Since the dungeon only had 2F, Rei had little trouble making his way back to the entrance.
A few Goblins appeared along the way, but Rei wiped them out effortlessly. He left the corpses where they fell, just as he had before, figuring the Slimes would take care of them one way or another. He also couldn't rule out the possibility that other monsters remaining in the dungeon might eat the Goblin corpses out of hunger—or, more likely, that the entire issue would be moot once the dungeon collapsed.
(Undead Goblins... probably wouldn't have much of a market anyway,) he thought as he climbed the stairs leading toward the surface.
Eventually, the Rock Crevice Rei had used to enter the dungeon came into view. Stepping outside, he found a sky already turning dusky and a campfire lit to ward off the cold.
"Guruuu!"
Seto, who had sensed Rei's presence and Magic Power as he moved toward the exit, came running over with a happy trill. Rei gently stroked Seto's head as it affectionately rubbed against him. Whether it hadn't noticed the issue with the skill or simply didn't care, the Gryphon showed no signs of being upset.
When a creature of Seto's size moved, the nearby soldiers naturally took notice. Since Seto had been reacting first to any monsters emerging from the dungeon and finishing them off in a single blow, it was only natural that they kept a close watch on its movements.
"Rei-kun? The dungeon..."
Relieved to see Rei playing with Seto rather than a monster emerging, Ranga approached with a question. While petting Seto's head, Rei pulled the split Dungeon Core from his Misty Ring.
Ranga didn't seem to recognize it at first. He stared at the two halves of the spherical metal object in Rei’s hands for several seconds... until the realization dawned on him, and he spoke up hesitantly.
"Rei-kun, is that... perhaps..."
"Yeah, it’s the Dungeon Core. The conquest is complete."
"……Guru?"
Dungeon Core? Seto tilted its head and let out a trill at the sight of the hemispherical metal pieces in Rei's hands.
"Sorry, Seto."
Since Ranga was right there, Rei couldn't explain exactly what he was apologizing for, but Seto seemed to understand what he meant. It rubbed its face against him with a trill as if to say, Don't worry about it. Seto was disappointed it hadn't gained a skill from the Dungeon Core, but it knew Rei hadn't destroyed it just to be mean. Seto vaguely understood that there must have been some unavoidable circumstance. It rubbed its head against him again to comfort him, showing it wasn't holding a grudge.
Understanding Seto's feelings, Rei smiled and stroked the Gryphon back.
"So, Rei-kun. About the dungeon conquest... could you tell me a bit more about it?"
Ranga had been watching the two of them interact, but seeing that they had settled down, he called out to Rei. Rei nodded in response.
"Ah, sure. Though there isn't actually that much to tell."
"I suppose so. Since it was a newly created dungeon, it couldn't have been that deep. That's likely why monsters were already wandering out of it."
Ranga glanced toward the side of the rock that served as the Dungeon Entrance. A pile of Goblin corpses lay there, their numbers easily exceeding twenty. Seeing that some of the corpses were encrusted in crystal, Rei turned his gaze toward Seto, who was looking at him with round, pleading eyes, asking for more pets.
There was no longer any need to hide that Seto was a Rare Species. Even so, Rei preferred not to let too many people see the Crystal Breath that encased enemies in crystal if he could help it. Crystal was a useful material for Alchemy and could also be used for jewelry. Greedy individuals might try to harass Seto for it.
(Well, I suppose it's my fault for not telling Seto to avoid using Crystal Breath... No, if anyone was going to try something with Seto, they'd target the Gryphon itself regardless of the crystal,) he mused.
Diverting his eyes from the corpses, he returned to his conversation with Ranga.
"So, did you notice anything unusual while clearing the dungeon?"
"...Well, just one thing. Have you heard the talk about how Gamelions haven't been easy to hunt around Gilm this year?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah. They've been scarce, so Gamelion Meat is quite expensive even if you can find it in shops. It’s a seasonal delicacy you can only eat this time of year... wait a second. Why bring that up now? You don't mean...?"
Ranga, who had been speaking casually, suddenly widened his eyes as he caught on. The other soldiers listening in silence were the same, all turning startled looks toward Rei. Rei nodded at their gaze and described what he had seen in the Hall containing the Dungeon Core.
"Yeah. The chamber with the Dungeon Core was packed with Gamelions... calling it 'packed' might be a slight exaggeration, but that's what it felt like. I didn't count them exactly, but I'd guess there were over fifty."
"No way... To think that was the reason there were so few Gamelions this year."
At Rei's words, not only Ranga but the other soldiers all wore expressions of shock. Gamelion Meat was something that could only be enjoyed at this time of year. While it could be processed into things like dried meat, the quality inevitably dropped compared to the fresh taste. Because of that, quite a few people had been feeling sad, thinking they wouldn't get much of it this season.
"Th-then... can we assume that Gamelion Meat will be hitting the market?"
Knowing how large Rei and Seto's appetites were, Ranga asked with a hint of trepidation. Rei thought for a moment, glanced at Seto, and finally gave a somewhat reluctant nod.
"Maybe ten or so."
Rei had originally considered putting about half of them on the market, but as he spoke, he found himself becoming slightly stingy. The fact that Gamelion Meat was exceptionally delicious for a C-Rank Monster was definitely a factor.
"Hmm... Ten. Well, considering the size of a Gamelion, that should have some impact..."
