"Lord Iskeld... It's Lord Iskeld!"
"Wh-Why is the Knight Commander of Duke Quento's territory here!?"
"Who knows? Maybe he came to slay that monster?"
"No, didn't someone say something about a request?"
"Yeah. They definitely did. I heard it myself."
"Then does that mean that monster... that Gryphon isn't an enemy after all?"
"Probably. Besides, even if it were an enemy, don't you think everything will be fine as long as Lord Iskeld is here?"
"I can't deny that. He's one of the strongest people in the King's Faction, after all."
"If anything, the fact that the King's Faction has multiple people strong enough to trade blows with Lord Iskeld just shows how powerful they are."
Listening to the chatter from the crowd, Iskeld let out a quiet sigh of relief.
He didn't particularly enjoy being the subject of rumors, but it was a stroke of good luck that the residents had managed to overcome their initial panic.
His massive frame, easily exceeding two meters in height, was enough to make some people mistake him for a giant.
He wasn't just tall, either; his body was packed with dense, powerful muscle, and his face possessed features well-suited to the description 'intrepid.'
Though he appeared to be in his mid-thirties, he carried an aura that made it easy to believe he had survived well over a hundred battlefields.
Since such a man—the commander of the Duke Quento's Knight Order—had appeared at the gate, it was only natural that the public was stunned.
Rei, who had approached the gate with Seto, could easily sense that overwhelming presence as well.
(Heh. ...He's strong. He looks like he could easily be A-Rank equivalent.)
The only reason Rei could maintain his composure while facing an opponent of such caliber was his experience fighting someone even higher on the scale—the S-Rank adventurer Noise.
Although Rei was acutely aware that Noise had essentially let him walk away, the fact remained that they had traded blows.
Because of that, he was able to speak to Iskeld without showing a hint of agitation, even while standing right in front of him.
"I'm Rei. I've arrived in response to a request..."
"Umu. I have heard of it. That is precisely why I came to meet you, to ensure your arrival didn't cause an uproar. Follow me."
Iskeld glanced at Rei and spoke with a calm tone, seemingly unfazed even by the close proximity of Seto.
Both understood that the other was powerful, yet they exchanged words as if everything were perfectly normal.
"...What about the procedures for entering the city?"
"I shall handle them myself. Ah, show me your Guild Card for a moment, just in case."
"Understood."
Rei pulled his Guild Card from the Misty Ring and handed it over; the paperwork was finished in short order.
After fastening the Tamed Monster's Necklace back onto Seto, the two men and the Gryphon passed through the gates and entered the City of Gracial.
"I apologize. I did not expect the crowd to pay this much attention to us."
"Don't worry about it. These kinds of stares are just part of the package when I'm with Seto."
"Guruuu?"
Hearing his name, Seto tilted his head as if asking, What's wrong?, and turned his gaze toward Rei and Iskeld.
Looking straight back at those large, round eyes, it was impossible for anyone to harbor hostility toward Seto, even knowing he was a Gryphon.
Understanding his lovability with a single glance, a small smile finally touched Iskeld's intrepid features.
"When I heard that Crimson and his tamed Gryphon were coming, I wondered what kind of monster I would have to deal with... I never expected such an adorable creature to arrive."
"Seto is basically very friendly toward people. It's a different story for those he considers enemies, but in that regard, I suppose he's a lot like me."
"...If you are aware of that, I wish you would have exercised a bit more restraint. While this current mess was certainly caused by the tyranny of a Noble of the King's Faction—as much as I hate to admit he belongs to us—don't you think you are partially responsible for letting it escalate this far?"
"Who can say? I think it's a safe bet that the King's Faction's reputation in Gilm would have been ruined regardless of what I did. Apparently, he was causing all sorts of trouble even before he picked a fight with me."
Exchanging words as they walked, they finally made their way into the heart of the City of Gracial.
"Heh. ...It's quite developed."
"Naturally. This is Duke Quento's Headquarters, after all."
While Iskeld kept his voice level, he wore a proud smile, clearly pleased to hear his home being praised.
In terms of pure scale, the City of Gracial was clearly superior to Gilm.
First and foremost, the population density was on an entirely different level.
