While Ajas was discussing their situation with Lebejev and Haston, Rei was meeting with Ilse to deliver his report for the day.
Naturally, such a report couldn't be given just anywhere, so as usual, Rei and the others were gathered in the courtyard of Marina's house.
At first, Ilse was surprised that everyone present was a beautiful woman, and she even caught herself thinking, So this is the rumored Harem Party... Fortunately, she kept that to herself and took her seat at the table.
Though truth be told, even if someone had called it a Harem Party, most of the people there probably wouldn't have denied it.
The sole exception was Ara. She did harbor fondness for Rei, but it was the affection of a friend, coupled with respect for someone stronger than herself. Unlike the others, it wasn't romantic interest.
Not that she lacked beauty—though not quite on Elena's level, Ara possessed more than enough to be called beautiful. And as the third daughter of Count Scarley's House, she was naturally courted by many men. She held a faint hope that if people believed she was a member of Rei's party, the suitors might thin out.
...Incidentally, Byune didn't deny being called a harem member either, since being with Rei meant she could eat delicious food to her heart's content and even make money. In reality, her attitude stemmed from understanding that Rei would never harbor any romantic interest toward a child like herself. And like Ara, she also used the association as a repellent against unwanted advances.
"...Rei-san, um... that one playing with Set... if my eyes aren't failing me, it looks like a dragon..."
The nights had been hot and restless lately, yet the moment she stepped into the courtyard, she was astonished by how unbelievably comfortable the temperature was. Despite it being a summer evening, she could hear insect chirping but there wasn't a single mosquito or pest in sight. She had been in a state of constant surprise since entering Marina's courtyard, but that astonishment likely peaked upon seeing Ielo.
Naturally, she was also startled to find Elena present—a woman of such unforgettable beauty, on par with Marina and Vihera. But no, in this case it would be more accurate to say she wasn't surprised by Elena's beauty itself, but rather by the fact that the Princess General was here at all.
Being an information-conscious person gathering intelligence on Ajas, Ilse naturally knew what the famous Elena looked like. But even so, having what appeared to be a dragon's child right before her eyes was likely a greater shock than finding the Princess General herself.
If one spoke of high-rank monsters, Gryphon Seto was already more than rare enough. But whether fortunately or unfortunately, having encountered Rei and Set multiple times, Ilse had a certain degree of familiarity with such sights.
"Yeah, that's Ielo. Ielo is Elena's familiar."
"Fufu, it seems Ielo managed to surprise you."
At Rei's words, Elena wore a pleased smile and turned her gaze toward Ilse. Having someone be surprised by her familiar—though it was treated as a pet in practice—was apparently a favorable impression for Elena. Also, the fact that someone like Ilse was working so hard to avenge her family was another reason for Elena's gentle demeanor.
Elena did not deny the act of revenge. Or rather, it wasn't that she approved of all revenge, but the revenge Ilse sought seemed sufficiently justified even from Elena's perspective. If this were a case where Ilse's father had committed a crime, been caught by the Guards, and executed as a result—and Ilse then bore a grudge against the Guards who apprehended him—Elena would never have approved. That wouldn't be revenge; it would be sheer vindictiveness.
"Anyway, let's finish eating before we discuss business. None of us will be able to think clearly on an empty stomach, right?"
Everyone nodded in agreement at Marina's words. They all knew that hunger diminished concentration. ...Though the existence of fasting as a practice meant it wasn't necessarily a universal truth.
At any rate, no one objected, and they all began preparations. Having meals in this courtyard had become a near-daily occurrence lately, so the arrangements proceeded without any confusion. Only Ilse, visiting for the first time, could merely watch in awe as the outdoor meal setup came together in the blink of an eye.
Naturally, Ilse had experience with camping. Though she primarily undertook gathering requests, she couldn't always complete them as day trips. Sometimes, to gather medicinal herbs growing far afield, or specific nuts, young buds, and flowers, she would go on overnight excursions with reasonable frequency. So she was accustomed to eating outdoors—but the preparations unfolding before her now were nothing like camp meals.
"Ara, bring the food from the kitchen."
"Understood, Lady Elena."
"I wonder what we'll have today."
"Mn!"
Even as that exchange took place, tables and chairs were set out, food was produced from Rei's Misty Ring, and the dishes Ara brought were arranged on the table as well.
"Now, let's eat."
At the words of Marina, the master of the house, dinner began.
It was already pitch dark outside, making it quite late for a dinner—but precisely because of that, everyone present carried food to their mouths with evident relish.
Usually, they would bring out Rei's Magic Item oven here and use it to grill various things. Today, however, there was important business to discuss afterward, so the oven stayed packed away.
"Um... how is it? I tried making it exactly as Marina taught me last time."
Elena asked for an opinion on her cooking with a timidity that belied her usual gallantry. Today, she and Ara had made a stew using generous amounts of Orc meat and summer vegetables. The dish itself wasn't particularly unusual, but since it was food she was serving to the person she held dear, she clearly had a lot riding on it.
"Yeah, it's delicious."
