The promise Rei and the others made with Marina at the Wheat Inn at dusk—to head outside Gilm—was fulfilled sooner than expected.
This was partly because Marina wanted to train against monsters outside Gilm alongside Rei and the others, but largely it was because Worker was far more capable than Marina had initially anticipated, able to handle nearly all the paperwork on his own.
Additionally, the fact that it was winter and there simply was not that much work probably had something to do with it as well.
Those starting with the Receptionist had various documents to organize at this time of year, but that was strictly the work of the lower ranks and never reached the top.
...Upon learning this, a certain cat Beastman reportedly resolved that she would become the Guild Master someday.
At any rate, having gained a degree of freedom, Marina promptly invited Rei and the others, and they set out beyond Gilm's walls.
"So, it's fine that we came out here like this, but where are we going? You even prepared a carriage, so is it somewhere fairly far away?"
Gazing out the window at the white scenery streaming by, Vihera asked Marina.
Marina smiled and opened her mouth to reply.
"We're not going that far. You know, the place where Rei often dismantles monsters. There should be a fair number of them around there."
Marina smiled radiantly. Since she was wearing her usual Party Dress with its deeply plunging neckline, anyone who knew nothing of the situation would not find it strange to assume she was on her way to some social gathering.
Of course, if they noticed the bow and quiver she carried, they probably would not simply assume she was heading to a party.
"That place, huh? ...Well, I've encountered monsters around that area a few times before, so I understand what you mean."
Seated in his seat, Rei had been watching Set through the window—the Griffon was walking alongside the carriage, apparently enjoying the sensation of stepping through the snow. He turned his gaze toward Marina at her words.
The carriage, by the way, was borrowed from the Guild, and the driver's seat was manned by three adventurers hired from among those in need of money.
The reason Guild Staff Members were not used as drivers was likely because Marina's actions today were not those of the Guild Master, but strictly those of Marina herself... as an adventurer.
Of course, if there had been no adventurers looking for work within the Guild, she might have used Guild Staff Members.
Beyond that, since they needed someone to wait with the carriage while Rei and the others fought monsters, using a Guild Staff Member would also present a problem in terms of combat ability.
That was why she hired adventurers with decent skill... and three of them at that.
Admittedly, having three people on the driver's seat was a bit cramped, but considering safety, it could not be helped.
Besides, thanks to Marina's Spirit Magic, sitting on the driver's seat was not particularly cold, so the working conditions were by no means poor.
At the very least, the three hired adventurers were grateful that they did not have to wait in the carriage for Rei and the others to return while shivering in the cold at this time of year.
"Still... winter monsters, huh. I wonder what kind are out there. If possible, I'd be happy if we find some unknown ones."
Rei's wish was, naturally, for Magic Stones—the nourishment to help Set and Death Scythe grow.
He did not say so directly, partly because he could not let the adventurers acting as drivers overhear, but more importantly...
"Hm?"
"It's nothing."
When Byune looked his way, Rei shook his head.
That was right. Among the members who would form the party in spring, only Byune had not been told anything about Beast Magic yet.
Rei did not think it was a good situation that only Byune remained unaware of Beast Magic within the party.
However, when he considered whether it was all right to tell Byune—who would likely leave the party in the future, not in the distant future but probably in a matter of a few years—about Beast Magic, his greatest secret, he could not simply nod in agreement.
It was not that he did not trust Byune.
Rei had known Byune for a reasonable amount of time, and he did not think she would carelessly sell his information.
But this world had many things like Magic Items and magic.
Among them, there was a very real possibility that something existed which could extract information directly from her mind or read her thoughts, even if she had no intention of speaking.
If that happened, not knowing about Beast Magic and his other secrets would be the safest option for Byune.
At the very least, Rei, Marina, Vihera... and Elena, though she was not present here, were all in agreement on this.
(It weighs on me a bit, though.)
He had no intention of leaving her out, but he could not help feeling a certain way about it.
(If she were going to act with us forever, I could tell her... but that's not possible either.)
Deciding that thinking about it further would accomplish nothing, Rei took some dried meat from his Misty Ring and handed it to Byune to distract from the guilt he felt.
It was common dried Orc meat, but since he had purchased it from a fairly high-end shop, while it may not have been entirely on a different level from the cheaply sold dried meat one could find anywhere, the taste was definitely superior.
"Hm?"
Byune looked at him as if asking if she could eat it, and Rei nodded.
"Yeah. You're getting a little hungry, right?"
"Mn!"
At Rei's words, Byune happily accepted the dried meat and brought it to her mouth—though her only verbal response was that single sound.
"Hey, Rei. Don't spoil Byune too much, okay?"
Marina smiled with amusement at Vihera, who spoke in a tone like a mother scolding a father, but Rei nodded without any apparent sign of having noticed.
"Ah, sorry. But it's just dried meat, isn't it?"
"Mn!"
That's right, Byune seemed to say as she looked at Vihera.
Vihera glanced at Byune... and the moment that gaze was directed at her, Byune quietly averted her eyes.
"Hehe, watching you three, it's almost like..."
"Almost like what?"
Vihera tilted her head at Marina's words, prompting her to continue.
But Marina stopped there and said nothing further.
Vihera directed a slightly dissatisfied look at Marina... but the person being looked at merely smiled, showing no sign of concern whatsoever.