Gilm flourished significantly as the only major city on the frontier, but the sight stretching out before Rei's eyes suggested a population several times larger than what he was used to.
(The difference between a Margrave and a Duke, and the difference between the frontier and a peaceful interior—I guess that's all there is to it, but this is honestly impressive.)
While admiring the cityscape of Gracial, Rei suddenly remembered the letter Maruka had given him before he left Gilm.
"Come to think of it, Maruka gave me a letter to hand over to the gatekeepers, but since a big shot like you came out to meet me, I guess I didn't need it. Your name was... Iskeld, right?"
"...Ah, I suppose I haven't introduced myself properly yet. I am Iskeld, the Knight Commander of the Duke Quento's Knight Order."
"I'm Rei. A B-Rank Adventurer out of Gilm."
Iskeld gave Rei a wry smile as the boy introduced himself.
He usually maintained a fierce, intrepid expression, but that wry smile made him look surprisingly young.
"I already know who you are. Honestly, anyone in the Kingdom of Mireana who doesn't know the name Rei might as well be an imposter."
Rei was momentarily surprised by the shift in tone; Iskeld had dropped the stiff, formal speech he had been using just seconds ago. Rei decided not to comment on it and replied normally.
"...For saying that, it seems Keep, who's a member of your own King's Faction, didn't have a clue?"
Having been poked in a sore spot, Iskeld's brow furrowed slightly.
"That man is an exception in many ways. To begin with, sending such an outrageous fool to Gilm to act as a wedge is the lowest of the low as far as political conspiracies go. ...Actually, if the goal of the conspiracy was specifically to cause damage to the King's Faction, I'd say whoever came up with it was quite capable."
Iskeld spoke with deep feeling, but as they walked down the street, more and more people began to recognize him. People who looked like soldiers stood at attention and saluted, adventurers wore expressions of shock, and ordinary citizens watched him with eyes full of admiration.
Rei and Iskeld continued their conversation while Iskeld nodded to the crowd, lightly raising a hand or returning a smile here and there.
...Of course, they stood out not just because of Iskeld, but because of Rei and Seto as well.
It might be common in Gilm, but this was Rei and Seto's first time in the City of Gracial.
Naturally, almost every person who saw the Gryphon was seeing one for the first time. Normally, such a sight would have triggered a mass panic.
The only reason things remained relatively calm was because the Knight Commander was walking right beside them.
"Life would certainly be a lot more difficult if you had more people like that running around. ...At least this time, things didn't turn out for the worst."
"Indeed. Although, if such a person existed, I would be the first to suggest that Duke Quento take them into his service."
The fact that Iskeld could converse with Rei while simultaneously acknowledging those greeting him was proof of how accustomed he was to public duties.
For the residents of Gracial, the sight of Rei and Seto walking alongside the Knight Commander they held in such high regard was more than enough to draw everyone's attention.
"Hey, the person leading that Gryphon..."
"There's no mistake. It's Crimson."
The more informed adventurers and merchants quickly deduced his identity...
"Is that a man? A woman? What do you think?"
"They're wearing a hood so I can't tell, but with that build, I wouldn't be surprised if it were a woman."
"...A woman leading a Gryphon? She looks like an incredible wicked woman."
"Really? She seems more like a mysterious, enigmatic lady to me."
"A woman!? A beautiful girl!? A beautiful woman!?"
"Ugh, your true feelings are leaking out. Honestly, I wouldn't want to get anywhere near someone like that."
"Wait, weren't there rumors that Crimson was actually a guy?"
Rei, Iskeld, and Seto continued their journey, leaving various seeds of gossip in their wake, until Rei's gaze suddenly locked onto a certain food stall.
It was because he had spotted a food stall selling a dish that looked unfamiliar at first, yet was something he recognized instantly.
The base of the dish was Udon.
However, it wasn't the kind of Udon served in soup that was common in Gilm.
It was boiled Udon topped with something that looked like Meat Miso—a dish that didn't exist in Gilm, or at least one Rei had never seen there.
(Is that like Zhajiangmian or Soupless Dandanmian?)
Of course, the Meat Miso probably wasn't exactly what Rei remembered from his old world. The seasonings were bound to be different.
However, the appearance was strikingly similar... and in that instant, a realization struck Rei.
