That day, even while shivering in a cold that pierced through his winter gear, a Sablusta Gatekeeper Guard remained stoically at his post. However, a look of profound surprise soon crossed his face at the sight entering his field of vision.
A caravan of carriages was approaching the city.
Ordinarily, that wouldn't have been surprising. Sablusta stood at the entrance to the frontier, and countless people passed through its gates. Toward the end of the year, as winter drew near, the rush of caravans heading for Gilm usually tapered off, yet it was still a common enough occurrence for merchants traveling from distant lands to arrive at the city gates.
No, the group of carriages alone wasn't enough to shock a guard on gate duty. What shocked him was what followed them.
"H-hey. Am I seeing things? That caravan... it looks like they're leading a massive crowd of thieves."
"Are you sure it's not a Slave Trader?"
"Don't be ridiculous. They wouldn't tie up their merchandise and force them to march like that. Besides, look at them—every last one of them has the face of a hardened criminal."
"But would the thieves in this area really get caught that easily?"
"No, I see it too. I even recognize some of their faces. But how many are there? Twenty... no, thirty? It looks like even more than that."
"There are plenty of thieves in these parts, so I suppose it’s not impossible. Still, how on earth did they manage to round up that many at once?"
Indeed, a crowd of people was being forced to march, their bodies lashed with ropes as if they were being towed by the carriages. Their hands were tied behind their backs, and their torsos were linked in a long chain tethered to the carriage frames. Even though the vehicles had slowed down, the captives were being forced to march at a pace slightly faster than a normal walking speed.
There were several captives per carriage, and they were tied to nearly every vehicle in the line. The expressions on their faces were uniform: pure, unadulterated despair.
The guards found it strange that every single prisoner wore that same look. Normally, it wouldn't be unusual to see some captives glinting with hatred toward their captors or others wearing the shifty expressions of those looking for an opportunity to escape.
Yet, among the men being towed by the carriages, not a single one wore such an expression.
As the guards exchanged words of disbelief, one of them suddenly noticed the figure leading the caravan.
"Wait... is that Rei?"
"Rei? From Gilm? Now that you mention it, I haven't heard his name in a while."
"He was supposed to have gone to the Bestia Empire as Margrave Larkus's Guard, wasn't he? The Margrave returned quite some time ago, though."
"Ah, right. I remember now. But why is Rei returning on his own?"
"Looking at that setup, he must have been acting as a Caravan Guard."
"...You think he'd just abandon his duty to Margrave Larkus like that?"
The other guards considered the man's point and nodded. It was unthinkable that a man tasked with guarding one of the most powerful nobles in the Kingdom of Mireana on a journey to a hostile neighboring country would simply walk away to escort a merchant caravan.
"Maybe... that caravan was carrying out some vital order from Margrave Larkus, and he assigned Rei to guard them?"
"That's probably it."
Everyone voiced their agreement. That would explain why Margrave Larkus hadn't had Rei with him when he passed through Sablusta a while ago.
"Anyway, if they've brought in thieves, we’ll need to arrange for interrogations and set them up for sale to a Slave Trader. I'll go call for reinforcements. We don't have enough hands to process a crowd that size on our own."
"Right. Go on then."
Watching his colleague hurry toward the center of town, one of the remaining guards muttered, "Processing that many people is going to be a nightmare. Honestly, it would be so much easier if they just passed Sablusta by and headed for Abuelo."
"Hey, watch your mouth! These are local thieves. If they were interrogated or punished in Abuelo instead of here, it would be a total disgrace for Sablusta."
"Yeah, yeah... Ah, looks like they really are coming here. Well, it's already afternoon. Even if they pushed for Abuelo now, they'd just end up camping out under this freezing sky. Can't be helped."
As the guards sighed among themselves, the caravan eventually reached the gates.
"Welcome to Sablusta. It’s been quite some time, Rei-san."
A guard who had handled Rei’s paperwork during his previous visit greeted him with a smile. Rei seemed to recognize the man as well, nodding as he hopped down from Seto's back.
The guards who saw Seto up close were startled for a moment, but they quickly composed themselves. They were, after all, the defenders of Sablusta, the entrance to the frontier. Besides, Seto had become a famous monster in his own right, and his reputation had certainly reached this far.
"Yeah. I had some business that took me quite far away," Rei replied.
As Rei spoke, the man’s gaze drifted toward the thieves tied to the carriages. "So, Rei-san... about the people tied to those carriages..."
"Thieves. They ambushed us on the highway while we were heading here. Three Bandit Gangs decided to coordinate an attack, so I decided to round them all up. Usually, I’d just kill every thief I find because the paperwork is such a hassle, but the people with me are in need of a little coin. Since we were close to the city, I brought them in alive."
"I... I see. Still, it’s not exactly easy to capture thieves, you know. Especially several entire groups at once."
As the man stood there with a look of mingled exasperation and admiration, the guard who had run into town earlier returned with reinforcements. They immediately began leading away the prisoners tethered to the carriages.
"Damn it! You cowards!"
"Do you really think you can get away with doing this to me!?"
"Why are there monsters like this out here... damn it all..."
"I'm sorry! It was just a mistake! We were going to starve to death! Please, I beg you, have mercy!"
Rei watched the thieves being led away as they shouted their regrets and sore-loser excuses, then he began the procedures to enter the city. Naturally, the others in the carriages began their own paperwork as well.
"Still, catching that many thieves is quite the feat. It must have been difficult for you alone, Rei-san?"