"Marina, if you have something to say, you should say it clearly. That way, we can avoid any awkwardness when forming the party, can't we?"
"Oh, whatever do you mean? I'm not thinking anything in particular... Is there something on your mind, Vihera?"
"Heh. That's interesting. In that case..."
Vihera was about to say something, but right at that moment, as if timed perfectly, the carriage came to a stop.
For an instant, Vihera wondered what was going on, but she quickly understood that it was neither a monster nor a Bandit attack, and showed no signs of panic.
The way the carriage stopped was not an abrupt halt, but a properly calculated stop.
And looking out the window, what lay before them were numerous trees.
Given that, the reason the carriage had stopped was obvious without needing to think.
"Guild Master, we've arrived."
The voice coming from the driver's seat also confirmed that the expectations of those inside the carriage were correct.
"See, it sounds like we're here. Shall we get ready to go outside, Vihera?"
"...I suppose I'll let you off for now."
Reluctantly, Vihera nodded at Marina's words and stepped out of the carriage.
Saved... Byune, relieved that she was not scolded even though her expression did not change, followed Vihera out of the carriage.
"Don't tease her too much."
"Oh, a little bit is fine, isn't it?"
Marina smiled and replied to Rei's words.
To be honest, Marina felt envious watching the three of them—Byune, Vihera, and Rei.
Yes, it was like a husband, wife, and their daughter.
Of course, if she said that directly, Vihera would surely raise her voice in protest, insisting that given her age, she could not possibly have a child like Byune.
(Even so, I don't want to say that out loud.)
Marina cut the conversation short and stepped out of the carriage, watching Rei pull up the hood of his Dragon Robe as they headed outside.
Rei followed after Marina...
"Alright then, Guild Master. We'll wait here."
"Yes. I've made sure the area around the carriage stays warm, but if monsters you don't think you can handle attack, you can head back to Gilm."
"Haha, we'll be fine. We're C-Rank Adventurers, after all. We can manage to some extent."
"...I would think that C-Rank Adventurers normally wouldn't be short on money."
"Ugh... th-that's..."
At Marina's words, all three men faltered.
And upon realizing they had nothing to say in return, they quietly averted their gazes.
Seeing the adventurers like that, Marina smiled... and after a few seconds of silence, she spoke.
"Well, it's fine. It's thanks to you that we can take it easy, after all."
"Hehehe. Um, go easy on us."
"You're using your money on the wrong things. Anyway, we'll be... let's see. Rei, would three or four hours be about right?"
"Yeah, I think that's about right."
Rei, who had been giving Set a fresh piece of dried meat from his Misty Ring after the Griffon sharply caught its scent, answered Marina.
"For that reason, I think we'll be able to return to Gilm before sunset, so take it easy until then. However, like I said earlier, it's only warm around the carriage, so if you move away from here, it'll get cold."
The adventurers nodded, averting their gaze from Marina as she gave them that warning... or more precisely, from the deep valley between the enormous mounds created by her brown skin.
These three had accumulated a fair amount of experience as adventurers.
That applied not only to combat but also to their experience in brothels.
High-ranking adventurers who spent freely were the best customers for Prostitutes, and were very popular.
Thanks to such experience, these men had bedded numerous women... but even with all that experience, they could not resist the feminine allure radiating from Marina.
If they kept staring at that mesmerizing valley that ceaselessly attracted the male gaze, things would take a bad turn.
Making that judgment, the men somehow managed to summon their remaining self-control and averted their gaze.
"U-Understood. We won't leave the carriage."
One of them managed to mutter on behalf of the group, and Marina nodded without seeming particularly bothered.
"As long as you understand. Well then, we're counting on you."
After exchanging a few brief words, Marina walked toward Rei and the others, who were waiting a short distance away.
Even in winter, a few adventurers must have entered the forest to earn money. Footprints were clearly left in the snow.
Some of those footprints were faintly covered by light snow accumulation, while others were fresh, made only a few hours ago.
"I'm surprised there are adventurers struggling with money... I would have preferred a place with fewer people around, though."
"I don't think you need to worry that much. This forest is quite large, after all. I don't think you'd encounter other adventurers so easily. Well, I can't say for certain that there's no one out here with strange ideas, though."
Marina nodded in understanding at Vihera's words.
Marina was well aware that she possessed the kind of appearance and figure that stirred men's desires.
Until now, her position as Guild Master had afforded her some protection, but from spring onward she would be returning to being an adventurer, so getting caught up in such trouble was practically a certainty.
...By the way, it was not particularly rare for an adventurer to be recognized for their achievements and become a Guild Staff Member.
In fact, when an adventurer felt they could no longer continue in that line of work, becoming a Guild Staff Member ranked high among the employment options they aspired to.
However, going the other way—from a Guild Staff Member, and from the position of Guild Master, no less—back to being a mere adventurer, was not nonexistent but by no means common.
It was likely precisely because she was a Dark Elf, with a lifespan far exceeding that of a human, that Marina was able to choose that option.
"...That was incredible."
One of the adventurer men left behind near the carriage murmured as he watched Rei and the others disappear into the forest.
The other two nodded silently upon hearing him.
There was no need to think about what the remark was about.
The mere fact that he had such attractive women in his company made Rei an enemy of all men.
"So jealous."
The other two nodded again at those words... and they thought to themselves that they, too, would climb to greater heights someday and find a lover like Marina.