A few days had passed since leaving Gauche. Whether one called it unfortunate or simply inevitable, Rei had gotten lost several times along the way. Nevertheless, he and Set had managed to return safely to Gilm.
Had Rei been forced to travel like an ordinary adventurer—by carriage, horse, or on foot instead of riding Set—the journey would likely have stretched until winter. In the worst case, it might have spilled over into the following year.
Considering Solrein’s remote location, it was entirely possible the trip could have taken years.
After all, Rei had a constitution that constantly drew him into trouble. On top of that, he possessed a strong personality that refused to back down from any fight brought to him. With bandit hunting being little more than a hobby for him, it was entirely possible that every road he traveled ended with the local bandits completely wiped out.
For ordinary people, of course, that would have been something to celebrate.
In any case, it was nothing short of a miracle that the easily-lost Rei and Set had made it back to Gilm in one piece.
Even though it was still the height of summer, the heat felt far more bearable than in the desert. Rei walked down the street with Set at his side. While the Dragon Robe kept Rei comfortable, Set was extremely conspicuous. Everyone in Gilm knew exactly who traveled with the griffon.
“Ah, Set!?”
“Wait, it really is Set! Set’s back!”
“Set-chan, you disappeared so suddenly! We were so worried. Although I figured Rei must have taken you on some request.”
“Hmph, been a while, Set. Here, eat this. …Don’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t prepare it for you or anything!”
“Set-chan? Wow… it really has been a long time.”
Such voices spread through the crowd in an instant. Soon everyone was petting Set, offering him food, and spoiling him without restraint.
Naturally, those who noticed Set also noticed Rei.
“Hey, Rei. Heard you ran away from some merchants chasing you? Relax, those guys aren’t in Gilm anymore.”
“Even an Alias Holder has opponents he can’t beat, huh?”
“Stealing my precious time with Set-chan is a crime worthy of death. It’s only natural those bastards got driven out. You should thank me, Rei, and make more time for me to play with Set-chan.”
Many people called out to him with similar remarks.
(Just what is the difference between us?)
Rei sighed inwardly as he walked beside Set, eventually stopping at a familiar stall to buy food, as was his custom.
Compared to Gauche, the comfort here was unbelievable.
…Though since he had worn the Dragon Robe—which essentially functioned as a simplified air conditioner—even in Gauche, the difference in physical sensation was almost nonexistent for him.
(Still, so those merchants really were expelled. I’m definitely not the only one thinking “serves them right.”)
Given how aggressively they had swarmed around him, it was easy to imagine they had caused trouble for plenty of other people in Gilm too. That thought left Rei feeling genuinely refreshed.
…At least until the very next moment.
“My, Rei. Welcome back. It seems you went traveling somewhere without me… You certainly looked like you enjoyed yourself.”
The person who called out to him was someone Rei knew very well.
She wore a thin, nearly transparent garment paired with arm guards and leg guards. Her peerless beauty and seductive allure could only be described as bewitching. The woman stood smiling directly in Rei’s path.
If that smile had been sincere, Rei would have returned it and greeted her—Vihera—warmly.
But while her lips were curved in a smile, her eyes held no warmth whatsoever. What radiated from her alluring body was unmistakable anger.
(At least it’s not killing intent. That’s something, I suppose.)
Even non-adventurers could sense the rage pouring off Vihera. Most of the people around Rei fell completely silent.
Among them, however, were two men who had apparently arrived in Gilm recently and knew neither Rei nor Vihera. They approached her without hesitation.
“Hey there, miss. That’s quite the provocative outfit. Too bad about the guards, though.”
“Heh, well now… Miss, which brothel do you work at? How much?”
The pair had almost no ability to sense danger. Their fatal mistake was speaking to Vihera in her current state.
A quick glance around would have shown that many people were deliberately keeping their distance from her. Yet the men noticed nothing, and—judging by her appearance—mistakenly assumed she was a prostitute.
Had Vihera been in a better mood, they might have gotten away with nothing more than some teasing.
Unfortunately for them, her mood was at its absolute worst.
“Could you not touch me? Unfortunately, I’m not free enough to waste time on the likes of you.”
Vihera coldly brushed aside the hands reaching for her shoulder.
The two men stood stunned for a moment, unsure what she had said. Then, realizing they had been insulted, their faces flushed with anger and they opened their mouths to shout—
“Did you not hear me? I said I’m not free enough to deal with you right now.”
Before anyone realized what was happening, Vihera’s hands had already closed around both men’s throats.
She wasn’t crushing them. Her fingers merely rested against their necks—slender, pale fingers that seemed far too delicate to belong to someone skilled in combat.
