"Then, to commemorate Lord Rei's successful completion of his commission at the Officer Academy, and to pray for a future reunion with him... cheers!"
"Cheers!"
At Erinde's words, the farewell party participants raised their cups high and joined in the toast.
Of course, Rei—the guest of honor—also raised his cup and added his voice to the rest.
...Since Rei had a low tolerance for alcohol, his cup contained tea rather than wine or ale.
Taking a sip and surveying his surroundings, Rei noticed that far more people had turned out for this banquet masquerading as a farewell party than he had expected.
The gathering was being held in the plaza directly behind the staff dormitory—the very same place where Rei had trained nearly every morning.
It seemed the area had originally served as a kind of multi-purpose space, so when the decision was made to throw a farewell party, no one raised any objections to using it.
Classes had still been held at the Officer Academy today, so the hour was already well past evening.
Though spring had arrived, the sun still set early.
Numerous light-producing magic items had been set up around the venue, and since the nights remained cold even into spring, several bonfires served double duty as both illumination and heat sources. To Rei's eyes, they lent the scene a somewhat fantastical atmosphere.
"Guruu?"
Beside Rei, Set tilted its head as if asking what was wrong, directing its gaze toward him—even as it had already buried its beak in the food piled on a plate set on the ground.
It had been about two months since they'd begun living here. Set's presence was now reasonably well-known, and people had come to understand that it posed no danger as long as no one provoked it. As a result, Set sitting beside Rei no longer sparked a commotion.
There were still a few who found Set intimidating, but seeing it quietly eating beside Rei was enough to convince them it wouldn't suddenly go on a rampage.
"No, it's nothing. I'm just happy that so many people came together for my sake and yours. ...Though to be accurate, the bigger reason is probably that they wanted an excuse to throw a party under the banner of a farewell."
Even so, the cost of the banquet—the food, the alcohol, and everything else—had been covered by the party's attendees.
All Rei had contributed was the firewood for the bonfires, figuring it was the least he could do.
His Misty Ring naturally contained a large stock of firewood, so it hadn't required any particular effort on his part.
Even so, the attendees were honestly grateful for the contribution.
Despite it being spring, mornings and nights were still cold.
One could never have too much firewood.
"Rei-san, are you really going back to Gilm? If possible, I'd love for us to keep researching magic together."
The farewell party hadn't been underway for very long, but Samarun was already approaching Rei with alcohol-flushed cheeks, making his plea.
Though not as lightweight as Rei, Samarun clearly wasn't much of a drinker either.
"Much as I'd like to, my original agreement was only to stay until spring. And it sounds like the King's Faction matter has mostly been sorted out."
The discipline purge of the King's Faction—the very reason Rei had become an instructor at the Officer Academy in the first place—had progressed considerably over the past two months.
Only those who had committed acts too egregious to overlook had been punished. Many others had committed offenses large and small but were let off with implicit warnings.
Even so, having witnessed with their own eyes those who had previously done as they pleased being disciplined one after another, the rest would surely consider repeating such behavior tantamount to suicide. They would fall in line—at least for the foreseeable future.
Still, there's no shortage of fools among the nobility. It's supposed to mean "noble lineage," but I suspect their good behavior is only temporary. Give it enough time and someone will start causing trouble again.
While keeping Samarun company, Rei reached for a skewer from his plate and let his thoughts wander.
The King's Faction was the largest group by far within the Kingdom of Mireana, and unquestionably the most powerful.
But that also meant it was a motley gathering of all stripes, and completely reining them in was virtually impossible.
"Rei, you're really heading back? I was starting to think it'd be fun working alongside you as an instructor here."
The next person to approach was a male instructor Rei often ended up sharing meals with in the dining hall.
They'd had plenty of opportunities to chat over food, and since the man never judged Rei by his youthful appearance, Rei had a fond impression of him.
"Like I told Samarun, my home base is Gilm. I only came here for work."
"Ahh... Set's going too, right? That's a real shame."
"Yeah, yeah."
Two female instructors exchanged disappointed remarks while feeding sandwiches to Set.
Watching them, Rei couldn't help but reflect on how it was always women who seemed most taken with his familiar.
Much like a certain leader of the Scorching Wind, or a particular someone from the Former Mobile Unit.
"Guess so. But if you really want to see Set again, there is one way."
The moment those words left Rei's mouth, not just the two women but several others nearby perked up with interest.
What came next, however, was utterly merciless.
"Quit the Officer Academy and move to Gilm."
"..."
At those words, the hopeful faces around him fell into silence.
They had been expecting him to say something along the lines of continuing to work as an adventurer in the area, even after stepping down as instructor.
What Rei said instead was completely unlike anything they'd anticipated.
"Gurururuu?"
Perhaps sensing the shift in the air, Set lifted its head from the plate of stew and glanced around at the gathering.
"Sorry, but I've got no intention of moving my base from Gilm. ...At least, not right now."
That final qualifier was, of course, because of the Holy Light Religion.
He didn't know what methods they were using, but their roots were spreading throughout the Kingdom of Mireana.
If their influence reached Gilm and the situation became untenable—only then would Rei consider relocating.
Naturally, he had no intention of fleeing the moment the Holy Light Religion set foot in Gilm.
If possible, he would consider counterattacking instead.
"I see. That's a shame."
"Yes. I would have loved to play with Set a little more..."
