Rei tilted his head in confusion at the words that came out of Maruka’s mouth.
Doubting his own ears, he glanced at Koan, who stood stoically behind her. The guard merely offered a small smile and a confirmatory nod.
In other words, Maruka’s proposal was neither a misunderstanding nor a figment of Rei’s imagination—it was the genuine, honest truth.
"Wait, I’m sorry. I’m not really following the flow of the conversation here. The root of the problem is that I... or more accurately, Count Eriel's House, suffered a massive public disgrace because of me, right?"
Keep had been utterly humiliated when he wet himself in front of such a large crowd.
In Gilm, the name of Count Eriel's House had undoubtedly become synonymous with "the family of the one who wet himself."
Since Gilm was a hub for travelers, there was no way to stop that information from leaking out and spreading far and wide.
The only saving grace was that it was currently deep winter.
Perhaps by the time the snow vanished and the movement of people and goods picked up again... just maybe, the rumors might have already quieted down.
Though, it was hard to say if the gossip about a Count's heir losing control of his bladder in public would truly settle in just a few months.
"Indeed. There is no doubt about that," Maruka replied.
"...And why does that mean I have to be an instructor? Better yet, what am I even supposed to be instructing?"
"Umu. In the City of Gracial, the seat of Duke Quento's House, there is an Officer Academy of Duke Quento's Knight Order. Thou shalt serve as an instructor there."
"No, I mean—are you actually listening to me? Why do I have to go all the way to the City of Gracial to be an instructor? What could I possibly teach?"
"Thou art a Mage's Apprentice, art thou not? Surely there is much knowledge thou couldst impart."
At Maruka’s words, Rei remembered his own cover story.
(Oh, right... I did have that setting. Dammit, I didn't think that would come back to haunt me. What should I do? Just teach them some random trivia from Earth? ...No, that's not the point.)
Realizing he was already subconsciously considering the role, Rei let out a sigh and spoke again.
"That's not what I'm asking. I want to know why I have to go through the trouble of leaving Gilm to go to... Gracial, was it? Why is it necessary?"
"...Nu. Must I truly spell it out for thee?" Maruka looked up at Rei with pleading eyes.
If he hadn’t already known her personality, her natural cuteness might have made him nod without thinking.
But Rei knew exactly who she was. He let out another sigh.
"So? Why?"
"Mu... How strange. I was told that if I asked like this, thou wouldst listen to my request in an instant."
Rei wondered who on earth had given her such useless advice. Suppressing the urge to retort, he prompted her to continue with a look.
Resigning herself, Maruka began to speak with a slightly displeased expression.
"To put it simply, it hath been decided that we shall use this incident to conduct an Enforcement of Discipline within the King's Faction."
Sitting in her chair, her legs dangling and swinging because they couldn't reach the floor, Maruka looked almost like a doll given her inherent loveliness.
However, the fact that a term as heavy as "Enforcement of Discipline" sounded natural coming from her mouth was a testament to the character Rei had come to know.
"Enforcement of Discipline?"
Rei glanced at Koan standing behind her and saw a small smile playing on his lips.
Unsure of the reason for the smile, Rei focused on Maruka and encouraged her to explain.
"Umu. As thou art aware, the King's Faction is the largest power in the Kingdom of Mireana. Because it is the largest... well, because it hath so many members, it naturally contains a wide variety of people. Keep, the one thou hadst thy dispute with, was a particularly wretched example."
The fact that she was now referring to him simply as "Keep" without any title likely stemmed from his arrest during the Attempted Attack on Baron Cisne's House.
He had caused a massive uproar and dragged the prestige of the King's Faction through the mud like never before.
Had he at least paid the price for losing the Duel quietly, he might have been allowed to remain within the faction.
But the Attempted Attack on Baron Cisne's House was a crime that simply could not be overlooked or covered up.
"As I said, Keep was the worst of them, but there are many others whose behavior is hardly noble, even if it is not quite as extreme as his. Having learned of this, His Majesty the King hath ordered an Enforcement of Discipline within the King's Faction."
