"...Huh? You want me to join a Gamelion Hunting expedition?"
A few days had passed since Rei had informed Daskar of the dungeon conquest. He was currently eating breakfast at the Dusk Wheat Inn, just as he did every morning.
He had been planning to head to the guild later that day to pick up the gamelion meat he'd requested for dismantling. It was at that moment an adventurer approached, asked to share his table, and made the unexpected proposal.
"Yeah. Word is your companion, Seto, can fly. There’s no greater advantage when it comes to finding Gamelions, right? Plus, you're an Alias Holder. I’ve heard you’ve got enough strength to take down a Gamelion all by yourself."
"So, what do you say?" the unshaven man in his mid-20s asked.
Rei couldn't tell if the man was staying at the Dusk Wheat Inn or if he had simply come for the food, but his appearance didn't suggest he was an adventurer who could afford to lodge there.
Then again, if one went purely by appearances, Rei himself looked like nothing more than a short, physically unimposing rookie mage. Unless a person knew Rei's true identity, many found it hard to believe he was staying at a place like the Dusk Wheat Inn.
This was particularly common among newcomers who had just arrived in Gilm and were seeing him for the first time. However, it didn't seem to Rei that the man inviting him to the Gamelion Hunting trip was being deceived by his looks.
In a different sense, though, the unshaven man before him clearly lacked an eye for detail.
(Actually, I only reported the Gamelion Incident to the guild, and it wasn't exactly a public announcement, so I guess it’s not that strange he doesn't know the full story. Still, being this behind on information is a bit disappointing for an adventurer.)
Rei watched the man eat his bread while waiting for a response. He opened his mouth to offer a polite refusal, but the man cut him off.
"Besides, you've already secured plenty of gamelion meat for yourself, haven't you? If that's the case, you could at least give those folks a hand."
"Those folks?"
Rei tilted his head at the man’s meaningful tone. He swallowed his rejection for the moment and prompted the man to continue. The man gave a small smirk, set down his bread, and leaned in.
"You’re the one who brought those wishing to migrate to Gilm here, aren't you?"
"...I see. So that's what this is about."
"Easy now. I'm not trying to threaten you. It’s just that some of those intending to work as adventurers were talking about heading out for Gamelion Hunting, so I thought I’d offer my cooperation."
As he spoke, it was clear he had anticipated that Rei would be highly likely to agree if he brought this up. In fact, he had likely approached Rei with this specific angle in mind, hoping to secure Seto’s aerial reconnaissance to make finding the Gamelions a simple task.
"What do you think? As the one who brought them here, wouldn't it be right to lend them a little help?"
"...Even if I were to cooperate in the Gamelion Hunting, what’s in it for me? It's true I brought them here, but I’m not their guardian."
"Hey now, that’s cold. No sense of camaraderie? Well, I suppose you are an adventurer, so that's to be expected. In that case... how about this?"
The man reached into a leather pouch at his waist and pulled out what looked like a simple lump of cheese.
"Cheese?"
"That’s right. Cheese."
"Look, it’s just cheese. I can buy that..."
Rei started to speak with an exasperated expression, suggesting he could buy cheese at any local shop. However, the man didn't let him finish and thrust the cheese toward him.
"Save your complaints until after you’ve tasted it."
"...You haven't poisoned it, have you?"
"Who knows? Maybe I have. Are you going to let fear stop you from eating it?"
Rei hesitated for a split second at the man’s provocation before reaching for the cheese. He was confident that he would recognize even a trace of poison the moment it touched his tongue. Furthermore, his body—the culmination of the Zephyle Clan's greatest techniques—was highly resistant to most toxins.
More than anything, he had become genuinely curious about the cheese.
"If you're going that far, I’ll try it. But if this turns out to be the same kind of cheese sold on any street corner, you'd better be prepared."
"Suit yourself."
Even at the threat, the man simply shrugged his shoulders with an air of absolute confidence. Wondering where that certainty came from, Rei popped the cheese into his mouth.
The moment he bit down, his entire body froze.
A rich, savory umami exploded across his tongue. From there, the intense, complex aroma of the cheese filled his mouth and drifted up through his nose.
It was a flavor he wanted to savor forever. This cheese was arguably the most delicious thing Rei had ever eaten—including everything he had tasted back in Japan.
Rei didn't consider himself to have a particularly sophisticated palate. He knew when food was good, but he lacked the culinary knowledge to explain why—he couldn't lecture anyone on the origin of ingredients or aging processes. He could only describe things as "delicious."
Yet, precisely because he was that kind of person, his reaction to the cheese was honest and unfiltered.
"It’s amazing."
A simple word, but it was overflowing with genuine sincerity.
"Right?"
"...I’ve never had cheese like this before. Where is it from? I’ve never seen anything this good for sale."
"Heh heh. Of course you haven't. This is a cheese specially made at my family home. It’s an incredibly labor-intensive process, so we can't produce much. We only supply it to certain nobles and great merchant guilds we have prior contracts with."
"Meaning it’s impossible for a regular person to get their hands on it?"
"Exactly. So, back to my proposal. If you help with the Gamelion Hunting, I’ll give you this whole lump of cheese as a reward. The catch is that you have to give up your share of the Gamelions. What do you say?"
Rei had no complaints about such a reward. A cheese this good was more than worth the effort. However, he didn't nod immediately. He fixed his gaze on the man.
