"Fuah... Mmm..."
Reiji Saiki sat up in bed, letting out a long, languid yawn.
As he looked around the room, the realization that he was back at the Dusk Wheat Inn settled in, and he turned a still-sleepy gaze toward the window. Outside, he was met with weather so fine it was hard to believe it was already autumn. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky—a crisp, clear day that felt more like the height of summer. It almost seemed as though the weather itself was celebrating his return to Gilm.
"...Well, it's probably just my imagination," he muttered quietly.
His head finally began to clear as his body fully woke up. The Dusk Wheat Inn was Reiji's regular haunt in Gilm. When he had departed for the Bestia Empire, he hadn't known how long the civil strife would keep him away, so he had settled his tab and vacated the room. Now that he had returned to the city, he had rented it once more.
The previous day, his return to Gilm had been delayed by the time it took to pry Mirene away from Seto. By the time Reiji finally reached the inn, the dinner hour was nearly over. Despite his long absence, the landlady, Lana, had not forgotten him. Reiji was a high-paying guest who left a strong impression in more ways than one, and she had readily accepted his request to stay for another extended period.
He was fortunate that a few rooms were still available, even this deep into autumn. The Dusk Wheat Inn was one of the premier lodgings in Gilm, often hosting large caravans and veteran mercenary bands. Just a short while ago, the inn would have been packed with guests preparing for the coming winter. Now, however, that initial rush had subsided. While the place wasn't exactly quiet, there were enough vacancies for Reiji to secure his old room without a reservation. Of course, his history as a long-term resident certainly hadn't hurt his chances.
"Today... first, the Guild. I need to handle the Gamelion request, and I want to say hello to Lenora and Kenny. It would be great if they had some info on the dungeon as well... No, the dungeon takes priority."
Mapping out his schedule while he dressed, Reiji pulled his Dragon Robe and other essentials from the Misty Ring. He was staying in the exact same room he had used before. Since he had only been back for a single day, the room lacked any personal touch. All his necessary belongings were stored inside the Misty Ring, so even if he stayed for weeks or months, the space would likely remain as spartan as it was now.
Once he finished getting ready, he headed down to the first floor for breakfast. However...
"Hmm?"
Reiji tilted his head, feeling a strange sense of dissonance as he stepped into the dining hall. He scanned the room for a moment before finally putting a finger on what was wrong.
"Where is everyone?"
Usually, since the inn was famous for its cooking, the hall would be bustling not only with residents but also with locals stopping by for a meal. While it was never quite overflowing during the breakfast time, it was usually crowded enough that one had to scout for an open seat. Yet, at the moment, nearly seventy percent of the tables were empty.
A bad feeling tugged at him. He pulled a pocket watch from the Misty Ring to check the time. The hands were creeping toward ten in the morning.
"...Wait, what?"
Stunned by his own sluggishness, Reiji stared at the watch. The device heartlessly confirmed the reality: it was indeed almost ten o'clock.
"Rei-san? Breakfast time is long over... are you here for an early lunch?"
A familiar voice called out from behind him. He turned to find Lana, the landlady, carrying a bundle of laundry.
"Ah, no... yeah. That's right. I'll just take something light, whatever's quick."
Handing over a few copper coins, Reiji took a seat and looked around the dining hall again. The few people remaining were either early lunch-goers, as Lana suggested, or late sleepers like himself. The thirty percent of seats that were occupied were likely filled by people who had finished their winter preparations and were now using the hall as a place to relax and recuperate.
"I didn't think I'd oversleep by several hours."
A ten-minute delay—even an hour—was something Reiji could understand. But to sleep until ten meant he had missed his usual wake-up call by three or four hours. This kind of lapse was rare for him.
I guess I was more high-strung than I thought during my time in the Bestia Empire. Once I got back to Gilm and laid down at the Dusk Wheat Inn, I finally felt safe enough to fall into a deep sleep.
Reiji hadn't consciously felt like he was pushing himself to the limit. He didn't think he was overtaxing his body and felt like he had been going about his business normally. Then again, given the sheer scale of the rampage he had unleashed in the Bestia Empire, very few people would have agreed that his behavior was "normal."
Returning to Gilm, a place he considered home, had allowed the tension to finally leave his shoulders.
Well, I was planning to rest up anyway, and I've got plenty of other things to do. I suppose oversleeping a little won't hurt.
As he gave a small stretch, Lana returned to his table with a plate of sandwiches and a bowl of soup.
"Please, enjoy your meal."
She left as quickly as she had come. It wasn't that she was being cold; she was simply busy with the never-ending work of running the inn.
"First on the list... definitely the Guild. Then I have that promise to keep with Scorching Wind. I also want to see if I can repair that magic sword I took from Noise."
He muttered his plan to himself as he picked up a sandwich. True to the inn's reputation, the food was exquisite, boasting a depth of flavor that belied the short time it took to prepare. Reiji particularly enjoyed the one filled with Gamelion meat.
So Gamelion meat is already circulating in the market... Maybe I should only take today off and head out tomorrow?
As Reiji sat there, savoring the sandwich of grilled Gamelion meat marinated in a savory sauce, several other patrons in the dining hall began to take notice of him.
"Hey, look over there... is that Crimson?"
"Huh? No way. Isn't he supposed to be away from Gilm right now? It's probably just a lookalike. Besides, isn't Crimson's robe supposed to be incredibly plain?"
"Are you serious? Do you really think someone wearing a robe that plain could afford to stay here? You need serious skill and money to pay the rates at this inn."
"Well, he might not be staying here. The food is great, so maybe he's just here for a meal."
Overhearing the whispers, Reiji decided that staying any longer would only lead to trouble. He quickly finished his sandwiches, downed the vegetable soup, and left the dining hall for the stables.
