Rei and his companions had been attacked by a group of masked men, but just as they finished defeating them, the Guard Force appeared as if they had timed their arrival to perfection.
Of course, they hadn't actually planned it that way. Still, arriving only after the situation was already under control meant the surrounding onlookers' gazes inevitably carried a hint of exasperation.
Then again, that exasperation only existed because the incident had been safely resolved without anyone getting hurt. Had something tragic occurred, the guards would have been met with far more than mere annoyance.
"Umm... well... uh... ah..."
Whether they understood they had arrived late or not, the Guard Force soldiers glanced around with vaguely evasive murmurs.
Even so, they clearly knew their job. They headed toward the unconscious men and began restraining them.
Naturally, they removed the masks in the process — and sure enough, the faces beneath were not those of anyone particularly well-known.
The guards who had hoped, Maybe they're bounty heads, or at least criminals with some kind of wanted notice, wore slightly disappointed expressions.
A mask was something one used when they didn't want their face exposed. Since these men had been wearing them, it stood to reason they didn't want others seeing their faces — presumably because the faces hidden beneath were fairly recognizable. Or so the guards had assumed. They were completely off the mark.
"Anyone recognize this guy's face?"
One guard asked his companions, but every one of them shook their head.
The same held true for the faces beneath the other masks.
They tried asking not just their fellow guards but also the bystanders gathered around, yet no one present claimed to have seen any of those faces before.
"Can't be helped. We'll take them to the Guard Station and interrogate them once they regain consciousness. ......Still, you really are truly, from the bottom of your heart, thoroughly and completely loved by trouble, aren't you."
A guard who was an acquaintance of Rei's spoke up, his voice laced with something close to exasperation.
But as he reached out to clap a hand on Rei's shoulder, he finally noticed the others present.
The first to catch his eye was Marina, the Guild Master of Gilm.
Next came Elena, bearer of the alias "Princess General" — who could be called the very symbol of the Noble's Faction in the Kingdom of Mireana.
And last was Vihera, who had become well-known both for recently traveling with Rei's party and for her provocative attire.
......Ara was there too, actually, but the others stood out so much that the guard talking to Rei hadn't noticed her at all.
For Ara, though, that was a common enough occurrence whenever she traveled with Elena, and she didn't seem particularly bothered.
Ara's features were certainly attractive, but she was apparently well aware that she couldn't compare to Elena.
In any case, the guard's eyes went wide upon seeing Elena and Marina standing right there.
"Huh — the Guild Master and Lady Elena?"
"You're slow to notice. This carriage belongs to Elena in the first place. You could've realized it sooner."
"Tell me these things sooner! ......Anyway, given where we are, let's get moving to the Guard Station. We need to take these attackers into proper custody, too."
"......Isn't your attitude a bit blatant?"
Rei muttered with a hint of exasperation, though honestly, the guard's behavior was perfectly normal. His conversation partners were an alias-bearing duke's daughter and the Guild Master. Not many people could afford to interact casually with such individuals.
"You idiot. These aren't the kind of people we can just casually chat with, you know!?"
At the guard's words, the other soldiers hauling away the unmasked men nodded in agreement.
Rei, who had spent a long time in Elena and the others' company, hadn't particularly cared — but he found himself nodding in renewed appreciation of their status. Not that Rei would change how he treated them because of it, and Elena and the others certainly wouldn't want anyone putting on such an act around them, either.
"Anyway, we can't stay here forever. We're blocking the main road."
"......Ah, right."
Looking around again, Rei noticed that the crowd gathered to watch the outcome — the carriage, his party, and the attackers — had substantially obstructed the main road.
It wasn't completely blocked, so the road wasn't impassable. But it was still far from smooth passage.
Considering that, Rei could understand why the guard was urging them along.
"Understood. Let's head to the Guard Station for now. ......That alright with everyone?"
"Yes, that's fine."
Marina nodded at Rei's words, and the others followed suit, apparently having no objections.
"Much appreciated. Let's go, then. We'll escort the carriage."
The guard who had been speaking with Rei addressed Elena and Marina in an entirely different tone of voice. Given their standing, the shift in his manner of speech was only natural. The two women, well accustomed to such treatment, nodded without changing their expressions.
"Ara, take the reins."
"Yes, Lady Elena. Everyone, please board the carriage."
At those words, Elena and the others climbed into the carriage. Set, who had been playing with a child, noticed what was happening and returned to the carriage as well.
"Hey, Rei. Normally at a time like this, we'd ride along with you and provide an escort, but...... do you need one?"
The guard asked in a stiff, formal tone as Rei was about to board the carriage.
Rei's response was to shake his head.
"Don't need it. If anything, if someone actually tries something against us in this situation, we'd at least get a lead on whoever's behind the attackers. So it'd actually help."
"......Figured."
If anything, the weakest party present wasn't Rei's group — it was the Guard Force. If asked whether a guard escort was necessary, even the guards themselves would tilt their heads in doubt.
That was why they accepted Rei's response without complaint.
"Besides, you're going to have guards flanking the front and back of the carriage, right? That counts as an escort too, doesn't it?"