"Before I give you my answer, there are a few things I need to ask."
Rei’s eyes turned sharp, and the man felt a cold chill run down his spine. Nevertheless, he refused to back down and prompted Rei to continue.
"Fine by me. Ask whatever you want. I'll answer if I can."
He was determined to pull Rei into this Gamelion Incident no matter what. The first thing Rei asked was...
"You said a lump of cheese, but how big is it exactly?"
It was a question about his compensation. Naturally, he wanted to know the details of what he was being paid. Even so, the question was clearly unexpected for the man. Given Rei’s serious expression, he had expected him to ask something far more significant.
He felt slightly deflated, but the fact that Rei was asking about the size of the reward meant he was interested. Taking it as a positive sign, the man replied.
"Let's see... would it help if I said it's about the right size for someone like you to hold in both arms?"
"That’s a bit vague. For instance, is it about half the size of this table?"
The tables in the Dusk Wheat Inn Dining Hall were rectangular and designed to seat six people—two on each long side and one at each end.
"W-Whoa, it’s not that big. Let's say... about a quarter of this table."
"...I see. That’s still quite a substantial size."
It wasn't an infinite supply, but it was certainly a generous amount. Of course, that was by the standards of someone like Rei or Seto. Usually, cheese of this quality was eaten sparingly, sliced into tiny pieces to accompany wine.
"Right? If I offer that as the reward, will you take the Gamelion job?"
"Well, I'm inclined to accept... but I have one last question. If this cheese is as good as you say and isn't available on the market, it must be worth a fortune. It’s likely worth more than anything you could make from hunting Gamelions."
Generally, the guild’s purchase price for materials was fixed, unless there were emergency circumstances. That included the current shortage caused by the dungeon, or the time Rei was sent to collect materials for Magic Fever Medicine.
Even so, the price of a rare cheese reserved for nobles and great merchants was in a different league entirely. From Rei's perspective, it looked like the man was taking a massive loss. He began to suspect there was some ulterior motive.
All the migrants had come from the Bestia Empire. Was it possible that a faction hostile to Daskar was setting a trap? Even Rei, who usually ignored politics, couldn't help but wonder.
However, at Rei's question, the man suddenly looked away and tried to hide his face. He seemed to be desperately masking his embarrassment.
(...Wait, what?)
Rei was completely baffled by the reaction. He had no desire to sit and stare at a blushing, unshaven man all morning, so he decided to be direct.
"Are you... actually planning something shady, or is it..."
"Aaaaagh! Fine! Yes! That's it! I fell in love with that woman Johanna at first sight!"
The man shouted, slamming his fist onto the table. His voice echoed with startling clarity through the otherwise noisy dining hall.
"..."
For a few seconds, the entire room was plunged into absolute silence.
The man seemed to realize what he’d done. He glared at the surrounding patrons as if daring them to say something. The other customers quickly averted their eyes, though they were all wearing broad smirks.
Unlike the others, Rei simply looked at the man with an exasperated expression. He certainly recognized the name Johanna.
It made sense. Among the members of the Mobile Unit, she was a woman who was particularly obsessed with Seto. She had left a terrifyingly intense impression on Rei. She was the one person Rei felt he must never allow to meet Mirene, as both women shared an equally dangerous level of devotion to his gryphon.
"...Right. Well, I understand how you feel. It sounds like you've got your work cut out for you, but good luck."
"Don't look at me with those pitying eyes! Stop it!"
The man yelled in response to Rei's sympathy. Over at the kitchen entrance, Lana poked her head out and was watching the man with a gaze full of merciful affection.
The man noticed her look and immediately fell into a humiliated silence. As he quieted down, the rest of the dining hall slowly resumed its conversations. A heavy silence hung over Rei's table for a few minutes.
After about five minutes, Rei decided it was time to wrap things up.
"Anyway, back to the main point. If you're telling the truth and there’s no hidden motive, I don't mind helping you. Actually, considering how good that cheese was, I'd say I want to help."
At Rei's words, the man’s grumpy expression vanished, replaced by a hopeful smile. Looking at that smile, Rei hesitated for a moment. He wondered if he should warn him, but decided it was better for the man to know the truth now rather than later.
"I don't know if you've realized this, but Johanna is extremely fond of Seto. To the point where she’s lamented not being born a gryphon herself. So, what do you think will happen if I bring Seto along? I can almost guarantee she'll be so distracted by him that she won't even notice you're there."
"Yeah, I figured as much. But to find Gamelions, we really need the help of someone who can scout from the air. Besides, if I show her how I handle myself in a fight against a Gamelion, she might actually take an interest in me."
The man spoke with enough confidence to suggest he was at least a C-Rank adventurer, likely working solo or leading a C-Rank Party.
(It’s true that if I look past the scruffy appearance, his body is clearly well-trained. I can see it in the way he moves. Well then...)
Knowing that the man before him was a capable warrior piqued Rei's interest. He held out his hand.
"Fine. If you're okay with that risk, I'll help. To formally introduce myself, I'm Rei, a B-Rank adventurer."
"Really? That's a huge help! I'm Lento, a C-Rank adventurer. Good to be working with you!"
Lento gripped Rei’s hand firmly. And so, Rei's plan for the day was set: a Gamelion hunt.