The day after Reiji Saiki arrived at the Officer Academy—perhaps because his conversation with Elena the night before had left him in high spirits—he woke earlier than usual and made his way to the area behind the staff dormitory.
The space was a vacant plaza, though currently, the accumulated snow had been shoveled to the sides, leaving enough room to move around. Under the circumstances, it was a perfectly adequate training ground.
“Mmm... it’s bright.”
Reiji squinted at the sunlight reflecting off the snow and began a light stretching routine. Once finished, he retrieved the Death Scythe from his Misty Ring. Holding the weapon, he sent the massive blade slicing through the air as if verifying its weight and balance.
Reiji had never formally studied under any particular school of combat; he fought using a purely self-taught style. This was why even properly trained warriors found it impossible to react to his tricky movements, which utilized his extraordinary physical ability to its maximum potential.
Of course, beyond his unconventional movements, the simple fact that fighters who used a great scythe were exceedingly rare played a significant role.
Though Reiji himself was unaware of it, his reputation had spread far and wide. He was the adventurer who had used the Death Scythe to climb to the rank of B-Rank Adventurer in the blink of an eye, performed distinguished service in the war to earn an alias, and even possessed an A-Rank Monster Gryphon as a tamed monster.
Naturally, a person like that became the talk of the town. Among adventurers, there were a fair number of people who admired Reiji—though from Reiji’s perspective, such people were nothing but eccentrics.
These admirers naturally wanted to emulate him. However, they understood that taming an A-Rank Monster like Seto was an impossible feat for most. Consequently, their next step was to adopt Reiji’s other symbol: the great scythe.
Yet, for an ordinary human, the great scythe was an incredibly difficult weapon to master. In truth, even a standard scythe was unwieldy for combat. Eventually, several of these oddballs had gone so far as to commission a blacksmith to forge a great scythe for them, but almost none could handle it properly. It was only natural; scythes were fundamentally ill-suited for use as weapons.
Realizing that they couldn't imitate Reiji’s prowess, those who failed to master the blade eventually gave up and sought weapons that actually suited them. Still, because they had focused their training on polearms, many ended up using spears or halberds instead.
A few adventurers had emerged who could manage a great scythe to some degree—though they were far from masters—and through them, the weapon’s recognition grew slightly over time, but that was a story for the future.
“Hah!”
With a sharp exhale, Reiji unleashed a horizontal slash.
The strike seemed to cleave through the fresh morning air itself. Anyone watching would have questioned just how much the weapon actually weighed, given that Reiji swung it with such effortless grace, showing no sign of the mass of the Death Scythe.
He continued swinging for about ten minutes before coming to a stop.
“Phew... All right then.”
Closing his eyes while maintaining his stance, he conjured the image of his strongest foe: Noise the Immovable, the S-Rank Adventurer he had fought in the Bestia Empire.
Reiji had only faced Noise twice, but those encounters had possessed an incredible combat density. Battles of that caliber were rare treasures that one would seldom experience in a lifetime.
Once the mental image solidified, he opened his eyes, faced the construct of his imagination, and kicked off the ground.
He refrained from using the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor—his ultimate technique—opting instead to fight purely with his own physical body. He closed the distance to the imagined Noise in an instant.
Noise’s hand blurred, and a flash of light streaked through the air.
Reiji avoided the strike by tilting his body and swung the Death Scythe in a counter-attack. That split-second evasion required timing that would have seen anyone with ordinary physical ability cut down by the longsword.
It was precisely his ability to grasp such windows of opportunity that had earned Reiji the alias of Crimson. Ordinarily, his horizontal strike would have cleaved an opponent in two—a blow truly worthy of being called a Grim Reaper's scythe strike.
However, the Noise created by Reiji’s imagination was already gone by the time the blade passed through his position. Before Reiji knew it, the cold edge of a longsword was pressed against his throat.
“Checkmate, huh. Dammit, I couldn't win today either.”
By the time he muttered the words, the imagined Noise had already vanished.
“Magnificent!” a voice called out.
Reiji stored the Death Scythe back into the Misty Ring and turned toward the sound. He found Samaloon standing there. Seeing the man looking at him with eyes wide with admiration, Reiji felt that familiar sense of unease. He understood that Samaloon genuinely respected him, but the man’s enthusiasm felt excessive.
“No, it really was magnificent. Rei-san, your movements just now... unfortunately, I can’t follow all of them, so I can’t point out exactly what was so great about them, but I have no doubt they were extraordinary.”
“Is that so? I'm glad you enjoyed it. So, what brings you out here?”
“Ah, yes. I went to your room to escort you, but you weren't there, so I came looking for you. I thought you might have gotten lost while out for a walk.”
He’s exaggerating, Reiji thought at first, but then he realized that given the scale of the Officer Academy, it was a fair assumption.
The grounds were vast, with numerous buildings scattered about. It wouldn't be strange for a newcomer to lose their way. In fact, Reiji had chosen to train right here precisely because he feared wandering too far from the staff dormitory.
(If Seto were here, he could probably lead me back in an emergency.)
He thought of his partner, then remembered that Seto couldn't exactly fly around inside the city limits whenever he pleased. It seemed Reiji was thinking rather conveniently. Still, as this was an Officer Academy, some exceptions might be made.
“I see. Sorry for the trouble.”
“Not at all. More importantly, it’s almost breakfast time. What would you like to do? We still have a little time left.”
“My training is finished for now, so I’ll head over.”
“...Is that so?” Samaloon replied, looking slightly disappointed.