"......If anything, it's more of an escort to keep the attackers from getting injured worse than necessary."
The Guard Force possessed the authority to crack down on criminals, but that didn't mean they could injure them without cause. Rather, if someone was foolish enough to pick a fight with this group, the main purpose of the escort was to restrain the party so the criminals didn't sustain unnecessary injuries.
It wasn't about helping the criminals — it was a judgment call that having more people alive to extract information from was better.
Though it was also true that anyone foolish enough to pick a fight with Rei's party earned nothing but pity as far as the criminals were concerned.
In terms of raw combat power, Rei's party could wipe out a village in under an hour, and even against an army, Rei's presence alone guaranteed victory. For someone to launch an attack against opponents possessing that kind of strength — or rather, a force better described as a natural disaster than mere "strength" — you'd have to wonder if they weren't actively seeking death.
"Well, whatever. As long as it's not a hassle. Lead the way."
With just those words, Rei boarded the carriage.
During the trip to the Guard Station, perhaps thanks to the guards accompanying them, there were no further attacks. Rei's party alone already possessed extraordinary combat power, and with the Guard Force added on top, their strength had only increased. Perhaps whoever was behind the attacks judged that a force like the previous one wouldn't suffice — or perhaps they simply decided that attacking Rei's party once was enough.
In any case, upon arriving at the Guard Station, they parked the carriage and discussed the next steps with the guards.
Incidentally, one guard raised a possibility: perhaps the men had attacked because someone had hidden something inside the carriage without Rei's party knowing, and the assault was an attempt to retrieve it. As a precaution — just to be absolutely sure — they obtained Elena's permission and entered the carriage.
"Waaaaaaah! Wh-What is this!?"
A guard's scream echoed from inside.
What happened? — the other guards rushed in after him, only for similar cries to resound all around.
......Naturally. They had entered expecting an ordinary carriage interior, only to find themselves standing in what could only be called a room — complete with a sofa, a table, and even light cooking utensils.
Under normal circumstances, anyone who wasn't surprised by this sight would be in the minority.
It was a Magic Item that Duke Kerebel had created with no expense spared, so there was no way a mere guard could comprehend everything about it.
"Ah."
Who was it that let out that murmur?
For Rei, who had used this carriage many times, he had long since grown accustomed to it. Vihera and Marina hadn't ridden in it as often as Rei, but one was a former A-Rank Dark Elf adventurer and the other a former princess of the Bestia Empire. While they might not have used something exactly like this, they had experience with similar Magic Items, and thanks to that, they weren't nearly as startled as the guards.
"What should we do?"
Rei asked the carriage's owner, picturing the guards inside — either still startled or frozen in place.
But Elena, when asked what to do, didn't know either.
Nothing like this had ever happened before. Still, she quickly collected herself and spoke.
"I'm not sure what to tell you. In the first place, our carriage was securely stored at that inn even during the dungeon trip, and we didn't encounter anyone else on the way to Gilm. I don't think it's possible that someone hid something inside the carriage."
As Elena spoke, brushing back her golden hair, Rei found himself slightly captivated but still managed to nod.
"Unless someone at the inn was one of their cohorts, something like that would be impossible."
"Exactly. And there was no one like that at that inn. ......Of course, I didn't thoroughly investigate every single employee, so I can't say with absolute certainty."
Everyone seemed to agree with Elena's assessment, and they nodded in response.
At the same time, the guards filed out of the carriage.
Screams had been heard from inside earlier, but true to their profession, the guards' shock had apparently already worn off.
Seeing that, Rei opened his mouth, relieved that he wouldn't be subjected to a barrage of questions.
"So, how was it? Was there anything suspicious inside?"
"Ah... sorry, but just from looking, I can't make heads or tails of it. I never expected the inside to be a full room. ......It's amazing."
At the guard's softly murmured last words, the other guards nodded instinctively.
Rei could understand how they felt, but he figured they couldn't stand around like this forever.
"So, what happens now?"
"Right. We'll need to hear your account of what happened, but that should be over quickly. If you need anything from Rei, you'll be at the Twilight Wheat Inn, right?"
That Rei was staying at the Twilight Wheat Inn — classified among Gilm's high-end inns — was common knowledge among the guards. No — anyone with even a passing familiarity with the situation knew it.
"Yeah. Not just me — everyone except Marina is staying at the Twilight Wheat Inn. Elena and the others, too. If you have any business, just contact us there."
"That's right. If anyone needs me for something, contact me at the Guild."
Marina followed after Rei, addressing the guard.
Hearing those words, Rei suddenly realized he didn't know where Marina lived.
Whenever he met Marina, it was always in the Guild's Office.
Given that, Rei had no idea where Marina's home was.
(Well, this isn't the time to ask. Besides, she was talking about handing the Guild Master position over to Worker. If that happens, we won't be meeting in the Office anymore, so I'll probably find out where Marina's house is then.)
His party was staying at the Twilight Wheat Inn, but given her position as Guild Master, Marina undoubtedly had her own home.
"We'll do that. ......Now then, let's head to the Guard Station. It's cold out here."
No one objected to the guard's words, and Rei and his party stepped inside the Guard Station.