"No, it wasn't me."
It was Augusto who gave that answer to Rei's question.
It was during the after-meal rest, following yet another of Cathy's delicious meals today.
Rei had sensed that whoever was watching the mansion today had suddenly vanished partway through, and he asked whether it had been one of Augusto's men. The answer was no.
"It wasn't? Someone was clearly observing this mansion, so I assumed you'd ordered Zarust to do it."
"Hardly. He and I are on good terms, but he's not my subordinate. ...Well, I would like to make him one if I could, but at the moment I simply don't have the money for it."
Among the adventurers in Gauche, Zarust was someone who could safely be called part of Augusto's faction.
Compared to the Elema Trading Company led by Daridora, his side was overwhelmingly inferior in strength, making him a genuinely valuable ally.
But even so, Zarust was not Augusto's subordinate — merely an outsider allied with him.
His position was fundamentally different from the guards Daridora employed, gathered from neighboring cities and countries through the power of money.
The reason Augusto couldn't do the same was, as ever, largely a matter of finances.
Zarust was a fairly well-known figure in Gauche.
Because of that, while short-term guard work — like when he had encountered Rei — was feasible, employing him long-term, if not permanently, was impossible.
"Then who got rid of the person watching us? Well, 'got rid of' might be too strong, but still..."
Augusto was currently in opposition to Daridora.
But even calling it an opposition, in terms of combat power, influence, economic strength, and overall clout, Daridora — the head of the Elema Trading Company — was overwhelmingly superior.
The only reason Augusto remained safe was that his personal character was well-regarded by the residents of Gauche.
As one could see from the mansion where Rei was currently staying, Augusto's ancestors had once been great merchants with strong influence in Gauche.
But now that they had fallen from prominence, that influence was no longer something to be relied upon.
In other words, the forces currently aligned with Augusto were very small.
There were many who felt a fondness for Augusto in their hearts, but the vast majority couldn't act on those feelings openly.
That was exactly why Rei found it strange that whoever had been surveilling them today had suddenly disappeared partway through.
"Perhaps no one did anything at all. Maybe they simply realized there was no point in watching Rei-san any longer and withdrew?"
"...Do you really believe that?"
Saying something he himself wasn't convinced of wasn't a good idea. Conveying that sentiment through his words, Rei watched as Augusto offered a slightly sheepish smile and lifted the cup in his hand to his lips.
What was inside was not alcohol, but water.
However, it was water produced by Rei's Dagger of Flowing Water — water that could perhaps be called Celestial Nectar, something only a limited few in Gauche... no, in all of Solrein, could taste.
Sighing in rapture at the water's taste, Augusto continued speaking.
"I'm saying this only as a possibility, you understand. But Daridora surely wouldn't want to do anything to provoke Rei-san. I can't imagine him resorting to something like surveilling us."
"...So the person watching us wasn't one of Daridora's men?"
Rei asked doubtfully. In response, Augusto set down his cup of water and nodded.
"Correct. To Rei-san, who lived in Gilm in the Kingdom of Mireana, this city of Gauche might seem like a small town, but it's actually one of the top five largest cities in Solrein. Naturally, various forces operate here..."
"A force other than the Elema Trading Company has gotten involved, you're saying?"
"Probably, yes. And upon learning that, Daridora likely told whoever was conducting the surveillance not to lay a hand on them."
Augusto's prediction was not entirely accurate, but it followed the general shape of the truth.
In reality, Lyubrand, the lord of Gauche, had heard rumors about Rei and taken an interest, ordering surveillance of Augusto's mansion as part of gathering information.
Upon learning of this through a subordinate's report, Daridora had panicked and immediately ordered the surveillance pulled back.
Being able to predict the broad strokes, if not every detail, was perhaps a testament to Augusto's own capability.
"A third force getting involved... That's troublesome. And if things stay like this, I might end up causing trouble for you too. Maybe I should leave this house after all?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
The one who interjected was Cathy, carrying a plate with a simple dish.
They had just finished their meal, but this was perhaps a snack to go with drinks — a quickly stir-fried dish of Sand Lizardman meat that Rei had provided, seasoned with spices.
...Though what Rei and Augusto were drinking was water, not alcohol.
"Rei, you're still small. You don't need to worry about inconveniencing others. Just think of this as your own home and relax. We have spare rooms, after all. Right?"
Cathy turned her gaze toward Augusto as she spoke.
Receiving that look, Augusto reached for the Sand Lizardman meat with a smile and nodded.
"Yes. Of course. Having Rei-san stay here lets me focus on my work with peace of mind."
For Augusto, hosting Rei at his mansion carried various benefits.
The greatest of those had been that as long as Rei and Set were at the mansion, Daridora wouldn't dare try anything underhanded. ...That had been the case. Past tense.
Now, the greatest benefit of Rei staying at his mansion was simply that Cathy had taken a liking to him.
If Rei were in his thirties or forties, Augusto might have felt uneasy about leaving him alone in the mansion with Cathy. But Rei was still in his mid-teens.
Cathy, Augusto's beloved wife, saw Rei not as a man but as something like her own child.
(This is... surely because we haven't been able to have children, isn't it?)
A moment of sadness crossed his mind.
Augusto and Cathy were, by anyone's assessment, a deeply loving couple.
Given that, it would be natural for them to have children — but there was no sign of that happening.