"...I thought she might be here. Figures."
The moment Reiji stepped inside the stables, his eyes landed on Mirene. She was busy feeding sandwiches to Seto. The sandwiches in her hand looked remarkably familiar—they were the exact same ones Reiji had just finished in the dining hall. It seemed Mirene had gone out of her way to buy them specifically to treat the gryphon.
"Ah, Rei. You're up early. You could have slept in a bit longer, you know."
"It's already past ten."
Ignoring Mirene's disgruntled comment, Reiji looked around the stables. There were many horses housed there, and about half of them were visibly trembling with fear. The other half remained calm—these were either horses that had undergone rigorous combat training or those that had been at the inn back when Reiji stayed here before his trip to the Bestia Empire.
Wait, are those horses afraid of Seto... or are they actually afraid of Mirene?
He considered the possibility for a moment before deciding it was unlikely. He cleared his throat and spoke up.
"Anyway, did you hear the news from Sulnin?"
"Eh? Oh, you mean that you have business with us? Something about removing the Seed of Restraint? Personally, I'm perfectly happy as long as I can spend time with Seto-chan."
"...You're as obsessed as ever. Well, as long as you understand. What do you want to do? Since we've run into each other here, should I just remove it now?"
When Reiji noted that removing the Seed of Restraint in a stable felt a bit unceremonious, Mirene fixed him with a sharp, steady gaze. It was a complete departure from the soft, affectionate look she had been giving Seto.
"Listen, Rei. I'm happy you're removing the Seed of Restraint. Really, I am. But why now? That magic was put on us because we saw Seto-chan's power—the power that makes him different from a normal gryphon, right? So, what changed?"
Mirene was certainly relieved to be freed from the binding magic. While she would miss the side effect of having a high resistance to fire, the knowledge that she wouldn't spontaneously die if she spoke out of turn was far more valuable. However, she knew how much Reiji cherished Seto, and she knew Seto was fiercely loyal to Reiji above all others. It was frustrating—deeply, painfully frustrating—but she knew Reiji held the top spot in the gryphon's heart.
Knowing the strength of their bond, she couldn't help but wonder why he was suddenly lifting the restriction.
"You find it strange?"
"Of course I do."
"Well, to put it simply... I was involved in the civil strife over in the Bestia Empire. While I was there, I ended up using Seto's skills in front of a massive crowd. At this point, there's no way to hide what he can do anymore."
"...What on earth were you doing? Better yet, what were you thinking? Seto-chan already stands out enough just by being a gryphon. Why were you even involved in a civil war in the first place?"
"A lot happened. A lot."
Reiji brushed off her questions with a vague answer. He couldn't exactly go around explaining that the Neutral Faction and Noble's Faction of the Kingdom of Mireana had conspired to spark the conflict. It wasn't the kind of thing one discussed openly in the streets.
"Even so, with your strength, Rei, you shouldn't have had to reveal Seto-chan's secrets if you didn't want to."
"...Maybe. But if I hadn't, I wouldn't be standing here right now. I would have died."
Mirene's eyes went wide. She nearly crushed the sandwich in her hand.
"You, almost dying? What kind of monster could possibly do that to you?"
To Mirene, Reiji Saiki was a man capable of overwhelming entire armies single-handedly. She couldn't even fathom a scenario where he struggled, let alone one where he faced his own end.
"Well, I ended up crossing paths with a truly formidable opponent."
"...Just who is this person you're talking about?"
Mirene's curiosity was piqued, and she pressed him for more. Reiji hesitated for a moment, then decided there was no reason to keep it a secret anymore.
"The S-Rank Adventurer of the Bestia Empire: Noise the Immovable."
"What!?"
The name was a complete shock to her. Mirene stared at him, trying to gauge if he was joking. After a few seconds of silence, she asked in a trembling voice, "Are you serious?"
"Yeah. As for the result... well, Seto and I fought him together, and eventually, he withdrew. That's the official version. But in terms of the actual combat, it was our loss. He basically took pity on us and let us go. He was a true S-Rank. I was pretty confident in my skills, but he was on another level entirely."
"Well, of course he was! He's an S-Rank! Rei, your rank is... B, right? Honestly, the fact that you survived a fight with him at all is incredible."
"Anyway, because of that, I had to use Seto's skills without holding back during the final, decisive battle of the war. Once I'd used them in front of so many people, I figured there was no point in hiding them anymore, so I just kept using them against the enemy. Now, half the Bestia Empire knows that Seto is a Rare Species Gryphon. There's no longer any reason to keep you guys bound by the Seed of Restraint."
"Guruuu," Seto warbled, as if confirming the story.
Mirene hesitated for a moment before speaking up again. "But... losing the fire resistance is a bit of a shame. If we promise not to talk about Seto-chan anyway, wouldn't the Seed of Restraint be nothing but a benefit?"
"It would look suspicious if you were the only ones who couldn't join the conversation when everyone else is talking about Seto. ...Don't worry, though. I'll make sure you keep the fire resistance."
"You can do that?"
"Yeah. But only because the Seed of Restraint has been in your system for a while, and your magic power has developed a certain affinity for it."
Mirene thought it over for a moment, then gave a small nod. "...Alright. Then, please."
With her consent, Reiji pulled his magic catalyst, the Death Scythe, from the Misty Ring and began to chant.
"O fire, use the Seed of Restraint embedded in this person as fuel and become her power."
A tiny flicker of flame ignited at the Death Scythe's butt end. Reiji directed the flame toward Mirene.
"Quiet Flame."
The moment the spell activated, the small flame was absorbed into Mirene's body. She gasped as she felt a distinct, warm sensation of something burning deep within her.