When Rei and Set joined the battle, the fighting between Jaya and the Resistance accelerated toward its conclusion.
Of course, considering that Elena, Vihera, and Byune had already been in the thick of combat before Rei and his group joined, the battle had likely been heading toward its end from that point onward.
On their own, Elena and Vihera — though Rei had lent a hand as well — possessed enough strength to slay nearly a thousand Giants.
Weaker than such creatures, and fewer in number, the Jaya soldiers stood no chance.
There was not a single instance of anyone struggling against them.
Naturally, the same difficulty Rei faced in distinguishing between Jaya soldiers and Resistance fighters may have applied to others as well.
But regardless, riding atop a gryphon over three meters in length and wielding two long-shafted weapons — Death Scythe and the Twilight Spear — Rei carved a path of destruction, cutting down only Jaya soldiers.
Torsos bisected vertically, skulls crushed, necks severed — a scene truly worthy of being called a depiction of hell spread before them, and the morale of Jaya's soldiers predictably plummeted.
Among their ranks were soldiers who had survived the battle in central Mejougo, and it was not uncommon for such men to bolt the instant they caught sight of Set.
From the moment Rei entered the fray to the battle's complete conclusion, roughly thirty minutes had passed.
"Well, that's about it. Feels like it took a little too long, though."
The one surveying the battlefield with that murmur from atop Set's back was, naturally, Rei.
Whether the faint dissatisfaction seeping through his words stemmed from the battle dragging on, or from the summer sun beginning its descent into dusk and glaring in his eyes, was anyone's guess.
But regardless of the reason, his displeasure was unmistakable.
"W-Why are you so dissatisfied!? The battle ended so effortlessly!"
A voice laden with surprise burst from Airen, who sat behind him.
"If you're asking me why... honestly, if this hadn't been a melee, the fight would've been over immediately. And it still took this long. It's only natural to be dissatisfied."
He delivered the words as though stating the obvious, and that very casualness made Airen realize he was neither bluffing nor putting on airs.
(This is... the power of a high-rank adventurer, an Alias Holder...)
Rei was shorter than she was, but having witnessed the sheer magnitude of his strength firsthand, that detail meant nothing to Airen.
She fixed an admiring gaze on him.
"Oh my, Rei. You've brought quite a cute girlfriend along, haven't you?"
That voice suddenly reached their ears.
"W-w-w-wait, g-g-girlfriend? That's not—"
Airen tried to deny what she'd heard, but the moment she laid eyes on the speaker, the words died in her throat.
The woman before her was simply that beautiful.
The light of the sun, just beginning its shift toward sunset, dazzlingly adorned the prostitute's clothing — not unlike what Airen herself had been wearing until recently.
Vihera's figure, which could pass for a work of art simply by standing there with composure, completely captivated her.
The sheer impact of that sight obliterated every ounce of admiration she had felt toward Rei.
"Umm, that is..."
"What's wrong, Vihera? Rei is..."
Appearing before the speechless Airen was Elena, who possessed beauty to rival even Vihera's.
With the arrival of these two, Airen's mind went completely blank.
"I-I need to go make a report!"
She bolted from the spot.
"What was that about?"
Rei, not fully grasping the situation, tilted his head. Set tilted his neck as well, as if mimicking the Rei on his back.
Vihera sighed in exasperation at the sight, but she had no intention of explaining the reason behind that sigh.
"So, what ended up happening? Well, considering you were in the thick of battle and acting alongside that Resistance girl, I can mostly guess."
"Yeah. I got the go-ahead from Sura, the one leading the Resistance. Not from everyone, of course — only those who want to come."
"Is that so? Well, thinking about it normally, it's only natural that some would want to return to their hometowns, and being Resistance members, some would want to stay in this country."
A hometown was something special to a person.
That was something even Vihera, who had left her own behind, could fully understand.
"That's right. A hometown is something precious."
Elena agreed with Vihera's words. But beneath them lay a deep, unspoken conflict.
As the only daughter of Duke Kerebel's House, Elena was highly likely to inherit Duke Kerebel's Territory in the future.
Were it not for that position, she would have strongly desired to leave home and travel alongside Rei, just as Vihera did.
But given her standing, that was impossible.
Especially now, when she was traveling with Rei and sharing fulfilling days together, that inner conflict only grew sharper.
"Anyway, let's go see Sura. I'm sure they have plenty they want to discuss with us on their end too."
Whether he was mindful of the two women's feelings or utterly oblivious, Rei made the declaration.
Elena and Vihera exchanged glances at his demeanor, then eventually offered resigned smiles.
"What is it?"
"Nothing. More importantly, we're going to see the one leading the Resistance, aren't we? Keeping them waiting too long would be rude. Let us go as well."
"...Fine by me."
Sensing something faintly unsatisfying in Elena's tone, Rei nonetheless recognized that pressing forward was the right call given the circumstances.
It was already approaching evening. Though there was likely still a reasonable window before full nightfall, settling matters as quickly as possible was clearly the better course.
Of course, if they were to travel on foot from here toward Gilm, it would naturally be pitch-black by the time they passed through the capital, Rossi.
(Then again, wouldn't that actually be better? Moving near Rossi in broad daylight would draw too much attention.)
There were men from the Resistance among the group, but the majority were women. Passing close to the capital with such a composition would inevitably turn heads.
In daylight, that would be especially true.
