At the spot where the Gigant Turtle had collapsed, those who had fought in the battle—including Rei—shared in the joy of victory.
Naturally. Even among adventurers, very few could claim they had faced a monster of this magnitude in battle.
Let alone...
"Injured, but no deaths... huh. That's a true feat."
A fair number of people had broken bones in their arms and legs, but from the standpoint of fatalities, there were none whatsoever.
Considering they had been fighting a monster like the Gigant Turtle, it was a result that could only be called a miracle.
However, even if it was a miracle, it was one with a clear reason.
The Gigant Turtle had eyes only for Rei, paying no attention to anything else.
And since Rei had been flying around in the sky on Set, he hadn't been fighting alongside the other adventurers.
Thanks to that, the other adventurers had been able to continue the battle without drawing the Gigant Turtle's attention.
To the Gigant Turtle, whose body was the size of a small hill, any existence other than Rei and Set was trivial—nothing more than gnats buzzing around it.
That was precisely why it had ignored their persistent attacks entirely... and in the end, that was how it had its legs swept out from under it.
"That's right. Facing a monster of this scale and walking away with only injuries—I'd say that qualifies as a remarkable feat," Marina said as she reached Rei's side, offering a smile.
The fact that there were no deaths among the adventurers was also largely due to Marina's Spirit Magic. She had saved adventurers about to be crushed beneath the Gigant Turtle's feet on countless occasions.
If not for Marina, there would undoubtedly have been fatalities.
"Part of that is thanks to you. ...Still, what should we do about this monster?" Rei's gaze drifted toward the Gigant Turtle's corpse. A short distance away, one of the severed heads and the tip of its tail lay scattered on the ground.
Given the Gigant Turtle's enormous size, dismantling it for materials would be a massive undertaking. Moreover, it was already spring. The weather would only grow warmer from here, so the meat was certain to rot.
Of course, if Rei used his Misty Ring, that problem would be solved.
"Couldn't we just hire adventurers for the dismantling? Like you've been doing all along, Rei. ...And naturally, everyone here will pitch in too."
At Marina's words, the adventurers who had overheard responded by waving, nodding, and shouting in agreement as if it were a given.
Having participated in the subjugation of such a massive monster, many of them were likely planning to sell the Gigant Turtle's materials or use them for their own equipment.
Naturally, Rei had no intention of denying them that. If asked whether he could have defeated the Gigant Turtle alone, he would have to tilt his head in doubt.
(Well, I think I could have won. I think so, but... I wouldn't have gotten away unscathed.)
The sheer difference in size was a factor to begin with. Even wearing the Dragon Robe, if he were struck by a monster with the mass of the Gigant Turtle, while he might not suffer direct wounds, the impact alone could easily cause injuries.
"With a size like this... dismantling it could take months," Vihera said as she moved to join Rei and the others.
Set was naturally at Rei's side as well, so the members of the Crimson Lotus Wings were all gathered here now.
...Only Byune was absent, so there was no way for her to join them.
"Anyway... yes. I'll speak with everyone who participated in the battle later and work out how to divide the shares."
"Yeah, that would help."
Having served as a Guild Master, Marina was skilled at that kind of coordination. Rei was naturally poor at such adjustments, and while Vihera could manage it if she had to, she was hardly inclined to volunteer. As for Byune, communication itself would be impossible, let alone negotiation.
Considering all that, entrusting this sort of negotiation to Marina was indeed the best option.
"I'm sure you already know, but..."
"Yes, I'll make sure the Magic Stone is secured on our end." Marina didn't even let Rei finish.
Knowing about Beast Magic, she found it inconceivable that Rei would overlook the Magic Stone of such a gigantic monster. Her words were born of that understanding, and Rei let out a sigh of relief.
Then, as if adding an afterthought, he voiced another request.
"Secure some of this monster's meat too."
"I don't think there's any need to specially secure that." Given it was large enough to be mistaken for a small hill, in terms of meat alone, there was certainly more than everyone present could eat. Considering that, there was no need to squabble over shares.
"Well, if it's just for us to eat, sure... but it could be sold, right?"
"That's... true."
The Gigant Turtle was a monster Rei had never seen before. It was an entity that could be called the incarnation of the Treant Forest, and as such, it was undoubtedly a monster that couldn't be found anywhere else.
Because of that, it was unclear exactly what rank of monster it was, but it was believed to be at least A-Rank without question. Of course, for Rei, who had combat experience against the Silver Lion, he could assert that while it was A-Rank, it was not S-Rank.
In any case, it was certain that it was not a B-Rank, C-Rank, let alone D-Rank or E-Rank monster.
And with a few exceptions, the meat of High-Rank Monsters was generally delicious.
In other words, this Gigant Turtle was also an extremely high-quality ingredient. With this much quantity available, it would certainly fetch a considerable sum if they chose to sell it.
"If possible, negotiate so they'll accept Gold Coins rather than materials. Of course, if those who fought want meat for their own consumption, an armful or so is fine."
Normally, one would eat what they could and sell the rest. But in Rei's case, as long as he had the Misty Ring, he could preserve meat indefinitely. It wouldn't even be difficult for Rei and his group alone to consume all of this meat.
