What Rei — invited to a meal at the lord's mansion — was asked by Lyubrand was whether he would side with Augusto... or more precisely, whether he opposed planting Tira Trees as a countermeasure against monsters.
Rei's reply to that was...
"'Don't know,' hmm? I would have preferred an answer right away, if possible."
"Even so, I've only just arrived in Gauche. Above all, I know almost nothing about these Tira Trees. Whichever side I choose to back, I believe I need to research them thoroughly first."
Rei understood his own power to a certain degree.
This was no joke — if the Daridora faction and the Augusto faction came into conflict, he was confident that whichever side he joined would win.
He was even confident he would win if it came to a fight against the entire city of Gauche.
That was exactly why he could not clearly state which side he would take here.
On a personal level, Rei did want to side with Augusto.
But that was merely his impression from looking at Augusto alone; knowing nothing about Daridora, he could not decide based on feelings alone.
(It's a fact that Daridora is an unpleasant guy, though.)
The exchange between Daridora and Augusto that Rei had witnessed when he first arrived in Gauche.
Based on that alone, Rei's honest thought was that he and Daridora would never get along.
But he could not let his personal feelings decide everything.
"...Hm. I, a noble, am telling you I sincerely want you to cooperate with Daridora. And you say that won't do?"
"Yes."
He answered that part without a moment's hesitation.
To begin with, the status of noble held little meaning for Rei.
Even nobles of the Kingdom of Mireana were that way, so there was no reason for him to be deferential to a noble of its vassal state — and a vassal state with low national strength at that, like Solrein.
However, such an attitude was apparently unpleasant to Lyubrand. He furrowed his brows slightly.
"To say that so boldly to my face — you have quite the nerve. I would advise against doing anything to anger me here."
Believing there was no one who would act insolently toward a noble, Lyubrand threatened Rei slightly out of that displeasure.
But... that was a poor move.
"If you intend to make an enemy of me, that's fine. If you try to do something to me by force, I will simply respond in kind. For instance, the destruction of Gauche..."
Rei's expression as he said that was utterly serious.
Lyubrand must have understood that as well. He tried to laugh it off, but found himself unable to.
"Well, it would only be an unfortunate event for the other residents, after all. I wouldn't do something like that."
Rei said with a smile, as if to ask where his deadly serious expression from a moment ago had gone.
At the sight of Rei like that, Lyubrand let out a sigh of relief...
"Though reducing this entire mansion to nothing... incinerating it would be simple enough."
...he continued.
"...What?"
Unable to comprehend at all what had just been said, Lyubrand asked again.
He had believed that no matter what happened, no harm could come to him, so he could not understand what Rei was talking about.
"I said I could burn this mansion and everyone living in it to death whenever I pleased. Did that not reach your ears?"
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, of course. Rather, I'm the one who wants to ask — why do you think I couldn't? I have survived through countless battles. Battles on a scale that could be called war, at that. The lives I've taken in those battles are not in the hundreds or mere two hundreds. The number of people living in this mansion would simply be added to that count."
Is the person before me insane?
Thinking that, Lyubrand looked into Rei's eyes, but since Rei had lowered his hood, his eyes were clearly visible — and they looked perfectly sane.
(In other words, this man... he means it!?)
The person before him did not regard him — a noble — as anything at all.
He had heard as much from Daridora, but he had thought it was merely a rumor... an exaggerated rumor.
But that information was true, and if Rei here willed it, his own life would be snuffed out in an instant.
He must have realized that. Lyubrand noticed his own hands trembling without his awareness.
"I-Is that so. That is... admirable. But perhaps you shouldn't speak of killing people so casually?"
"Unfortunately, I'm an adventurer. Killing is my everyday life. Whether it's monsters... or people."
At the word "people," Lyubrand's legs began trembling to a degree he could no longer hide.
It was fortunate for Lyubrand — who cared about appearances as a noble — that the tablecloth concealed the sight of his trembling legs.
Facing such a Lyubrand, Rei opened his mouth with a smile.
"Huh? It was a joke to liven up the meal. Was it not funny?"
"...You're right. It's not a very appropriate topic for mealtime. I would prefer you refrain from such topics going forward."
For Rei, it had been a half-joking remark, but it had made Lyubrand understand just how dangerous a person Rei was.
Half-joking meant that half of it was also true for Rei.
(Dangerous... this man is a truly dangerous man.)
He must have finally understood that from the bottom of his heart. Lyubrand turned his gaze toward Rei, who was eating a meat dish seasoned generously with spices, showing not the slightest concern about the conversation that had just taken place.
But while feeling terror at Rei's presence, Lyubrand also found himself accepting — so this is what an alias-holding adventurer who commands a gryphon as a tamed monster is like.
(Dangerous, indeed. He doesn't even regard a noble as a noble... no, it's worse than that. The abnormality of being fully aware someone is a noble and yet able to say without any hesitation that he would kill them. According to what Daridora told me, he's heavily relied upon by Margrave Larcus...)
How could anyone make use of such a dangerous person? Lyubrand thought to himself with genuine wonder.
Shifting his thoughts away from the person before him must have helped. Before he knew it, the trembling in his body had faded.
Understanding that, Lyubrand opened his mouth once more.
"Now then, will you... no, facing a high-rank alias-holding adventurer, will you not — is it correct that Rei has not yet decided what he will do next?"
