After entering the mansion, Rei parted with Set at the entrance and was guided to a guest room.
Set had been left at the entrance, but Mebasuchan had instructed the mansion staff to give it proper food — not just scraps — so by now it was likely filling its stomach ahead of Rei.
In that case, the unfortunate ones were the people told to feed Set.
Men who lacked Mebasuchan's nerve had been terrified at seeing Set... a Gryphon up close, yet still had to approach it timidly.
...And so they ended up having to ask the cooks serving the House Salmas to prepare multiple dishes and carry them to Set.
The cooks, already busy preparing for Lyubrand's meal with Rei, also had to cook for Set — they were undoubtedly the busiest people in the mansion right now.
"Heh..."
Bringing the tea that Mebasuchan had a Maid prepare to his lips, Rei was slightly surprised.
He had assumed it was ordinary black tea, but upon tasting it, there was a hint of spiciness.
For a moment he wondered if it was poisoned or something, but quickly realized it was some kind of spice.
Since Rei wasn't particularly knowledgeable about cooking, he couldn't identify what the spice was called.
However, the tea, which carried a faint spiciness, was followed by a rich milky flavor spreading through his mouth.
(When I was in Japan, I saw something called chai — Indian milk tea — on TV. Is this something like that? But in a desert like this, it's probably not cow's milk but milk from some other animal... or maybe even a monster's milk.)
The first sip surprised him, but as he took a second and third sip, he found it surprisingly suited his palate.
As he was drinking the chai-like beverage, the guest room door was eventually knocked upon.
"Excuse me, Lord Rei. The meal is ready. Lord Lyubrand is calling for you."
"Understood."
Nodding at Mebasuchan's words, Rei rose from the sofa.
For a moment he wondered if he should go as he was, but then reminded himself that he met Daskar, the lord of Gilm, in this same attire.
...Well, in Daskar's case, his unconventional personality meant he didn't care at all what the other party looked like, unless something extraordinary happened.
"Then please guide me."
"Yes, this way."
Mebasuchan bowed and left the guest room with Rei in tow.
They proceeded down the hallway for a few minutes before stopping in front of a door.
It was larger than the guest room's door, presumably because it belonged to a dining room.
Looking at the door that was one... or perhaps two sizes larger than the guest room's, Rei pondered.
The door was probably made large to accommodate bringing in large platters of food when hosting many guests for a meal.
And perhaps because he had just been thinking about Daskar, the door to Daskar's mansion office came to mind.
A door so luxurious it could be called a work of art in its own right.
To Rei, it was a door so intimidating that even knocking on it felt frightening, but those serving Daskar must have been used to it. They reached for the door without any hesitation.
Entering what appeared to be a dining room with these thoughts, Rei found his expectations perfectly confirmed.
There was a large rectangular table, and seated at one end of it was a single man.
A medium-built man in his forties.
At first, Rei didn't think that man was Lyubrand.
For better or worse, the nobles Rei had met so far were mostly distinctive in various ways.
And even those who weren't particularly distinctive still had some memorable trait.
But... the person now in Rei's line of sight had no such memorable feature.
A person whose defining trait was having no defining traits, if one could even put it that way.
(Is this really Lyubrand? Could he actually be a body double?)
Rei harbored such doubts, but while a country like the Kingdom of Mireana might use one, he couldn't imagine a small country like Solrein employing a body double.
(In that case, is this the real one? No, but... hmm, I wonder what's going on here?)
While Rei was troubled over whether the person before him was genuine, Lyubrand spoke.
"So you are Rei. I hear you're an Alias Holder adventurer. I'm pleased to meet you. Come, have a seat. It's a bit early, but let us have lunch."
In Lyubrand's line of sight were several dishes.
The most eye-catching was probably the fish caught from the oasis.
It was an extremely precious ingredient in Gauche, but the fact that it could be so readily prepared was likely due to his position as the lord of Gauche.
(Well, Augusto also served fish, so it's probably not at a price completely out of reach for commoners.)
Gazing at the steamed fish dish, Rei sat in the chair as Lyubrand urged.
"We've received various pieces of information about you. I hear you defeated a Sand Serpent, Sand Bandits who possessed a Sand Ship, and even Sand Lizardmen. As expected of an Alias Holder, you seem to be quite capable."
Rei hesitated over what tone to use with the person before him, but after a brief deliberation, since they were not yet clearly hostile, he replied in a polite tone — polite by Rei's standards, that is.
"Fortunately, I have an excellent partner."
"Oh, is that so. It seems a Gryphon is truly a wonderful monster. ...How about it? I hear that Gryphon is your Tamed Monster. Would you be willing to part with it?"
Was that the reason he invited me? Rei wondered for a moment, but for all that, there was no greedy desire for the Gryphon in Lyubrand's eyes.
He said he wanted it, but it didn't seem like he wanted it from the bottom of his heart.
(What is this? He really is a type I've never encountered before. What's going on?)
Rei had his doubts, but that didn't mean he could go along with Lyubrand's proposal here.
"Unfortunately, Set is a monster that has grown up with me since it was small. You could say it's my friend... no, something I'd call family. Lord Lyubrand, would you hand over your family if someone said they wanted them?"
"I would."
"I thought so. Which means, I also... eh?"
At those words that had so casually slipped into his own, Rei turned his gaze to Lyubrand.
