Even in summer, the sky naturally grew dark once night fell.
Of course, given that it was summer, the sky darkened at a later hour compared to winter. But even so, by around ten o'clock at night, the sun had fully sunk below the horizon.
With no clouds in the sky, the moonlight pouring down from the large moon provided enough brightness on the ground to make out one's surroundings to a certain extent, even at night.
That moonlight, along with several light-emitting Magic Items, illuminated the garden of Marina's house.
However, that was not the only source of brightness.
The light leaking from the oven placed in the garden also served to illuminate the surroundings, albeit only slightly.
Though to be precise, what was baking inside that oven was pizza.
"It looks like Rei's gotten quite used to it."
Resting her elbows on the table she had brought out from inside the house, Marina murmured thoughtfully.
Her gaze was directed at Rei, who stood in front of the oven.
The number of times he had actually used this oven was not all that high, but perhaps one grew accustomed to it with use. Rei freely wielded a large spatula, shifting the pizza inside the oven to ensure it baked evenly.
Particularly today, having already baked pizza numerous times, his movements were extremely smooth.
"Rei's home cooking... if you think about it normally, that's pretty amazing, isn't it?"
Popping a salad generously topped with cheese into her mouth, Vihera murmured.
"Well, that is to be expected. It is the cooking of an Alias Holder adventurer, you know? It is certainly not something one can eat so easily."
The one who responded to Vihera's words was Elena, projected onto the crystal on the table—a Paired Orb.
It had been Vihera's suggestion to reach out to Elena, saying that since everyone in the Crimson Lotus Wings was gathered for a banquet, they should try contacting her.
Rei's group and Elena were, of course, not in the same party.
However, the Crimson Lotus Wings and Elena were still bound by deep ties, and they recognized one another as companions connected by a profound bond, even if they were not party members.
...Especially for Marina and Vihera, there was the shared recognition that they were companions who loved the same man.
Moreover, for Elena as well, in the sense that she could show her natural self as she was, she was happy to interact with Marina, Vihera, and Byune.
For that reason, Elena, projected onto the Paired Orb, wore a smile that seemed to come from the bottom of her heart, making her beauty appear all the more attractive to those around her.
Incidentally, it was only now that Elena was displayed on the Paired Orb; until a little while ago, what had been projected onto it was Ielo, a young Black Dragon.
And from Rei's side, Set had been in front of the Paired Orb, the two of them exchanging their usual guru-guru and kyu-kyu sounds. Watching the two of them, Rei and the others each harbored a warm, fuzzy feeling.
Ielo was probably happy to see Set again after so long, even if it was through the Paired Orb. It had frolicked quite a bit, and perhaps from the exhaustion of that, it was now asleep.
There was no doubt that Set was also happy to see Ielo, but perhaps because he was more mature than Ielo, he showed no signs of being that tired.
This might have been influenced by the fact that Set was created through Beast Magic.
At any rate, Set was currently lying down and relaxing in the garden, being stroked by Byune as she waited for the pizza to be ready, his eyes closed.
"Fufu, I'm jealous that it seems so fun over there."
Glancing at the garden from the other side of the Paired Orb, she said this before bringing the teacup at hand to her lips, as if to hide her envy.
"That's right. It really is fun, you know?"
Marina told her with a fufun and a smile.
Normally, a remark like that could easily be taken as a mean-spirited jab at Elena, but given the relationship between Marina and Elena, there was no way it would be taken like that.
"I may be jealous, but the bond between Rei and me cannot be shaken by something of that level, you know?"
Even if it was something she could not say with Rei nearby, she could say it like this, among women.
"Oh, is that so? Vihera and I are the ones by Rei's side, aren't we? If so, won't love also grow between us?"
"I see. That is an enviable story."
Elena replied briefly to Marina's words, but her attitude was filled with confidence, contradicting her words.
Whether that was because she believed in the connection between herself and Rei, or whether there was another reason, Marina and Vihera, who had been listening nearby, both wore puzzled expressions.
But toward the two of them, Elena merely smiled and showed no sign of answering.
Sensing that, Vihera was about to say something...
"The pizza's ready!"
Pulling out the large spatula, Rei called out.
The one who reacted first to those words was, naturally, Byune.
She had been stroking Set until just a moment ago, but in the next instant, she had already appeared before Rei.
For a moment, Rei also wore a look of surprise, but having someone look forward to the pizza he made was by no means a bad feeling.
...Of course, even though Rei made it, strictly speaking the dough was already prepared, and all he did was bake it.
However, with pizza, the cooking step of baking naturally carried great significance.
If he baked it carelessly for too long, it would burn; if the baking time was insufficient, it would end up undercooked.
The pizza Rei baked was still far from being called the work of a veteran, but it was baked well enough to eat normally.
Since she had already eaten several of the pizzas Rei baked, Byune likely came to him immediately upon hearing that the pizza was finished.
Cutting his own portion along with portions for Marina and Vihera, and giving the rest to Byune, he then placed the other slice that had been baking in the oven in front of Set.
"Guruu!"
Set purred happily at the pizza placed before him.
After giving Set a single stroke, Rei headed toward the table in the garden.
(Spirit Magic really is amazing.)
Looking around, Rei thought to himself earnestly.
On a summer night, especially in a place with light, it would not be strange for various insects, mosquitoes chief among them, to come buzzing around.
However, thanks to Marina's Spirit Magic, no insects entered this garden.
That was precisely why they could sit in the garden on a summer night without worrying about insects.