Perhaps because he understood what kind of person Rei was, Lyubrand called him by name rather than using "you." And yet he used no honorific — likely because he disliked giving a title to someone who was not a noble.
But Rei nodded without appearing the least bit concerned about Lyubrand's manner.
"Yes, that's right. To begin with, my coming to Gauche was almost entirely circumstantial. I might even leave as early as tomorrow."
"...I see. Understood. What you wish to do is not something I can say anything about. But please remember that Daridora and I are not pursuing the Tira Tree matter as a game."
Rei nodded back to Lyubrand, who was looking at him intently as he said that.
"Understood. I will keep that firmly in mind."
"Then that's fine. Now, enough of the difficult talk — let's eat. This food was prepared for us. Once it cools, the flavor suffers."
Normally, the food would have cooled during such a conversation, but whether there was some mechanism in the table on which the dishes rested, the food showed no signs of cooling.
When he reached for the soup and felt its warmth, Rei's expression showed a hint of surprise.
(Is this also a Magic Item?)
A table with heat-retention properties.
If he had one, it would be convenient and he would envy it, but if asked whether it was necessary in a desert, he would have to tilt his head in doubt.
(Well, it does get cold at night, so it's not exactly useless.)
Still, dinner was normally eaten before the sun fully set, and while he wouldn't go so far as to say no one in the desert ate after temperatures dropped to near freezing, they were few.
Especially for the lord who governed Gauche, sudden situations were never entirely out of the question.
At such times, this table — apparently a Magic Item — would be undeniably convenient.
"Hm? Ah, you noticed? That's right, this table is a Magic Item."
"That's quite a convenient Magic Item you have."
"Hah hah hah. That too is thanks to Daridora."
"...I see."
Rei understood — it was essentially a form of bribery — but there was no accusatory tone in his reaction.
In Elgin, bribery was not inherently illegal.
Of course, taking it too far would result in punishment, and since it was by no means a commendable act, some people would find it distasteful.
Additionally, there were many like Daskar — the lord of Gilm, where Rei was based — who disliked bribery.
Judgments on such matters varied from person to person, and that was exactly why Rei had no intention of condemning Lyubrand or Daridora.
If they had tried to demand a bribe from Rei, he would have taken a firm stance at that point.
(That's also probably one of the reasons Augusto keeps ending up on the back foot.)
The face of Augusto, looking like a good-natured man, surfaced in his mind.
In terms of pure talent as a merchant, Augusto was by no means inferior to Daridora.
But Augusto's uprightness held him back, while Daridora had built his current position through action regardless of the means.
"This bread has fish caught in Gauche's oasis, grilled and sandwiched inside. I don't dislike this kind of food. ...However, the cook scolds me for my bad manners when I eat it. My wife is also particular about that sort of thing."
So today is special. Saying that, Lyubrand reached for the bread sandwiching the fish fillet.
(He's got a pretty good personality, actually. Liking this kind of fast food. Well, since it's fish sandwiched in bread, it's probably a luxurious dish in Gauche. Still, the cook warns him about it but still makes it for him?)
Watching the dish Lyubrand was eating, Rei reached for the same thing.
The moist bread held the grilled, flaked fish and sauce on top.
Seeing the sauce faintly soaking into the bread, it was certain that leaving it for too long would let the sauce seep too deeply and make it difficult to eat.
Minced vegetables with an onion-like texture stimulated the palate alongside the fish, making each bite enjoyable.
"Well? Quite good, wouldn't you say?"
"Yes, it is. This dish is delicious. I can't exactly call it something to eat casually, though."
For something to be eaten casually, the fish was too expensive, and if left too long after being made, the sauce would soak into the bread and make it hard to hold.
Thinking about it that way, calling this dish fast food was somewhat of a stretch.
(If you laid down a leafy vegetable like lettuce underneath the fish... no, or would spreading something like mayonnaise or olive oil thinly prevent the bread from getting soggy?)
For some reason, Rei had been thinking about such things, and eventually he noticed what he was doing and let out a wry smile.
It wasn't just Augusto who had a deep absorption in food — he himself was probably the same.
"Hm? Did something happen?"
Lyubrand asked Rei, who had suddenly smiled.
"No, it's nothing. I just thought once more that this dish is delicious."
"...I see."
For some ten-odd minutes after that, Rei and Lyubrand ate their meal together.
Then, as the meal ended and the fruit a maid had brought for dessert sat before them, Lyubrand opened his mouth once more.
"Rei, I want to ask one last time. Will you not cooperate with Daridora and me?"
To Lyubrand's question, Rei simply shook his head without saying a word.
Judging that anything more would be useless, Lyubrand turned to savoring the dessert before him.
"Lord Rei, thank you for honoring Lord Lyubrand's request today."
After the meal ended, as Rei stepped through the gate of the lord's mansion, Mebasuchan bowed deeply toward him.
Rei shook his head, gesturing with his attitude that Mebasuchan need not worry.
Beside Rei, Set — who had also eaten plenty of delicious food and was in a great mood — purred happily.
"Today's affair wasn't a bad outcome for me, either."
"I see. ...Then, truly, thank you very much for today."
Leaving Mebasuchan bowing deeply on the spot, Rei departed with Set.