The caravan led by Augusto, which Rei was escorting, had been traveling through the desert without further monster attacks since the encounter with the Sand Serpent—though calling it a battle would have been generous.
"If we keep going like this, the Rocky Desert will soon give way entirely to sand desert. Gauche developed around its oases, with several of them in the central area. ...Well, there are some troublesome aspects, but fundamentally it's a good city."
Rei, astride Set's back, glanced around at Zarust's words. The man sat on the driver's seat, controlling the camels.
Now that it was mentioned, the proportion of sand had increased considerably compared to where Rei had killed the Sand Serpent.
"If you're going to build a town, I'd think the rocky desert would be better than the sand desert. The ground is solid, at least."
"I understand that, but without an oasis, you can't build towns or villages in the desert."
It was a point that could only be conceded once raised.
Water sources were essential for human habitation, which was precisely why towns and villages formed around oases.
These oases were scattered throughout the desert—some large, some small, as was to be expected. And the scale of an oasis determined the size of the settlement that could form around it.
The area of an oasis was finite, meaning the number of people who could benefit from it was fixed. Furthermore, factoring in the merchants and adventurers who would visit, a town couldn't afford to support the absolute maximum number of people its water supply could sustain.
"...Considering all that, Gauche possesses several large oases, making it one of the most prominent—no, the largest city in the Felis Desert."
Zarust delivered this assessment, but cast a concerned gaze back toward the carriage where Augusto rode.
"Is there some history there?"
Rei had vaguely expected to get caught up in trouble when he first got involved, and compared to the merchants who had swarmed him in Gilm, Augusto was refreshingly likable. For that reason alone, Rei had never intended to get entangled in any disputes—but the flow of conversation had prompted the question.
Even knowing that Zarust had likely aimed for exactly that and skillfully steered the discussion, Rei wasn't angry.
"Yeah. Actually, recently a certain trading company has been throwing its weight around in Gauche. Augusto has been defying them, and as a result he's been dealing with all kinds of harassment."
"Ah... so it's that sort of thing."
The incident with the Azoth Firm flashed through Rei's mind, but he judged this situation wasn't as bad. His response drew a nod from Zarust.
"They're called the Elema Trading Company. Originally a mid-tier firm in Gauche, but when leadership passed from the previous head to his son, they rapidly expanded their influence. That son is in conflict with Augusto, and he's trying to force Augusto under his umbrella to shut him down."
"Common enough story."
"Yeah, it is. It's certainly a common story, but actually experiencing it is an entirely different matter. Goods that were supposed to arrive never come, orders are suddenly canceled, bad rumors are spread... honestly, I think Augusto is doing remarkably well under those circumstances."
"In that situation, it's impressive that you took on Augusto's escort job, Zarust. It's not like you're his exclusive guard, right?"
A normal adventurer wouldn't accept work from someone entangled in that kind of trouble. Sensing Rei's unspoken sentiment, Zarust snorted, clearly unamused.
"You too, huh? ...It's not that I don't see it that way, but Augusto's father looked out for me a great deal. I don't want to forget that debt. The others serving as guards feel the same."
"The rookies too?"
Rei's implication—that dragging along rookie adventurers whose skills were still lacking was inadvisable—drew a small sigh from Zarust.
"This whole situation came up suddenly. We simply didn't have enough combat power. I did pick the ones among the rookies who could actually fight. Besides... there were also many who'd been asking to come along for a while."
Even as he said this, the slight furrow of his brow suggested Zarust understood it was reckless. Still, he had carefully selected those with enough ability to handle the monsters that appeared in the desert—Desert Goblins and the like. It was the least he could do.
"Can you see that tree growing over there?"
As if changing the subject, Zarust pointed toward a tree rising from the sand.
At the sight of a tree growing from sand, Rei was mildly surprised. In his experience, the only plants he could think of that grew in a desert were cacti.
"Is that... a tree? In a desert?"
"Looks like one, right? Well, it is definitely a tree, but it's a magic plant. A carnivorous one at that."
Zarust explained about the tree in the distance. It was a carnivorous plant said to grow only in the Felis Desert. It released an odor that appealed to monsters, luring them in, then put them to sleep with the scent and absorbed them as nutrients.
"It's a monster, isn't it?"
"No, it's a magic plant. It doesn't have a magic stone."
What made a monster a monster was, of course, the magic stone that all monsters possessed within their bodies. Given that it lacked one, what Zarust was pointing at was not a monster but a magic plant.
Rei understood that, but still wondered whether such a magic plant might be dangerous even if it wasn't a monster.
"Don't worry. That magic plant—the Tira Tree—doesn't harm humans at all. Even if a person walks right up to it, there's absolutely no problem."
"...What kind of tree is that? Isn't it a bit too convenient for humans?"
"I think so too. But the fact that the Tira Tree keeps the monster population in the Felis Desert somewhat in check is also true, so we can't carelessly tamper with them."
It lured monsters and killed them. And yet, it caused no harm to humans whatsoever. It was a magic plant almost suspiciously well-suited to human needs.
"Then that tree—the Tira Tree, was it?—if they increased its numbers, wouldn't traveling through the desert become easier than it is now?"
"Hard to say. The Elema Trading Company is planning exactly what you just suggested, but... Augusto opposes it."
"Why?"
