The commotion between Lenora and Kenny had been dealt with for the moment, so Lenora took over handling Rei’s business in her colleague’s stead. Since Lenora had acted as Rei’s primary contact for some time, the arrangement was only natural.
Behind the counter, Kenny was in the process of being thoroughly scolded by the guild staff member who served as their supervisor.
"My apologies, Rei-san. It has been quite a while. Are you looking for a request today?"
"Eh? Ah... well, more importantly, is Kenny going to be—"
"Are you looking for work?"
Rei felt momentarily overwhelmed by the sharp smile Lenora directed at him. Deciding it would be unwise to press the issue of Kenny further, he pivoted to one of his primary reasons for visiting.
"I wanted to ask about the Gamelions. Are they still being hunted? I want to know where they’re gathering this year."
"The Gamelions? Honestly, their numbers are quite low compared to last year."
"...Is that a matter of fewer hunters catching them?"
A faint sense of dread pooled in Rei’s stomach as he asked. Lenora shook her head.
"No. Apparently, even when hunters visit their usual habitats, they find almost nothing. It isn't that they’ve vanished entirely, but reports say the population has noticeably thinned. No one is quite sure what is causing it, but..."
Lenora sighed regretfully. Working as a receptionist, she always looked forward to the Gamelion dishes that appeared only during this season. Usually, a steady stream of adventurers would bring them in, but this year was a stark exception. Consequently, the price of Gamelion meat dishes served in the city had skyrocketed, making it a luxury that ordinary laborers could barely afford.
Because the Dusk Wheat Inn had made an effort to keep their menu prices stable through sheer operational grit, this was news to Rei. Now that he thought about it, he realized he hadn’t seen any food stalls in the city selling the seasonal meat.
"Is there any specific reason for it?"
"Let me see... if there is a cause, the only anomaly that comes to mind is the dungeon incident. You’ve heard about it, haven't you?"
"Yeah, I heard a dungeon popped up. But that only happened recently, didn't it? Gamelions start appearing in autumn, which should have been well before the dungeon appeared."
"That’s true, but we can't think of any other abnormalities. It’s possible the portents of the dungeon's emergence affected the Gamelions somehow."
Rei tilted his head at her theory.
"Is that even possible?"
"To be honest, we don't know for certain. It's just speculation."
Lenora bowed her head apologetically, but Rei waved it off, telling her not to worry. Whether there was a clear reason or not didn't change his plans. He was still going to hunt them. The numbers might be down, but as long as they weren't extinct, he didn't see an issue.
After all, Rei had Seto, who could scout from the air. Seto’s five senses were incredibly sharp, so finding the herd wouldn't be difficult. Besides, while the Gamelion itself was a C-Rank monster with significant combat ability, it posed no threat to him now.
(If they’re hiding in one place to avoid the other adventurers, I might be able to bag a whole lot of them at once... well, it probably won't be that simple. And the dungeon takes priority... probably.)
Rei mused on this as they spoke. The adventurers of Gilm were a cut above the rest; even if they shared the same rank as those from other cities, their actual capabilities were usually much higher. Furthermore, the entire city was obsessed with Gamelion dishes. It was hard to believe no one had found where the creatures were hiding.
(If that’s the case, maybe it really is the dungeon? Could they be inside it? It’s not totally unthinkable.)
The idea of a dungeon containing only one specific species of monster was unlikely, but not impossible. Before he could follow that train of thought, Lenora spoke up.
"Rei-san?"
"Ah, sorry. I was just wondering if the Gamelions might have moved into the dungeon, but I heard only weak monsters were appearing there."
"That’s the general understanding. We haven't mapped every corner yet, but the adventurers who have explored the upper floors say there’s no sign of anything like a Gamelion. Still, since they haven't seen the whole thing, we can't be one hundred percent sure."
As Lenora fretted over the twin problems of the missing Gamelions and the sudden dungeon, a guild staff member approached from the back.
"Lenora, the Guild Master is asking for Rei-san. Could you escort him to the office?"
"...Rei-san? Well, given how much the Guild Master favors him, I suppose that makes sense."
"Nooooo! You can’t, Lenora! If you let Rei-kun meet the Guild Master, her feminine allure... it's too much—!"
"Kenny. It seems you truly don't know the meaning of the word 'reflection.' Fine then. Since you have so much energy, let's have a very long, very thorough talk."
"Mgyaaa!"
Leaving Kenny to her feline-like screams of despair, Lenora ushered Rei past the counter and toward the stairs at the back.
"Is this really okay?" Rei asked.
Lenora understood exactly what he meant. She let out a small sigh.
"It's fine. She’s been distracted lately and making silly mistakes. A little scolding will do her good. In fact, she needs it."
"...Well, if her frenemy says so, I won't argue."
Lenora stopped mid-step on the stairs leading to the Guild Master's Office.
"Frenemy is a bit much. Please, at least call us 'best friends'..."
She looked at him with an uncharacteristically intense gaze that stood in sharp contrast to her usual cute demeanor. Rei nodded reflexively.
"A-Ah. Right. Got it."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Lenora beamed at him, her frightening aura vanishing as if it had never existed.
