Rei returned to the guild after dropping off the Gamelions at the training ground.
As was often the case, he was greeted by the sight of a sparsely populated guild counter and a tavern packed with people.
(Actually, is it even more crowded than usual?)
Perhaps influenced by the first snow of winter, the crowd making a racket in the tavern was substantial. It wasn't just adventurers; many merchants and town residents had shown their faces as well. They had likely come seeking alcohol to stave off the chill. Since it was already dinner time, many were also there for a meal.
(I wonder where Mirene and the others are...)
Rei scanned the room for the members of the Scorching Wind, whom he had parted with before heading to the training ground, but they were nowhere to be found. Judging that they had probably finished reporting the completion of their request, collected their reward, and left, Rei headed toward the counter.
In a guild where so few people were currently looking for work or reporting successes, anyone walking toward the counter stood out. Lenora and Kenny, the two receptionists Rei was most familiar with, naturally noticed him immediately.
"Ah, Rei-san. Good work today. Is this about the Gamelion incident?"
"Good work, Rei-kun. It looks like the snow is really coming down. Was it cold outside?"
Rei offered a smile to the two women as they greeted him.
"Yeah, the sudden snow was a surprise, but I'm just glad it didn't start while we were in the middle of Gamelion hunting."
"...I heard from Mirene-san that you really did go Gamelion hunting. Even though you defeated so many in the dungeon, aren't you pushing yourself a bit too hard? From the perspective of Gamelion resource maintenance—setting the dungeon incident aside for a moment—I really must ask that you refrain from overhunting them right now."
Lenora spoke with a hint of hesitation, but Rei simply shook his head.
"No, it's not like I was the one doing the hunting. I was strictly there as help. In fact, I didn't even fight a single one. All I did was scout from the air with Seto to find them and then carry the carcasses back."
"...If Seto-chan scouts from the air, I imagine finding them wouldn't take any time at all."
"Well, he is Seto."
"Listen, Rei-san. As I said before, please be careful not to overhunt the Gamelions. If you hunt too many out of a moment of greed, the city will be in trouble from next year onwards."
"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind. It’s just, there were some circumstances on this end too."
Those "circumstances" involved a reward of top-quality cheese and the need to help Johanna and her group get used to life in Gilm, but Rei didn't go into detail. He knew that if he mentioned the cheese, he would definitely receive a lecture.
"More importantly, Rei-kun, the Gamelion dismantling from the ones you killed in the dungeon has progressed quite a bit. What do you want to do with the materials and meat?"
Kenny cut in, perhaps dissatisfied that Lenora was monopolizing Rei's attention. If it had been any other time, Lenora might have told her to get back to work because of the evening rush, but since the number of active adventurers was currently low, Kenny had already finished her tasks. Under these circumstances, Lenora couldn't find a reason to complain.
Rei, happy for the chance to avoid Lenora's nagging, turned to Kenny.
"Oh, it's finished already?"
"Not completely, no. How many days do you think it's been? Well, it’s true that so many people went out Gamelion hunting that things took a little longer than expected."
"In that case, I'll take the magic stones and meat. I'd like the guild to buy up the rest of the materials."
"Buying the materials, magic stones, and meat is usually handled all at once after the whole process is done, but do you want to just take the current portion of meat for now?"
If he conducted the transaction in several stages, the paperwork might become a hassle. The thought crossed Rei's mind for a moment, but in the end, he lost to the temptation of the Gamelion meat and nodded.
"Yeah, let's do that. Can I get it right now?"
"Um... hold on a second."
"Ah, wait, Kenny!?"
Kenny ignored Lenora’s attempt to stop her and headed straight for the supervisor at the back of the counter. Lenora watched her go with a look of dissatisfaction, but eventually gave up, let out a sigh, and turned back to the documents at her desk.
(That's a rare sight.)
Rei mused to himself. Usually, Lenora would have used her physical strength to haul Kenny back. However, in terms of raw physical ability, Lenora was a human and Kenny was a beastman; Lenora was no match for her. In that sense, it wasn't so much that Kenny went easy on Lenora, but rather a reflection of their usual power dynamic.
"By the way, Rei-san. Have you made any plans for the winter?"
Noticing Rei’s gaze, Lenora looked up from her paperwork. Rei shook his head.
"No, I don't really have any errands, so I plan to take it easy. This past year has been busy in a lot of ways, after all."
Spring brought the war with the Bestia Empire; summer involved fighting Lemures in Emotion and diving into the dungeon in the Labyrinth City; and autumn was spent in the Bestia Empire for the tournament and the subsequent civil strife. These were just the major events; the smaller incidents were even more numerous. It really wasn't the sort of year one should experience all at once. In terms of density, these were events that an ordinary adventurer might not see over several years, or even a lifetime. It was only natural that Rei would want to spend the winter resting.
Knowing exactly what kind of turmoil Rei had been dragged into, Lenora let out a small sigh.
"It’s true that you've been caught up in many disturbances, so perhaps resting slowly is for the best. However, don't rest so much that your body gets sluggish and you can't move when spring arrives. You should make an effort to move your body every now and then."
"That would definitely be a problem. Thanks for the advice. I'll make sure to stay active."
