The moment that voice rang out, every guild staff member behind the counter—and even the few adventurers skimming the request boards—turned their gaze toward its source.
It was an instinctive reaction, born from the immediate recognition of who the voice belonged to.
Dusky skin and silver-white hair; she possessed a beauty that never failed to captivate the hearts of men.
Her alluring figure was draped in a party dress with a plunging neckline. Through the deep slit in the skirt, her shapely thighs were briefly visible with every step.
Any man—or woman, for that matter—might have been dazed by such glamour, yet her eyes held the unmistakable glint of high intelligence.
One could find plenty of women in the Kingdom of Mireana who were merely beautiful on the surface. However, those who possessed both brilliant intellect and such striking looks were few and far between.
This woman was one of those rare few, her pointed ears and dark skin serving as proof of her heritage as a Dark Elf.
"Guild Master," Kenny whispered.
Marina Alianza. She was the Guild Master of the Adventurer's Guild in Gilm, the city on the frontier of the Kingdom of Mireana.
"Kenny, I’m sorry, but could you show them to my room? I’ll handle the rest of this conversation myself."
"...Understood."
Kenny clearly had more she wanted to say, but she couldn't bring herself to defy a direct request from Marina.
Marina offered a small, knowing smile at Kenny’s reaction before turning her attention back to Maruka.
"Well then, shall we continue this in my office?"
"Umu. I would appreciate that," Maruka replied.
With everyone in agreement, the three—Maruka, Koan, and Rei—stepped behind the counter and followed her.
"Lenora, tea, please. And bring some light snacks for Rei as well."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Sorry to trouble you. This way, please."
Marina led the trio through the guild and into her private office.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable."
Marina took a seat on a sofa and gestured for the others to do the same.
"Umu. ...So you are Marina. When I visited before, I didn't have the chance to meet you. I had only heard of you through rumors, but it seems those rumors were far too modest."
"Fufu, if you're going to say that, wouldn't the same apply to you? A genius girl who manipulates the Three Attributes of Wind, Earth, and Light—the very representative of the next generation of magic in the Kingdom of Mireana. Your name is quite famous among adventurers, you know?"
"I am still quite immature. As proof of that, I cannot even defeat Rei."
"...To be fair, I don't think there are many people alive who could defeat Rei. If there were, the Kingdom of Mireana would have unilaterally trampled the Bestia Empire long ago."
The two exchanged smiles, trading polite flatteries.
After a few minutes of conversation, Lenora arrived at the room carrying a tray with black tea and a plate of sandwiches.
"Thank you. Just leave them there."
"Yes. Um... ma'am, should I prepare the Nomination Request Form yet?"
"No, I'll handle the paperwork on this end. You don't need to worry about it."
"I see. Then, if you'll excuse me."
Lenora bowed and left the office. As she departed, she cast a lingering, worried look at Rei, though she refrained from speaking her mind.
Once they were alone, Marina picked up her tea and crossed her legs. Her dark, shapely thighs were fully exposed to Rei and Koan, but neither of them so much as blinked.
If she was disappointed by their lack of reaction, she didn't show it. She looked directly at Maruka.
"Now then, I’ve already received a fair amount of information regarding the King's Faction's current situation. I take it your desire to hire Rei as an Officer Academy Instructor is a move to keep him out of the fallout?"
"Ho, as expected of Gilm's Guild Master. You are well-informed."
Maruka muttered her admiration, but Marina simply smiled and shook her head.
"The Count Eriel's House Incident is quite famous in Gilm, after all. ...For various reasons."
"...I see."
Maruka likely understood exactly what those 'various reasons' were, and she quietly averted her eyes. She was well aware of how much trouble her own faction had caused in this city.
(Though, it is precisely because of all that trouble that my father and his allies finally took action.)
Even so, the fact that the King's Faction was so unwelcome in Gilm was a problem for Maruka. It made every task—from gathering intelligence on Neutral Faction's movements to procuring rare materials or scouting strong adventurers—significantly more difficult.
Fortunately, few people were petty enough to take out their frustrations on a child like Maruka, and Koan’s presence discouraged any reckless behavior. Still, the reality remained that other members of the King's Faction in Gilm were effectively persona non grata.
"At any rate. I wish to welcome Rei to the Officer Academy as an instructor, at least for the duration of the winter. We shall handle matters on our end in the meantime. What do you think? Surely that is better than risking a disturbance here in Gilm?"
"I can't deny that. Normally, I would say that no one would dare cause trouble in Gilm, but..."
Marina set her teacup down, a shadow of concern in her eyes.
Rei knew exactly why she hesitated. Ranga, the man who held the Gilm Guard Force together, was currently away dealing with the Count Eriel's House Incident.
The guards weren't incompetent by any stretch, but without Ranga there to lead them, their efficiency had dropped—even if only slightly.
"Exactly. So there should be no problem, yes?"
"No, there are still plenty of problems. For starters, if he's going to be an instructor in the City of Gracial for the winter, he can't exactly leave today and arrive tomorrow. Under normal circumstances, that journey takes about twenty days. In the middle of winter with this snow, I'd expect it to take at least a month."
Marina paused and glanced toward the office window.
Outside, the snow was coming down harder than it had been when Rei's group first arrived at the guild.
"If it takes a month just to reach the City of Gracial, there won't be much winter left for him to teach. He’d have a month, maybe two at most. Do you really think the Officer Academy Students can learn anything meaningful from Rei in that time? Besides, I doubt Rei is the type who finds it easy to teach strangers on short notice."