"I'd say 'good luck with that,' but how does that lead to me being an instructor?"
"Silence! Listen until the end. The trigger for this Enforcement of Discipline was undoubtedly thee—or more accurately, thee and Baron Cisne's House. Naturally, the hatred of those being targeted in this Enforcement of Discipline will be directed at thee. However, for me... or rather, for those of the King's Faction, to allow harm to come to others because of such a petty grudge would be a stain on our pride. Public reputation is also a factor, of course."
Maruka shrugged her shoulders slightly and looked at Rei to see if he understood.
When Rei nodded, she continued her explanation.
"In any case, that is the situation. Rei, thou art being targeted by the grudges of the nobles who are being driven into a corner within the King's Faction."
"What about Muet... Baron Cisne? If this whole thing is the cause, aren't they the ones in real danger?"
The root of the incident was Keep setting his sights on Ashie the Maid, who served Baron Cisne's House.
If that was the case, the most vulnerable person was surely the head of the house, Muet.
The faces of Muet, Basrero, and Ashie crossed Rei's mind.
However, Maruka shook her head to dismiss his concern.
"It seems Baron Cisne's House hath officially joined the Neutral Faction because of this incident. Once that happens, the members of the King's Faction cannot lay a hand on them. If they were to touch someone from the Neutral Faction here in Gilm, which Lord Daskar governs, they would have no excuse for their actions. However, thou art a different matter."
Maruka turned her gaze toward Rei once more.
Her eyes were filled with genuine worry and concern for him.
"If thou wert Lord Daskar's subordinate and acting as a member of the Neutral Faction, it would be fine. But... while thou art close to Lord Daskar and acceptest many of his requests, thou art ultimately a lone adventurer and not a member of the Neutral Faction, art thou not?"
Maruka's words succinctly described Rei's position.
He possessed strength that far exceeded that of an ordinary adventurer and had an A-Rank Monster like a Gryphon as his Tamed Monster. Furthermore, he was a man of strong likes and dislikes who harbored little love for the nobility as a whole.
Normally, such a person would be treated as a dangerous individual. It wouldn't be surprising if someone tried to arrest him on trumped-up charges just to get him off the streets.
Yet Daskar tolerated Rei, partly because his strength was too valuable to lose, but also because he had taken a personal interest in him.
It was only natural for Rei to feel a sense of affection or debt toward such a man.
However, Rei still had no intention of joining a faction. He hated the idea of losing his freedom or being forced to act against his will through formal orders, so he had never even considered joining the Neutral Faction.
"So that's the issue?"
"Umu. There are those who do not understand what happens when Rei is truly angered. There are those who understand, but think his wrath would never be directed at them because they are nobles. And then there are those who believe every rumor they hear is nothing but a fabrication spread by Rei to make himself seem more important."
"Even after people saw me fight? Those of the King's Faction led the Spring War last year, didn't they? A lot of people died when Theoreme's plan hit them from the rear, but there must have been survivors."
"The Flash, was it? That is true, yet there are always those who believe only their own opinions, or simply refuse to believe anything else. Such people might try to lay their hands upon thee. However, if thou art in the City of Gracial, my base of operations, they cannot touch thee so easily."
"I suppose that makes sense. But if they're going to come for me, I’m perfectly fine with meeting them head-on, you know?"
"If we were to cause thee trouble due to our own internal mess, the King's Faction would lose all its standing."
"I mean, going all the way to your base is still a huge pain in the ass."
Maruka gasped at Rei's bluntness.
Rei's confidence wasn't just bluster. He had the combat power to back it up and a track record of achievements to prove it. That was exactly why...
"Lord Daskar likely wants to avoid a situation where Rei runs wild in Gilm. However, this is not a forced command. If thou truly hatest the idea, I will not insist. But... well, if thou wilt serve as an instructor, I could pay thee in Flame Ore. Naturally, we could handle it as a Nomination Request through the Guild."
