"Um, was that really alright? Leaving those two like that?"
A short while after they had left the Guild, the Knight finally posed that question to Rei as they drew near the Lord's Mansion.
Rei, however, simply continued stroking Seto as he replied.
"Stopping Lenora when she's in that state is a bit too much for me. Besides, if you were that worried, shouldn't you have said something sooner?"
"Please, spare me. There is absolutely nothing to be gained from sticking one's nose into a dispute between women... or rather, a battle."
The way the man corrected "dispute" to "battle" spoke volumes about the sort of life this Knight must have led.
Reflecting on that, Rei shook his head.
"It's the same for me. Lenora is terrifying when she’s like that; she's completely unmanageable."
"...I understand."
The Knight murmured with deep feeling, his words clearly backed by strong personal experience.
Rei briefly wondered what kind of life the man walking beside him had lived up until now. Perhaps sensing that he was being observed with a somewhat questionable sort of interest, the Knight abruptly changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, there’s been some talk among my colleagues... apparently there were Gamelions in the Dungeon."
"Yeah. There were nearly fifty of them in the Hall where the Dungeon Core was located."
"...To be honest, dealing with one or two Gamelions is one thing, but winning a straight fight against fifty of them is incredible. And you didn't even have Seto with you, right?"
"The Dungeon Entrance was small, so Seto had to stay outside and watch the place. Right, Seto?"
"Guruuu..."
Seto let out a disappointed cry at the sound of Rei's voice.
Seeing Seto act like that must have been charming, for the Knight found himself smiling despite himself.
"What were your other impressions of the place?"
"Even if you ask for impressions... the only Dungeons I've dived into so far are the one far from here and the one in Labyrinth City Exil. I don't think I'll be much of a reference."
"No, no. Normally, people don't dive into multiple Dungeons like that."
As the Knight spoke, Rei felt that the air of dignity the man had maintained when they first met at the Guild had somewhat vanished.
(Maybe this is his true self? Like he was putting on a public persona back at the Guild?)
Knights have it tough too... Rei thought as he recalled the details of the Dungeon.
"Let's see... it might have been because it was newly formed, but the place was crawling with Goblins. In terms of sheer numbers, I think I defeated more Goblins than Gamelions."
"Goblins, was it? I'd heard rumors, but for you to put it that way, there must have been an extraordinary number of them."
"In my case, it wasn't an issue since I have my Item Box, but for an ordinary Adventurer, I think the wear and tear on their weapons would make it quite grueling. Not to mention the stamina required."
The Knight could likely imagine the difficulty of fighting alone. He nodded as if convinced by Rei's words. Discussions about the Dungeon continued until they eventually arrived at the Lord's Mansion.
There were Gatekeepers on duty, but since they were being met by a fellow Knight and Rei was a familiar face, they weren't made to wait. After a brief exchange of greetings, they were permitted to enter the grounds.
"Gurururuuu."
Seto headed toward the stables as usual, while Rei and the Knight entered the Lord's Mansion without a second thought.
For Seto, this Lord's Mansion was a second home... though that might be an exaggeration, it was a place the gryphon was thoroughly accustomed to.
In fact, the Elderly Stable Manager showed no surprise upon seeing Seto. On the contrary, he wore a smile as he guided the creature Inside the stables.
To the old man in charge of the stables, the horses in his care were objects of affection, yet also subjects that required strict training. In contrast, Seto was an entity entirely unrelated to the old man's duties—simply something he could care for as he pleased.
On top of that, Seto's round eyes and friendly attitude exerted an immense amount of charm, leading the old man to treat it almost like a grandson.
Welcoming Seto with a grin, he gave it several pieces of Bread he had kept aside for when it got a little hungry, just as he always did, and began to stroke its head.
"Gururuuu."
"Umu, umu. Is it delicious? Welcome back. You should take it easy here for a while today."
Seto was fundamentally affectionate toward anyone who treated it with kindness. It rubbed its face against the old man, thoroughly enjoying the sensation of being stroked by those gnarled hands.
The sensation varied subtly depending on the person, and while Rei's hands felt best of all, the hands of this old man—who had handled animals for many years—knew exactly which pressure points to hit. It was a truly pleasant time for Seto.
...However, it didn't take long for one of the old man's subordinates in charge of the lodging to look at the pair with an exasperated expression, leading the embarrassed old man to shout back at him.
While Seto and the old man were enjoying themselves, Rei was inside the Lord's Mansion.
He was in the Office he had visited many times now. He had grown accustomed to the room, though the sheer luxury of the door still felt a bit out of place to him.
Sitting on a sofa in the Office, Rei sat across from Daskar. Ranga was also present at Rei's side. The Knight who had guided Rei this far had already returned to his duties.
On the table sat Black tea and Sandwiches prepared by a Maid, silently signaling that this was not a formal report, but a private meeting.
"So, the enemies that appeared in the Dungeon were Goblins, Kobolds, Ogres, Orcs, and Gamelions. Is that the lot of them?"
"That's right. However, the Ogre was only about half the size of the ones I've encountered before, and in terms of actual strength, it was weak... well, maybe saying it was weak is a bit much, but it certainly wasn't strong."
"...Hmm. Ranga, what do you think?"
At Rei's words, Daskar took a sip of his tea before questioning Ranga.
"Indeed. I believe the biggest issue is likely the fact that not much time has passed since the Dungeon was formed."
"Do you think that's also the reason why the Dungeon hasn't collapsed yet?"
"Who can say? I do recall hearing similar stories about other Dungeons in the past where the Labyrinth remained even though the Dungeon Core had been removed."
