Rei and his party raced through the city, but Byune naturally began to fall behind.
In terms of burst speed, Byune possessed ability that didn't fall far short of Rei and the others. Even so, the gap in stamina due to age was significant.
Little by little, but steadily, Byune lagged behind.
Seeing this, Vihera quickly grabbed Byune and hoisted her onto Set's back.
It was difficult for Set to fly through the air carrying anyone other than Rei, but running with someone on his back or gripping them with his front legs while flying was no problem, even with considerable weight.
For Set, the slight Byune's weight was virtually nonexistent.
Though, to be precise, he could even fly carrying a single child on his back.
In any case, with the frequently lagging Byune now mounted on Set, the party's speed increased dramatically compared to seconds prior.
As they continued racing through the city, the surrounding scenery eventually became familiar to Rei.
"This is... don't tell me..."
What lay ahead on this road was a place that ordinary citizens living normal lives would have absolutely no reason to visit.
But Rei, with his various special circumstances, had visited it many times.
Yes... ahead lay the Noble District.
Running at a speed that paid no heed to their surroundings, Rei's party naturally stood out.
Thanks to Set's presence, anyone could tell that the runner was Rei.
If they had been walking at a normal pace, the adventurers or private soldiers patrolling the Noble District would have simply offered a light greeting and let it be upon seeing Rei and his party.
Running without regard for their surroundings, however, was an entirely different matter.
As those entrusted with the security of the Noble District, they could not ignore such a person... even if they were an acquaintance.
"Hey! Wait, Rei! Why are you in such a hurry! Stop, I'm telling you to stop!"
"You idiot! Look at them—Rei isn't paying any attention to us at all! At this rate, we're going to take a direct hit from Set's charge!"
"Dodge, dodge!"
Adventurers who happened to be patrolling the Noble District at just the right moment shouted desperately.
Every adventurer in Gilm knew just how powerful Rei was.
So much so that anyone who didn't know would deserve to be called a fraud.
That was exactly why they didn't think they could stop Rei... and Set charging toward them themselves.
Set, running at the front, was currently treated almost like a beloved pet in Gilm, but in reality, it was an A-Rank monster that even high-ranking adventurers might encounter only once in their lifetime... no, considering it was a Rare Species, it was equivalent to an S-Rank monster.
Past the spot where the three adventurers had evaded, Set, Rei, and Vihera thundered through.
Rei, whose blood was boiling over the Sleipnir boots incident, didn't spare them so much as a glance.
"Mm."
"Sorry, we're in a bit of a hurry."
Unlike Rei, Byune—who was riding on Set's back—and Vihera, running behind him, called out briefly as they passed.
They naturally didn't expect things to be settled with just that, but they figured it was better than nothing.
In fact, the three adventurers, judging from Vihera's attitude, determined that something was going on.
The adventurers didn't panic. Instead, they exchanged glances with their companions.
"Hey, what do we do?"
"What do you mean, what do we do? I don't want to pick a fight with Rei, but that doesn't mean I can just turn a blind eye when someone like him comes charging into the Noble District beside himself. Let's at least report it to the butler."
The other two nodded as their companion suggested that it would be best to inform the butler of the noble house that employed them—the man who was their direct superior.
"Right. If Rei goes on a rampage, there's a real chance of major damage to the surroundings. If that's the case, we need to give advance warning."
The three nodded to each other and headed toward the noble estate that employed them.
Preferably without any unnecessary commotion... or at the very least, they hoped any turmoil would be confined within the grounds of the estate belonging to the noble who had angered Rei.
These three were veterans who had participated in the war against the Bestia Empire several years prior.
Because of that, they had directly witnessed the terror of Rei's Fire Whirlwind and fully understood both its power and scale.
If such an attack were to occur here in the Noble District...
It was fortunate that these three did not know that Rei's Fire Whirlwind had since evolved to the point where he could now move it with a degree of freedom.
Had they known, they might have realized that not just the estate of whoever angered Rei, but the entire Noble District... or worse, Gilm itself, could have been wiped out.
Unaware of this, the three hurriedly left the scene.
The fact that the direction Rei was heading and the direction they were now heading were different had undoubtedly brought them at least some relief from their agitation.
"Gruu!"
"Here!? ...Is it here?"
Completely unaware that the three adventurers they had just passed were terrified, Rei gazed at the estate ahead where Set had stopped and fixed its glare.
It was an estate Rei was already familiar with.
When he had last seen it, the building had been decorated to the point of being called gaudy, but now it had a more subdued appearance.
However, the estate itself hadn't particularly changed since the last time he saw it, so there was no mistaking it.
Even so, he couldn't bring himself to believe that the person in the estate before him was involved in this matter. The person who had previously crossed him was no longer in Gilm, and the one who had inherited the position should have understood how dangerous it was to carelessly meddle with Rei.
Yes—what stood before him was the estate where Galahat, who had taken over as head of the Azoth Firm, was supposed to live.
It had all started when Boluntar—Galahat's older brother, who held strong influence over the weapon shops in Gilm—became blinded by greed for Rei's various Magic Items and Set, and arrogantly demanded that Rei hand them over.
As a result, Boluntar, who had served as the head of the Azoth Firm, lost his position. More than that—he incurred Rei's wrath, was subjected to magic, and was left trembling in terror night after night.
