The words reached him the moment he stepped through the guild doors, and they immediately caught Rei's attention.
Under normal circumstances, something like this wouldn't have drawn his notice. Monster encounters were hardly rare in the frontier. What snagged his attention was the monster's name—Cyclops—and more importantly, who was shouting it.
"Deetz?"
The name of the man frantically pleading at the guild counter slipped from Rei's mouth before he even realized it. Standing there, wild-eyed and desperate, was Deetz of the Former Mobile Unit.
Rei already knew that the day before, the Scorching Wind party and the Former Mobile Unit had set out together on a Cyclops subjugation request. So when he heard the monster's name and recognized the face at the counter, the connection was immediate.
"Eh? That voice... Captain!? And Vihera-sama!?"
Deetz whirled around to find two familiar faces staring back at him—one of whom was decidedly not the sort of person you could approach casually. He scrambled over from the counter, making no effort to hide his sheer disbelief at finding Rei here.
"W-Why are you...?"
"I mean, what do you mean, why? Gilm is my home base. Of course I'd be here. Also, for the last time, stop calling me Captain."
"But Captain, you're still Captain... I mean, no! Captain, you came at the perfect time! Please, we need your help!"
Deetz's face was a portrait of desperation. Rei hesitated—not over whether to help, but over what to do about Vihera and Byune.
The Scorching Wind members were old companions. The Former Mobile Unit hadn't been with him as long, but they had still ridden the same battlefields as part of the same unit. ...Though in truth, Rei had spent most of those battles operating separately alongside Set.
"First, calm down and tell me what happened. I could hear you from outside the guild—five Cyclops?"
Rei's measured tone seemed to steady Deetz, who nodded quickly.
"That's right. The report said there was only one Cyclops sighted, but when we actually found them... there were five."
"The fact that you came all the way back to Gilm means it hasn't turned into a full battle yet, right?"
Rei listened to Deetz's rough subordinate speech—peppered with those characteristic su endings—and parsed what he was saying. If fighting had already broken out, the Scorching Wind and Former Mobile Unit alone wouldn't stand a chance against five Cyclops. Sensing that concern in Rei's question, Deetz nodded again.
"Yes. One Cyclops—no, up to two, we could handle without a problem. Even three, we could probably manage depending on how we fought. But five? There was nothing we could do. Right now they're keeping watch on the Cyclops from a distance while I came back for reinforcements. Mirene ordered me to—"
Rei was mildly surprised that Mirene's name came up instead of Yohanna's. But he recalled that the two actually got along well enough outside of their rivalry over Set, so it wasn't all that strange. He nodded.
"Five Cyclops, huh. That's a serious force. ...Where are they?"
"Do you know the river not too far from here?"
"I know it."
A river where he'd once dismantled a monster flashed through Rei's mind. Based on Deetz's detailed explanation, his guess was right—the group of Cyclops was holed up in a forest upstream along that river.
Rei nodded at the explanation, then turned his gaze toward Vihera and Byune. What came back were nods without a second's hesitation. For Vihera, this was a perfect opportunity to fight. For Byune, it was an ideal chance to earn some coin.
Byune alone couldn't deal effective damage to a Cyclops, but with Rei, Vihera, and Set in the mix, offensive power wouldn't be an issue.
"You're going, right? I don't mind at all. It's not like they're unfamiliar enemies," Vihera said.
"Nn."
The two met Rei's gaze, each nodding with fighting spirit blazing in their eyes.
"Eh? Ah, well, Vihera-sama would be incredibly appreciated, but... the little one too?"
"Nn!"
Being called "the little one," Byune shot Deetz a look of clear displeasure. Of course, since Byune was nearly expressionless by nature, only Rei and Vihera could actually read it. Normally, even Rei couldn't pick up on the subtle shifts in Byune's expression—not the way Vihera could. But right now, the displeasure was obvious enough that even he caught it.
"Don't worry," Vihera said. "This child dived dungeons with me back in Exil. There's no question about their ability. ...Though with their lack of offensive power, landing an effective blow on a Cyclops would be a bit difficult."
"Nn!"
As if protesting Vihera's assessment, Byune produced their signature long needle.
"True. If you could drive that into a Cyclops's eye, it would certainly count as an effective strike. ...Though it might make the thing rampage quite a bit more."
"Even without a decisive blow, just keeping it occupied would be enough. ...So it's settled—both of you are coming along, right?"
At Rei's confirming question, Vihera and Byune nodded again without hesitation.
Since this was the frontier city of Gilm, both Vihera and Byune had gone out today fully armed for their tour. That was a significant advantage—it meant they could head straight out as reinforcements without doubling back to the Twilight Wheat Pavilion for their gear.
"Got it. I'll let the guild know I'm heading out as reinforcement. Vihera, you two start getting ready to move. As for borrowing horses..."
"I know a place," Deetz cut in. "I'll take them there right away. My own horse ran here at full speed, so it needs rest too."
Though Deetz had been in Gilm for less than half a year, he'd made sure to learn where the essential shops were. A stable that rented out horses was a must-know for any working adventurer. The Former Mobile Unit had received carriages and horses as compensation for last year's civil war, but they'd still confirmed where the rental stables were—you never knew when you might need one.
"Got it. I'm counting on you. We'll meet at the main gate."
With that brief instruction, Rei headed for the guild counter.
