Regarding the matter of the Gamelions, Rei was led to a warehouse located a short distance from the guild.
Though it was dark outside, the interior was illuminated by Light Magic Items, and the temperature was kept at a constant level. Perhaps because the lack of wind made it feel warmer than the outdoors, the guild staff member who had guided Rei let out a sigh of relief the moment they stepped inside.
This staff member was not a familiar face like Lenora or Kenny, but rather a middle-aged man in his forties. However, given that Rei had frequent dealings with the guild, the man was not a complete stranger; they had exchanged words several times before at the counter.
"Now then, Rei-san. I’d like to perform the Gamelion dismantling and material stripping here. How does that look to you? Is this space acceptable?"
"Don't ask me. My only job is to provide the Gamelions. The guild is the one actually doing the material stripping and butchering the meat."
"Ah, no. That wasn't quite what I meant... I wanted to ask if this space is large enough to hold all the Gamelions currently stored in your Item Box."
Realizing he had misinterpreted the question, Rei offered an embarrassed smile and nodded.
"There won't be any problem with that. ...By the way, the guild is putting together the crew for the dismantling and material stripping, right? Do you mind if I ask what kind of people they are?"
As Rei asked this, he surveyed the building, which was quite spacious for something simply called a warehouse. The guild staff member nodded and explained.
"Essentially, the guild will reach out to those who excel at material stripping. We'll focus primarily on adventurers who haven't finished their winter preparations yet. After that, we'll hire butchers who have existing ties with the guild. Since there are also former adventurers among the guild staff, we shouldn't have any issues with the headcount."
Rei wondered if that many people would truly gather so quickly, but his assessment was only half-right. Had Rei brought back nearly fifty Orcs, it might have been difficult to find enough workers. More importantly, the guild likely would never have accepted his demand to handle the dismantling in the first place.
However, the prey this time was special. Gamelions were rare to begin with, and their numbers were exceptionally low this year. While the dungeon was determined to be the cause of the shortage, the reality remained that very little Gamelion meat was currently circulating in Gilm. Because of this, the guild was willing to make an exception.
"That's a help to me as well. All right, I'll start bringing them out now."
"Yes, please. Oh, and if you could line them up in rows, it will make them much easier to dismantle."
Rei nodded at the request, moved a short distance away, and selected the Gamelions from the Misty Ring list. An instant later, a Gamelion materialized on the floor.
Watching this, the guild staff member's face tightened with a faint look of surprise. Even knowing that Rei possessed an Item Box, seeing it used so close at hand was still a jarring experience. Of course, Rei had used the Misty Ring at the guild countless times before to sell materials and Magic Stones or to produce proof of subjugation parts.
Aware of the man's reaction but choosing not to comment, Rei continued to produce Gamelions one after another. Row by row, the creatures were laid out across the stone floor. Most had a total height of around 3m, though a few individuals exceeded 4m. Seeing such massive Gamelion corpses lined up in sequence was, quite frankly, a spectacular sight.
"This is... truly incredible. I knew you were a skilled adventurer, Rei-san, but seeing this in person makes it hit home even harder."
The man's voice was thick with admiration. It was only natural. These were Gamelions, each one a C-Rank monster, and yet every single corpse being laid out here belonged to that species. It meant that Rei had faced a pack of C-Rank monsters and defeated them one-sidedly without sustaining a single wound.
(As expected of a B-Rank Alias Holder... I suppose.)
Gilm was home to many talented adventurers, but if asked how many could pull off a feat like this, the guild staff member could only shake his head. There were plenty of C-Rank adventurers, and even those one rank higher—the B-Rank adventurers like Rei—were fairly numerous. There were even a fair number of A-Rank adventurers, including several Alias Holders. However, if asked who among them could match this performance, the man could probably only name twenty people at most.
Still, the fact that nearly twenty people in the city were capable of soloing a pack of C-Rank monsters was a testament to how unique Gilm truly was. Even in an average city, let alone a village or town, one would never find such a concentration of talent. The only exception would be the Royal Capital.
While powerful monsters didn't roam the immediate vicinity of the Royal Capital, it attracted adventurers of equal caliber due to the prestige of the city and the sheer variety of requests available, including high-end escorts.
(Though, there’s no doubt the actual combat strength is higher here,) the staff member whispered to himself.
Frontier vs. Royal Capital. Both locations boasted exceptional adventurers, and as a result, they shared a fierce rivalry. That this remained a healthy rivalry rather than outright hostility was a credit to the guild’s foundations.
(Against the Royal Capital's guild, which has an S-Rank adventurer, we were at a disadvantage in terms of peak power. But... with Rei-san here, with Crimson, we should be more than a match for them.)
While the man indulged in his competitive thoughts toward the Royal Capital, the Gamelions continued to emerge from the Misty Ring. He watched with satisfaction at first, but as they reached the final batch, his expression began to twitch.
This was because the Gamelions being laid out were increasingly becoming what could only be described as slaughtered corpses. Having limbs lopped off was the least of it; some had all four legs severed, others their heads, and some were even sliced clean through the torso. With internal organs spilling out, it was obvious these creatures hadn't been fought through any conventional means. Furthermore, many of the carcasses were charred, with the fire having reached deep into the meat.
