Walking down a back street not far from the library in Gilm, Rei eventually located the building he was looking for.
"Well then, Set."
"Guruuu."
At Rei’s call, Set purred in acknowledgment and lay down in a spot obscured from the surroundings to hide its presence. The way it curled up would have made it look like a common cat if one ignored its massive size or the current season. Of course, it was a cat with wings growing from its back.
Glancing briefly at Set, Rei opened the door to the building.
Instantly, air incomparably warmer—no, hotter—than the freezing cold outside enveloped him. Frowning slightly at the sudden heat, he confirmed that no one was in sight and shouted loud enough to be heard in the back of the shop.
"Pamidoor, are you here?"
"Yeah, I’m here! ...What, is it you, Rei?"
A man who, at first glance, looked like nothing but a criminal emerged from the rear of the shop. Not only did he have a villainous face, but his physique was packed with enough muscle to look capable of lifting someone of Rei’s stature with one hand. He looked more like a thief than an actual thief. Sweat poured from his forehead, likely because he had been working at the forge just moments ago, making him look even more intimidating. The blast of heat Rei had felt upon entering was undoubtedly from his work.
Knowing what kind of man Pamidoor really was, Rei didn't pay any mind to his appearance and spoke up.
"What do you mean, ‘what’? I am a customer, you know. ...Is Kumito around?"
"Kumito’s out. What’s this? For someone claiming to be a customer, you’re looking for Kumito instead of me."
"No, that’s not it. I was just asking."
"Well, fine. So, what’s your business? I heard from Kumito that you were back, but you’re not the type to come all this way just to say hello, are you?"
Rei gave a small shrug at Pamidoor’s words and pulled a Magic Sword from his Misty Ring. Or rather, since the blade was snapped in half, it was more like two pieces of a former Magic Sword. Regardless, Rei held the pieces out to Pamidoor.
"Hey, this is... quite the piece of work."
"I thought so. It’s a Magic Sword used by an S-Rank Adventurer, so it’s hardly ordinary."
"S-Rank!? From where?"
"The Bestia Empire."
Hearing Rei’s blunt reply, the name of a certain individual immediately came to Pamidoor’s mind.
"Noise the Immovable, huh."
"Yeah. I had some business in the Bestia Empire's Imperial Capital, and I fought him then."
"...And since the Magic Sword is broken... does that mean you won?"
"No, he essentially spared my life."
"Heh. So even you couldn't do anything against an S-Rank opponent."
"I was able to put up some resistance, but if he hadn't backed off..."
He probably would have lost.
Pamidoor was inwardly impressed as Rei swallowed those words. Rei was certainly strong—strong enough that ordinary adventurers couldn't hope to stand against him. Pamidoor himself was merely a blacksmith, but as a skilled blacksmith, he recognized Rei’s power. He had also heard stories of Rei’s strength during the Azoth Firm Incident, even if he hadn't witnessed it personally. Precisely because Rei was so powerful, Pamidoor understood how difficult it must be for the boy to admit his own weakness.
"Still, destroying the Magic Sword of the Immovable is a bit of a feat in itself."
He stared intently at the Magic Sword Fragments in his hand. Seeing the blade snapped clean in half allowed him to grasp the sheer power behind the blow that had landed.
"Anyway... I’m strictly just a blacksmith. If I’m going to forge or repair a Magic Sword, I’ll need the help of an alchemist or a mage knowledgeable in that field. What do you want to do? Will you leave it with me for now? I plan to visit an alchemist once my current work settles down."
"Ah... yeah. Honestly, I’d like to go with you, but I’m planning to head to a dungeon now."
While answering Pamidoor, Rei felt that meeting a local alchemist was an attractive prospect. Because Gilm was on the frontier, it was home to many alchemists seeking rare materials. Their level would naturally be lower than those in the Bestia Empire, which put national effort into alchemy, or the Magic City of Ozos, but Rei still wanted to meet a proper alchemist. He had encountered a rather improper one during the Azoth Firm incident some time ago.
"Hmm, I won't force you. I’ll handle it on this end, so just drop by tomorrow or later."
"Alright. Then I’ll stop by after I get back from the dungeon. I’m counting on you."
Contrary to his villainous face, Pamidoor was a man of integrity. Knowing he was a skilled blacksmith, Rei had no hesitation in entrusting the matter to him. However, his willingness was also because the Magic Sword was merely a secondary acquisition. If it were his Death Scythe—or even his regular gear like the Thorn Spear, the Dagger of Flowing Water, or the Eye of Nebula—he would have insisted on going with Pamidoor. If it were one of Estha Nor's works like the Dragon Robe, he would have assumed it couldn't be fixed in Gilm and headed straight for the Imperial Capital or Ozos. Since Noise's blade was just something he had obtained by chance, Rei only cared that it be made usable again.
"Yeah, leave it to me. Working on an S-Rank Adventurer's sword will be a good challenge for me."
Hearing Pamidoor’s voice behind him, Rei stepped back outside.
"Guruuu?"
Finding Rei, Set approached while purring as if to ask how it went. Rei stroked Set’s head as he urged the Gryphon forward.
"It was a long shot, but he said he’d show it to an alchemist for me. For now, that business is settled... so let’s head to the dungeon. I don't know if we can clear it today, even if we leave now."
"Gurululuuu!"
Set purred happily at Rei’s words. It understood that it might not be able to enter the narrow corridors, but it was simply happy to fly through the sky with Rei.
They walked through the city together, and after Set was greeted by various residents as usual, they reached the gate.