Ranga spoke as if trying to dredge up a distant memory, and Daskar turned his gaze toward him. Rei did the same.
"Is that true? Do you have more details?"
"My apologies, it was quite a long time ago..."
"Hmm. But if the Dungeon doesn't collapse, it's both a nuisance and a help."
"A nuisance and a help?" Rei asked as he reached for a Sandwich.
Daskar nodded. "If the Dungeon remains, there's a possibility that monsters or Thieves might move into the ruins and make it their stronghold. I doubt there are many with the guts to be Thieves here in the Frontier, but even so, the possibility isn't zero."
"...True. It might be fine to station Soldiers there, but if we were to maintain that indefinitely, the burden would be too great. On the other hand, if the numbers are too few, they might be caught off guard by monsters."
Listening to Daskar and Ranga, Rei nodded in agreement.
"Then, why did you say it's a help?"
"This is the Frontier. There's no guarantee that something like a monster outbreak won't occur. In such a situation, there's a possibility it could be used as a Frontline Base."
"...That place?"
"Yes. Well, if we were to use it for that purpose, we'd need to properly maintain the interior. We'd also need to firmly seal the entrance to prevent monsters from entering, as I just mentioned. As for Thieves... well, there's not much need to worry about that in this Frontier."
"As the one entrusted with the security of Gilm, Thieves are just as dangerous as monsters, if not more so," Ranga muttered with a wry smile.
The fact that he could brush it off with a smile was likely because he understood that ordinary Thieves couldn't possibly survive in this Frontier.
Most Thieves operated mainly around places like Abuelo and Sablusta, which served as the entrance to the Frontier. Occasionally, bloodthirsty Thieves would come as far as the outskirts of Gilm, but most ended up as monster fodder, and even if they didn't, Gilm was full of skilled Adventurers. They would be subjugated before long.
Ranga's words were born from that understanding. Rather, what Ranga should be wary of were the types of Thieves trying to infiltrate Gilm proper. Gilm had its share of Slums, and such places often attracted individuals of ill repute.
"Well, let's take some time to think more about the Dungeon. It's not something that needs to be decided immediately. More importantly, Rei. You brought back the Dungeon Core, didn't you? Could you show it to me?"
Daskar directed a gaze of expectation toward him, but Rei shook his head in response.
"The Dungeon Core is with an Alchemist right now, so it's not on hand."
"With an Alchemist? Ah, I see. Collecting Magic Items was a hobby of yours. Is that why?"
Daskar looked disappointed for a moment, but even if it came from a newly formed one, there was no doubt that a Dungeon Core was an extremely rare material.
"Are you using it to make some Magic Item?" Daskar asked.
Rei shook his head again. "It's not about making something new, but a repair... or rather, a remake? Something like that."
"Hmm, interesting. If you don't mind, tell me about it."
Daskar placed his teacup onto the table and leaned forward, fixing his gaze on Rei.
"I didn't think it was that big of a deal. When I fought Noise during the Internal Strife of the Bestia Empire, I obtained the Magic Sword he was using... but the blade was snapped clean in two. So, I thought I'd have it reforged into a Spear—a Magic Spear. I left it with an Alchemist introduced to me by a Blacksmith I know, as they said the Dungeon Core might be useful for the process."
"...You really do reckless things."
At Rei's explanation, Daskar muttered with a look of exasperation. Rei tilted his head.
"Reckless?"
"Yes. Reforging the blade of an ordinary Longsword into a Spear isn't that uncommon. But turning a Magic Sword into a Magic Spear... of course, it's not unheard of, but unless you have an exceptionally skilled Alchemist and Blacksmith, it wouldn't be surprising for a top-tier Magic Sword to turn into a third- or fourth-rate Magic Spear. What you're talking about is that difficult."
"...The man himself seemed quite eager, though."
Hearing Daskar's warning, Rei felt a belated sense of unease. Yet, the reason he didn't immediately rush back to Asimov's House was because of the fact that Pamidor, who surely knew about such matters, had accepted the job.
Rei hadn't actually met Pamidor that many times. However, after seeing the weapons he had forged as a Blacksmith, knowing the reputation of the person who introduced them, and seeing how he doted on his son, Kumito, Rei felt he was a trustworthy person.
Because it was Pamidor, he surely wouldn't say he could do something if it were truly impossible. As for Asimov, Rei understood that he was an Alchemy Nut, and precisely because of that obsession, he wouldn't take on a task he couldn't complete. If he were to attempt such a thing, it was certain that a severe punishment at Pamidor's hands would be waiting for him.
"Hmm, he was eager, was he? In that case, he must have the confidence to do it. May I ask which Alchemist you requested?"
"He said his name was Asimov."
The moment those words left Rei's mouth, the eyes of both Daskar and Ranga, who had been listening with interest, widened ever so slightly.
"I see, Asimov. ...Indeed, that Alchemist would certainly be capable of such a thing. Though it seems difficult just to get him to accept a request in the first place."
"Indeed. That Asimov is skilled, but, well..."
Watching the two of them exchange those words, Rei somehow understood what they were trying to get at. Considering Asimov's Personality, he certainly wouldn't be the type to accept requests easily. Since he was a creature of whim, it was surely difficult to get him in the right mood.
"In this case, it seems the deciding factors were his interest in Seto's feathers and fur, and his interest in the Dungeon Core."
"...I see, if that's the case."
Daskar murmured, and Ranga nodded as if convinced. It seemed these two also felt the same way about Asimov being an Alchemy Nut.
After that, they talked for a while. Hearing that those who had come to Gilm with Rei would move into the city as early as tomorrow, Rei left behind some supplies he had in his Misty Ring and departed the Lord's Mansion.