His face clearly betrayed a desire to talk about magic, but Reiji pretended not to notice and headed toward the dormitory. Samaloon followed immediately at his heels.
“We’ll finish breakfast, then head to the Academy Director's Office. Since it’s the same place as yesterday, you’ll be fine, right? If you’re worried, I can go with you.”
Samaloon asked with an expression that said he desperately wanted to tag along, but Reiji shook his head.
“I’m fine. Besides, don’t you have classes to prepare for? You’ll get in trouble if you spend all your time fussing over me.”
“No, it’s fine. I’ve been instructed to support Rei-san, so there’s no issue at all. Rather, I personally wish to accompany you as much as possible.”
Reiji knew these words stemmed from an academic interest in magic, yet he still felt a certain aversion to Samaloon's persistence.
(Is it that his goal is purely my magic, and he doesn't actually care about me as a person? Something like that?)
Pondering Samaloon's attitude, they eventually reached the entrance of the staff dormitory.
“That reminds me, I need to go see Seto after breakfast.”
“Seto, is it? I went to take a peek last night. It was my first time seeing a Gryphon, so I was quite surprised.”
“...You’ve got guts. I can't believe you went alone.”
To someone who knew Seto’s friendly nature, the news wouldn't be surprising. However, for Samaloon—who was interacting with a Gryphon for the first time—to visit the beast alone without Reiji was completely unexpected.
“Ah, hahahaha. A Gryphon... Seto, was it? The idea to visit him only occurred to me late last night. I figured Rei-san was already asleep, so I just went by myself.”
“...You’re a brave man in more ways than one.”
“Is that so? I mean, he’s Rei-san's tamed monster, right? I didn't think there would be any real danger.”
Reiji was at a loss for words. Samaloon spoke as if his safety was a foregone conclusion. Should Reiji be annoyed that the man was overly trusting, or should he be grateful for that level of faith?
While he was still debating his reaction, they arrived at the dining hall. The breakfast prepared there was nearly identical to what the students ate. In other words, it was basic fare that felt a bit meager for Reiji’s tastes.
(The portions aren't exactly filling, either.)
There was bread, a soup with very few ingredients, and stir-fried vegetables. A single, lonely slice of cheese sat on the plate like a token gesture. The only saving grace was that the bread was white bread.
For Reiji, it was more of a snack than a full meal.
“This academy trains knights for the Knight Order of the Dukedom and future adventurers, right? The food seems rather sparse.”
“Haha. It would be a bit more extravagant if it weren't winter,” Samaloon apologized from across the table.
“Ah—well, I suppose that can’t be helped. Winter is winter.”
Reiji muttered this to convince himself, then began wondering what food he had left in his Misty Ring. Suddenly, a thought struck him.
“...Hey, Samaloon.”
“Yes? What is it?” Samaloon looked up from his soup instantly. He seemed delighted that Reiji had initiated conversation.
Feeling a twinge of guilt, Reiji continued. “If we’re eating this little, what’s the situation with Seto?”
“Ah... I wonder. Given his size, I expect he’s eating much more than we are.”
“Right. I’ll go check on him just in case.”
“Eh?”
Leaving a dazed Samaloon behind, Reiji began stuffing the rest of his meal into his mouth. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly good either. Once finished, he stood up and returned his dishes. He left the dining hall, leaving the stunned Samaloon sitting there.
“Ah, wait, Rei-san! I’m coming too! Please wait a moment! Rei-san!”
Samaloon shouted in a panic, but Reiji didn't slow down as he walked out of the staff dormitory. Samaloon tried to follow, but as a mage with a slender build, he wasn't a fast eater.
He couldn't just leave his food behind, either. He could have, technically, but he knew the kitchen staff would give him a severe scolding for such a waste. Consequently, Samaloon had no choice but to finish every bite before he could pursue Reiji.
“Oh boy. Samaloon got ditched.”
“Hey, don't say such stupid things. That’s the mock battle instructor the Academy Director specially summoned, isn't it? The one with the alias of Crimson.”
“But he doesn't look that strong.”
“Looks can be deceiving. You can't judge someone who holds an alias by normal standards. I mean, look at this country's S-Rank Adventurer... they're like that, aren't they?”
“...Yeah. Point taken.”
“Wait, wait. We don't have time for gossip! We need to get ready for school!”
The other academy teachers in the dining hall had watched the exchange with great interest, but with classes to prepare for, they couldn't linger. They quickly finished their meals.
“Seto?”
“Guruuu?”
When Reiji called out at the staff stables, a familiar cry immediately answered him. The sound didn't carry the note of hunger or distress; it was simply a cry of joy at Reiji’s arrival.
If they were at the Dusk Wheat Inn in Gilm, Seto would be free to roam the Dusk Wheat Inn grounds. But they had only arrived yesterday, and there were still more people here who feared Seto than those who loved him. Thus, Seto had been instructed not to wander out on his own.
“Seto, you doing okay? Well, I guess it’s only been one night.”
“Guruuuuu!”
Seto purred happily. As Reiji stroked Seto's head, he realized the Gryphon wasn't particularly hungry.
“It seems they’ve been feeding you well.”
“Guruu.”
I’m not hungry! the creature purred.
“They give the tamed monster more food than the instructor? ...Ah, I guess it’s because it’s Seto.”
Whether the staff were intimidated by the Gryphon or completely charmed by his cuteness, Reiji didn't know. Regardless, he concluded that Seto wouldn't be going hungry before spring arrived.