"Now then, we head for the Imperial Capital... No, we return! Both armies, though you may have your own thoughts on the matter, I expect you to refrain from any unnecessary disturbances. Act with the understanding that you are now part of the military led by His Highness Mercurio. Under no circumstances should you engage in infighting and disappoint His Highness."
Theoreme's voice rang across the Brissa Plain.
Carried by wind magic cast by a mage, his words reached every individual in both the Mercurio Army and the Subjugation Army.
With that, both forces departed the Brissa Plain, the site of the largest and final battle of this civil strife.
Leading the march at the very front of both armies was Rei, the man who had gained the most fame and demonstrated the most overwhelming strength during this conflict.
As was his custom, he rode atop Seto's back, proceeding toward the Imperial Capital in a manner that could only be described as majestic.
Rei had been placed at the front partly because of his high capability as a scout—capable of sensing thieves or monsters before anyone else—but primarily because he and Seto had built such a massive reputation on this battlefield.
Originally, Rei and Seto were already well-known within the Bestia Empire due to the Spring War.
However, after his runner-up finish in the Fighting Tournament and his subsequent achievements in the civil strife—which were the greatest by any standard—he was undeniably the individual with the top-ranked military merit.
With such a figure leading the way, even those in the rear inclined to cause trouble were forced to show consideration for a person of Rei's stature.
In terms of morale, it would have been ideal for Mercurio, the symbol of the army, to lead from the front, but the potential risks made that impossible.
It might have been a different story if he were inside the carriage used by Frizion, which was designed with exhaustive defenses, but unlike the Princess, Mercurio—as a Prince—still needed to project an image of valor now that the civil strife was over. Thus, he avoided the safety of a carriage.
Of course, he would have used one if the danger were absolute, but with Theoreme, Vihera, and for some reason Digma surrounding him, there was no reason to doubt his safety.
"...Well, as far as I can see from here, there isn't a single enemy in sight."
"Even so, Captain Rei, carelessness is our greatest foe."
The one who spoke to Rei was Paelnix, the Vice-Captain of the Mobile Unit and its practical commander.
Since Rei was at the lead, it was only natural for the Mobile Unit to follow directly behind him.
The members who had been isolated in the treatment center for a time due to the incident with the Wyvern leather armor had since fully recovered and returned to the unit.
One of the reasons Rei had accepted the role of leading the march was to clear the Mobile Unit's sullied name.
Because they were his direct subordinates, he could not tolerate them being labeled as traitors, even if they had fallen into Cabajid's trap.
In any case, it was well-known within the Mercurio Army that the Mobile Unit served directly under Rei.
Their training was so intense that bystanders often thought it was excessive, making the sight of the Mobile Unit's drills a local attraction of sorts.
Because of this reputation, almost no one called them traitors to their faces. Even if someone did harbor such thoughts, they were usually whispered in secret to ensure they didn't reach Rei's ears.
Even so, the fact that such rumors reached Rei at all was proof that many were jealous of the Mobile Unit's position.
Those people did have their own arguments, of course.
Namely, that despite being so favored, the unit had not achieved merits worthy of their treatment.
Once the temporary chaos had settled, the Mobile Unit had indeed defeated Subjugation Army units and slain several commanders, knights, and even nobles.
Still, the fact that they were the first to engage in infighting must have left a massive impact on the rest of the Mercurio Army.
"In the first place, we've basically defeated and absorbed the Subjugation Army that was targeting us. In this situation, do you really think anyone is going to lay a hand on this army? At the very least, I don't think any local thieves could do anything against a force of this scale."
"Even so, sir, there is still the possibility of monsters appearing. Especially now, as we're nearing winter. At this time of year, many monsters emerge in an attempt to gather as much nourishment as possible before the cold sets in, so caution is necessary."
"...I am an adventurer, you know. Though, it's true I'm not that familiar with the monsters in the Bestia Empire."
As Rei replied to Paelnix, the man continued speaking with a serious expression.