The instructors who had fallen silent didn't press any further.
Set was undeniably adorable, and they would have loved to spend time with it now and then—but uprooting their lives for that was another matter entirely.
In that regard, they were quite different from a certain female adventurer from the Former Mobile Unit.
That woman—famous throughout Gilm as a devoted Set enthusiast—had happily followed Rei across national borders for the chance to be near the griffon. Moving to another city would be nothing by comparison.
Well, I suppose not everyone can be expected to go that far.
With the matter of Set settled for the time being, Rei turned his attention back to the food.
The dishes at this farewell party were on an entirely different level from the standard fare in the staff dormitory's dining hall.
The ingredients themselves had been supplied by Ronald.
Spring or not, procuring this volume and quality of foodstuffs was no simple matter.
Gathering this much was only possible thanks to the power of Duke Quento's House.
"This skewer is amazing!"
"And this bread... I don't know what it is. It's just regular bread, but it's incredibly good."
"Oh, if you're after bread, there's some with nuts kneaded into the dough over there. Fresh out of the oven—so good I could eat it all day."
"Really? Nut bread isn't exactly rare, but..."
"Different ingredients, different hands making it. Better hurry before it's gone!"
"Damn it, I'm not losing!"
People who normally stood before students as authority figures were now cutting loose with abandon.
The party atmosphere had something to do with it, but they were surely also feeling the sting of Rei's departure come tomorrow.
"Here, Rei. Try this. We made it ourselves."
"Well, when I say 'made,' it's just sandwiches."
"Excuse me? You didn't even make the sandwiches. All you did was cut them. What are you talking about?"
"Huh? Save the jokes. The way you cut a sandwich completely changes the flavor, mouthfeel, and texture, okay? If anything, you're the one who had it easy—just slapping ingredients between bread."
For the female instructors and staff, Set was adorable, but Rei occupied a special category all his own.
He wasn't bulging with muscles to the point of being intimidating; if anything, his build could fairly be described as slender. Add to that a face soft enough to be called feminine, and it was only natural that he was popular among the women in the dormitory.
...Though that popularity was directed less at him as a man and more at him as a younger brother figure.
Even so, when the object of one's affection was flocking to someone else's side, it was only natural for the men to feel less than thrilled.
"Hmph. Just because he's a little famous and strong."
One of the men, watching the women crowd around Rei and hand-feed him as though taming a wild animal, snorted in displeasure and took a long drink from his ale-filled cup.
"He's an Alias Holder and a high-ranking adventurer. With real strength to back it up, of course he's popular. Don't be so sour about it. Besides, the way those women fawn over him—it's more like a pet or a companion animal. They don't see him as a man. Don't let it get to you."
"I know that. Doesn't make it any less annoying. Seriously—a B-Rank Adventurer at his age? Give me a break. At first I figured it was just the Gryphon doing the heavy lifting, but..."
He trailed off.
He'd once observed one of Rei's mock battles.
What he'd witnessed there was not something any man in his right mind would dare to challenge.
"Excuse me!"
A sudden voice cut through the party.
Wondering what was happening, the attendees turned toward the source—only to find a student standing there in the Officer Academy's uniform.
The newcomer was a young man brimming with self-confidence. Almost every instructor could tell at a glance that he was of noble birth.
Moreover, as one of the most well-known figures at the academy, many of them knew him personally.
"Insula?"
It was unclear who murmured the name, but it carried clearly through the hush that had fallen over the crowd.
Insula. A fourth-year S-Class student—highly capable, but equally high in self-regard. As a student, he had been notoriously difficult to handle.
...Had been. Past tense.
The reason for the past tense was, of course, that Insula's personality had undergone a dramatic shift over the past two months.
As a member of the fourth-year S-Class—arguably the most elite class in the entire Officer Academy—with grades to match, his ego had swollen to impressive proportions.
That ego had been swiftly and decisively shattered by Rei.
That alone hadn't completely transformed his personality, but compared to before, his arrogance had been thoroughly suppressed.
"Can I help you? As you can see, we're currently holding Rei-san's farewell party. If it's not urgent, I'd appreciate it if you could save it for tomorrow."
Grink, who happened to be standing nearby, addressed him politely.
"Instructor... I came because I had business with Rei."
Calling Grink "Instructor" while referring to Rei by name without any honorific was typical behavior for Insula, so Grink let it pass and continued.
"Rei-san is right over there, but... what do you need? As you can see, this is his farewell party. If it isn't pressing, perhaps you could come back after the party, or tomorrow morning before Rei-san leaves Gracial—"
But Insula had already spotted Rei watching him with a puzzled expression. Leaving Grink where he stood, he strode straight toward the guest of honor.
Amid the murmurs rippling through the crowd, Insula came to a halt directly in front of Rei.
Several instructors, noting the tension in Insula's bearing, quietly adjusted their stances—ready to intervene at a moment's notice.
Given Insula's conduct up until two months ago, it was hard to blame them for fearing he might try something rash.
While he hadn't shown his old condescending attitude lately, many still found it hard to believe someone's personality could change that quickly.
Perhaps sensing the shift in the air, Set—which had been contentedly savoring steamed Orc meat at Rei's side—turned its gaze toward Insula as well.
"What is it?"
In the silence that had fallen over the gathering, Rei posed the question.
The next moment, Insula reached into his pocket, withdrew something, and swiftly held it out toward Rei.