"There is no need to worry about that."
Maruka countered Marina’s points head-on. Her confidence seemed to surprise Marina, who watched her expectantly.
"As the Guild Master says, it would normally take twenty days to reach the City of Gracial. But what if the circumstances are not 'normal'? Our carriage was specially created as a Magic Item, and it is pulled by Tamed Monsters rather than horses. In fact, it took me only ten days to travel from the City of Gracial to Gilm—even through the snow."
Maruka puffed out her small chest with pride. To an observer, however, the sight looked less like a noble and more like a child putting on airs.
Even Koan, standing behind her, looked unusually flustered, clearly debating whether he should intervene. Maruka didn't wait for him, though.
"Furthermore, if time truly becomes an issue, we have the option of letting Rei mount Seto and fly to the City of Gracial ahead of us."
"Wait, hold on a second."
Rei couldn't help but cut in.
"Mu? Is there some problem? With Seto flying, you can ignore the winding roads and even cross the mountains. It would undoubtedly be faster than traveling with me in the carriage."
"It's freezing up in the sky, you know," Marina pointed out. "Especially in winter. You’d risk freezing to death or getting stranded."
Rei shook his head.
"That's not an issue. My Dragon Robe regulates my body temperature, and I'm not particularly sensitive to the cold anyway."
His body had been engineered by Zephyle and the others; with the help of the Dragon Robe, surviving a trek through snowy mountains in the dead of winter was trivial. Seto the Gryphon was equally hardy; a bit of cold wasn't enough to bother him.
"Then what is the problem?"
"First, there's the matter of whether I'll be trusted when I arrive at this City of Gracial—or the Duke Quento's Headquarters, rather. If it’s just me and Seto, people are going to be suspicious."
"That can be solved with a letter from me. Besides, there isn't exactly a surplus of adventurers traveling with a Gryphon. It would be difficult for anyone to try and impersonate you."
"...Setting aside whether the gatekeepers can actually read your handwriting, that might work. But the bigger issue is whether I can even find the place. Like you said, if I fly over the mountains to take a shortcut instead of following the highway..."
Rei trailed off.
With a map, following the highway would be simple enough. But if he were to strike out across the wilderness or over mountains, he would need an intimate knowledge of the geography.
In any other season, he could just ask a local hunter or a passing adventurer for directions. But in winter, very few people were out and about.
Rei doubted he could reach a city he had never visited before under those conditions. He was also prone to getting distracted by Bandit Subjugation along the way.
"I probably wouldn't make it. If I had a map and could just follow the highway from the air, it would be a different story, but..."
"I have one."
Maruka spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"You do?"
Maps were incredibly rare and highly classified pieces of information. Rei was rightfully skeptical.
"Umu. I had already considered the possibility of having you and Seto go on ahead. Naturally, I knew a map would be necessary. My father entrusted me with it!"
Maruka puffed out her chest again, looking immensely pleased with herself.
"Wait, does that mean Duke Quento actually gave his consent? For a Map of Duke Quento's Territory and Its Surroundings?"
"Indeed. It shows how seriously my father is taking this matter. Though, obviously, if you were to steal it, show it to others, or—heavens forbid—sell it, you would be dealt with accordingly. ...Koan."
"Yes."
At Maruka’s signal, Koan reached into his coat and produced a folded piece of parchment. However, he didn't hand it over just yet.
"I will give you this map only after you formally accept the Nomination Request, Rei-san. I trust you, but please understand: if you were to misuse this, the Young Lady would be put in an impossible position. Please exercise the utmost caution."
"...I suppose that's only fair," Marina agreed, nodding.
A detailed map of a noble's territory was a heavy burden. To lend it to someone who was essentially an outsider was a massive risk. Marina knew that if Rei betrayed that trust, Duke Quento would be forced to take a hardline stance—he might even raise an army against Rei, despite knowing how slim his chances of winning a direct fight would be.
The map was being entrusted to Rei with that level of resolve. It wasn't necessarily that the Duke trusted Rei, but rather that his faith in Maruka's judgment was absolute.
"So, is there any further debate? Rei, will you accept my request?"
"If Rei is willing, I have no reason to object," Marina said. "Rei?"
"I'll take it. The reward is too good to pass up."
"...Reward? I didn't think you were hurting for money, Rei. Which means..."
Marina paused for a few seconds, considering the word 'reward,' and then she remembered Rei's specific interests. After all, she had used a similar tactic herself once before.
"Are you being paid in Magic Items?"
"Mu? Close, but no. The correct answer is Flame Ore."
"Flame Ore? ...Ah, I see."
Marina immediately understood.
Rei's Alias of 'Crimson' came from his mastery of fire, and his ultimate trump card was his Flame Tornado. If he were to combine that Flame Tornado with actual Flame Ore...
(The result would be more than just 'vicious.')
Marina felt a twinge of worry, but since the Nomination Request was formal and Rei was satisfied with the terms, she relented.
"Then you're really going, Rei?"
"Yeah. It'll be finished by spring, right?"
Rei looked to Maruka for confirmation, and she nodded back.
"Umu. That is fine. My father cannot afford to let this drag on, either. ...Though you seem quite fixated on spring. Is there a reason?"
"Yeah. I’ve got several things I need to take care of once the season changes."
In that moment, the faces of two women flashed through Rei's mind: Elena, who would be coming to Gilm to have her Seed of Restraint removed, and Vihera, who was likely to arrive from Exil as soon as the snow cleared.