Ultimately, Boluntar's younger half-brother inherited the Azoth Firm, and since then, they had managed without causing any particular trouble with Rei.
"Was it Galahat's order? No, I can't imagine him doing something like that."
Within the Azoth Firm, the one who knew Rei's strength best was undoubtedly Galahat.
During the conflict with the Azoth Firm, Galahat had watched Rei fight up close many times.
Rei couldn't believe that such a man would do something to anger him now.
Well, if it was an unavoidable business matter, he might have been forced into provoking Rei.
But this time, it was an act that suggested someone had attacked Asimov and stolen the Sleipnir boots.
It could only be seen as someone deliberately picking a fight with Rei.
Knowing Galahat's personality, Rei simply couldn't believe it.
(No, the Azoth Firm may have shrunk compared to before, but it's still one of the larger firms in Gilm. That means there are that many people involved. It's possible someone plotted this behind Galahat's back.)
Rei had been staring at the estate, but doing so would naturally draw the attention of the gatekeeper on duty.
Simply looking at the estate wasn't particularly unusual, of course.
Though the estate had become much quieter compared to before, it was still larger than the average noble's residence and worth a glance.
In fact, there had been many such onlookers before. But Rei's party was extremely conspicuous.
Rei, who hadn't drawn Death Scythe or the Twilight Spear, and the small Byune aside, Vihera possessed an exceedingly striking beauty, and she was wearing a thin garment that was nearly see-through.
Add to that the presence of Set, who had grown to nearly three meters in length over the winter, and it was impossible not to stand out.
And above all—one of the gatekeepers had seen Rei before.
Yes, the man who had turned Rei away at the gate when Rei first came to this estate after being summoned by the Azoth Firm.
A blunder that had ultimately earned him a severe reprimand from his superior.
"R-Rei? Huh? Why are you here? And just staring at the estate... come on, I don't want any trouble."
"Senior, what's wrong? That person is Crimson Rei, isn't he?"
"...Yes. We had a run-in with the Azoth Firm before. It was settled in the end, and we should have mended our relationship..."
The man's words trailed off.
Under normal circumstances, he could have confidently said there was no problem. But the Rei standing before him seemed to radiate a dangerous aura.
Moreover, Set, who would normally appear calm and worthy of being called a beloved pet, was glaring sharply at the estate.
It was by no means an attitude that could be called friendly.
However, the gatekeeper didn't make a move on his own.
He hoped they would just leave as if nothing had happened.
But unfortunately, that wish went unfulfilled as Rei and his party approached the estate... or more precisely, the gate to enter it.
"...May I ask what your business is?"
A polite manner of speech, completely different from the first time.
Considering Rei's relationship with the Azoth Firm, this was only natural.
Galahat, the current head of the Azoth Firm, felt a strong sense of gratitude toward Rei.
Though he had complicated feelings about his brother being removed from power, he was grateful that someone had stopped his brother from betraying the city and the country. Still, thinking about his brother's fate—he wasn't dead, but—left him with mixed emotions.
In any case, for that reason, Galahat maintained a friendly personal relationship with Rei.
Since a friend of the head of the Azoth Firm had come visiting, the gatekeeper couldn't just turn him away like before.
Let alone the fact that Rei wasn't alone—Set was there too—so the option of using force was completely out of the question.
"Is Galahat here? I want to ask him a few things."
The voice that asked the gatekeeper sounded as though it was forcibly suppressing the emotions within.
Understanding that, the new gatekeeper meeting Rei for the first time couldn't afford to say anything unnecessary.
If anything, just being near Rei sent a chill down his spine.
Simply standing in front of Rei gave him the sensation of rapidly draining energy.
"...Yes. Lord Galahat is at the estate today."
"I see. Then please send word that I wish to see him immediately. Also, from this point on, no one... not a single exception, is to leave this estate."
"Huh?"
At first, the man didn't understand what Rei was saying.
It was normally unthinkable to make such a demand to someone you were visiting, especially to someone in the position of the head of the Azoth Firm.
But the Rei standing before him was making that demand in all seriousness.
Realizing this, the gatekeeper had no choice but to conclude—just as he had suspected from Rei's demeanor—that something major was definitely happening.
"Understood. I cannot guarantee that we can meet Rei-san's demands, but we will make every concession on our end. Hey, go inform the higher-ups."
"Y-yes, yessir!"
A strange sound escaped the newcomer's mouth, but the gatekeeper who had spoken to him had no intention of reproaching him.
If anything, he thought it showed considerable nerve just to not have fainted.
To meet Rei for the first time, and for that moment to be like this—with Rei furious beyond measure—was nothing but a disaster for the man.
That was exactly why he sent the newcomer.
Honestly, he had wanted to be the first to disappear from this scene himself.
But as a senior, he had to look after his junior.
With that in mind, he told the man to inform the estate, and the newcomer, swaying slightly, disappeared through the gate.
"So, I'd like to ask just in case... has something happened? Um, I haven't heard anything about the Azoth Firm and Rei-san having a falling out."
The gatekeeper asked tentatively.
His words stemmed from a desire to extract even a little information, but Rei shook his head.
"Sorry, but I'll tell Galahat directly. It's not something I can carelessly share with others."
"I-I see."
Told that, the gatekeeper couldn't say another word. Until the newcomer returned from the estate, he somehow endured Rei's intimidation, casting his gaze toward Vihera's beauty and figure as a means of distracting himself.