Rei headed to the guild with Maruka Quento, Koan, and Seto. Now that he had decided to accept the nomination request, he figured it was better to get the paperwork done immediately rather than just lounging around.
"Ho, this grilled skewer is truly delicious. Hmm, Stall Owner. I desire another."
"Hahaha. 'Desire,' she says? You're quite the handful, little lady. Here, it’s fresh off the grill and hot, so be careful."
"Umu. Freshly grilled food is indeed the best. Moreover, eating like this while the snow falls has a certain charm to it."
"Guruuu."
Beside Maruka, who was happily munching on her skewer, Seto let out a pleased purr while eating its own.
Indeed, despite being the daughter of Duke Quento, Maruka wasn't riding in the carriage she had arrived in at the Dusk Wheat Inn. Instead, she was traversing Gilm on foot.
And just as Rei and Seto always did, she was stopping to buy snacks along the way.
Her clothing was also different from when she had first appeared at the inn. While still made of high-quality material, her outfit was plain enough that it was hard to believe she was a noble.
Looking at Maruka now, someone might mistake her for the daughter of a wealthy merchant, but few would guess she was a noble—much less a Duke's Daughter.
Only someone who had seen her in her official capacity would know the truth.
"Little lady, you’re with Seto-chan? That’s wonderful. ...Here, have some of this, too."
"Nu? Is it truly alright?"
"Yeah, yeah. No problem. My sandwiches are a cut above anything else you'll find around here."
"What? Is that so? Then I shall have one at once!"
Maruka bit energetically into the sandwich provided by the Stall Owner.
Sauce squirted out from between the slices of bread and smeared onto her cheek, but she didn't seem to care in the slightest as she kept eating.
It was the kind of sight that made bystanders smile just by watching her enjoy herself.
"Are you sure about this?" Rei asked. "You're supposed to be incognito, but you're standing out quite a bit."
"Ahahaha. Well, if anything happens, I'll protect her," Koan replied. "Besides, with Rei-san and Seto here, I doubt anyone would be foolish enough to try anything."
Rei and Koan continued their walk, munching on skewers and stopping at various stalls until the group finally reached the guild.
"Umu, umu. Gilm is truly a marvelous place. If I were to act like this in the City of Gracial, it would undoubtedly cause an uproar."
"It's only natural that Lady Maruka, the only daughter of Duke Quento, would stand out in Duke Quento's Headquarters," Koan noted.
"I am well aware of that."
"Guruuu."
Upon arriving at the guild, Seto purred and headed to its usual spot without needing a word from Rei.
Maruka and Koan were once again impressed by the griffon's intelligence, while Rei led the two of them inside.
"Oh! It has been quite a while since I was last in a guild! A guild... A guild, is it?"
Maruka raised a cheer the moment they stepped inside, but she quickly noticed how empty the guild area was, contrasted with the tavern section which was almost at full capacity.
"Tell me, Rei. Is this not a tavern rather than a guild? When I came last year, I do not believe the tavern was this crowded while the guild was so devoid of adventurers."
Maruka looked up at Rei and murmured.
For someone as short as Rei, being looked up to from below was a very rare experience.
He felt a small surge of satisfaction from it, but he kept his face neutral as he nodded and spoke.
"This place serves as both. I don't know much about guilds in other cities, but they're generally attached to a tavern."
"It's likely designed so that adventurers can head straight to the tavern to spend their rewards after reporting a completed request at the guild counter," Koan added. "In fact, I've heard the income from the tavern is a significant part of any guild's revenue."
After hearing their explanations, Maruka looked around the room once more.
There were only a few adventurers in the guild section, whereas the tavern was bustling.
"Hmm. Even so, the tavern seems disproportionately crowded."
"It's winter," Koan explained. "In warmer climates or places with less snow, adventurers can stay active, but Gilm gets hit pretty hard. Most adventurers go on hiatus until the snow melts."
"Is that so? ...But surely there are still tasks to be done? As far as I know, there are monsters that only appear during the winter."
"That is where those people come in."
Koan gestured toward the adventurers currently in the guild area, who were scanning the request board for suitable work.
"Not every adventurer manages to save enough money to survive the winter. Those who fail end up looking for requests they can handle even in this weather. ...Now then, Young Lady. Shall we get the request sorted?"
"Umu! Let's go, Rei, Koan!"
Maruka had been observing her surroundings with curiosity, but she nodded at Koan's suggestion and headed toward the guild counter.
Lenora and Kenny were there as usual, along with several other receptionists.
However, given the circumstances, they were clearly lacking work to do.
They had paperwork to organize, but that wasn't a task that could occupy them for an entire day.
Because they were idle, Lenora and Kenny—who were well-acquainted with Rei—noticed him the moment he entered.
...The fact that he was accompanied by Maruka and Koan certainly added to their surprise.
(Wait?)
Kenny, who had been exchanging silent looks with Lenora, suddenly realized the man with Rei looked familiar.
(I'm sure he... he was talking to Rei-kun at the guild before, wasn't he?)
Kenny saw dozens, hundreds, and sometimes even over a thousand adventurers in a single day. The fact that she remembered a man she had only met once was partly because she associated him with Rei.
But more than that, as a guild receptionist, she had felt something noteworthy about Koan.
Rei, Maruka, and Koan approached Kenny—or more accurately, the counter where Lenora stood beside her.
"Ho, so these are the receptionists. I see. As one might expect of the face of the guild, they have selected quite attractive individuals."
Maruka murmured in admiration as she looked at Lenora and Kenny.
However, the two receptionists felt a bit awkward receiving such praise.
