Marina gazed at the Ring of the New Moon for a few moments longer before eventually handing it back to Rei.
"It’s no use. I have a fair amount of confidence in my ability to appraise magic items, but looking at it like this, it doesn't seem like anything special. I suppose the magic item itself has a concealment effect, not just the magic power it emits. Likely one even more effective than your Dragon Robe, Rei."
"If it’s that powerful of a magic item, then I'd say I was quite lucky."
Rei nodded with satisfaction at Marina's assessment and slipped the Ring of the New Moon onto his finger.
Once the conversation regarding the ring reached a stopping point, Marina shifted her position, crossing her legs in a way that showcased her shapely thighs.
"As for the dungeon incident—the fact that you’re asking for details means you intend to conquer it?"
"Hm? Oh, of course."
"May I ask why? You surely know what kind of place it is by now. The floors are shallow, the entrance and corridors are narrow, and the monsters inside are weak. On top of that, the materials, magic stones, and proof of subjugation parts you get from them are all cheap. It’s really not the sort of place a high-rank adventurer like you should be challenging."
"That might be true. But I just have a feeling that I ought to go. Besides, having a dungeon so close to Gilm is dangerous in its own right, don't you think? Well, it would be a different story if the goal was to turn this place into a Labyrinth City..."
"That’s impossible."
Marina immediately shot down the suggestion.
It was only natural. Gilm had been established only after the Kingdom of Mireana consolidated its total strength, exhausting a vast amount of resources in the process. While this dungeon wasn't far from the city—making it technically easier to manage than Gilm's initial construction—the city itself couldn't transform into a Labyrinth City on its own.
Rei understood this perfectly well, so he continued without arguing.
"Well, that’s how it is. I’ve been away from Gilm for a while, so I also want to use it to get back into the swing of things."
"...If you insist. Most of the monsters you'll encounter are Goblins and Kobolds. If they get a bit stronger, you might see Orcs or an Ogre here and there."
"Wouldn't an Ogre be worth a decent amount of money?"
"Under normal circumstances, yes. However, as I mentioned, the interior is very cramped. If you were to encounter an Ogre in a space like that... you can imagine the trouble, right?"
Rei considered her words for a moment and nodded.
"In a normal fight, you'd dodge its wide swings and counter, but if there's no space to move, you're stuck."
"Exactly. And as an added bonus, even if you go through the trouble of killing one, the materials and magic stones are usually crude products."
"Ugh..."
He had heard the basics from Daskar, but hearing the specifics from Marina made him truly understand why no one was challenging the place.
"And despite all that, you're still going?"
"Yeah."
Rei gave an immediate nod to her final confirmation. Marina seemed slightly taken aback by his lack of hesitation, but a glamorous smile soon spread across her face.
"Very well. If you're that determined, I have nothing more to say. Go and do your best with the dungeon. As the Guild Master, I won't show you any favoritism, but... I am expecting results."
"I’m hoping to clear it before the end of the year, so please look forward to it."
"Hehe, then I'll be anticipating your report. Thank you for sharing so much with me today."
"Hm? Is that all? I thought for sure you'd want to dig deeper into what happened in the Bestia Empire."
"It’s fine. I’m sure a lot of that information is quite sensitive, isn't it? Besides, even if I were to obtain information, it would be problematic if I heard it directly from you. If it were absolutely necessary, it would be one thing, but otherwise, I’ll get my intelligence from other sources."
With those final words, Rei left the office.
After seeing him off, Marina returned to her desk and began looking through her documents once again.
"...Why is he so obsessed with that dungeon?" she murmured softly while signing a parchment.
It was true that Rei’s explanation made some sense, but it still felt slightly off. Even so, the fact remained that it was unusual.
"Does the dungeon have some secret? Usually, that would mean something related to the Dungeon Core. Or perhaps a Rare Species appears there... No, I won't get anywhere just speculating. There’s no point in idly wondering about it here."
She gave a small shake of her head and concentrated on the documents before her, deciding that her duties as Guild Master took priority for the time being.
"Rei-kun, Rei-kun, Rei-kun! Did the Guild Master do anything strange to you?"
As Rei descended the stairs, Kenny—whose lecture had finally ended—came rushing over to him in a panic. At the sight of her, the forehead of the guild staff member who had been scolding her began to throb with a visible vein, but for Kenny, the maiden in love, nothing was more important than confirming whether Rei had been seduced by that thieving cat.
"Hm? Oh, I just heard some information about the dungeon from her, and caught up on what happened in Gilm while I was away. That's all."
"Really, truly?"
"Of course."
Since nothing had actually happened, Rei answered without a hint of hesitation. Kenny stared intently at his face for a few seconds before letting out a long sigh of relief.
"I see... That’s good then... Ow!"
Standing behind Kenny was Lenora, just as before. She held a ruler-like tool in her hand, normally used for drafting documents. After rapping Kenny on the head with it, Lenora spoke with a chillingly imposing demeanor.
"Kenny. Shouting slanders against the Guild Master inside the guild... you certainly have a lot of nerve. Shall we go have another little talk?"
"Wait! What are you doing, Lenora?! I was about to go eat with Rei-kun to celebrate our reunion—!"
"Listen, Kenny. Both you and I are still on duty. Let’s try to understand that, shall we?"
Lenora grabbed the collar of Kenny's uniform and began dragging her away by force.
"Wait, stop! Lenora, they’re spilling out! My breasts are spilling out! Unlike yours, Lenora, mine are big!"