It was possible that some issue lay with either himself or his wife. He had considered it, but even knowing the cause, he wouldn't be able to think of a solution.
In any case, Rei's presence was, for Cathy, something like a surrogate child.
...Both Cathy and Augusto were around their mid-thirties, while Rei appeared to be in his mid-teens. There might be some stretch in terms of age, but it wouldn't be unusual for them to have a child of Rei's age.
On top of that, Rei's face was not the rugged sort one might associate with the word "adventurer" — rather, it was a feminine face that conveyed a delicate quality.
Given all that, it was hardly strange for Cathy to want to dote on Rei.
"...So, uh, what were we talking about again?"
Sensing an atmosphere he wasn't accustomed to lingering in the air, Rei opened his mouth to try and dispel it.
Augusto wouldn't have minded savoring the current mood a little longer, but he couldn't very well ignore Rei's words, so he spoke up.
"The matter of a third force being present. ...Ah, and naturally there's no need for Rei-san to leave this mansion."
"Is that really alright?"
Rei asked as if to confirm, and Augusto nodded in response.
"I dislike phrasing it this way, but my current situation is far from secure. I believe Rei-san is well aware of that."
Those words reminded Rei of the Sand Bandits who had attacked them riding a Sand Ship.
An action resulting from Daridora — the head of the Elema Trading Company — trying to eliminate Augusto, whom he saw as an obstacle.
Of course, without anything to prove it, bringing Daridora to trial was impossible.
But conversely, that meant if there were evidence, he could be brought to judgment...
"Were you unable to extract any information from those Sand Bandits?"
At Rei's puzzled question, Augusto showed a hint of surprise before speaking.
"You didn't know? Those Sand Bandits were all killed by someone the very next day. Thanks to that, we were paid a somewhat higher amount than what we would have gotten from selling them to slave merchants."
It was clear that this served as hush money, and Augusto had in fact been told as much directly by the guards.
Since selling them properly would have brought in more money, Augusto wasn't entirely satisfied — but there was nothing more he could do. Moreover, making a bad impression on the guards was something he had to avoid, so he had no choice but to quietly back down.
"Killed? Even though they were being held by the guards?"
"Yes. If you consider that such parties exist, then having Rei-san stay at this mansion is genuinely helpful for me. Cathy seems happy about it too, after all."
"...Understood."
Rei, for his part, felt genuine affection for Cathy, who doted on him.
Naturally, that affection was not the kind one feels toward a woman, but something closer to what one feels toward a mother. Affection, one might call it.
Rei had never been particularly good at social interactions, but Cathy had warmly welcomed someone like him.
It would be unreasonable to expect him not to feel fondly toward such a person.
"Then let's put this matter to rest. ...So, what are Rei-san's plans for tomorrow?"
"I'd like to take on a subjugation request or something at the Guild if possible. Or else, I have quite a few Sand Lizardman corpses, so I'd like to commission their dismantling as a request."
Zarust had dismantled the Sand Serpent for free, but that was because he owed Rei a debt.
Since that debt had been repaid, he probably couldn't ask Zarust to work for free again.
(But then again, I could probably trust Zarust. If he'd accept a few Sand Lizardman materials as payment, it would be a great help for me.)
Rei understood from their interactions so far that Zarust had an honest, upright character.
Considering that their relationship hadn't even lasted a full week yet, there was a possibility that Zarust's honesty was only a front — but Rei somehow felt it would be fine.
He had no basis for it. Just a gut feeling.
"Dismantling Sand Lizardmen, hmm... Yes, that might be a good idea. With a third force having appeared, going outside the city could lead to all sorts of trouble."
What was on Augusto's mind as he said this was, undoubtedly, the Sand Bandit attack using a Sand Ship.
Under normal circumstances, something like that wouldn't happen so easily, which was exactly why it left such a powerful impression.
(Considering that the result was Rei-san taking the Sand Ship from them, it was the worst possible outcome for their side.)
Conversely, Augusto had been able to deepen his connection with Rei. Truly, one never knows how things will turn out in this world.
"Well, if they come at me, I'll deal with them. I need to practice the Twin Spear Style too, after all."
"Twin Spear Style?"
At the term that slipped from Rei's mouth, Augusto gave him a curious look.
He had heard of the Dual Sword Style, but the term Twin Spear Style was unfamiliar to him.
"I don't actually know if such a term really exists."
"Judging from the words, do you use two spears?"
"Something like that. Well, one of them isn't a spear but the Death Scythe, though."
"Death Scythe... you mean that great scythe? Calling that a Twin Spear Style seems like a bit of a stretch, doesn't it?"
He must have been recalling Rei's Death Scythe. As Augusto asked with genuine puzzlement, Rei gave a small shrug.
"Well, it's a term I made up myself. I prioritized clarity when I decided on it. Anyway, mastering that Twin Spear Style is quite difficult. It's not just training — I need to get used to it through real combat to some degree as well."
"One real battle is worth ten days of practice, as they say," Rei continued.
Augusto's expression turned complicated at those words.
He knew Rei's strength. He knew it well, but... even so, he couldn't shake the doubt of whether anyone could really wield a spear and a great scythe separately, one in each hand.
The reason he didn't voice that doubt was precisely because he had seen Rei's strength with his own eyes.
If it was Rei, maybe — just maybe — he could somehow pull off such an absurd feat. It wouldn't be strange to think so.