After all, the girl describing them as attractive was herself incredibly adorable, despite not even being ten years old yet.
While "adorable" was the right word for her now, it was clear that she would grow into a stunning beauty who would turn heads wherever she went.
Nonetheless, they maintained their professional poise and spoke without letting their internal thoughts show.
"Rei-kun, who are these people? I’m fairly certain that gentleman visited the guild last year."
Kenny was the first to address him.
Koan’s eyebrows twitched in slight surprise. He clearly hadn't expected her to remember him from such a brief encounter.
"I'm here for a nomi—"
"It is fine, Rei. In this instance, it is only proper that I, the client, should speak. ...I am Maruka Quento. It would likely be simplest to say that I am a member of Duke Quento's House."
The moment those words left her mouth, not just the receptionists, but nearly every guild staff member behind the counter froze, their eyes widening in shock.
It was only natural. Duke Quento's House was one of the most prominent noble families in the Kingdom of Mireana, ruling over one of its greatest territories.
Upon hearing that a member of such a prestigious family was standing before them, very few staff members could maintain their composure.
A few of them did remember her as the individual who had assisted with a rank up exam the previous year and speculated that she might be here for related reasons.
The fact that she was with Rei, who had rank up at that very time, only reinforced that suspicion.
"Please forgive our lack of decorum, Lady Maruka Quento. How may we assist you today?"
Kenny usually spoke to adventurers with a casual air, but as a receptionist, she had been properly trained in formal etiquette.
Rei let out a small, surprised look at Kenny's sudden shift to a formal bow and polite tone.
Seeing his reaction, Kenny couldn't help but feel a twinge of inward dissatisfaction.
Lenora, standing beside her, decided to let Kenny handle the situation for now and watched the exchange silently.
She was prepared to intervene immediately if Kenny did anything inappropriate.
After all, their guest was a Duke's Daughter. If a scene broke out, it could lead to a diplomatic incident between the guild and the ducal house.
Oblivious to Lenora's tension, Maruka addressed Kenny.
"Umu. I have come to the guild to place a nomination request for Rei."
"Eh? A... a request for... Rei-kun...?"
Perhaps because Maruka's words triggered a bad premonition, Kenny's eyes darted toward Rei.
From Kenny's perspective, it hadn't been that long since Rei had returned from the Bestia Empire.
She couldn't help but worry if he would have any time to rest if he was already being targeted for a nomination request from a ducal house.
"Umu. I intend to have Rei serve as an instructor at the officer academy in my home, the City of Gracial."
"...Um, Rei-kun? As an instructor?"
Kenny's expression shifted, making it look as though her worry from a few seconds ago had never existed.
Usually, Kenny carried herself with the charm of a flirtatious older sister, but no one looking at her now would think that.
It wasn't just Kenny, either; Lenora wore a nearly identical look of disbelief.
To them, the words "Rei" and "instructor" were fundamentally incompatible.
They simply couldn't imagine Rei teaching anything to anyone—especially students at an officer academy.
Of course, they knew he wasn't entirely incapable of teaching.
He had, after all, completed a request to train Basrero the previous year.
But that had been for Basrero—a child barely ten years old.
In an officer academy, the students would be in their mid-to-late teens, or even their twenties.
Essentially, the students would be Rei's own age or older.
Given Rei's personality, they didn't think he could possibly function as an instructor.
This sentiment wasn't limited to Kenny and Lenora; the other guild staff members felt the same way.
To begin with, Rei wasn't exactly known for his social graces.
The idea of him becoming an instructor was nothing short of a shock to everyone in the building.
Some staff members even wondered if the officer academy students would end up psychologically broken or physically crippled by the time he was done.
Rei was a man who returned friendliness with friendliness and hostility with hostility—and he was merciless toward the latter.
Rumors had already filtered down from the Guard Force about the conflict between Baron Cisne's House and the Next Head of Count Eriel's House several weeks ago. They had heard that Keep had both his arms severed after losing a duel and attempting a subsequent raid to nullify the result.
The only reason Rei wasn't feared throughout Gilm was because it was well known that he never resorted to mindless violence.
...Of course, one couldn't ignore that Seto's presence acted as a massive buffer, and the fact that Rei was a big spender at food stalls and shops certainly helped his reputation.
"Umu. My father consulted me about this matter some time ago, and I remembered Rei," Maruka explained.
"But, well... it seems to me that Rei-kun isn't exactly the type to teach others," Kenny said, trying to dissuade Maruka. She knew that if Rei accepted, he would be leaving Gilm once again.
(I understand how Kenny feels,) Lenora thought as she watched them. (But she came all the way to Gilm specifically for Rei-san, so I doubt she'll give up that easily. ...Still, Kenny is right. If Rei-san becomes an instructor, it feels like nothing but trouble will follow.)
Lenora, who viewed Rei as a younger brother, turned a worried gaze toward him. She was genuinely concerned he would cause some massive incident at the academy.
"There is no need for concern," Maruka replied. "Rei will primarily be handling mock battles. His overwhelming strength will provide the students with more than enough of a stimulus."
"...I suspect it won't be a stimulus so much as it will be a complete loss of confidence," Kenny remarked. Knowing Rei's power as she did, her words carried the weight of experience.
Kenny continued to suggest that someone other than Rei would be better suited for the role, but Maruka had no intention of listening.
It made sense. After all, the primary purpose of this nomination request was to bring Rei under their protection for a time.
Just as Kenny was running out of arguments...
"Kenny, leave it at that."
The voice of Marina, the Guild Master, rang out across the guild hall.