...Especially since Rei and Set were fundamentally big eaters, and Byune also ate an amount disproportionate to her small frame.
"Right. Understood. I think it'll be fine."
At Marina saying so with such ease, Rei was slightly surprised. Looking back at the fallen Gigant Turtle and recalling its size... and just how formidable an opponent it had been, he even wondered why Marina could say so with such confidence.
"That was pretty quick, but are you sure it'll be fine?"
"Yes. ...To begin with, you contributed the most to defeating this monster... or rather, you nearly soloed the Gigant Turtle, didn't you? In that case, I think everyone will accept prioritizing Rei's wishes. Of course, there will be some who can't fully accept it in their hearts."
Indeed, if Rei and Set had not been present, if asked whether the Gigant Turtle could have been defeated... most would not be able to nod with confidence. There were those who had attack methods that might have managed something, like Marina's Spirit Magic or Vihera's Magic Impact Palm.
But... even so, sheer physical size alone could be a significant advantage.
The one who overturned that advantage was Rei... and given that it was a request from such a Rei, there was basically no one who would say no. If someone carelessly complained to Rei at that point, they would be making an enemy of him.
Considering that they had seen his power firsthand, there probably weren't many who would willingly go out of their way to make an enemy of Rei.
Of course, if Rei were to behave tyrannically in terms of reward—such as paying only a few Copper Coins instead of materials after fighting the Gigant Turtle—that would be a different story. But Rei was properly offering to pay in Gold Coins, so there was no need for concern on that front.
"Well then, should we rest a bit?" Rei muttered, looking up at the sky.
With the excitement of battle still running through him, he didn't feel anything like drowsiness, but it was currently a time that could fittingly be called the dead of night.
...No, rather than the dead of night, it might be better to call it dawn.
In his heart, Rei was in the mood to keep celebrating. But once morning came, he would need to report this incident to the Guild, and the Guild would in turn need to report to Daskar, the lord.
"Right. ...Oh? But it looks like we have one more job to do before that."
Marina nodded at Rei's words, but the next moment she murmured while turning her gaze toward Gilm.
Following Marina's gaze, Rei saw more than ten carriages approaching. Among them were carriages that had been sent back to Gilm because the battle with the Gigant Turtle was about to begin.
Of course, since it was still dark, those who could discern them were probably only those with night vision capabilities, starting with Rei.
"What did they come here for?"
"You see... I asked them to send reinforcements, remember? That's probably them. But when they arrive as reinforcements, the Gigant Turtle is already defeated. For the people who came as reinforcements, it must be anticlimactic."
A monster that might endanger Gilm itself had appeared, so they had needed reinforcements. That was what they had gathered by pushing such an unreasonable request.
At this hour, most adventurers would have been asleep. Some might have been drinking at taverns or visiting brothels.
Among those, they must have gathered the ones who weren't too drunk and sent them as reinforcements... but when they actually hurried here in carriages, the battle was already over.
For those who had been rushed in as reinforcements, it was certain that some would find it hard to accept.
"Even if you say that. There's no way I could have held back from defeating it when I could, deliberately prolonging the battle."
Rei looked back at the Gigant Turtle's corpse and muttered.
Rei hadn't suffered any injuries, and not a single adventurer had died. Looking only at that result, it wouldn't be strange for someone to think it was a complete victory for Rei and his group.
But it hadn't truly been such a complete victory—that was the honest sentiment of everyone who had participated in the battle, including Rei.
Moreover, for ordinary adventurers who lacked Rei's level of skill, even with Marina's Spirit Magic, it had been a battle akin to walking a tightrope. If they were told to keep the battle going until they arrived, how the adventurers would react was clearer than day.
(Please, don't let anyone come who'd say something that stupid. Especially knights.)
Whether it was due to its frontier position or because Daskar stood at the top... there were fundamentally few among the knights belonging to Gilm who would say something so foolish.
...Few, but not none, which was a headache for Rei as well.
In any case, he should confirm who the reinforcements were before deciding how to respond.
Making that judgment, Rei waited with Marina, Vihera, and Set as the group of carriages approached.
Rei and his group's demeanor naturally conveyed itself to the other adventurers. As if drawn in, the adventurers gathered around Rei and his group... and then, the carriages came to a stop.
When they had departed Gilm, they had likely been traveling at full speed... or at least as fast as they could manage. But seeing the Gigant Turtle fallen on the ground, they must have judged there was no urgency. The speed of the carriages as they approached was not particularly fast.
Because of that, the carriages were able to come to a smooth stop.
The carriage door opened, and a single knight emerged.
The reason they could identify the figure as a knight was partly because he wore metal armor, which was rare for an adventurer... but more than anything, it was because Rei was acquainted with him.
If it had been someone Rei didn't know, it would have been questionable whether they could have identified the person as a knight at all.
Adventurers, who handled various requests such as exploration and gathering in addition to combat, generally preferred easy-to-move-in equipment. That meant Leather Armor made from monster hides rather than Metal Armor.
Of course, that was merely a strong tendency and not an absolute rule.
"Rei, I'm glad you're safe. Looks like there was no need for us to come."
The knight offered a friendly smile and called out to Rei.