It was daytime, so the guild hall was relatively empty. Rei reached Lenora's counter without having to wait in line. His group had already drawn stares the moment Deetz had shouted about five Cyclops, but since Vihera and the others had hurried out to prepare for departure, that attention now fell squarely on Rei.
"Rei-san, I heard what was going on. You're really going, aren't you?" Lenora asked, seeking confirmation.
Rei nodded. "The Scorching Wind and the people I brought to Gilm are going to end up fighting the Cyclops. One would be one thing, but five? I can't just sit this out. Do I need to fill out anything?"
"No, nothing special is required. ...With your ability, Rei-san, I don't think there's any need to worry, but I'll be praying for your safe return."
"Rei-kun, be careful." Kenny, standing beside Lenora, leaned in. "This request originally confirmed only one Cyclops. For five to suddenly show up now... Something must have happened."
"Yeah, I'll take the warning to heart. But even with five of them, they're still just Cyclops. We'll manage."
Kenny must have remembered from something Rei had mentioned in passing—that he'd fought Cyclops before. The fact that Cyclops were C-Rank while Rei was B-Rank factored in as well. Both C-Rank and D-Rank were called veteran ranks, but there was a world of difference between them. Put simply, C-Rank monsters were opponents a C-Rank party could handle on even footing, while D-Rank monsters were something an individual could manage alone. C-Rank was a veteran approaching first-class. D-Rank was a veteran still closer to a rookie.
Of course, exceptions existed. Someone like Rei, who despite being a high-ranking adventurer operated solo—well, with Set as a partner—possessed ability that could only be called extraordinary. That was precisely why Kenny and Lenora, despite their concern, didn't try to stop him from heading out as reinforcement.
"Please come back safe."
"Knowing you, Rei-kun, I'm sure you'll be fine. But don't let your guard down."
Rei gave them a small nod, turned on his heel, and walked out of the guild. The adventurers still inside directed a tangle of complicated emotions at his back—jealousy, admiration, joy, sorrow, anger. As an adventurer, Rei was someone whose power defied his unassuming appearance. He was the kind of figure you couldn't help but watch.
"Gururururu!"
The first thing to greet Rei outside the guild was, naturally, Set—right there, as if he'd been waiting. Having just watched Vihera and Byune rush out moments ago, Set had clearly understood that something was wrong. And with senses far sharper than any human's, it wouldn't have been surprising if he'd heard Deetz's frantic shouts from inside the guild.
The people who'd gathered to fuss over Set must have noticed the abrupt shift in his demeanor. Aside from a few small children who didn't know any better, no one persisted in trying to play with him. Even those children backed off once their parents or nearby adults spoke a few quiet words.
Unmolested, Set rose to his feet and greeted Rei as he emerged from the guild doors.
"Sounds like you heard."
"Guruu."
Rei smiled and ruffled Set's head as the gryphon rumbled what sounded distinctly like obviously. He was grateful for Set—grateful to have a partner who could read his intentions with the kind of effortless synchronization that bordered on telepathy.
"Alright. Let's head to the main gate."
"Gururu!"
The bystanders didn't know where Rei and Set were headed, but they understood one thing clearly: this was not the time to get in the way.
"Do your best out there, Set!"
"Set-chan, come back safe, okay? I'll treat you to something special next time—premium meat!"
"I don't know what you're up against, but if it's Set, I'm sure you'll be fine!"
Set purred happily at the chorus of voices calling after him. ...Though the real reason for that purring was almost entirely the words "premium meat." The fact that nearly every shout was directed at Set rather than Rei spoke volumes about the gryphon's standing in Gilm. The near-total absence of any well-wishes aimed at Rei was, in the end, probably the natural result of his everyday conduct.
Receiving those send-offs, Rei and Set pushed on toward the main gate.
"Set, I'm guessing you heard, but the enemy this time is Cyclops. Five of them. Five C-Rank monsters would be too heavy a burden for Mirene, Yohanna, and the others alone. We need to hurry."
"Guruu!"
Mirene and Yohanna were dear to Set as well. Knowing they were in danger, the gryphon had no intention of abandoning them.
It was spring, and the streets were more crowded than usual. Rei wove through the throngs at a run, Set bounding alongside him. Naturally, a creature of Set's size barreling through drew gasps of alarm—but once people registered that it was Set, the alarm melted into something warmer. Onlookers waved and called out encouragement.
Some of the crowd were newcomers who didn't recognize Set, but the locals were quick to explain: that was a Tamed Monster, perfectly safe. Even so, seeing a gryphon up close for the first time was a shock in itself. When told it was simply the way of the frontier, they had no choice but to accept it. ...Though if anyone asked whether you could spot a gryphon sprinting through the streets of a frontier town in any other country, not a soul would nod in agreement.
They reached the main gate at a run. Deetz and Vihera were already mounted, with Byune seated in front of Vihera, cradled in her arms. Two horses carried the three of them, with two more spares led alongside—just in case. Deetz had chosen well; the horses didn't so much as flinch at the sight of Set.
(We're riding into a Cyclops battle. Of course he'd pick trained horses.)
Rei muttered that to himself and quickly completed his own departure formalities, falling in behind the three who had already finished theirs. A few others were waiting in line, but when Rei explained he was heading out as reinforcement for the Cyclops subjugation, they stepped aside immediately. Kindness played a part, surely—but so did the desire to reduce, even slightly, the chance of running into Cyclops on the highway themselves.
With the paperwork done, Rei offered Ranga a brief word of thanks at the gate and stepped out beyond the walls of Gilm.