With their conversation with Worker concluded, Rei and his party stepped out of the office and rejoined Ara.
It was an undeniable fact that things would grow busy from here on out, but the saving grace for Worker and the guild staff members working at this branch office was that autumn was deepening, and winter would arrive before long.
During the winter, the number of people out and about fundamentally decreased, and those newly coming to this dungeon would drop significantly.
Additionally, once the adventurers had saved up enough money to get through the winter, many of them would head for Gilm.
In other words, it was the perfect time to gradually scale down the guild's operations and prepare for an eventual return to Gilm.
Of course, even though Rei and his party had conquered the dungeon and destroyed the dungeon core, the dungeon would not immediately become unusable.
When exactly that would happen was anyone's guess, but there was certain to be a grace period.
During that time, they would take steps to gradually reduce the guild's operations, and while the winter kept people from gathering, they could have talks with the shop owners who had set up various establishments around the dungeon.
Naturally, for those who had built shops aiming to capitalize on the dungeon's economic boom—especially a shop owner whose store had only recently been completed—it would be nothing short of a bolt from the blue.
Even so, there was no denying that various preparations needed to be made.
If they didn't have this conversation now, it was certain that even more damage would ultimately befall the shops.
(Thinking about it like that, I might end up being resented.)
Rei rejoined Ara and, as they walked toward a restaurant called the Orc Stew Pavilion where the celebration would be held, he found himself pondering such things.
"Guru?"
Noticing Rei's mood, Set rubbed his face against him while purring, as if asking, "What's wrong?"
"No, it's just that a lot happened. They asked us not to talk about the conquest as much as possible until Worker... or rather, the guild, makes an official announcement."
"But isn't that for the best? If we were the ones to announce it, we definitely would have gotten caught up in a commotion."
"...That's a fact I can't deny."
Conquering a dungeon was an event of that magnitude.
Even if it wasn't as large as the one Rei and his party had conquered before, it was certain to cause an uproar.
And if they were to bless Rei and his party, that would be one thing, but it would be impossible to stop jealous adventurers, those running shops here, and all sorts of other people from harboring ill will toward them.
Naturally, there would be many who sincerely offered their congratulations from the bottom of their hearts, but...
Wanting nothing to do with such commotions, Rei and his party readily accepted Worker's request.
However, this was near Gilm, and a certain percentage—perhaps even the majority—of those who had been active at this dungeon would end up operating as adventurers in Gilm.
The shops built here were the same; there would surely be a fair number of people migrating to Gilm.
Should that happen, it was certain that Rei and his party conquering the dungeon would become a topic of uproar in Gilm as well.
Even so, it was a fact that things would settle down somewhat after some time had passed.
Also, if Rei and his party had wanted to boast about their achievements and request a large-scale announcement, that likely would have happened too.
That is, if they had wished for it, of course.
Among adventurers, there were many who had confidence in their own abilities and many who liked to flaunt their achievements.
However... fortunate as it may be, none of the members who conquered the dungeon this time enjoyed such things.
The fact that nearly all the participating members had already acquired a certain level of fame was also significant.
If one were to name members who weren't famous, it would be Yohanna and her group, but even they had made a name for themselves in this area recently by taking on the dungeon, earning large sums of money, and obtaining many monster materials.
...If they went to the Bestia Empire, their names would be even more well-known, as they had served as part of the Mobile Unit led by Rei during the civil war.
"More importantly..."
Reluctant to continue such a tedious conversation, Rei changed the subject to shift his mood.
"The Orc Stew Pavilion, was it? Do you know where this restaurant is?"
"Ah, I've already asked, so there's no problem."
The first to speak up in response to Rei's words was Ara.
Ara hadn't given any thought whatsoever to her own fame, so she likely latched onto Rei's topic immediately. ...Though, if one considered it in terms of spreading Elena's name, she might have been slightly dissatisfied with the current situation.
Since Ara originally revered Elena, she wouldn't find the idea of making Elena's name known bothersome; in fact, she would honestly welcome it.
Even so, the reason she said nothing was probably because Elena, who was traveling alongside Rei, looked so happy.
"The Orc Stew Pavilion, huh. It's been getting cold before we knew it, so I hope they have some delicious stew."
Having been attacked by Unbris in the summer and suddenly finding herself in late autumn, Vihera likely felt the cold even more keenly.
Having skipped over the changing of the seasons entirely, stew was something that seemed to greatly stimulate Vihera's appetite.
"Yohanna said it was delicious, so I think it's fine to have expectations. ...I can't imagine her feeding Set anything bad."
Hearing Rei's words to Vihera, everyone accepted it without question.
That was how strong Yohanna's attachment to Set was.
It was an undeniable fact that almost no one possessed a devotion as intense as hers.
And since this was the restaurant Yohanna had chosen as a place to eat together with Set, it was next to impossible for the food to be bad.
...Though there might be some who felt the taste didn't suit their palate.
"Then let us head there with peace of mind. Ara, we leave the guiding to you."
"Yes, Lady Elena."
Responding to Elena's words with genuine happiness from the bottom of her heart, Ara proceeded to guide Rei and the others.
Naturally, Rei's party stood out, so they drew attention as a matter of course.
However, Rei and his party were accustomed to receiving stares from those around them, so they made their way through the town without paying it any particular mind.
Thus they proceeded down the road, with a few of them furrowing their brows at the chilly autumn wind, until... eventually, they arrived at their destination.
