After Ajas left, claiming he was going to fight the Goblins, Rei headed to Rugluno's location with Ilse.
Rugluno was reasonably skilled and never treated anyone with hostility, always dealing with people politely. Because of this, he had naturally settled into the role of representative among the adventurers.
Of course, some adventurers bristled at the thought of serving under someone else. But when asked whether they wanted to handle negotiations with the woodcutters and the Guild, or mediate disputes with other adventurers... they were equally reluctant to take on that burden.
In the end, the balance between pride and practicality—combined with the significant fact that Rugluno had earned Rei's favor—led everyone to accept him as their representative.
"Oh, Rei-san. What is it?"
Rugluno had been giving instructions to the surrounding adventurers—or more accurately, making requests—about who would go to eliminate the Goblins and who would stay on guard duty. Seeing Rei approach, he looked mildly surprised.
"Yeah, I needed to talk to you about something. This is Ilse."
"Ah, um... hello. I'm Rugluno. So, what brings this young lady here?"
"Uh... how should I put this. The truth is—"
Rei started to explain why he and Rugluno were here, but Ilse cut in before he could finish.
"Rei-san, please let me explain. I'm the one who asked to come here in the first place."
Rei hesitated for a moment at Ilse's words, but ultimately accepted it. If she wanted to explain herself, he would let her.
Rugluno, likely sensing from the exchange that something troublesome was afoot, finished giving his instructions to the nearby adventurers and led them to a spot away from the others.
Once they had moved somewhere the other adventurers couldn't overhear, Rugluno spoke again.
"So, is this some sort of trouble?"
"Yeah, you could call it that. ...Ilse."
Prompted by Rei, Ilse began to speak.
"It's nice to meet you. My name is Ilse. The truth is, I had Rei-san bring me here today because the person I believe murdered my parents was here..."
With that, Ilse gave a brief account of the situation.
She didn't go into the deeper details, but Rugluno seemed to understand.
"I see. I was wondering why new adventurers had suddenly been assigned here..."
"Aren't you angry?"
For Rugluno—and for everyone working in the Treant Forest—this essentially meant being dragged into a vendetta that had nothing to do with them. With Rei standing right there, Rugluno wouldn't go so far as to shout at Ilse, but it wouldn't have been strange for him to be at least somewhat displeased. Yet here he was, perfectly calm.
Part of that was simply Rugluno's nature—he wasn't as hot-blooded as many other adventurers. But that alone wasn't the only reason for his composure.
"Setting aside why new adventurers were sent here, the truth is that monsters have been appearing in the Treant Forest more frequently than before. In that regard, the extra hands were actually convenient for us."
Given that Goblins had just entered the Treant Forest, Ilse couldn't deny that reasoning.
Naturally, Rugluno couldn't be pleased about their workplace being used for someone else's purposes. But he understood that complaining to Rei would only complicate matters, so he chose to look at it positively.
"That's a relief to hear. Anyway, about Ajas... after talking to him, it's pretty much confirmed he's Ilse's enemy."
"...I see. That's unfortunate. He was personable, worked diligently—an overall competent adventurer."
True to his words, Rugluno murmured with genuine regret. He quickly shook his head and spoke again.
"So, what happened to Ajas?"
"He heard about the Goblin attack and seized the opportunity to head that way. That's actually why we came back here."
"I see. So, what should I do?"
Rei was about to answer Rugluno's question, but his words caught in his throat. He had noticed a gaze fixed on him.
If it were just a matter of being looked at, there would be no particular reason to worry. Rei knew he stood out, and he was used to drawing people's eyes.
But the gaze directed at him right now was thick with fear and awe. And given the current situation, there was only one person who would look at him that way.
If this turned out to be that woodcutter—the one who fell for Marina at first sight—I'd actually laugh.
Scanning his surroundings with that thought, he sensed the owner of that gaze slipping away, as if they had been waiting for exactly the right moment.
Tch. Did I let him get away? Well, given the situation, there's no doubt that was Ajas.
Sensing the presence retreating, Rei spoke up.
"Sorry, but wait here for a bit."
"Eh? Ah, sure. I don't mind, but..."
"Rei-san?"
Both Rugluno and Ilse, bewildered by Rei's sudden request, nodded anyway.
Leaving the two behind, Rei stepped out of the Treant Forest.
"Set!"
At his call toward the sky, Set, who had been circling overhead, caught the sound without fail and descended to the ground.
Those already accustomed to seeing Rei and Set took it in stride, but some were still unfamiliar with the pair. They watched in undisguised astonishment as Set, which had been soaring high above, came diving down at Rei's single command.
"Grrrrr!"
Set descended with a happy rumble, nuzzling its face against Rei.
Play? Play? As Rei stroked Set's head while it made that eager appeal, he spoke.
"Sorry, but playtime will have to wait. Someone just fled from the Treant Forest... well, headed back to Gilm, right?"
He deliberately avoided the word "fled." Since no one besides Rei, Ilse, and Rugluno knew about Ajas, he wanted to avoid saying anything careless that might unsettle the people working here.
