Unaware that his very existence was having an enormous impact on the Resistance within Reblurina, Rei walked through Mejougo just as he had told Sura he would.
Several prostitutes besides Sura had called out to him, but thanks to the Dragon Robe's concealing effect, his current appearance gave off the impression of an ordinary robe.
Given that, it was only natural for the prostitutes to approach men who looked like they had more money to spend.
Watching them, Rei recalled what Kotonara had told him and nodded in understanding.
Every single prostitute wore a collar.
Naturally, they were not the crude Slave Collars like the ones Ajas had possessed. They resembled chokers—something that could even pass for an accessory—and their patterns and ornaments indicated which brothel each prostitute belonged to. But considering the situation, Rei could easily surmise that their true nature was that of Slave Collars.
(But none of them look like they're doing this work unwillingly... Does that mean only the ones who've accepted their situation are out here? Or can those Slave Collars control even that?)
He couldn't know what reason lay behind it. But even so, just looking at Mejougo made it clear that the situation was deeply complicated and troublesome.
(Well, I've gathered a decent amount of information... but I'd like to take my time talking to someone wearing a Slave Collar if possible. Not that there's any way I could pull that off.)
It was easy enough for even Rei to imagine that when the collars were fitted, the women would have been ordered not to discuss the organization's affairs or their own personal details.
That being the case, extracting information wouldn't be easy. At the very least, it would be impossible without doing something about the Slave Collars first.
But if asked whether he had any means of dealing with them...
(My method is too dangerous.)
It wasn't that he lacked the means. But as he had muttered to himself, the risk was far too great.
Rei's method was to pour his own magical power directly into a Slave Collar. Since Slave Collars were Magic Items, they required magical power or Magic Stones to function. Once activated, they could operate semi-permanently on the wearer's faint magical power—but what would happen if Rei flooded one with his own?
If it were an ordinary mage, nothing in particular would happen. But Rei possessed magical power on an entirely different level—truly extraordinary in scale. If that power were intentionally poured in en masse, it would essentially cause something akin to overheating, making it highly likely the collar would break.
However, not knowing exactly what would happen in that scenario meant he couldn't do it lightly.
If the collar simply broke, there'd be no problem. But in the worst case, it could malfunction in unpredictable ways, potentially endangering the wearer's life. And if the collar couldn't withstand Rei's magical power and exploded, the sheer magnitude of that power would make the blast devastatingly powerful. Even an adventurer—unless they were truly exceptional—would struggle to survive an explosion of Rei's magical power going off right next to their neck, barring extraordinary luck.
If even adventurers faced those odds, Rei could never resort to such drastic measures against the women working as prostitutes.
(The best option would be to remove the collars through proper means... but that's virtually impossible.)
He was still mulling this over as he walked when he suddenly noticed someone watching him.
Well, if "watching" was the criterion, then plenty of people—including the prostitutes—were looking his way. But the moment they judged he had no money, they'd look away and call out to someone wealthier.
The person staring at him now, however, had a clear and deliberate intent behind their gaze. Of that much, Rei was certain.
Who? He turned toward the gaze.
At the other end of it was a man in his late thirties or perhaps his forties. His cheeks were flushed red—whether from drink or from the sweltering tropical night that lingered even after dark.
Regardless, the man was staring fixedly at him.
Recalling his earlier encounter with Sura, Rei hesitated briefly. But since the man was clearly watching him, he concluded there must be some business and approached.
"Um, did you need something from me?"
"...Hmph. For someone who noticed my gaze, you sure act meek."
"I'm sorry, I'm not really sure what you—"
Rei started to play the part of Ren, claiming he didn't understand, but the man flashed a grin with his flushed cheeks as if to say he saw right through such a facade.
"No, I never expected to run into someone of your caliber in a place like this. What's someone like you doing in a weak little country like this?"
"I'm not sure what you mean. I think you might have the wrong person. I just wanted to see Mejougo for myself, that's all."
"...Hmph. Well, if you're going to insist on that, fine. But let me give you one piece of advice. You'd best not cause any trouble here. If you do, it won't just affect this country. The surrounding areas... and the Kingdom of Mireana would feel the fallout too."
The moment the man said that, Rei's gaze sharpened for just an instant—not the gaze of the naive rich boy hiding behind the mask of Ren, but of Rei, the B-Rank Adventurer known as Crimson.
Seeing that reaction, the middle-aged man smiled with satisfaction.
Sensing he'd been baited, Rei immediately slipped the mask of Ren back on. The man's attitude made it clear—he had known exactly who Rei was when he approached.
But being seen through didn't mean he should drop the act. Doing so would mean partially acknowledging the man's claim, and that didn't sit well with Rei.