It was a magic plant that reduced monster numbers and didn't harm humans. In that case, the Elema Trading Company's idea of increasing its numbers was perfectly understandable to Rei. That was exactly why Augusto's opposition was puzzling.
"The Tira Tree is a magic plant. If they increase naturally, that's fine. But if someone tries to do it intentionally, there's no telling what might happen."
Augusto, leaning out from the carriage window, addressed Rei directly.
"Is it really that serious? ...Seems to me it'd be beneficial for everyday life."
"You're right. If only that were truly the case..."
Even as he said this, Augusto seemed to contradict his own words, as though certain of something else.
(Is there something more to it?)
Rei observed Augusto, wondering about this as they continued forward, until—
"Guruuu."
Set suddenly let out a growl, turning its gaze toward a sand dune slightly off the caravan's path. What dwelled in that cry was vigilance.
"An enemy?"
Rei, with his long partnership with Set, read the emotion in that cry instantly and spoke without hesitation.
Zarust, who commanded the caravan's guards, fixed his gaze in the same direction Set was looking—toward the sand dune—with a stern expression.
Normally, one would hesitate over whether to raise the alarm based solely on a griffon's growl. But Zarust, having witnessed Rei's abilities firsthand, didn't hesitate. If Rei placed his full trust in Set, then they would too. He ordered everyone to be on alert.
"Augusto, what should we do? Shake them off as we are, or stand and fight here?"
"As a guard, which would you recommend?"
"Even if we shake them off here once, I'd want to avoid being pursued endlessly. Especially since we'll have to make camp tonight—considering the risk of a night raid..."
"So it would be better to intercept them."
"Yes. If there weren't rookies mixed in among the guards, we could even launch a counter-ambush against anyone who tried a night raid... though whether they'd let their guard down thinking we were just monsters is questionable."
"Probably humans. Most likely bandits."
Rei cut into the conversation between Augusto and Zarust.
"...How do you know?"
"Monsters that approach on their own despite Set being here are rare. Well, not nonexistent—particularly stupid ones like Goblins. But it's more likely to be bandits who can't sense Set's presence. I can't say for certain, though."
If they detected the presence of Set, an A-Rank monster, most monsters would judge that they stood no chance and flee. When hunting, Set naturally concealed its presence to avoid detection, but when serving as an escort like now, that was a different story. By making its presence known—by declaring I am here—Set kept monsters at bay.
If something was approaching despite sensing Set's presence, the likelihood was that it wasn't a monster but a human.
Hearing Rei's explanation, Zarust made his decision instantly.
"Let's intercept them here. When the opponent is bandits—Sand Bandits—there's no question they'll pursue tenaciously. It's faster to take them out here than to camp and risk an ambush. Besides..."
Zarust's gaze naturally settled on Rei.
On their own, facing Sand Bandits would have almost certainly resulted in casualties. But with Rei and Set—possessors of such extraordinary power—it was only natural to have expectations for their combat power.
Rei nodded, unfazed by Zarust's look. He had taken a liking to Augusto and was hired as an escort, so the option of running away didn't exist.
(Sand Bandits, though? Well, it's probably just what they call bandits operating in the desert. Like mountain bandits or pirates.)
Rei inwardly tilted his head at the unfamiliar term, but once he concluded it was simply a type of bandit, the next course of action was clear.
"In that case, should I go scout? I wouldn't mind annihilating the bandits from the air while I'm at it."
"...That's rather extreme..."
One of the nearby adventurers muttered at the word "annihilate." Apparently a rookie, he was startled by how casually Rei had mentioned killing the Sand Bandits.
Rei only shrugged. In the Kingdom of Mireana, he had destroyed numerous bandit groups and repeatedly seized the treasures they had hoarded, to the point where he had even come to be called the Bandit Eater. He didn't hesitate when facing bandits, and he had no mercy for them, as a rule.
"So, what's the plan?"
Leaving the rookie aside, Rei asked Zarust, who shook his head after a moment of thought.
"No, I don't want the enemy to know about Rei and Set. If they find out, they might flee."
"...Wait. Is that an insult? Are you saying that even if the bandits ran, Set and I couldn't catch them?"
Having annihilated bandits time and time again, Rei couldn't accept what had just come from Zarust's mouth.
But Zarust spoke as if to persuade him.
"It's not that at all. But this is your first time fighting Sand Bandits too, isn't it, Rei? In that case, wouldn't it be better to observe the situation at first to understand what methods they'll use to attack? Besides..."
Zarust paused, then directed his gaze toward the rookie adventurer who had reacted so sensitively to the word "annihilate" earlier. Drawn by the look, Rei glanced in the same direction, but the adventurer merely tilted his head, apparently unable to understand why he was being stared at.
"We have combat power like yours with us for once. With the Sand Serpent, they ended up not getting to experience any real fighting, so I thought this would be a good opportunity... what do you think?"
"...Fine."
I really am too nice, Rei thought as he nodded.
"They're here! Sand Bandits!"
One of the adventurers shouted sharply.
At the cry, Rei turned his gaze toward where the Sand Bandits were approaching, and—
"Huh?"
A surprised sound escaped Rei's lips at the sight before them.
Zarust, Augusto, and the others were no different.
What had emerged from beyond the sand dune was a ship of considerable size.