Rei froze at the mention of the reward.
It was the name of the magic ore he had discovered with Phron and Brasso.
Technically, it had been standard ore that transformed into Flame Ore because of the Flame Magic Rei had unleashed.
While it was an incredibly rare material for blacksmiths and alchemists, the same was true for Rei.
If he mixed Flame Ore into his Firestorm—his ultimate trump card—its power would increase exponentially compared to using simple iron scraps.
(Besides, it’s true that it’s winter and I don't have anything better to do.)
The promise of Flame Ore already had Rei's mental scales tipping halfway toward acceptance.
He also realized that a Nomination Request would serve as a solid achievement for rising to a higher rank.
"Flame Ore, huh. Specifically, how much are we talking about?"
"Thou seemest to have grown keen on the idea. ...Fumu. How about one barrel the size of myself?"
Maruka was only a little over a meter tall.
A barrel of that size would be worth a fortune.
It was easily worth several Platinum Coins... no, it could even be said to be worth Light Gold Coins.
However, Rei thought it over for a moment and shook his head.
"Two. Make it two, and we have a deal."
"Fumu... Thou art quite greedy."
"I was dragged into the King's Faction's mess to begin with. You can afford to be a bit flexible, can't you?"
"Thou strikest where it hurts. ...Koan, what dost thou think?" Maruka asked, turning to the man behind her.
"Indeed. If one were to hire an expert of Rei-san's caliber, it wouldn't be strange for it to cost that much. After all, he won against the S-Rank Immovable, Noise."
Rei tried to suppress his shock at Koan's words, but failed.
If they had meant his loss to Noise, they would be talking about the Fighting Tournament.
But for them to claim he had won meant they knew about the battle against Noise the Immovable during the Civil Strife.
"...You're certainly well-informed."
At Rei's remark, Maruka gave a broad, knowing smile.
"The largest faction in the Kingdom of Mireana is not just for show, thou knowest."
"In that case, Keep sure didn't seem to know anything about me."
"Information hath no meaning if it just sits there; it must be wielded properly. Especially for a house like Count Eriel's, which is so widely disliked that gossip naturally takes longer to reach their ears."
Rei understood the situation more or less.
(I bet this Enforcement of Discipline was something they were planning to do eventually. I just happened to be the one who pulled the trigger.)
That was likely why their course of action had been decided so quickly, and why they had come all the way to Gilm in the middle of a snowy winter just a few weeks after the duel.
Faced with that reality, all Rei could do was...
"Just so you know, I didn't actually beat Noise. I was just handed the win. In reality, Noise just let me go."
He chose to tell the truth about that battle.
Those who knew the circumstances insisted it was Rei's victory since Noise had been forced to flee, but Rei still felt strongly that he had simply been spared.
The next time they fought, he intended to win for real.
At Rei's whispered words, which were heavy with intent, both Maruka and Koan looked slightly surprised.
"Fumu. Well, that depends on thy own perspective, I suppose. So, how about it? Wilt thou accept my request?"
With Noise on his mind, Rei also remembered the other S-Rank Adventurer in the Kingdom of Mireana.
"Fine. Two barrels of Flame Ore, and I want you to arrange a meeting with the Kingdom of Mireana's S-Rank Adventurer, Lord Saldat. Do that, and I'll take the instructor job. But keep in mind, all I can do is fight. I'm not teaching academic subjects; I want practical work, like mock battles."
"...Fumu. Thou art surprisingly greedy. Very well. As for the S-Rank Adventurer, Lord Saldat, I cannot promise it for certain. I shall accept on the condition that I do my utmost to arrange it."
"Got it. And the duration? I have some plans for the spring."
"It should be fine. That sort of business ought to be finished before the winter ends."
And so, Rei was entrusted with the job of instructor—a role that didn't suit him in the slightest.
"By the way, Rei. Thy Magic Power..."
"Oh, this?"
Rei ended up explaining the effects of his Ring to Maruka when she brought up the question as an afterthought.