"Yeah, you're right. Defeating them is one thing, but if they had all scattered and run at once, even with Seto, I wouldn't have been able to catch every last one of them. Fortunately, I had these guys with me this time."
Rei gestured toward the Members of the Mobile Unit, who were being processed in large groups by the numerous guards.
"These people... they aren't a caravan, are they?"
The newcomers were clearly a collection of skilled warriors; they didn't look like merchants in the slightest. While some groups functioned as both a Mercenary Band and a caravan, these people didn't fit that mold either.
"No. They are those wishing to migrate to Gilm. I met them through a certain connection and decided to act as their guard on the way. Also, be careful with that carriage over there—Rhodos is inside."
"Rhodos? You mean... of the Axe of the Thunder God?"
"The same. He’s currently unconscious due to the side effects of a certain Magic Item."
The guard's eyes widened. Rei had become famous in the region at a staggering speed, but until a few years ago, Elk and his party, the Axe of the Thunder God, had been the local legends. Elk’s son, Rhodos, had also been well-known as a Promising Rookie.
"...And his treatment?"
"There's nothing we can do here. I expect Elk will have some means of helping him once we get back to Gilm."
"I see. Then there's nothing more for me to say. Please be careful as you transport him."
With the matter of Rhodos settled, the conversation turned back to the captured thieves.
"Regarding their sale as slaves... if you want the highest price, it would be best to put them up for Auction, but..." The guard trailed off, looking at the prisoners.
It was understandable. Slaves who commanded high prices at auctions were generally beautiful women or individuals with a specific Special Skill. While slaves with high combat ability could also fetch a high price, the meager skills of common thieves wouldn't even be worth discussing.
"Personally, I think it would be better to simply sell them to a Slave Trader here in Sablusta. The price will be lower, but you'll get the money much faster."
"...How much faster, exactly? We're planning to leave Sablusta tomorrow."
The guard shook his head slightly. "Tomorrow would be impossible. Considering our procedures, it will take at least a few days—possibly a week to ten days."
"That's a problem... no, wait."
It would be a massive hassle to come all the way back here when they were already leaving the next day. Rei had only captured the thieves for the sake of the Members of the former Mobile Unit anyway. Thinking this, Rei spotted Sergio and called out to him.
"Sergio, come over here for a second."
"Yes? What is it?" Sergio, who had finished his own entry procedures and had been chatting with locals to learn more about the town, stepped over to Rei.
"I want you to be the recipient for the proceeds from the thieves."
"...Ah, I see." Sergio understood the situation immediately and nodded with a smile. "Certainly. And then I should deliver the money to you, Rei-san?"
"No, that won't be necessary. Divide it up among yourselves."
"...Pardon?"
Sergio, usually so sharp and composed, let out a rare, vacant sound of confusion.
"Like I said, the money from the sale of these thieves—and the Subjugation Reward as well—belongs to all of you."
"No, but Captain Rei, you're the one who captured almost all of them."
"I told you, I'm not the Captain anymore. Think of this as... well, a celebratory gift for your arrival in Gilm. Besides, you all abandoned your home in the Bestia Empire to follow me, didn't you? Let me do at least this much for you."
"But..."
Ignoring Sergio, who still seemed ready to argue, Rei turned back to the guard. "So, that's how it is. Please handle the rest of the details with Sergio."
"Er... well, it makes no difference to us who handles it, but..." The guard was a bit curious about the mention of the Bestia Empire, but he was wise enough not to pry.
"Right, that settles it. Listen up! Unlike the places we’ve stayed at before, Sablusta is a fairly large town with several inns. You're all free to do as you like for the rest of the day. We're leaving at nine tomorrow morning, so don't be late if you're coming to Gilm with me. Of course, this isn't a bad place to live, so if anyone decides to settle here, just let Sergio know. It’s not that far from here to Gilm anyway, so you shouldn't get lost. That's all. Dismissed!"
Declaring that any further debate would be too much trouble, Rei entered the gates of Sablusta with Seto. It was a high-handed move, made possible only because the entry procedures were already complete. Sergio could only watch him go. His own sense of duty wouldn't allow him to abandon the task of processing the Subjugation Reward and the slave sales now that Rei had left him in charge.
"Ah, good grief. He really is something. Alright, everyone! You're all dismissed! I'll handle the business with the thieves, so go and enjoy yourselves!" Sergio announced, giving up on a chase.
As Rei walked down the Main Street of Sablusta, he naturally held several Grilled Skewers in each hand. When Seto rumbled his throat beside him, Rei handed over a skewer before biting into one himself.
As they walked, Rei’s gaze fell upon a blacksmith's shop. It reminded him that he had retrieved the Magic Sword that Noise had once used.
He had passed blacksmith shops in various villages and towns along the way, but he hadn't stopped at any of them. He wasn't sure if the sword could even be repaired, and he expected any such work would take a considerable amount of time. Furthermore, Rei wasn't particularly accustomed to using a Longsword. Though it was the most common weapon in the world, his own preferred weapon was far from ordinary.
He stared at the shop for a few moments but ultimately shook his head. If he was going to have it repaired, he wanted to take it to the best craftsman he knew—the master blacksmith in Gilm.
"Guruuu!"
As he was lost in thought, Seto tugged on his Dragon Robe with its beak to get his attention.
"What is it?"
"Guruuuu!"
Seto rumbled happily, looking toward a nearby Udon stall.
"I think they were selling Udon the last time I was here too... I suppose it wouldn't hurt to see how it compares to the old days."
Seto rumbled his throat in enthusiastic agreement. With that, Rei began walking toward the stall to enjoy his first bowl of Udon in a long while.