Even as he said it, Rei knew he would have to head outside of Gilm to hunt monsters for Seto’s food anyway. While he certainly had enough money to buy whatever Seto needed, he felt it was better not to be wasteful. Furthermore, staying cooped up in the stables all winter or only being able to walk through the city would surely be stressful for Seto. Considering those factors, occasional hunting trips outside of Gilm were a necessity.
"Oh, that's right. I received word from Baron Cisne. He said if you were around, he wanted to issue a nomination request... what do you think?"
"Baron Cisne? ...Ah, Basrero."
At Lenora's words, Rei recalled the child he had given combat training to last winter. Mind you, while it was called combat training, it was nothing like the intense regime Rei had put the Mobile Unit through. He had only taught the child the absolute basics. That was only natural, considering the student was a ten-year-old child. Had Rei used the same methods he used for the Mobile Unit, the boy would have likely developed a case of combat phobia.
"Exactly. Just like the nomination request from last year. This one is also technically a nomination request... will you accept?"
Rei hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Yeah, let's do it. With the snow falling, everyone will be going on holiday soon, and the reality is that I won't have anything to do until spring anyway."
"Understood. I'll send word to them then... what about the schedule?"
"I'll leave that to them. I'm basically free every day."
"I see. In that case..."
As Lenora began writing in the documents, Kenny eventually returned.
"Alright, Rei-kun. I got permission... Hm? What's wrong, Lenora?"
"Look, Rei-san's nomination request."
"Oh, right, that was a thing. Are you taking it, Rei-kun?"
"The snow's started, so I've got plenty of free time."
"Hmm... well, I haven't heard any bad rumors about Baron Cisne, so it'll probably be fine. Now, let’s head to the warehouse. Honestly, being free because there’s no work isn't always a bad thing."
Draping a shawl over her uniform, Kenny stepped out from behind the counter and pulled on Rei's hand. Lenora watched with an exasperated expression. It was true that they were free right now, so there was no harm in Kenny leaving her post—provided she had the supervisor's permission.
"Kenny, make sure you're back before it gets too late."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. This is why nosy sister-in-laws are such a pain."
"...Who are you calling a nosy sister-in-law?"
"Oh, no. The nosy sister-in-law is mad. Let’s go, Rei-kun. It’s time for our love elopement!"
"Kenny!"
Kenny deliberately spoke loud enough for Lenora to hear, then pulled Rei by the hand toward the guild exit.
"Whew, whew! I'm jealous!"
"No, no. That’s not 'jealous,' that’s 'envious.'"
"Kenny-chan, elope with me too!"
"Dammit, why does Kenny have to go with a guy like that..."
"I mean, his looks are refined, he's a B-Rank adventurer at that age, and he's an alias holder... It's impossible for him not to be popular."
"Shut up! Don't answer so seriously all of a sudden!"
Leaving behind the jeering voices from the tavern, Rei was led out of the guild by Kenny. As they stepped outside, the first thing they saw was...
"Seto-chan, how about this? Or maybe this one? Oh, this grilled skewer looks good too..."
Mirene was feeding Seto food she had likely bought from a nearby stall. And she was doing so right in the middle of the falling snow. Normally, Sulnin—who acted as Mirene's guardian—would have been there, but since their escort request was finished, he was likely off on his own.
For a moment, Rei thought about calling out to Seto, but seeing the griffon looking so happy while being petted by Mirene, he decided to leave them be. Of course, there was no way Seto wouldn't notice Rei's presence; when those round eyes turned toward him, Rei lightly waved a hand to signal that he was going out for a bit.
The fact that Seto understood the signal perfectly was a testament to the depth of the bond between them. If Mirene or Johanna had known, they surely would have writhed in jealousy.
"Are you sure about that, Rei-kun?"
"He'll be back soon enough. More importantly, let's get to the warehouse."
"Well, if you say so. Then, let’s go on our little date."
Kenny teased as she pulled Rei toward the warehouse. As she had predicted, they arrived in almost no time. Since they had been walking through the snow, Rei brushed it off his hood and Kenny shook it off her uniform before they entered.
Even though Kenny was wearing a shawl, her uniform was originally designed to be wide open at the chest. Inside the guild, magic items kept the air warm, but outside in the snow, it was naturally freezing. The fact that she insisted on wearing such a revealing uniform despite the cold suggested she had a personal policy about it. In fact, Kenny's uniform was quite popular among the adventurers who visited the guild. Kenny argued that as a receptionist, she was the face of the guild and was simply working hard to uphold that role.
"Now then, let's go inside. You're going to be surprised."
Listening to Kenny’s mischievous tone, Rei looked around the warehouse... and just as she had said, he was indeed surprised.
The Gamelion carcasses that had once covered the warehouse floor had been mostly dismantled. Their materials had been stripped, and their magic stones removed. Since the Gamelions were around three meters long, they had occupied nearly every inch of the floor when brought in, but that was no longer the case. Of course, not all the Gamelions had been processed yet, so a fair number of carcasses were still lined up. In place of the bodies, stacks of meat, materials, and magic stones had been laid out.
"This is certainly surprising... It's quite a sight looking at it like this."
Even now, several adventurers were working near the remaining carcasses, performing the dismantling and material stripping. Their handiwork was precise; they were clearly more skilled at this than Rei.
"Now, Rei-kun. Let's pick out the Gamelion meat you'll be taking with you."
Nodding at Kenny's suggestion, Rei reached out toward the Gamelion meat.