If they drew notice, soldiers would certainly come to inspect the group, and if it came out that these women were former prostitutes from Mejougo, a major disturbance was guaranteed.
For those in lower ranks, such as common soldiers, it would mean the loss of their familiar prostitutes.
For those in higher positions, the entertainment district of Mejougo — which paid enormous taxes — would no longer function as it had.
Either way, they would naturally try to interfere with Rei's group.
Whether that interference would take the form of armed force or simply a request for an audience, though, was unclear.
That was precisely why traveling past Rossi under cover of night was by no means a poor choice.
Fortunately, there were almost no monsters in this area, and thanks to Jaya, bandits were essentially nonexistent.
...Though the possibility of Jaya pursuers was certainly real.
"Even so, that's the better option."
"What's that, all of a sudden?"
Vihera turned an inquiring gaze toward Rei's mutter.
He shook his head as if to say it was nothing, then spoke up.
"Right. Let's settle things with Sura. I'm heading over — what about you?"
"Oh, we're coming with you, Rei. I'd like to meet the person leading the Resistance and speak with them directly, not just hear about it through your account."
"Got it. Then let's go. Set, take us."
"Gruu."
Without raising any objection to Vihera's words, Rei nodded readily and stroked Set's flank.
Purring contentedly at the touch, Set began plodding toward Sura's position.
Elena, Vihera, and Byune followed after the gryphon.
Incidentally, Elena's familiar, Ielo, for reasons known only to itself, was flying through the sky as dusk settled in.
It must have had something in mind.
(Come to think of it, back in Japan, bats would come out when it started getting dark, too.)
The countryside had all sorts of bat roosts, and seeing them flit through the dimming sky was a common sight.
Rei gazed upward, thoughts drifting to his time in Japan, as he made his way toward the Resistance's main camp.
The battle was over. As he advanced, he drew the eyes of the Resistance fighters returning to camp — and of the women who had lent their combat strength to the cause.
The gazes trained on him were heavy with awe.
Having fought alongside him on the battlefield, they could now confirm with their own eyes just how much power Rei and his companions wielded. That made all the difference.
What they felt, however, was reverence — not fear.
That was likely because they understood they had been saved.
Presently, several men and women emerged from the main camp and approached Rei's group.
At their center was Sura, the leader of the Resistance.
Eyes glistening, she opened her mouth to speak.
"Rei... um, thank you."
What came out was short, but that brevity only gave it more weight.
Naturally. Sura led the Resistance, but she was still young.
She had been holding herself taut, and there was no doubt this battle had taken a significant emotional toll on her.
"Don't worry about it. I told you from the start, didn't I? It's because I took the job. So, what's the plan for now? I'd like to leave Mejougo and head for Gilm as soon as possible. Even by carriage, it's about a month's journey. The sooner we set out, the better."
At the mention of heading to Gilm, nearly everyone nearby wore a puzzled look.
It seemed Sura had yet to inform the others about the offer to accept volunteers in Gilm. Rei cast her a glance that asked, What will you do?
If Sura wanted to explain, he'd leave it to her. If not, he'd lay it out himself — that was the silent message.
Sura returned a nod, signaling she would handle it.
Then she surveyed the people around her — aware that not everyone had returned yet — and spoke.
"Listen up, everyone. Some of you may have already noticed, but this is Rei. In the Kingdom of Mireana, he's the adventurer known as Crimson."
A ripple ran through the crowd.
Those who heard Sura's words each reacted in their own way.
An Alias Holder was simply that rare.
At the very least, there wasn't a single Alias Holder adventurer in all of Reblurina, and even among the women who had been forced into prostitution, those who had ever seen one were in the minority.
A few, noting Rei's slight stature, doubted whether he could truly be an Alias Holder... but such skepticism evaporated the instant they laid eyes on Set.
Above all, having witnessed Rei's group in action, underestimating them was no longer an option anyone could entertain.
"And he's brought us a proposal. Gilm — a city in the Kingdom of Mireana. I imagine some of you have heard of it? Its lord has said he's willing to take in anyone who has nowhere to go. Not just those abducted by Jaya, but us in the Resistance as well."
In that moment, an even greater stir erupted than when they had learned Rei's identity.
Naturally. When it came to Rei, frankly, it felt like someone else's concern.
Of course they were involved, but at the end of the day, now that the fighting was over, one could argue Rei's presence was no longer necessary.
...In reality, that couldn't be further from the truth, but those who saw it that way were in the majority.
Gilm accepting them, however, was about their own lives — about their future.
Not caring about that would be the harder thing to do.
The murmur born from Sura's words spread outward to those who hadn't caught them the first time.
Watching the commotion ripple outward, Sura spoke again.
"Naturally, I know some of you want to stay here. And some want to return to your own homelands rather than the Kingdom of Mireana. They won't force anyone like that to go all the way to Gilm. Only those who wish to go. ...Right?"
She turned to Rei. He nodded.
"That's right. Also, anyone whose hometown lies along the route from Reblurina to Gilm has been told they may travel with us partway."
A profound hush fell.
A silence so deep it was hard to believe this was a battlefield filled the air.
Then a single woman shattered it.
"But even if we go to Gilm, what are we supposed to do? Become prostitutes again? And with this many people, where are we all supposed to live?"
"There's housing. I don't know if anyone here is aware, but Gilm is currently undergoing an expansion — from a town to a city. Even after that's finished... I won't go into details here, but there will be all sorts of work available. At the very least, no one will starve."
That was Rei's reply.