"Now that the dungeon has been conquered, no more should be summoned, so people should be able to hunt them normally from now on—even if it's a bit late. Besides, considering I only found about fifty, it's entirely possible they were just late to appear this year anyway."
"And that was because of the dungeon?"
"I can only guess, but probably."
With the topic of Gamelions concluded, the conversation moved on to other aspects of the dungeon.
"Regardless, there were a lot of Goblins in there."
"Ah, yeah. That's probably because it was a newly created dungeon. If more time had passed, other monsters would likely have started appearing."
"I did find an Ogre, but it was much shorter than the ones I'm used to."
"That likely has to do with it being a newly created dungeon as well."
"As far as fighting goes, that was fine... but the materials are cheap, aren't they?"
When Rei asked for confirmation, Ranga nodded with a wry smile.
"From what I've heard, that's correct. I’m told Goblin parts are worth next to nothing no matter how many you collect."
Hearing Ranga say that, Rei felt truly glad he hadn't bothered to gather any materials from the Goblins.
"Oh, that's right. Give these to Rei-kun."
At Ranga’s signal, a few soldiers brought over a Palm-sized Leather Bag. Rei took it and looked inside with a puzzled expression, finding Crystal Fragments. Most were only Fingertip-sized, but there were enough that they would certainly be worth a fair amount of money.
Rei stole a glance at Seto—the source of the crystals—and then handed the bag back to the soldier.
"No, you guys keep this."
"...Are you sure?"
"Yeah. It sounds like Seto caused some trouble. Consider it a token of my gratitude for taking care of it."
"I see. If you say so, Rei-kun, we'll accept it gratefully. Once we're back in Gilm, we'll use the gold from these crystals to hit the pubs. It should be enough for all of us to drink for a night. Thank you."
Ranga bowed his head slightly, but when he looked up, a sharp light had returned to his eyes. He no longer looked like a gruff but friendly man; he had the expression of someone in a position of authority over Gilm's guards.
"So, Rei-kun. Just to be sure... is Seto a Rare Species or a High-ranking Species of Gryphon?"
For Ranga, this was something he absolutely had to confirm. Depending on the answer, it was an important detail that would need to be reported to Daskar. He had been prepared to press for the answer if Rei tried to hide it, but...
"Hm? Oh, yeah. Seto is a Rare Species Gryphon."
Rei answered Ranga's doubt quite casually. Ranga seemed surprised by this, widening his eyes slightly as he looked at Rei and spoke again to confirm.
"Wait, just once more, just in case. I can officially record that Seto is a Rare Species Gryphon?"
"Yeah. ...Oh, that's right, you've been out here for a while. I guess it makes sense you wouldn't know. I've already reported this to Lord Daskar. When we took part in the internal strife of the Bestia Empire, Seto used its skills in front of a huge crowd. I used to keep it a secret, but after that, there was no way to hide it anymore."
"...Eh?"
Ranga had a rugged face, but the way his eyes went wide made him look strangely charming. Feeling somewhat lighthearted at Ranga's reaction, Rei continued.
"Actually... I wouldn't be surprised if the news has spread through Gilm by now, not just to Lord Daskar."
His reasoning for that was the group of Those Wishing to Migrate who had come to Gilm with him. The Members of the Former Mobile Unit had seen Seto use its skills regularly, and even their families had seen Seto fight when they were attacked by Thieves and monsters during their journey. Normally, such information wouldn't spread through Gilm so easily, but the network of Seto Enthusiasts was vast. There was a high probability that several Seto Enthusiasts worked within the Lord's Mansion, and it was entirely plausible that information had leaked from there.
And once information leaked outside the Lord's Mansion, it would spread to the other Seto Enthusiasts in Gilm in no time. Of course, those working in the mansion wouldn't leak information if it were critical to Gilm's safety. However, since Rei himself was no longer trying to hide Seto’s nature, the information wasn't particularly confidential.
Ranga and the other soldiers nodded in understanding at Rei’s explanation.
"...I see. That makes sense."
Living in Gilm, they knew exactly how much influence the Seto Enthusiasts held.
"Anyway, I understand that part. If Lord Daskar already knows, I have no reason to make an issue of it. So, Rei-kun, what are your plans now?"
"My plans?"
"It’s already getting dark. Even if you head back now, the gates might be closed... Ah, right. At Seto's speed, you'll still make it."
Looking around, while it had been twilight when he first emerged from the dungeon, it was now completely dark. Checking the pocket watch he pulled from the Misty Ring, it was already past 5:00 PM. At Seto's speed, there was no doubt he could still make it back in time.
Rei considered whether to spend the night here and head to Gilm in the morning or return on Seto immediately... and he made his decision without hesitation.
"I’m going back to Gilm. A Magic Tent makes the cold manageable, but I'd much rather sleep soundly at the Dusk Wheat Inn. Besides, I want to deliver the report of the dungeon conquest to the Guild as soon as possible."
"I see. That’s fair. ...In that case, could you wait just a moment? I’d like you to take a report to Lord Daskar letting him know the dungeon has been conquered."
"Got it. Just make it quick."
At Rei's words, Ranga nodded and immediately set to work on the Preparation of the Report. It wasn't a formal document but rather the Initial Report of the dungeon's conquest, so it didn't take long to prepare—a stroke of luck for Rei.