for some time, but...』
"Hmm? Are you misunderstanding something? I might be a little soft on Vihera, but what I meant was that the one I trust most in the world is definitely you, Elena."
『...』
Instead of raising her up just to drop her, he had done the opposite: dropping her only to raise her higher. Elena gasped and fell into a stunned silence.
As a Duke's Daughter, Elena was no stranger to attention. Though she didn't enjoy high society, her beauty ensured that whenever she attended parties, various men—and sometimes even women—would attempt to woo her.
She wasn't entirely immune to flattery, but now she looked down, her cheeks flushing an even deeper red than before. She knew that if she raised her head, Rei would see that her face was burning bright red.
"Hmm? What's wrong, Elena? Why are you suddenly looking down?"
Rei’s expression was one of genuine confusion. He didn't realize the effect he was having... the fact that he was naturally uttering pick-up lines to Elena with absolutely no self-awareness only made him more dangerous.
『Kyu?』
Perhaps unable to bear the silence, a cute cry rang out, and a Black baby dragon appeared in the orb's field of vision. It was Iero, the familiar Elena had created with Dragon Language Magic.
『Kyu! Kyuu, kyukyukyu!』
Realizing that the person reflected in the Paired Orb was Rei, Iero let out happy chirps while patting the glass of the orb with its front paws.
『Kyuuu... Kyu, kyuu?』
Huh? Where is he? Iero looked around the orb. Rei understood what the little dragon was looking for and spoke with an apologetic tone.
"Sorry, Iero. Seto is outside on guard duty."
『Kyuuuuu』
Iero slumped its shoulders in disappointment, looking so adorable it was almost unfair. Wherever it went, Seto was popular with the people—once they got over their initial fear—but Rei could easily imagine Iero becoming just as much of a favorite.
In fact, even back in the Labyrinth City of Exil, Iero had become quite popular while moving around the inn's vicinity while Rei and the others were in the dungeon. Iero’s popularity was equally high among those around Elena.
『Kyuu, kyuuu, kyu!』
With a final cute cry, Iero vanished from the orb's view. Rei didn't know exactly what it had wanted to say, but he felt that Iero's cuteness was of a different breed than Seto's, and he found himself wanting to watch it for a bit longer.
『Nn, kohon. Regardless of that.』
Elena called out to Rei. She seemed to have managed to calm the redness in her cheeks while Iero was frolicking.
"Hmm?"
『Um, well. Are you eating properly?』
"Huh? Yeah, I love eating. I'm having regular meals."
『Then... are you sleeping well?』
"Well, I've got the Magic Tent, so it's comfortable."
Though she had regained some composure, it seemed her spirit, shaken by Rei's earlier declaration, had not yet fully recovered. Of course, Elena didn't act this way with just anyone. It was an attitude reserved solely for Rei, the person she loved.
『I see. That is a relief.』
"Aren't you busy yourself, with Ara and the others?"
『...Well, that is an undeniable fact. Especially now, with the situation in the Bestia Empire, we are inevitably kept busy.』
Even as she replied, her expression looked slightly dissatisfied to Rei. If Vihera were here, she would have likely said, "It's bad manners to talk about other women when you're talking to me."
However, both Rei and Elena were clueless in that department. Elena couldn't bring herself to say it out of bashfulness, and though Rei noticed her dissatisfaction, he couldn't fathom the reason.
"The matter over here is also reaching its climax soon. I don't know how it'll end yet, but depending on the result, the commotion might spread to your side even more than it has now."
『Why mention that now? From the moment I heard about this from Vihera, I was already prepared for that much. Do not worry about us, Rei. Just exert your power to your heart's content. That will also be for Vihera's sake.』
"...Thanks."
As he replied, Rei hesitated over whether to tell her about Rhodos. Elena and Rhodos only knew each other slightly, and he didn't think there was any reason to make her worry unnecessarily by bringing him up.
In the end, they spoke for about an hour, enjoying the rare time they spent alone together. Before he knew it, the impatience Rei had been harboring had settled, and he was able to sleep soundly that night.