(No. It's not Zhajiangmian or Soupless Dandanmian. I remember seeing this on TV... yeah, Jajamen. That dish from Morioka. It looks just like that. ...I've only ever seen it on TV, though; I've never actually eaten it.)
It was a dish known in Morioka as one of the Three Great Morioka Noodles, alongside Wanko Soba and Reimen.
Since Rei's knowledge was strictly limited to what he had seen on TV, he didn't know how it actually tasted.
Because of that, the urge to try the food at that stall grew overwhelming.
He looked over at Iskeld, but the man was walking down the Main Street, seemingly unconcerned.
"Guruuu..."
Walking beside Rei, Seto must have been curious about the dish as well.
Seto was quite fond of Udon and often ate it at stalls in Gilm.
A bowl of warm Udon while snow fluttered through the winter air was, in his mind, one of the greatest forms of happiness a creature could experience.
Aren't we going to eat it? Hey, can't we eat some? I want to eat it, those round eyes pleaded. Faced with such a gaze, Rei—who had already been curious himself—didn't stand a chance.
"Iskeld, do you have a moment?"
"Hm? What is it?"
"I want to take a little detour."
Rei pointed his gaze toward the food stall.
Iskeld was slightly surprised by the request, but then he seemed to remember something and spoke with a smile.
"I see. Lady Maruka came up with that dish after she visited Gilm last year. It might not be a bad idea to get an opinion on the flavor from Rei, since you're a Gilm local."
"Rather than coming up with it, I'd say it's more like the Udon that's becoming a Specialty of Gilm."
"So I've heard. Although, I was told it's quite different from the version they serve back in Gilm."
"I won't deny that."
Thinking of the pride of Gilm, Rei felt he probably should have defended his home city, but his curiosity to taste the dish was simply too strong to overcome.
The fact that there were so many other stalls nearby giving off delicious aromas only intensified his hunger.
(It's not like copyright laws exist in this world anyway... and since it's a recipe, it wasn't exactly rare back in Japan for a dish to be adapted and changed into something else.)
Having convinced himself—or rather, forced himself to accept the situation—Rei followed Iskeld toward the stall.
The most surprised person in the vicinity was undoubtedly the Stall Owner.
The famous Iskeld of Gracial was heading straight for his stall.
And he was bringing along a famous adventurer and a Gryphon to boot.
"Old man, I'll take three bowls."
"H-Heh! Right away!"
The man was a professional; he snapped back to his senses immediately and began cooking.
The process itself was simple enough.
He boiled the Udon, drained the water, and topped the noodles with the seasoning that looked like Meat Miso.
(I wish I had some chopsticks...)
Rei thought wistfully as he began to eat the Udon with a fork.
A fork was fine for Udon served in soup, but for this type of dish where you had to mix the Meat Miso into the noodles, a fork was much more difficult to use than chopsticks.
Of course, in Seto's case, the choice of utensil was irrelevant; he simply thrust his beak into the bowl and began eating.
"Gurururuuu."
Seto purred happily as he ate, but his beak was quickly stained with the dark Meat Miso sauce.
(I'll have to wipe that off once he's done.)
Rei made a mental note to pull a cloth from the Misty Ring as he carried a forkful of mixed Udon to his mouth.
At first, it felt like eating pasta with meat sauce, but the actual flavor of the Udon was entirely different.
The 'Meat Miso' was actually a sauce that had been boiled down until it was thick and concentrated, giving it a flavor profile similar to a rich demi-glace sauce.
The sauce blended with the small amount of hot water still clinging to the noodles after draining, allowing it to coat the Udon perfectly.
The combination of the rich sauce and the savory meat created a deep, intense flavor that was distinct from Zhajiangmian or Soupless Dandanmian, spreading across his palate.
The Udon noodles were cut quite thick, which allowed them to hold their own against the powerful seasoning.
The deliciousness was enough to make him want to eat forever, and bowl after bowl of Udon disappeared into his mouth.
(Though... the flavor is so intense that I might get tired of it if I ate it all the time. It could probably use some kind of condiments or medicine-infused garnishes to balance it out.)
While mulling over the culinary possibilities as he slurped his noodles, Rei finished his meal.
"...That was delicious."