Daridora, who had fled as if running away from before Rei, Augusto, and the others, walked through the streets of Gauche with anxiety plain on his nervous-looking face.
No—at that speed, it would be more accurate to say he was already running.
As the head of the Elema Trading Company, a large and well-known firm even in Gauche, Daridora was recognized by many, for better or worse.
That was precisely why his unusual demeanor stood out so prominently, but he himself showed no sign of noticing it.
The only thing on Daridora's mind right now was Rei.
(Kingdom of Mireana, Gilm, Rei, Gryphon... there's no mistake. That man is the one with the Crimson alias who achieved great merit in the war between the Kingdom of Mireana and the Bestia Empire. But why is he in a desert like Gauche? He did say he was just passing through...)
The image of Rei from just moments ago crossed Daridora's mind, but he couldn't bring himself to trust it.
It was far too convenient.
He had schemed to eliminate Augusto using even a Sand Ship, and an Alias Holder adventurer had appeared as if to obstruct that plan.
...Rei's name had spread due to factors like the Bestia Empire's Fighting Tournament and civil war, but unfortunately, being in a weak nation's city—let alone one that wasn't the capital—meant such information had apparently not reached this far.
(Regardless, Rei is dangerous. What's worst is that he's cooperating with Augusto. It would be ideal if I could bring him to my side, but... that's impossible, isn't it?)
While not complete, Daridora knew some of Rei's information.
Given that information, he absolutely could not imagine Rei lending a hand to him in his current position.
(Besides, losing the Sand Ship to him is extremely painful. Honestly, those Sand Bandits should have acted before Rei joined up and taken out Augusto. How infuriating.)
Losing the Sand Ship, a great asset for both the Elema Trading Company and himself, was a severe blow.
If Augusto had it, there would be options—negotiating, or worst case, forcefully taking it—but against Rei, he couldn't imagine attempting such a thing.
(No, come to think of it, Rei supposedly had a hobby of collecting Magic Items. In that case, perhaps I should just consider the Sand Ship a necessary expense. It's harsh, but if I could lure him to our side with a Magic Item of the same rank as the Sand Ship...)
He thought that, but remembering the way Rei had looked at him, he couldn't possibly believe Rei would defect to his faction.
If anything, he could only envision a future of ruin.
(What do I do... that matter is already in motion. Even if I try to stop it now, it's using much of the Elema Trading Company's assets, so pulling out here would leave nothing but debt... if so, then...)
Walking with a furrowed brow, Daridora looked displeased to anyone who saw him.
Those in Daridora's path, knowing that speaking to him in such a state could result in unpredictable consequences, each cleared the way for him.
Glancing up at the sky as if irritated by the desert's characteristic heat, Daridora suddenly recalled what Rei had said.
That he had just happened to stop by Gauche.
Being present at the scene of the Sand Bandits' attack was bad luck, but if Rei had no intention of settling permanently in this region, there should still be an opportunity.
He couldn't fully trust Rei's words, but for now, he had no choice but to pray those words were true.
(Temporarily halt operations, and resume after Rei leaves. ...This is the only option, isn't it?)
Once his thoughts settled, Daridora finally noticed that his guards and entourage were not around him.
"Hmm, I suppose I need to give some consideration to their evaluation."
He muttered, and hearing footsteps approaching from behind to chase after him, he turned around.
After Daridora had fled as if running away, the gazes of those present naturally gathered on Rei.
What on earth did you do? When asked so blatantly through their looks, Rei thought for a moment and, deciding there was no need to stay silent indefinitely, opened his mouth.
"Right. Telling you about myself is fine and all, but could you point me to a good inn? Preferably one with delicious food."
"Are you dodging the question here? ...Well then, what's your budget?"
"I don't particularly care. I'm not hurting for money. Oh, but I need a place where Set can stay with me."
At Rei's words that the budget didn't matter, those around him showed surprise, but quickly accepted it.
They initially wondered how a child with Rei's appearance could have that much money, but in the next moment, seeing Set beside Rei, they concluded it was only natural for an adventurer who had a Gryphon as a Tamed Monster and possessed such strength.
Incidentally, Rei was naturally wearing the hood of his Dragon Robe up.
Most of the residents living in Gauche had brown skin, if not quite as dark as a Dark Elf's.
Among them, someone with pale skin like Rei stood out considerably.
Zarust had warned him about that, which was why he was currently concealing his face.
"Let's see, there are several inns with good food, but... finding one with a stable that can accommodate Set is difficult. Especially given that you're currently at odds with Daridora..."
Being hostile to Daridora—and by extension, the Elema Trading Company—in Gauche meant inevitably being affected by their influence.
And every inn with a stable capable of housing Set was a high-class establishment, naturally having deep ties with the Elema Trading Company.
"Worst case, if someone lends me some land, I'll just sleep in a tent."
At the words that came from Rei's mouth, those around him showed pitying expressions.
But that was a look born only from not knowing that Rei's tent was a Magic Tent.
Inside the Magic Tent, the facilities were so well-equipped that they couldn't compare to an ordinary inn, making it extremely comfortable to stay in.
As for water, which was essential for living, Rei had the Dagger of Flowing Water, so there was no need to worry about that.
Since they didn't know that, it couldn't be helped that they directed such looks at him.
Among all this, Augusto suddenly spoke up.
"Rei-san, if you're willing, would you like to come to my house? Fortunately, we have a stable that Set can fit in, and my wife would welcome a guest. The room itself may not be on par with a high-class inn, but... I believe the cooking won't lose to one, you know?"
Augusto, speaking of his wife's cooking skills, was probably recalling the taste. An entranced light dwelled in his eyes.