(Come to think of it, I heard Rei-san uses a Great Scythe... I suppose that explains the state they're in. If they're already in pieces like this, it might actually save time during dismantling. But those burns... Well, given that he specializes in flame magic, I suppose that can't be helped either.)
The man remained shocked for a while, but he eventually grew accustomed to the sight as the process continued. However, the very last ones were by far the most mangled and charred of the lot.
"Well, that's all of them... Specifically, how long do you think it'll take to finish the job?"
"...Ah, right. Yes. Looking at them now, the ones at the start were killed normally, so they'll take the usual amount of time. But the ones at the end already have their heads and limbs removed, so processing them will be much faster. However..."
The guild staff member paused, looking apologetic.
"Because the damage to those last Gamelions is so severe, the hide part will be worth significantly less. Are you all right with that? Also, the Gamelion defeated using flame magic will have a lower purchase price than those killed by blades."
"Yeah, I don't mind. I figured that much when I was taking them down."
Rei had already realized as much when he was storing them in the Misty Ring after the battle, so he had no intention of complaining. He knew perfectly well that he had gone overboard.
Hearing Rei's confirmation, the man let out a sigh of relief.
"In that case, we should be finished in a few days at the earliest, or ten days at the latest. We'll contact you when we're done. You're staying at the Dusk Wheat Inn, correct?"
"Yeah. I don't really know any other inns that can stable Seto."
To be precise, a few other inns had recently added stables capable of housing Seto. They were targeting Seto specifically, though they also hoped to attract other tamed monsters. However, Rei had no desire to leave an inn he was comfortable with.
In the first place, the Dusk Wheat Inn wasn't just a place with a stable for Seto; the quality of the inn itself was first-rate. The food was excellent, as were the various Magic Items provided for a comfortable stay. Naturally, the lodging fees were high, but to Rei, the cost was negligible.
"All right, then. ...Thank you for your hard work today."
After receiving the portions of Gamelion meat he could take back immediately and storing them in the Misty Ring, Rei was seen off by the guild staff member and stepped out of the warehouse.
"Guruuu!"
Seto, who had been waiting, stood up with a happy purr and ran over to him. Seto had accompanied Rei here from the guild. There were still people nearby who looked like they wanted to play with the Gryphon, but for Seto, Rei was always number one.
"Guru, gururururuuu!"
As Seto purred and rubbed its face against him, Rei smiled and reached out to stroke its head. Clearly delighted by the touch, Seto purred even louder.
They spent a few minutes like this—a scene that would likely have driven a certain C-Rank female adventurer who is a Seto enthusiast mad with envy. Once things settled down, Rei and Seto began the walk back to the Dusk Wheat Inn.
The evening rush had seemingly passed, and the number of customers at the street stalls had thinned out considerably. Rei made his way along the road, picking up a few leftover items from the stalls along the way, until their destination finally came into view: the Dusk Wheat Inn.
"Guruuu."
Seto let out a slightly lonely purr. It likely realized that they were getting close to the inn and that it would have to part from Rei for the night. However, knowing that it would definitely see him again tomorrow, Seto didn't throw a tantrum.
Rei walked Seto to the stable, gave its head a final pat, and then headed into the inn.
"Welcome back, Rei-san. What would you like to do for dinner?"
Just as Rei stepped inside, Lana happened to be coming out of the dining hall and called out to him.
"I managed to get some good ingredients, so I was hoping you could cook them up for me. Is that okay?"
"Of course it is. What did you bring?"
"A single Gamelion leg."
Lana's eyes widened in surprise for an instant, but she quickly broke into a smile.
"My, my... That man will be thrilled to have something so worth showing off his skills for. But a whole Gamelion leg... Was today's request for Gamelion hunting? I'd heard there were so few this year that things were getting difficult. Gamelion meat is trading for quite a high price right now. We've managed to secure a decent amount for the inn, but it's not nearly enough for everyone to eat their fill."
"I won't say tomorrow... but I think Gamelion meat will be circulating again in the near future."
"Does that mean you've solved the problem of the shortage, Rei-san?"
"I won't say for certain... but probably."
While it was true that he had found a pack of them inside the dungeon, he couldn't be absolutely sure that they were the sole cause of the year's shortage. Thus, Rei gave Lana a non-committal answer.
"Is that so? I certainly hope it's true. Well then, I'll have this Gamelion served for your dinner tonight."
"Yeah, thanks. Also, if you could make something for Seto using the Gamelion meat as well, I'd appreciate it."
Rei's request seemed to catch Lana off guard, but she soon gave a small smile and nodded.
"Certainly. Please wait in the dining hall. I'll take the meat to the kitchen. ...So, where is it?"
At Lana's prompting, Rei pulled the Gamelion leg from his Misty Ring. Because Gamelions were based on rabbits and possessed incredible explosive power, their legs were visibly well-developed. It was an ingredient that looked so prime, one could be certain it would be delicious no matter how it was prepared.
Lana's eyes widened again as she received the meat from Rei. Despite the leg weighing about 30kg, she handled it with total ease—no doubt a skill honed by years of running the Dusk Wheat Inn for battle-hardened adventurers, mercenaries, and merchants.
"I'll get this delivered right away. You have a lot to look forward to for dinner tonight."
With that, Rei watched Lana's retreating back as she headed toward the kitchen, then followed her into the dining hall.