"Yo, Rei. You too, Set. Are you heading outside of Gilm?"
The guard who had processed Rei’s arrival paperwork called out to him. The peak hours for gate traffic had already passed, so he seemed to have some free time. While the number of people leaving wasn't zero, only a few were currently being processed.
"Heading to that dungeon I heard about."
"Uwah," the guard grunted, a frown appearing on his face. "You really are a curious one. I told you what kind of place it was, didn't I?"
"Yeah, I gathered some other information too. Even so, I wanted to see it for myself."
"...Well, since you're an Alias Holder High-Rank Adventurer, my worrying is probably pointless... but be careful. Though I suppose you don't even need to be careful in a shallow dungeon like that."
"I wouldn't say that. A dungeon is a place where you never know what might happen."
Rei pulled his Guild Card from the Misty Ring and handed it over along with the Tamed Monster's Necklace he had removed from Set’s neck. Since the crowd was thin, the procedure was finished quickly.
"Well then, good luck."
"You too. It’s tough standing out here in this cold, so hang in there."
Giving a final word of encouragement to the guard working in the biting chill, Rei stepped out of the gate with Set. Originally, they had been told to avoid flying too close to the gates, but fortunately, there was almost no one around right now.
"Set, let’s go then."
"Gurululululuuu!"
As Rei straddled its back, Set gave a high-pitched cry. After a short head start, it flapped its wings and ascended. It didn't just fly; it was more like it was running through the sky. The few guards near the gate could only stare, captivated and speechless by the sight.
"Set, the dungeon is that way. Go straight ahead."
Set flapped its wings in the direction Rei pointed. With every beat, they covered a significant distance, and as the Gryphon beat its wings continuously, their speed increased even further. Normally, at this time of year, the wind at this altitude would have left a person shivering, but Rei was protected by his Dragon Robe, and as a Gryphon, Set didn't mind this level of cold at all.
Watching the scenery below pass by in a blur, Rei once again marveled at Set’s capabilities. When traveling on the ground, one was forced to follow the highway, and highways were never straight. They detoured around mountains, valleys, and rivers. But for Set, none of that mattered. It could fly in a perfect straight line at a speed incomparable to ground travel.
"Ah, Set. Turn right at that pile of stones on the highway."
"Gurululuuu!"
Spotting the stone marker used for the detour, Set purred and adjusted its course. After turning away from the highway and continuing straight, several tents pitched on the ground eventually came into view. They had reached their destination.
The tents were likely for the soldiers stationed here. The fact that a distance that would normally take several hours by carriage took only ten minutes by air showed just how fast Set was. And that was while the Gryphon was enjoying a leisurely aerial stroll, not even flying at full power.
"Tents, huh. ...Staying in tents at this time of year would be brutal unless they were the Magic Tent type."
In a Magic Tent, one wouldn't feel the freezing outside air. However, ordinary tents lacked such features, requiring heavy cold-weather gear just to sleep.
Several people tending a campfire near the tents noticed something—or someone—approaching from above. The soldiers reflexively reached for their bows, but they immediately lowered them once they realized the incoming creature was a Gryphon. However, they didn't put the weapons away entirely, likely prepared to intercept if it turned out not to be the Set they knew. Of course, if it really were a wild Gryphon other than Set, the bows and arrows of common soldiers would be useless—they would only serve to draw the beast's ire.
Seeing Rei riding on Set’s back as the creature landed, the soldiers finally lowered their guard. Rei dismounted and addressed them.
"I’m Rei, the adventurer. I’m here to clear the dungeon..."
"Is that you, Rei-kun!?"
A voice cut him off before he could finish. Rei looked toward the source and saw a middle-aged man with a tough-looking beard. It was Ranga, the man who managed Gilm’s guards. He was currently leading a unit here to watch for monsters emerging from the dungeon. Rei smiled at Ranga, who had just stepped out of a tent, likely having been on a break.
"It’s been a while."
"Guruuu!"
Set purred in greeting as well. The sight was clearly amusing to Ranga, who smiled and lightly raised a hand.
"It has been a while. From what you just said, I take it you’ve come to clear the dungeon?"
Rei nodded.
"I heard it was a shallow dungeon, so I felt like trying my hand at it. It would be great if I could clear it today, but even if I can't, I want to see what kind of place it is. There aren't any bans on entering, right?"
He had heard that adventurers were permitted entry, but he asked just to be sure. Ranga nodded as if it were a given.
"Of course not. But I’ve heard this dungeon doesn't yield much... if you're still fine with that."
"I heard the same while gathering info, so it’s not a problem. Well then, I’ll get right to it... Oh, I’ll have Set wait outside, if that's alright?"
"Hmm? Oh, I see. Set wouldn't fit through that entrance. Yeah, I don't mind. However, monsters do emerge from the dungeon occasionally, and when they do..."
Rei understood what Ranga was getting at and gave a small nod.
"If monsters come out, I’ll have Set handle them. Even if I don't say anything, he’s good about that sort of thing."
"Guruluuu!"
"Leave it to me!" Set purred. Ranga and the other soldiers collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
Living in Gilm, they all knew Set well. Knowing he was there meant they wouldn't have to worry about being busy on the outside for a while. The monsters emerging from the dungeon were clearly weak, but their emergence was unpredictable. Furthermore, since this was the frontier, the monsters attacking from the surrounding wilderness were often tougher than the ones coming out of the dungeon itself.
With Set on guard, they knew they were finally safe.