Returning to the table, Rei noticed that for some reason, Marina, Vihera, and Elena from the other side of the Paired Orb were all directing somewhat reproachful gazes at him.
"W-What is it? Look, the pizza is ready for now."
A few seconds of silence followed Rei's words... and then Marina spoke up.
"That's right, let's eat. Since Rei went to the trouble of baking it for us."
With Marina's words, the uneasy atmosphere that had been drifting around—or at least for Rei—dissipated, and he let out a small sigh of relief.
"...How is it?"
"Yeah, I think it's delicious. The fact that Rei baked it for us is a big part of it too."
Hearing Vihera's words, Rei looked pleased and reached for the pizza himself.
The chewy texture, the rich umami of the cheese, and the various vegetables, ham, and sausage pleased the tongue.
"Yeah, it's delicious. Must be because I baked it. Well, I probably just think it tastes better because I made it myself."
"The next time we meet, you will make that dish for me too... pizza, was it? You will make that dish for me."
Looking at the scene of Rei and the others eating, she must have felt envious. Elena looked jealous from the other side of the Paired Orb.
"That's right. Next time we meet, I'll treat you to my cooking. ...Well, even though I say my cooking, it's just baking it."
"It is a promise. The next time we meet, absolutely."
Looking puzzled at Elena, who was pressing the point for some reason, Rei nodded.
"Got it."
"Hmm, then that is fine. ...Now, changing the subject."
Clearing her throat softly, Elena spoke as if to shift the mood.
"Regarding the matter with Count Relduct, it seems it caused trouble for you all. ...I am sorry."
As Elena bowed her head, her golden hair swayed and caught the light from the other side of the Paired Orb.
"That's some fast information. I only returned to Gilm today."
"Yes. The information came from Lord Daskar. ...I never thought there would be someone among the Noble's Faction who would commit such an act."
"You don't really need to worry about it, do you, Elena? In the first place, it's only natural that there are all sorts of people among the Noble's Faction."
Vihera said this as if to encourage Elena.
...No, rather than trying to encourage her, she was probably simply saying what she honestly thought.
Perhaps understanding that, Elena, projected on the Paired Orb, let a slight smile form on her lips.
"It is reassuring to hear you say that. However... even so, this incident was still a failure on the Noble's Faction's part. My father should also be telling the nobles currently belonging to the Noble's Faction not to do anything unnecessary to Gilm."
"Wow."
The one who muttered that was Marina.
As a former Guild Master, Marina naturally understood Duke Kerebel's personality.
For someone like Marina, she could fully comprehend how Duke Kerebel felt about this incident.
"But, for all that, the retaliation from Gilm's—no, Margrave Larcus's—side is over with this incident, right? In that case, it shouldn't become too severe, should it? ...Well, Relduct was miserable in various ways, though."
"...Rei. It is not my place to say this, but please do not overdo it too flashily. This matter was settled as Count Relduct's own fault, but if handled poorly, there is a risk that assassins could be dispatched from the Noble's Faction."
"Hm? Rather, the fact that it was settled as his own fault is a bit surprising."
At Elena's words, Rei wore an expression of being caught off guard.
He had been convinced that the Noble's Faction would certainly reach out to them again.
After all, he had done something like severing both arms of a noble belonging to the Noble's Faction from the shoulders.
"It was at the request of Count Relduct. ...Additionally, it seems the tax rates and such in Count Relduct's Territory will be revised. Apparently, to show his magnanimity as a noble, he has decided to listen to the opinions of the populace or something."
"Ah, I see."
From those words alone, Rei could mostly guess what had happened.
First, this was obvious, but it seemed that just as Rei had told the Rebel Army, they had not killed Relduct.
And he could also guess that Relduct's words about listening to the opinions of the populace were almost certainly something he had been made to say.
(The populace probably refers to the Rebel Army. ...And a successor to Count Relduct would be needed, but I wonder what happened with that?)
From what Rei could see, Relduct was in no condition to perform his duties as a lord at all.
The lack of both arms might be manageable if they could find a Magic Item prosthetic... but in the first place, with one of their important sources of income, the mine, now collapsed, Rei did not think Count Relduct's Territory had enough financial leeway for that.
Furthermore, Rei had charged into Jawa, which could be called the capital of Count Relduct's Territory, destroyed its Barrier, and rampaged in the Lord's Manor, resulting in many soldiers fleeing from Relduct's service.
Naturally, Rei could not imagine that those who had abandoned their employer or the master they had pledged loyalty to and fled would be rehired even if they returned.
In reality, Relduct's spirit had been completely broken by Rei, so there was a high possibility he would have rehired them if they returned... but those who fled had no way of knowing that fact, and in the end, all of them disappeared from Jawa.
The reason they did not want to stay in Jawa was likely because they feared that if Relduct, whom they thought had abandoned them, found them, he would seek revenge.
"At any rate, there will be no issues regarding the matter of Count Relduct's Territory. ...At least, on the surface, that is."
At those words, Rei felt relieved while momentarily wondering what would become of the Rebel Army, but he judged that he did not need to concern himself with it that much and put it out of his mind for the time being.
Also, though Rei had never met Duke Kerebel directly, he at least knew that he was a prominent figure.
As Elena's father and the one who united the Noble Faction Nobles, it was easy to deduce that he was not a noble who could be found just anywhere, but the real deal.
"I see."
In the end, that single phrase was all that came from Rei's mouth, and after that, they changed the subject and enjoyed a lively conversation.