...Though that precaution would be undone by his very next words.
"Track the one who left. You don't need to capture or kill him—just confirm where he's headed. Actually, if he heads toward Abuelo, go ahead and capture him. And if he returns to Gilm, I want you to confirm where he holes up."
"Grru!"
Rei gave Set one final stroke. As if that were the signal, the gryphon took a running start, beat its wings, and soared back into the sky.
"...Hmm?"
As Rei watched Set go, he suddenly snapped back to reality and noticed something strange: the woodcutters and adventurers were giving him odd looks.
"Hey, wait. Didn't he just say 'capture'?"
"The one who left was Ajas, right? Said he was feeling sick or something. What did that guy do?"
"Whoa, pissing off Rei? That's basically suicide."
Several people were glancing his way and muttering among themselves. Rei recalled what he had just asked Set to do and winced.
But at this point, trying to smooth things over would be meaningless. Rather than attempt an explanation, he simply ignored their stares and walked back into the Treant Forest.
Though now that I've sent Set over there, won't it be a problem getting back to Gilm?
The doubt crossed his mind, but confirming where Ajas had fled was the priority. And more importantly, Set had already taken off—there was nothing he could do about it now.
Though if I shout loud enough, Set's hearing is sharp enough that it might come back.
"Ah... well, let's head back for now."
Muttering to no one in particular, he retreated into the Treant Forest, half as if fleeing from the stares directed his way.
Inside, Ilse and Rugluno were still waiting, talking quietly between themselves.
"Sorry. Did I keep you waiting?"
"Ah, Rei-san. No, that's fine, but what happened?"
Ilse asked, hoping for some new information about Ajas. But Rei, understanding exactly what she was thinking, shook his head.
"No new information. I just sent Set to track him, so we should find out where he went."
"Eh? He left? Without telling me?"
Rugluno was taken aback. Even if only nominally, he was the one in charge of the adventurers serving as woodcutter escorts. Hearing that Ajas had slipped away from the Treant Forest without a word to him was clearly startling.
Rei, for his part, had assumed all along that Ajas would run.
If he knew I had my eye on him and still chose to stay in this forest, I'd have to give him credit for having some nerve.
"That's how it is. Most likely, he went back to his base in Gilm... or maybe a secret hideout. Personally, I'm hoping for the hideout."
Rei hadn't entertained for a moment the possibility of Set being spotted. He trusted Set unconditionally—but that trust wasn't baseless. He simply couldn't imagine anyone spotting a gryphon flying at an altitude of a hundred meters.
"We already know the inn where he usually stays in Gilm, right? In that case, I'd also like to find his secret hideout."
Ilse said this with something approaching a smile, but what radiated from her was a crude but unmistakable killing intent.
"Yeah, that would make things easier for us, too. But the other side already knows what kind of person I am—no, they've probably figured out who Ilse is by now. They'll definitely be on their guard."
"If they're wary of us, that's fine by me... More importantly, what do we do now? If Set's gone, then getting back will be..."
Ilse's tone was noticeably lighter than before. Clinging to Set's front leg for the flight here must have been close to a traumatic experience for her. The fact that Set wasn't around meant she could look forward to avoiding the same ordeal on the return trip.
Rei was surprised by how quickly her mood shifted, but for Ilse, the flight on Set must have been sheer hell.
In the first place, not many people in this world could claim to have experienced flying through the sky. Dragon Knights, those who had contracted large monsters through Summoning Magic, or Tamers who had Tamed one—there might be a few other categories, but that was roughly the extent of it.
By that measure, Ilse had undergone an extraordinarily rare experience. But apparently, for her, it was far from something to celebrate or marvel over.
"Oh, in that case, I'm planning to borrow a carriage. I'll send it back here once we reach Gilm. Would that work?"
"Eh? Hmm, let me think. It wouldn't be a problem for you all to ride it back, but having a carriage driver return alone would be a concern. Ideally, we'd need to arrange an escort..."
The number of adventurers guarding the woodcutters had increased due to the situation with Ajas. But even so, with monsters like Goblins now appearing in the Treant Forest more frequently—as had just happened—there was no surplus of manpower. And with Ajas having left on his own, Rugluno was reluctant to lose anyone else.
That said, Rei had no desire to walk or run all the way to Gilm, either. If it were purely a matter of stamina, he could manage without issue, and if he were alone, he wouldn't have cared. But Ilse was with him.
Ilse, who primarily handled gathering requests, didn't have particularly high physical abilities. She was certainly above an ordinary person, but still likely below the average adventurer. And right now, Rei needed to get back to Gilm as quickly as possible—he couldn't afford to slow down to match her pace.
Should I just carry her on my back?
The thought crossed his mind, but before he could voice it, Rugluno spoke up.
"I understand. If it's just one carriage's worth of passengers, they can squeeze into the other carriages. It'll be a bit cramped, but we'll manage. Please, go ahead and take one."
And so, Ilse was spared the prospect of being carried on the back of the shorter Rei in front of everyone.