Just as she shouted, the strain on the collar of Kenny’s uniform caused her twin mounds to peek out; it wouldn't have been surprising if they were fully exposed at any moment. Since Kenny’s uniform was designed with a much lower neckline than Lenora’s, being dragged by the collar naturally led to such a precarious situation.
As for Lenora’s uniform, it covered her entirely from the neck down, though whether that was due to a complex about her own chest size remained a mystery. Many had tried to uncover the truth in the past, but a hero is defined by achieving the impossible, and very few ever reached that height. Most would-be "heroes" perished at the hands of the "Demon King" before ever getting their answer.
"Rei-san."
"W-What is it?"
Lenora, still dragging Kenny, eased her grip for a moment to address Rei. Surprised by the sudden call, Rei let out a startled sound, but Lenora simply tilted her head curiously before getting to the point.
"The members of Scorching Wind are waiting for you in the tavern. Mirene-san was looking for you."
"...Ah, I see."
"Hey, Lenora! I told you to stop pulling! Rei-kun, Rei-kun!"
"Now, now, Kenny. You have another lecture waiting for you, so don't be such a handful."
Rei watched as Kenny was hauled away, and then, at the silent prompt of another guild staff member, he stepped out from the counter area.
(Lenora is terrifying when she’s angry. I’d better make sure never to upset her.)
He made that firm resolution in his heart.
"Sorry, did I keep you waiting?"
After the incident in the lobby, Rei arrived at the tavern attached to the guild.
"No, it's fine. We were just starting to get hungry ourselves. Are you going to eat, Rei-san?"
Sulnin, who was finishing off a hearty soup at one of the tables, answered with a smile. The person next to him reaching for a sandwich also nodded in agreement.
"Well, it was just in time for lunch, anyway."
This girl, who appeared slightly older than Rei, was Ekryl—the final member of the C-Rank party Scorching Wind alongside Mirene and Sulnin.
"I wanted to play more with Seto-chan, though..." Mirene grumbled discontentedly while chewing on a grilled skewer. She had been forcibly dragged away by Sulnin while playing with Seto when they first arrived at the guild.
While observing the three of them, Rei took a seat and turned his eyes toward the menu.
"Huh." He let out a light sound of surprise.
Udon was now listed on the menu. Before Rei had left for the Bestia Empire, udon had already spread through Gilm and even reached neighboring towns like Abuelo and Sablusta, but the guild tavern hadn't served it yet at that time.
His reaction caught Mirene's eye. She peered at the menu and nodded knowingly.
"Ah, the udon. Apparently, a lot of people like to eat it as their last dish after they've finished drinking. It's actually become quite popular."
Rei recalled hearing that back in Japan, people often craved ramen after a night of drinking.
(Is it something like that? I don't drink, so I can only imagine.)
Curious about the tavern’s version of the dish, Rei ordered it. What arrived was udon served in a refreshing, light broth. The toppings were primarily vegetables, but a few pieces of stewed meat were placed on top—almost as if they were meant to be a substitute for ramen’s chashu.
(Well, since they don't know what ramen is, it’s probably just a coincidence.)
When he slurped the noodles, they were as light and refreshing as they looked, though the stewed meat added a rich, savory depth. For a short while, only the sound of slurping filled the air around their table. Slurping udon was not considered bad manners in Gilm; when Rei first taught the recipe to the Full Belly Diner, he had explained that slurping loudly was the proper way to eat it.
After eating the noodles and toppings and finishing the soup, he settled down. Sulnin, who had been waiting for an opportunity to speak, finally opened his mouth.
"So, regarding the removal of the Seed of Restraint you mentioned today..."
"Yeah. Mirene’s already had hers removed. You heard, right?"
"Yes. However, I was wondering yesterday as well—why so suddenly?"
"Mirene?"
At Rei's look, which asked why she hadn't explained the reason, Mirene sighed.
"It’s about Seto-chan, after all. It’s better if you explain it, Rei. I didn't think it was my place to talk about it on my own."
"I guess that's fair."
Accepting her reasoning, Rei explained how he had been quite open with Seto’s skills during their time in the Empire. Sulnin and Ekryl were both surprised, but they understood the necessity of the situation.
However, even after hearing the circumstances, Sulnin hesitated. The Seed of Restraint certainly restricted one's speech, but it also provided flame resistance and increased the power of flame magic. He had heard from Mirene that the blessing regarding flame would remain, but he had doubts about whether such a powerful effect could really be maintained so simply. He feared there might be some kind of pitfall trap.
Rei saw the doubt in his eyes and shook his head.
"There aren't any side effects or anything like that. The Seed of Restraint has been in your bodies for a long time, and you've built up a high affinity through constant contact with your magic power. Well, of course, there’s a possibility that the efficacy might drop slightly, but that’s better than the alternative, isn't it?"
Before Sulnin could respond, Ekryl spoke up.
"In that case, please remove mine."
"Ekryl, just like that...? Are you sure?"
"Yes. Generally speaking, safety comes first. I'd rather have slightly weaker fire protection than be under a spell where I might die if I say the wrong thing. Besides, unlike you, Sulnin-san, I can't use flame magic anyway. The only thing I'll miss is a bit of the resistance."
At Ekryl’s words, Sulnin continued to wrestle with the decision. The boost to his flame magic was extremely useful. The possibility of losing even a fraction of that power was something he desperately wanted to avoid. Furthermore, as a man who was already middle-aged, his potential for growth through training was nearly non-existent.
Even so... after agonizing for a while longer, Sulnin finally accepted Rei's words. He decided to have his Seed of Restraint removed along with Ekryl’s.