Receiving Rei's gaze, Lyubrand continued as if wondering what was so surprising.
"Listen well. For a noble, the existence of the house itself is more important than any individual. That holds true for me as well. That is precisely why I married a wife ten years my senior."
"...Despite that, she isn't here?"
If he was married, wouldn't it be natural for his wife and children to be in this dining room? As if in response to Rei's silent question, Lyubrand gave a small smile and shrugged.
"My wife and son are currently in Ranaid on business."
"...Ranaid?"
It was an unfamiliar word, but Rei judged from the context that it was some city — however, this time it was Lyubrand who showed surprise at Rei's reaction.
"You don't know it? It's the capital of Solrein."
"Ah... now that you mention it, I think I may have heard of it."
He thought he might have heard about it from Marina... and, as if to hide his embarrassment, reached his fork toward the steamed fish.
The mild white fish, which melted softly in his mouth, was paired with a sauce generously seasoned with spices.
It was undoubtedly a dish that could be described as sufficiently delicious, but...
(Cathy's cooking skills are better.)
The food Cathy had made at Augusto's house was definitely superior in taste.
(In this case, should I praise Cathy for having better cooking skills than the lord's mansion cooks... no, but in Cathy's case, if I praised her, she'd probably say something like "it's the power of love.")
At the lovey-dovey behavior he had been subjected to countless times, Rei gave a small wry smile.
Perhaps noticing something in Rei's wry smile, Lyubrand spoke.
"Is something the matter? That steamed fish dish is a fairly high-end item in Gauche. Of course, for someone like you who lived in the Kingdom of Mireana, it may not be that special... Did it not suit your taste?"
"No, it's delicious. Fish from an oasis is something I was able to eat for the first time since coming to Gauche."
Those words were by no means a lie.
The fish Rei had eaten so far were basically river fish, and sea fish purchased in the port city of Emosion.
Fish raised in an oasis was something he had first tasted in the dish served at Augusto's house.
(I've never eaten fish from lakes or anything like that, but is this what they're like?)
Rei briefly had such a thought, but before he could pursue it further, Lyubrand spoke.
"I see, I see. I'm glad to hear you say that. Normally, we would serve more elaborate dishes, but... this was quite sudden, after all."
"Well, that's certainly true."
Mebasuchan had come to meet Rei, and that was how Rei had ended up at this lord's mansion.
Considering that, preparing this many dishes in the short time since Rei's arrival was impressive, to say the least.
(If that's the case, Cathy had more time to cook, so it doesn't necessarily mean Cathy is more skilled than the cooks here.)
From Lyubrand's words, Rei realized he had been mistaken.
It wasn't that anyone could make better food than this given more time, but with a certain level of skill...
The time Rei had waited in the guest room after arriving at the lord's mansion was not that long.
In that time, if they had managed to prepare multiple dishes — from steamed fish to stew, stir-fry, and salad using vegetables and fruits — then that was undoubtedly first-class.
As Rei once again savored the array of dishes before him, Lyubrand, who had been watching with satisfaction, suddenly spoke.
"Now then, Rei. I invited you here partly because I wanted to meet an Alias Holder adventurer, but there is also another reason."
"...A reason?"
As Rei asked, sandwiching something like meat boiled in oil — a dish that could be called oil sardines made from meat — in bread, Lyubrand nodded.
"Yes. You have become somewhat famous despite only being in Gauche for a few days. You understand that, do you not?"
"Well, that's..."
Having Gryphon Seto as a Tamed Monster, being close to Augusto — who opposed Daridora, the head of the Elema Trading Company wielding strong influence in Gauche — and even seizing the Sand Ship that Daridora possessed... nominally taken from Sand Bandits, but still.
It was only natural that someone like him would become a topic of conversation in Gauche... a city that, while fairly large within Solrein, was not as large as Gilm.
Those who had witnessed Rei's actual strength were still few, but they certainly existed — the adventurers who had served alongside Zarust as Augusto's guards, and the four members of Sand Dust Claw, among others.
And above all, the reason Rei was a topic of conversation was, as expected, the existence of Set.
A Gryphon was an existence that carried that powerful an impact.
"Let me ask you directly. Are you opposed to planting Tira Trees around Gauche as a monster countermeasure?"
"Huh? Um, why this topic all of a sudden?"
Of course, Rei knew that opinions in Gauche were currently divided between repairing the walls and using Tira Trees for monster countermeasures.
Though divided they were, with Daridora supporting the use of Tira Trees, that side was overwhelmingly dominant.
Even so, the faction supporting the continued use of the defensive walls — which Augusto backed — was by no means powerless.
Besides Augusto, there were a few independent individuals beyond the reach of the Elema Trading Company's influence.
Together with such people, Augusto was fighting hard to oppose the use of Tira Trees, but they were naturally at a disadvantage.
But... what would happen if someone like Rei joined their side?
It would bring not just pure Combat Power, but even public attention.
That was something Lyubrand, who was allied with Daridora, could by no means tolerate.
As Lyubrand stared intently at him, Rei thought for a moment.
Whether he should involve himself in Gauche's affairs.
Since Marina had suggested he come here, he believed there must be some reason, but whether this was it or not, he couldn't tell. And because he couldn't tell...
"I don't know yet."
That was how he answered.