"I'm glad you understand. Now, shall we go see the Guild Master?"
She resumed her climb, and Rei followed silently.
(From the outside, Lenora and Kenny look like best friends... or partners? A duo? I can't see them as anything else.)
"Guild Master, I’ve brought Rei-san."
"Yes, come in."
A voice drifted through the door in response to Lenora’s knock. Rei entered the room and saw a figure sitting at the desk, focused on paperwork.
Flowing silver hair, brown skin, and long, pointed ears. Her features were strikingly beautiful. She looked over the documents with one hand while the other rested beneath her chest, supporting her rich twin hills. Everything about her announced her race.
She was a dark elf.
The Guild Master, Marina Alianza.
She was the lady of character who reigned over the Gilm branch, a place where the most skilled adventurers in the land gathered. It was hard to imagine from her usual preference for elegant party dresses, but she was a skilled spirit magic user befitting her station.
Beyond her race, she exuded an overwhelming aura of feminine allure. Her dress, which left her back and shoulders completely exposed, combined with her moist, sultry eyes to create an almost intoxicating effect.
Marina wasn't even doing anything special, yet the charm wafting from her felt entirely different from the presence of Elena or Vihera. It was a sense of mature womanliness.
To put it simply, Elena was a paragon of dignified beauty, Vihera possessed a healthy, athletic sex appeal, and Marina was the embodiment of the feminine allure that existed to lead men astray.
Rei focused his will, taking care not to let his consciousness be stolen by that allure. Marina, for her part, looked up and stared at Rei with an expression of pure shock.
"You... are you really Rei?"
Rei had heard the same question from Min at the Lord's Mansion, so he knew exactly what she was reacting to.
"Yeah. I managed to get my hands on something good."
Rei held up his right hand. Resting on his finger was the Ring of the New Moon, the same item that had sparked the commotion with Kenny earlier. To Kenny, it had looked like a mere trinket. But to Marina—a veteran adventurer and a Guild Master—its true nature was immediately apparent.
"Heh. You really did get something fine. That’s exactly what you’ve been looking for, isn’t it, Rei?"
Her simple smile carried a heavy weight of seductive charm. Rei nodded in response. When he had first stepped into the Guild Master's Office, the density of her feminine allure had almost overwhelmed him, but after a few words, he found he could interact with her normally again.
Marina watched his reaction with a satisfied look before turning to Lenora.
"Lenora, thank you. I'll take it from here. You may return to your post."
"...Yes, ma'am. I understand. Excuse me."
Though she looked slightly dissatisfied—likely worried that leaving Rei alone with Marina was bad for his moral development—Lenora knew she couldn't say that aloud. She respected Marina as her superior, so she bowed and left the room quietly.
Once they were alone, Marina set her documents aside and gestured to the furniture.
"Please, have a seat on the sofa. It’s hard to have a proper conversation while you’re standing over there."
"Conversation... about the dungeon? If it’s about the Gamelion situation, I’d be happy to discuss that too."
Rei took a seat. Marina sat opposite him and crossed her legs, a move that showcased her curvaceous, brown thighs. She clasped her hands beneath her chest, which only served to emphasize their size and the deep cleavage revealed by her dress.
"Indeed. I’m also quite disappointed about the Gamelions... but let’s save that for later. First, let's talk about the people you brought back from the Bestia Empire. It isn't official yet, but it seems most of your former subordinates intend to register as adventurers. A few have chosen to join the Knight Order, however."
"The Knight Order? Not just the guards?"
"Yes. They underwent a test of strength with the knights, and since they were judged to be sufficiently capable, they were offered positions. I suppose being a knight offers a more stable lifestyle than adventuring."
"On the flip side, they won't be making a fortune overnight."
It was then that Rei finally realized just how much detail Marina had on his companions.
"You're very well-informed. ...Wait, did you get this from Lord Daskar?"
"Of course. We are the Guild Master and the Lord; basic information sharing is only natural. Besides, in this case, we have a large influx of people wishing to be adventurers. We can never have too many skilled adventurers in Gilm."
"...Well, I can't argue with that."
Rei nodded, conceding the point.
"The explanation regarding migration has been properly finished, and it seems they’re currently in their assigned rooms at the Lord's Mansion."
"I was wondering where they ended up. Lord Daskar did mention he’d be keeping them under surveillance for a while, so I guess keeping them there is convenient."
"I’d imagine so. And... oh, that’s right. If you don't mind, could I see that ring? A magic item capable of concealing Rei's magic power is something I’d normally consider impossible."
"Sure, go ahead."
Rei removed the ring and handed it over. The moment the ring left his finger, Marina was hit by the massive Rei's magic power she remembered. She stared at the ring in her hand with renewed astonishment, amazed that such a small object could suppress that mountain of mana to the level of an ordinary mage.
"This is incredible. Who could have possibly crafted something with this kind of performance?"
"Apparently, it's a legacy of the Ancient Magic Civilization."
"...Heh. You found this in the Bestia Empire?"
"Yeah."
"I wonder if there are many more ruins like that over there," Marina murmured, her eyes fixed on the ring.
She likely didn't realize it, but her sultry gaze was filled with an allure that would put even a prostitute to shame.