"Ah, Rei. Augusto-san is a devoted husband. 'A couple that's always on good terms' is probably the best way to put it, but..."
Zarust told Rei in a cautionary tone that being subjected to their passionate behavior meant it might be better to avoid staying at Augusto's house if possible.
But at Zarust's words, Rei wore a conflicted expression.
Given that inns where Set could stay were under the Elema Trading Company's influence, Rei's options came down to roughing it with the Magic Tent or staying at Augusto's house.
Using the Magic Tent meant he could spend his time as he pleased, but he'd have to prepare his own meals.
Staying at Augusto's house would mean being subjected to the couple's passionate displays, but he wouldn't have to prepare meals. ...Of course, given the amount Rei and Set ate, he'd likely need to pay an appropriate amount.
He weighed which was better, but he couldn't stop himself from leaning toward staying at Augusto's house, where he could eat the local cuisine.
In terms of local food, there were also food stalls, but... considering the Elema Trading Company's influence, he felt he couldn't just eat at any random shop.
(Hm? Then how does Augusto's wife buy ingredients and such? If the Elema Trading Company has that much influence, I'd think they wouldn't be able to buy food ingredients at shops...)
Rei harbored such a doubt, but before an answer could come, Augusto pressed him, asking what he'd decided.
"Rei-san, what will you do? Personally, I'd very much like you to come along. I'd like to introduce you to my wife as the person who saved my life."
"...Ah, yeah. Fine. I'll take you up on your offer. I'll pay for food expenses for Set too, so don't worry."
"You don't need to worry about food expenses..."
Augusto told him that, saying he was his lifesaver, but Rei had obtained the Magic Item known as the Sand Ship and was also selling the Sand Bandits as slaves, so his pockets were comfortable.
The real desert, unlike the Dungeon's simulated desert, was unknown territory for Rei, so even if he asked about the Sand Bandits' base, he judged it would be difficult to find and left that matter alone for now, though once he had some free time, it might be worth searching for.
(Well, there's a high chance someone's already looted it, though.)
As the Sand Bandits' base, there were naturally various treasures stored there.
And since Rei had captured most of the Sand Bandits, there should be no Sand Bandits at their base... or very few, even if any.
With such perfect prey before them, would other Sand Bandits or... perhaps adventurers just turn a blind eye?
Given Rei's past actions, the answer was undoubtedly no.
Though that might also be precisely because Rei was feared as the Bandit Eater.
"Well, we can discuss the food expenses later... but staying here any longer will be a nuisance to others."
His excitement having apparently settled, Augusto muttered while looking around.
The place where Rei and the others were currently located hadn't progressed very far from where they had entered Gauche.
Having Augusto's carriages, camels, and adventurer guards gathered in such a place was extremely conspicuous, and it was a fact that they were getting in the way of other passersby.
"Right. We also need to go to the Guild to report that our escort request is complete. ...Rei, what about you? For an adventurer who was active in Gilm, you must have strength that no one around here in Gauche could match."
Having seen the battles against the Sand Serpent and the Sand Bandits, no one could possibly judge Rei by his appearance and underestimate him.
Also, considering that Set was his Tamed Monster, there was no way anyone could claim Rei lacked ability.
(The one concern is...)
Zarust looked at Rei with his hood up and considered the points of concern.
Rei, who was visibly small in stature, would first be underestimated based on his appearance. And if he lowered his hood, his pale skin—suggesting he wasn't from Solrein—and his features, which could be mistaken for a woman's, would be visible.
In this country where manly men were respected, an adventurer with Rei's appearance would undoubtedly be underestimated and picked on.
Having a Gryphon as a Tamed Monster would also be a cause for underestimation, with people thinking he relied on Set's strength rather than his own to act tough.
Even Zarust and the other adventurers might have underestimated Rei if they hadn't seen him slay the Sand Serpent in a single strike.
(Skilled adventurers like those hired by the Elema Trading Company might be a different story, but...)
Skilled individuals were rare, and the inexperienced naturally outnumbered them, so expecting them to perceive Rei's strength was unreasonable.
To prevent adventurers at Gauche's Guild from sustaining unnecessary injuries, having Rei come to the Guild with them was the best option.
Unless accepting a request, adventurers basically had no need to show their face at the Guild, but...
"You're going to sell the Sand Serpent materials too, right?"
Zarust asked, recalling the figure of the giant monster they had encountered when he first met Rei, and Rei nodded.
"Yeah, the Subjugation Proof Part got blown away, but... the skin can be sold, I hear."
Rei spoke, recalling the Sand Serpent information he had heard from Zarust on the way to Gauche, and Zarust, the very person who had shared that information, nodded.
"It should fetch a fairly high price as armor material. There are also a few sellable parts among the internal organs, and the meat can be sold too, but..."
At the mention of meat, Rei shook his head.
"Set looked like it wanted to try it, so I'll give it that."
Saying that, Rei had no intention of eating the snake meat himself.
Rei had no problem eating the meat of humanoid monsters like Orcs, Ogres, and Cyclops, but he simply couldn't bring himself to eat snake.
He had eaten Wyvern meat, and when he was in Japan, he had gladly eaten eel, conger eel, lamprey, and even somewhat unusual ingredients like moray eel, but he couldn't accept snake, which from an outsider's perspective would raise nothing but questions.
"It's a fairly high-end item, you know. Well, even if you're going to rejoin Augusto-san later, want to head to the Guild for now?"
With those words, Rei temporarily parted ways with Augusto and headed toward the Guild with Zarust and the other adventurer guards.