Stew was inherently a difficult dish to ruin. Of course, there were various ways to refine it with effort, and a stew made by a professional cook would differ greatly in final taste from one made by an ordinary person. By that standard, Elena's stew was naturally several ranks below what a cook would produce. But the fact that Elena had made it herself made everyone, Rei included, find it tastier than anything served at an ordinary eatery.
"Yeah, it's plenty delicious."
"...I see."
It wasn't as though this was the first time Elena had served food to Rei. But even so, hearing him call it delicious felt fresh to her, bringing boundless happiness.
"My, my, how envious. I suppose I'll have to treat you to my own cooking next time."
Whether she was genuinely envious of Elena's happy expression or simply wanted to tease her, Marina murmured that with a smile.
The Princess General's home cooking...
Amidst the group, only Ilse remained half-frozen, overwhelmed by the scene before her.
"What's wrong? Aren't you going to eat? It's good, you know?"
"Huh? Oh, yes."
Brought back to herself by Rei's words, Ilse carried the stew to her mouth. It wasn't a bold, immediate kind of deliciousness, but rather a gentle flavor that seemed to seep into her body. Tasting something altogether different from restaurant fare, she found herself wondering when she had last eaten this kind of cooking.
"It seems you enjoyed it."
Seeing Ilse's reaction, Elena told her so happily. Even without words, Ilse's expression alone told her everything she needed to know about the stew.
At any rate, time passed as they ate various dishes besides the stew that Rei produced from his Misty Ring. Ilse, who had been tense at first, gradually settled down and came to enjoy the meal.
When dinner had wound down, Rei finally turned to the main topic.
"Now then, I made contact with Ajas today while serving as a woodcutter escort..."
At the name that left Rei's mouth, Ilse unconsciously stiffened. Naturally—she had all but confirmed in her mind that he was her enemy. But as objective evidence, there was little beyond the snake tattoo. And even that—if someone simply claimed it was a similar tattoo—would be difficult to dispute. That was precisely why Ilse was focusing intently, determined not to miss a single word Rei said.
Rei understood that Ilse was fixing him with such a gaze, and without any unnecessary preamble, he began to speak.
"Based on my impression from talking to him... he's black. At the very least, there's no doubt he has something to hide."
At Rei's assessment, Ilse wore a complex expression—partly relieved, yet partly disappointed.
"What was he like when you spoke to him?"
Marina asked while watching Ilse, and Rei recalled his conversation with Ajas.
"Let's see. At first, he came across as the serious adventurer I'd been told about at the Guild. He was among the first to check the surroundings and assess the terrain."
Judging by that alone, one would unhesitatingly call him an excellent adventurer. In fact, compared to those who had rushed headlong into the Treant Forest to start chopping wood, Rei recognized him as unquestionably capable. Though being an excellent adventurer didn't necessarily make someone a good person. If anything, the more capable one was, the more troublesome it became if they had a flawed character.
"But while we were talking, when I hinted that I knew his true identity—his hidden face—he definitely reacted."
"Then... that confirms he's the enemy... or rather, it doesn't quite confirm it, does it."
Marina nodded at Elena's words.
"That's right. But if he does have something to hide, I think we should dig deeper. Gilm is in a delicate period right now."
Marina's gaze was directed at Elena. Yes—precisely because this was a delicate period, Elena was the person dispatched to ensure the Noble's Faction wouldn't commit any further recklessness. Understanding that, Marina's words carried strong persuasive weight.
"Hmm. As far as I know, there should be no one named Ajas among the Noble's Faction's associates. Of course, I don't know every single person affiliated with the Noble's Faction, so I can't be certain."
Perhaps sensing from the conversation that Ajas might be suspected of belonging to the Noble's Faction, Elena spoke preemptively. But as she herself acknowledged, even holding the title of Princess General and serving as the symbol of the Noble's Faction, there was no way she could know every last person under its umbrella. She would know the heads of noble families, but their relatives—let alone those secretly hired to carry out unspeakable tasks—were beyond her knowledge.
"There's the possibility he's with the King's Faction, and it's not as though everyone in the Neutral Faction is completely clean, either. In that case, figuring out which faction Ajas actually belongs to would be quite difficult to investigate. If he's truly skilled, he won't show his tail easily."
Everyone nodded at Vihera's words. Indeed, if they overthought it, it would become completely impossible to tell who was suspicious.
"Lady Elena, isn't there also the possibility of forces outside the Three Great Factions?"
"We can't rule that out. No—rather, that would make things even more troublesome."
If the opponent belonged to one of the Three Great Factions, their methods could be predicted to a certain extent. But as Ara suggested, if Ajas was an agent of forces beyond those, there was the troubling uncertainty of not knowing what they might do. Furthermore, they might casually break unspoken understandings without hesitation, making them all the more dangerous.
"Anyway, my escort duty in the Treant Forest was only for today, but from tomorrow onward I'll need to go back to pick up the felled timber, so I'll be showing my face there. I'll try making contact with Ajas then."
"...Be careful, okay? If Ajas is a shady character, there's no telling what he might do. ...Though I suppose I don't really need to tell you that, Rei."
Whether it was Ajas or anyone else, anyone who tried to harm Rei would simply be counterattacked. Knowing Rei's strength, Marina smiled wryly at her own words.