"What are you talking about? Though from the sound of it, are you saying this country is dangerous?"
"Old man—!?"
The man looked momentarily stung by the phrase that had slipped from Rei's mouth. From Rei's perspective, late thirties or forties was undeniably middle-aged—an "old man"—but the man clearly didn't want to hear it.
Recovering quickly, he turned back to Rei with a somewhat stiff smile.
"Anyway. I don't know why someone as skilled as you has come to Mejougo, but could you just leave things be?"
"Huh? Leave what be?"
Even as he asked, Rei raised his guard another notch. He judged that "leaving things be" meant leaving Mejougo exactly as it was.
Rei wasn't so good-natured—or rather, such a pushover—that he felt compelled to save everyone he encountered. His primary reason for coming to Reblurina was to settle the score with the organization that had meddled with Gilm.
Circumstances aside, one thing was certain: Rei was going to deal damage to Mejougo—to the organization that likely controlled it, and to the upper echelons of this country who were probably in league with them.
"Hmph. Well, if you say so, I won't say anything more. But keep this in mind: if a major disturbance breaks out in Reblurina, a lot of people could end up suffering for it."
"...I'm not sure what you're getting at. But I'll keep your words in mind."
That was all Rei said.
The man seemed to accept it. Without another word, he turned on his heel and disappeared into a nearby tavern.
Rei watched him go, waiting until he was certain the man had stepped inside, then let out a sigh.
(Mejougo seems like a complicated place. There's no major disturbance yet, but I can't imagine that lasting. ...Besides, even if we don't make a move, the Kingdom of Mireana will. It's only a matter of sooner or later.)
He had no idea who that man was. At first, he'd suspected an agent of the organization, but from the way their conversation had gone, that didn't seem right either. On the other hand, if the man were someone hostile to the organization, Rei couldn't fathom why he'd say those things either.
While he was puzzling over this, he felt Ielo stir faintly inside the Dragon Robe.
The movement seemed to urge him on—stop standing around, do something.
Taking the hint, Rei lightly stroked the spot where Ielo rested through the robe and started walking again.
The man hadn't overheard his conversation, but the number of prostitutes calling out to him dropped even further than before.
(I'd really like to ask a prostitute what she thinks of the situation here... but that's a dead end. In that case, a tavern's the best place to gather information. I'm getting hungry anyway.)
In Mejougo, presumably so patrons could rest and recover their stamina—and vigor—after visiting a brothel, there were a fair number of taverns as well. And unlike chain establishments where every shop was essentially the same, each tavern apparently had its own distinct character, or so Kotonara had said.
Of course, being taverns right next to brothels, it was a given that many of the dishes were designed to boost vitality.
"For now... I'll try that one."
His eyes settled on a tavern with a steady flow of customers coming and going. He would have preferred somewhere quiet to relax, but gathering information meant going where the people were.
"Kyu."
Ielo apparently had no objections, letting out a soft chirp.
Rei had no idea how Ielo, hidden inside the Dragon Robe, could judge what a tavern was like—but it was Ielo, so it was probably fine. With that reasoning, he headed for the door.
On his way there, he noticed another man approaching him.
(Quite a day for people to come bother me. ...Well, this is an entertainment district, so I suppose it can't be helped.)
He glanced at the approaching figure and thought as much, but immediately reconsidered.
"Bothering" was how he'd thought of Sura and the man from earlier—both had primarily been probing his identity or trying to figure out why he'd come.
But the man walking toward him now was in his early twenties, visibly overweight, and wore a vulgar smirk. This was completely different. This was someone looking to harass him the way a thug would.
To the man, having someone like Rei—young, if not quite a child, but certainly not looking like a full-grown adult—in an entertainment district like Mejougo probably didn't sit right. And the fact that Rei wasn't carrying so much as a single weapon only added to the contempt.
Naturally, bringing in something as conspicuous as the Death Scythe or the Twilight Spear was out of the question, but most people at least carried a short blade or something similar for self-defense. Rei did have the Eye of Nebula, a Magic Item that could produce arrowheads, but it was hidden beneath the Dragon Robe and invisible to the eye.
That was precisely why the man completely underestimated him.
...If he'd had the ability to read an opponent's strength, it would have been a different story. Unfortunately, the man wasn't particularly strong to begin with, and he was currently drunk on top of it.
For a moment, Rei thought it would be a hassle. But then he reconsidered—drunk people tended to be loose-tongued, which could work in his favor. Granted, being drunk also meant the man might spout useless nonsense.
For now, though, gathering as much information as possible took priority. Keeping his face hidden beneath the Dragon Robe's hood, Rei pretended not to have noticed the man and kept walking.