"Man, that Gamelion meat we had yesterday was delicious."
"Guruuu!"
Set nodded in agreement with Rei’s murmur.
The day after conquering the dungeon, Rei was walking through the city during the lull between morning and noon.
In his hands, he clutched grilled skewers, dried meat, and sandwiches he had either bought or been gifted from various stalls. His walk wasn’t purely for the sake of snacking, however.
...Until just moments ago, a crowd of people wanting to play with Set had gathered around them as usual. But because Rei had business to attend to today, he had cut the playtime short to make his way through the streets.
Even so, he had humored the children for a short while, mostly because Set genuinely enjoyed their company. The adults, naturally, had shown understanding toward Rei’s situation and settled for giving Set a few light pats.
The destination Rei was heading toward was not the Guild.
While the Gamelion situation was ongoing, he knew full well that since the conquest was only yesterday, the material stripping and dismantling would have hardly progressed at all. Of course, he could have stopped by the Guild to see if there were any interesting requests or to check exactly how the Gamelion dismantling was coming along, but that was only something he would do if he had no other errands.
Since he did have business today, he continued through the city with Set.
Eventually, the library came into view. He turned just before reaching it, heading down into the back streets.
Perhaps as a countermeasure against the winter chill, most of the people on the main thoroughfares were dressed in warm, heavy clothing. In the back streets, however, the quality of such attire tended to drop a grade or two.
Rei and Set walked through the crowd, drawing stares as they went. However, the man and the beast were both completely accustomed to being the center of attention. They proceeded down the alleyway without paying the gazes much mind.
Before long, a familiar storefront appeared in Rei’s field of vision.
It was Pamidor's shop.
In front of the shop, a small child was swinging something around. When the boy saw Rei and Set—or more accurately, when he spotted Set—a joyous smile broke across his face and he came running toward them.
"Set! It's Set! Hey, hey, can you play? Is now okay?"
The words tumbled out in a rush, his raw excitement at seeing Set vibrating clearly in the air.
"Guruuu."
"It's been a while, Kumito."
"Yeah, it has! You haven't come by lately. Where have you been?"
The boy turned an innocent, beaming smile toward Rei. Looking at him, it was hard to believe he shared the same blood as his father, Pamidor.
In fact, very few people seeing Kumito for the first time would ever think he was the son of a man who looked like nothing so much as a vicious bandit. Indeed, there had once been an uproar when a passerby saw Pamidor and Kumito walking together, mistook it for a kidnapping, and went running for the guards.
Every time Rei saw Kumito, he found himself tilting his head at the mysteries of genetics.
(Come to think of it, I still haven't met Kumito's mother.)
Since she had married Pamidor, Rei figured she must have a remarkably strong heart, and since they had produced such a cute child, she was almost certainly quite beautiful as well.
While wishing he could meet her at least once, Rei spoke to Kumito.
"So, Kumito. Is Pamidor inside?"
"Ah, yeah. He was saying something about doing the final adjustments on a job he was commissioned for a while ago."
"I see. Well, I have business with him, so could you look after Set and play together for a bit?"
"Yeah! Leave it to me! Come on, Set. Let's play!"
"Guru."
Set let out a happy purr at Kumito's invitation. The griffon rubbed its face against the boy, and the sound of childish laughter echoed through the street.
(They say children are 'children of the wind,' but I just hope he doesn't become a 'child of the flu' instead.)
After a quick glance at Kumito, who was dressed reasonably warmly, Rei opened the shop door.
"Pamidor, you in?"
He called out, but there was no answer.
He could definitely feel a presence inside. Tilting his head, Rei stepped into the workshop and was greeted by the sight of Pamidor staring at a dagger with an incredibly serious expression.
Strangely, that ferocious face didn't inspire much fear while he was focused like this. It was simply the face of a man dedicated to his craft.
(Best not to disturb him.)
Taking note of Pamidor's behavior, Rei leaned against the wall just inside the entrance.
"..."
The air in the shop was thick with tension. That was how much magic power and concentration Pamidor was pouring into his work.
Several minutes passed in silence.
"Well, that should about do it."
Finally satisfied, Pamidor slid the dagger into its sheath. Having watched the act to its conclusion, Rei finally spoke.
"Finished?"
"Yeah. ...Hm? Whoa! Rei?! Where the hell did you come from?!"
"I figured you hadn't noticed. Well, it's only natural when you're that focused. I haven't been here that long—maybe a few minutes."
Rei gave a small smile at Pamidor's expected reaction, then turned his gaze toward the dagger in the blacksmith's hand.
"What's the story with that dagger?"
"This? Oh, just a job. Apparently, some guy got ambushed by a Gamelion and used this dagger to parry a tusk attack on impulse. It saved his life, but the dagger blade got chipped in the middle. He asked me to repair it."
"I would've thought it’d be cheaper to just buy a new one."
Since the blade was chipped halfway down, repairing it would incur a more than significant fee. And when that repair was the work of a skilled blacksmith like Pamidor, the price would only ever go up, never down.
Pamidor let out a heavy sigh at Rei's comment.
"Normally, you'd be right. But this is the weapon that saved his life, you know? 'Obsession' might be a harsh way to put it, but it's only natural for a warrior to develop an attachment to something like that."
"Is that how it works?"
"Think about that Death Scythe of yours. If it got chipped, would you really just want to toss it and use a replacement?"
Rei found he could easily accept Pamidor's words when put that way.
The Death Scythe was a magic item created through Beast Magic, and the fact that it was sustained by his own magic power meant his attachment to it was indeed very strong. If something were to happen to it and he was asked if he could simply use a different weapon... the answer would be a firm no.