"They aren't as common in this specific area, but one must be particularly careful of bear-type monsters."
"...Do they actually hibernate?"
"Yes. Their habits in that regard are no different from normal bears. Of course, depending on the species, there are bear-type monsters that don't hibernate at all."
"I see. That's actually quite interesting."
Bear-type monsters had left a very strong impression on Rei.
This was because the first monster Rei had encountered in Elgin was a Water Bear, a bear monster that manipulated water.
(Back then, I managed to kill it, but because my material stripping was so sloppy, the selling price ended up being dirt cheap.)
Rei looked up at the sky with a somewhat distant gaze.
The weather today was cloudy, with several clouds drifting across the sky.
Until just a few days ago, the weather had been clear enough to be called a perfect autumn day, but now it felt gloomy, as if reflecting the heavy hearts of the nobles who had participated in the Subjugation Army.
"Captain Rei? Is something the matter?"
A Mobile Unit Member called out to Rei curiously.
Snapping back to his senses at that voice, Rei shook his head.
"No, I just remembered how, when my Master threw Seto and me into the Forest of Magic, I suddenly had to fight a monster called a Water Bear."
"Whoa, really?! A Water Bear is a C-Rank Monster! Fighting something like that right away before even becoming an adventurer... Wait. Actually, if it's Captain Rei and Seto-chan, I feel like it wouldn't be a problem at all."
A woman from an adventurer background muttered in surprise, but then quickly convinced herself.
Normally, it would be a suicidal act for an ordinary person who hadn't even become an adventurer to fight a C-Rank Monster.
But if it were beings like Rei and Seto, the monster would undoubtedly be the one deserving of pity.
In fact, she was correct; it had been Rei's first battle since arriving in Elgin, so he hadn't quite known what he was doing, but the combat itself had been a flawless victory.
"Guruuu!"
Seto, carrying Rei on its back, let out a purr as if to say, "I'm great, right?"
At the sound of Seto's voice, a warm feeling welled up in the hearts of the Mobile Unit members.
"Yeah, the fight itself didn't take long. But that was the first time I'd ever done material stripping, so I struggled with it. In the end, the Water Bear's fur was covered in nicks, and the price they paid for it was low."
"Ah... I see. I suppose that would happen if your first stripping job was a big prize like a Water Bear. But Captain Rei, you'd never done any stripping until then?"
"No. I'd left everything to the Master who raised me. And that Master didn't do it directly either; he used summoning magic to handle it."
While reciting the cover story he was already well-accustomed to using, Rei shrugged his shoulders.
"Thanks to that, I can do it reasonably well now, but I wouldn't call myself an expert. I'm probably far less efficient than your average B-Rank Adventurer."
"Heh, what an unexpected weakness."
"Isn't it more of a flaw than a weakness in this case?"
A male Mobile Unit Member near the woman chimed in.
"Well, in my case, I was originally a mercenary, so I hardly ever did monster stripping. In that sense, maybe I'm in a similar situation as Captain Rei."
"Hey, cut it out. Don't go putting yourself in the same category as Captain Rei. If you're serious about that, go charge into the Mountain of Magic by yourself and cool your head."
"You'd go that far?!"
The man shouted in dismay at the sudden jab, but...
"Yeah, I think that's a bit much."
At the sound of another woman's voice from the unit, the man turned his gaze toward her hopefully, only for her to continue:
"It would be more fitting to tell him to go launch a surprise attack on Noise the Immovable, the one Captain Rei fought."
"Hey, wait, hold on, just a second! Is everyone here my enemy?!"
The man shouted as if he had lost all hope, but he was met only with cold stares.
(Poor guy... That's what you get for comparing yourself to Captain Rei.)
Paelnix kept his expression neutral, feeling a sense of pity for the man who had made such a careless remark.
The Mobile Unit at the front continued toward the Imperial Capital in a harmonious atmosphere.
In the rear, there were moments when the air felt tense between the soldiers of the Mercurio Army and the Subjugation Army, but Rei and the others did nothing about it, simply remaining on guard for their surroundings.