And yet the men could not speak.
Even though her touch was light, they found themselves unable to produce a sound. Having lived lives largely untouched by violence, they could not comprehend the overwhelming presence of Vihera, a warrior capable of fighting on equal footing with extraordinary beings like Rei and Elena.
When Vihera saw their eyes shift from lust to confusion and finally to raw terror, she finally released them.
The instant she did, both men collapsed to the ground, legs giving out before they even understood why.
Vihera spared them only a glance before turning her gaze back to Rei.
Beside him, Set was visibly frightened. To the onlookers, however, the griffon’s fear seemed perfectly natural.
If Vihera had been a clear enemy of Rei, Set would not have reacted this way. But right now, the woman standing before Rei was not his enemy. Anger was present, but no hostility. That was why Set made no move to protect him.
Gently stroking Set’s head to calm him, Rei spoke to Vihera.
“What are you so angry about? Of course I feel bad about not taking you with me, but you weren’t even in Gilm when I left for Solrein, were you?”
“Yes, that’s true. Unfortunately, by the time I returned, several days had already passed since you left.”
“See? In that situation, I couldn’t wait for you. So I don’t think you need to be this upset, do you?”
“…You’re right. I know this is mostly just misplaced frustration. But isn’t it a little unfair that you got to fight desert monsters all by yourself?”
That’s what this is about!?
Everyone listening nearby screamed the same thought in their heads. They had assumed it was a lovers’ quarrel. No one had expected her to be angry simply because she wanted to fight unknown desert monsters.
The only one who understood the reason behind Vihera’s anger was Rei. He alone knew about the battle lust that existed alongside her three basic human drives—appetite, sleep, and lust.
To Vihera, the chance to fight unknown monsters in a place she had almost never visited—the desert, dungeon explorations aside—was an opportunity she deeply regretted missing. The complex emotions swirling inside her had found their target in Rei.
“Even so, there was no way I could have predicted things would turn out like that.”
Rei had his own excuses. He couldn’t afford to wait for Vihera while being hounded by those persistent merchants. Besides, she had been away in Exil with Byune for her return trip home. He couldn’t simply wait around for someone whose return date was uncertain.
If he had, the number of merchants missing limbs might have increased dramatically.
“I understand that… I suppose.”
Rei’s words seemed to reach her. The anger radiating from Vihera eased slightly.
Taking advantage of the opening, the two men who had bothered her earlier crawled away on all fours, legs still too weak to stand.
Under normal circumstances, someone would have laughed at the pathetic sight. But no one present dared to make a sound.
“More importantly, what happened to Byune? She finished her trip back to Exil, didn’t she?”
“Yes. There was a small problem, though. She’ll be staying in Exil until it’s resolved. Once it’s settled, she’ll come here.”
“Is that safe? It’s quite a long distance from Exil to Gilm.”
At the very least, Rei couldn’t imagine a child like Byune making the journey alone. He looked at Vihera, who nodded as though the concern was obvious.
“It’s fine. They understand the situation over there. They won’t send Byune alone. She’ll be traveling with hired escorts.”
“I see.”
Rei had wondered if that was really necessary, but if Vihera said so, it was likely the truth.
“So, what kind of monsters were in the desert? You’ll at least tell me that much, won’t you?”
“Yeah, good point. We can’t keep causing a scene here forever… Shall we move somewhere else?”
It seemed that talking with Rei had finally helped her anger subside. Vihera looked around, considered his suggestion, and nodded.
The spot where they stood was the main road leading to the Guild. With the two of them facing each other in the middle of the street, traffic had come to a standstill. While people could move around them, it was only a matter of time before a serious jam formed.
Now that Vihera’s anger had lessened, the congestion was easing somewhat—but only somewhat. If they stayed here much longer, the guard force might intervene for obstructing traffic. Having only just returned to Gilm, Rei had no desire to deal with the guards immediately.
“Where should we go? I’d like to hear the full story somewhere without interruptions.”
Vihera’s gaze drifted toward the direction the two men had fled. She knew her appearance and clothing attracted men, but she had no intention of letting anyone interfere while Rei told her about battles against unknown monsters.
“Yeah. A street stall probably wouldn’t suit you… How about a restaurant? I’d like to have a proper Gilm meal for the first time in a while anyway.”
“Guruu!”
Set gave an eager cry that clearly meant “Me too!” Rei patted the griffon’s head, then looked at Vihera, who nodded in agreement.
“Very well, that’s a fair compromise. …Though dining alone with you would have been quite appealing too.”
With a seductive smile, Vihera murmured softly.