Rei had anticipated that there might be some kind of trouble, but fortunately, they seemed to have reached the shop without encountering any such issues.
...The fact that such trouble would occur so frequently was an abnormality in itself, though.
But the ones such things happened to were Rei, Elena, Marina, and Vihera.
"Ah, Set-chan! You're already here. I'm glad you arrived earlier than expected."
Yohanna, who had been waiting outside the restaurant, called out to Set first. She headed straight toward him, stroking him as she called out to Rei and the others.
That scene was exactly what they had been talking about on the way there, and everyone involuntarily let out a laugh.
"Eh? Huh? Um, what's wrong?"
Naturally, Yohanna didn't understand why she was being laughed at and looked puzzled.
"No, it's nothing. More importantly, you said it was fine for Set to go inside too, right?"
"Ah, yes. When other customers are present, it's not allowed, but they said it's fine if we reserve the whole place. ...However, given the season, the cost will be commensurate."
"Ah... that makes sense."
Yohanna sounded hesitant to say it, but Rei could understand.
With winter approaching, doing anything outdoors was harsh.
In such conditions, a meal was one of the few pleasures to be had.
And the Orc Stew Pavilion was somewhat famous for the deliciousness of its food; it was a restaurant that would undoubtedly prosper every day it opened its doors.
Since they were reserving such a restaurant, it was only natural for the establishment to demand a higher price.
"Well, I'll cover it this time. I got most of the Silver Lion materials anyway, so paying for the celebration is no problem."
If anything, considering the price the Silver Lion materials would sell for, they would have more than enough even if they held this kind of celebration hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of times.
"Are you sure? Thank goodness. Actually, I'd already told them we were doing a full reservation."
"...Well, I guess that's fine."
Though he showed a somewhat exasperated expression at Yohanna's words, Rei conceded the point.
In truth, this was only possible because Yohanna had arranged things in advance and because she was on good terms with the shop owner.
"Naturally, it's been approved for Set-chan to go inside the shop too, so let's celebrate together with Set-chan."
"Gurururu!"
"Kyu! Kyukyu!"
Set cried out happily, and from on his back, Ielo let out a cry as if to say, "Don't forget about me!"
"Of course, I've prepared food for Ielo-chan too, so there's no need to worry."
In Yohanna's mind, Set was naturally number one.
But that didn't mean she didn't adore anything else.
For Yohanna, who was fundamentally a lover of cute things, Ielo was also a sufficiently adorable presence.
She thought that if she had met Ielo before meeting Set, she might have made Ielo her number one instead.
"Kyu!"
As long as it hadn't been forgotten, that was fine—on Set's back, Ielo cried out happily.
With that conversation settled, they finally entered the Orc Stew Pavilion that Yohanna had recommended.
The exterior of the shop itself wasn't particularly different from its surroundings.
Perhaps that was how much confidence they had in the flavor of their food, or perhaps they simply didn't care about such things.
However, one thing stood out... the door was significantly larger than that of a normal shop.
Large enough that even Set would have no difficulty entering.
"Well then, we're going in. ...Please don't be surprised, okay?"
"Hm?"
Rei felt puzzled by Yohanna's meaningful words, but before he could ask anything, the door was opened.
In an instant, the rich aroma of soup drifted out from inside the shop.
"Guru!?"
The first to react to that fragrance, which could only be described as an overwhelming assault on the senses, was, as one might expect, Set with his keen five senses.
Of course, his reaction was by no means a violent one. If anything, he was even enraptured by the aroma drifting from inside the shop.
"Whoa, this smell is incredible. ...Why didn't any of the scent drift outside at all? Setting us aside, I'd think it wouldn't be strange for Set to pick up the smell even before opening the door."
Surprised by the aroma of the soup, Vihera voiced her question.
The fact that Set, who possessed a far keener sense of smell than a human, had been unable to detect the scent until the door was opened could only be described as strange.
"Ah, apparently this building uses a deodorizing Magic Item. I think you'll understand now that you can smell it, but the scent is quite potent... so, um, when this shop was first built, there were various complaints from the nearby stores."
"I see. Using a Magic Item for something like this is a bit surprising, but come to think of it, it's not really all that strange."
"If anything, it would not be an exaggeration to say it exists for this very purpose."
"No, that's definitely an exaggeration."
In response to Elena's words, Rei retorted almost involuntarily.
After all, it was a Magic Item capable of perfect deodorization, to the point of not even letting Set catch a whiff of the scent.
Normally, it wasn't something that should be used in a place like this at all.
(Though it's certainly better used in a restaurant like this than ending up in some strange place.)
Given that it was a Magic Item of this caliber, if it were put up for sale in the right place, it would likely fetch a considerable price, and there would be no shortage of people wanting it.
It was certain that one could obtain enough money to live in leisure without having to toil away running an eatery.
Rei thought as much, but...
"Tch, I cook because I want to cook. More importantly, hurry up and get inside and shut the door. The shops around us are going to complain again."
Such a voice came from inside the shop.
A voice that sounded exactly like what one would expect from someone fittingly called a stubborn old man.
As if guided by that voice, Rei and his party entered the shop.
If they had hesitated here, they would have undoubtedly been refused entry.
Rei had half-instinctively thought so.
Having caught a whiff of such an aroma, choosing not to eat this restaurant's food was not an option for Rei and his party.