"True, it's exactly as you say. ...But anyway, a Gamelion?"
Rei mentioned the name of the monster to steer the conversation. Given the dungeon incident from the previous day, it was naturally on his mind.
Pamidor nodded.
"Yeah. Word was that no Gamelions were being caught this year, but it's not like they've vanished entirely. Apparently, some highly skilled or just plain lucky adventurers have managed to bring a few in. The Gamelion meat being sold in town right now is the stuff those guys managed to snag."
"Ah, I figured as much. ...Well, Gamelion meat will probably become more plentiful and cheaper soon, so I wouldn't worry too much about it."
"Hm? What's that supposed to mean? Are they catching more Gamelions now?"
Pamidor asked, unable to let those words slide. He had moved to Gilm only last year, and he had only tasted Gamelion meat once, during the previous autumn. But he had become a captive to the flavor after just one meal. That was undoubtedly why he wanted to know the true meaning behind Rei's hint.
"Well, I'd have to add a 'probably' or 'maybe' to it, but it's fairly reliable information."
"...What are you hiding? I haven't known you that long, but even I can tell you're keeping something back."
"There are various reasons. You understand, right?"
"I see. ...Fine. But Gamelion meat will be circulating again, then?"
"Yeah, most likely."
"Good enough. I'll take your word for it. ...So, what brings you here today? As you can see, I'm not exactly sitting around bored."
Rei was slightly caught off guard by the question as Pamidor began inspecting the handle part of the dagger. Eventually, Rei spoke with an exasperated tone.
"You mentioned taking me to see an alchemist about the remains of the magic sword I brought, didn't you? That's why I'm here... did you seriously forget?"
"Hm? Ah, right, that was a thing. Sorry about that."
He seemed to have finally remembered. He placed the dagger on the table and immediately headed toward the back of the workshop.
"Wait a second. I'll go get ready."
He disappeared after leaving only those words.
"It's good to be dedicated to your work, but I think focusing that much is a bit of a problem. No, I guess it's precisely because he has that level of concentration that he became such a skilled blacksmith. ...Even though his face looks completely vicious no matter how you slice it."
"Shut up! I was born with this face. Can't be helped!"
Pamidor reappeared from the back, grumbling as he pulled on his winter gear. In his hand, he gripped the magic sword Rei had left yesterday. To be precise, since the blade was snapped halfway through, magic sword remains was the more accurate description.
"Come on, let's go. That fellow is quite moody. If they're in the right mood, they'll handle things right away, but if not, it takes forever."
Despite the complaining, Pamidor's tone held a certain affection. Just from seeing Pamidor’s behavior, Rei could imagine that the alchemist in question wasn't a bad person.
"If you say so, Pamidor, then they must not be all that bad."
But as soon as he heard Rei say that, Pamidor snorted as if the idea were preposterous.
"Hah? What are you talking about? I told you they weren't a good person, didn't I? After all that, how did you reach that conclusion?"
"Well then, I'll just have to meet this alchemist to find out for myself. Lead the way."
"Right, no point standing around here all day. Come on. Oh, here, I'll give this back for now. You'll need to pull it out once we get there, but you should keep it in your Item Box."
After storing the magic sword remains into the Misty Ring, Rei left the shop with the blacksmith.
When the two stepped outside, they saw Set lying in the dirt while Kumito happily petted him.
"Wow, Set, you're so warm. You're so fluffy."
"Guruuu."
Both the child and the beast looked so content that Rei hesitated for a moment to interrupt. However, since they couldn't stay there forever, he finally spoke up.
"Kumito, sorry, but Set and I have to go out with Pamidor for a bit. Can we save the playtime for next time?"
"Eh? ...Oh, okay."
Looking a bit disappointed, Kumito watched as Set stood up in response to Rei's words.
"Guruuuu."
Set purred and rubbed its face against Kumito, as if promising to play again soon. Understanding the gesture, Kumito’s disappointment vanished, replaced by an energetic nod and a smile.
Watching Kumito’s behavior, Rei found himself remembering the first time they had met.
(Kumito was being bullied back then, but I wonder if that's finally stopped? Well, if those kids still tried to mess with him after such a terrifying experience, that would be a feat in itself.)
Since those bullies had been trying to extort Kumito into stealing weapons from his father, it was more accurate to call it a shakedown than mere bullying. Rei briefly considered asking about it, but he quickly decided against it. He judged that if the boy were still being hounded, Kumito wouldn't be wearing such a bright, carefree smile.
"Okay then, Dad. I'll be inside the shop."
"Yeah. There are plenty of dangerous things in the back, so don't go touching anything carelessly."
"I know! Bye, Set! You too, Rei-san!"
After seeing off Kumito, who waved his hand vigorously before disappearing back into the shop, Rei and Pamidor set off. Set followed closely behind Rei, unwilling to be left behind.
The two men and the beast proceeded through the city streets.
"So, what kind of person is this alchemist exactly? You mentioned they were moody."
"Well... as far as I know, they've got considerable skill. The only catch is that temperament. Depending on their mood at the time, their prowess in concocting and the like can fluctuate. ...Of course, even at their worst, they're still well above a certain level of technique."
"Their skill changes with their mood? ...That sounds a bit sketchy."
"Don't be like that. It's true there are some issues in that regard, but their skill is fundamentally high."
When Rei heard the words "alchemist" or "alchemy," his mind instinctively jumped to the Bestia Empire. Because of that, he didn't have a particularly good impression of the craft, but he told himself it wouldn't do to be too prejudiced from the start.
Occupied with those thoughts, Rei continued down the road alongside Pamidor.