They had judged that even if things got a bit tense, it wouldn't actually break out into a major disturbance.
Furthermore, they knew that if a real commotion did occur, it wouldn't be Rei's group's job to suppress it, but rather the responsibility of the soldiers stationed nearby.
Since two armies that had been hostile until just a few days ago were now traveling together, some friction was inevitable.
In fact, several disturbances had occurred even during the disposal of the corpses.
Of course, people like Gurgast had been keeping watch on the surroundings to suppress such incidents.
"Man... I wish some monsters would show up."
Someone in the unit whispered, their voice carrying through the air.
It was a wish born of the hope that instead of letting the atmosphere sour in the rear, it might be better if monsters appeared so everyone could work together to fight them, naturally bridging the gap between former enemies.
Additionally, it didn't strictly have to be monsters; thieves would have worked too, but no ordinary thief would launch an attack on an army of tens of thousands.
If they were going to do anything, they would likely sneak into the camp at night to steal money or supplies.
That is, provided they could slip past the eyes of the soldiers on night watch.
(Actually, they'd definitely be found the moment they passed near Seto, but maybe they wouldn't be caught elsewhere?)
Since it was an army of tens of thousands, not every single person was necessarily honest.
There was a good possibility that there were people in league with thieves or spies planted by them, and more than anything, it was a fact that many people had let their guard down now that the civil strife was over.
"When you think about it that way, it might actually be quite dangerous."
"Eh? What is, Captain Rei?"
A unit member who had overheard the mutter asked, but Rei shook his head.
"More importantly..."
He looked up at the sky.
As before, many clouds were floating by and blocking the light, but it didn't look like it would rain anytime soon.
"It'll be noon shortly. Could someone go ask where we're planning to take a break?"
Seeing that the sun had risen considerably, he spoke to a man nearby.
Just in case, he checked the time on the pocket watch he took from his Misty Ring, and it was indeed about thirty minutes until noon.
"Whoa, Captain Rei, you have a watch?! And it looks incredibly expensive, too."
"I got it when I took down a bandit gang a while back."
One of the unit members cried out in surprise at the sight of Rei's pocket watch.
But that was only natural.
Watches were quite rare magic items, and they weren't something one could easily obtain even with a pile of gold.
When Rei first started living in Gilm, he had visited shops selling magic items a few times, but he had never seen them for sale.
Acquiring a watch required money, of course, but more than anything, it required connections.
Or, as in the case where Rei obtained his from a mercenary band disguised as thieves, luck played a major factor.
(Thinking about it, maybe one of the rewards for this request should be another watch. Well, a watch alone feels like too little, so I'll ask for other things too.)
One of the magic items Rei had his eye on was the one Cabajid had used to take his own life.
The dagger that inflicted a lethal poison and even had a recovery inhibition effect.
The weapon Rei primarily used was his Death Scythe, and for distant targets, he used spear throwing.
However, that didn't mean he couldn't use a dagger, and if a single scratch could easily become a fatal wound, it was a fact that he truly wanted to get his hands on it.
(But... that'll probably be difficult. No, it's more accurate to say it's impossible.)
It was the magic item that had taken the life of the First Prince. Naturally, it would be strictly examined and kept in storage, and the person who made it would be investigated in detail.
Given that, he couldn't very well say he wanted it as a reward for the civil strife.
(In that case... what kind of other magic items can I get? I'm looking forward to it, but also a bit apprehensive... It's a complicated feeling.)
It wasn't exactly fear, but Rei was slightly worried about how to respond if he were handed something that didn't match his contributions.
Though he knew that Theoreme and Vihera wouldn't pull such a foolish stunt.
(I wonder if Mercurio might do something like that because of his relationship with Vihera... No, surely not.)
As he thought about such things, he noticed the man who had gone to the rear to ask about lunch was returning. Rei turned his attention back to the march, focusing his mind on preparing for the midday meal.