Far more people agreed to go to Gilm than Rei had expected.
Naturally, not everyone present had said yes.
Some wished to return to their hometowns, and among the Resistance, there were those who wanted to remain in their homeland of Reblurina.
Still, looking at the overall numbers, eighty percent—perhaps even ninety percent—had consented to making the journey to Gilm.
It was a welcome miscalculation for Rei, but a large group also meant that traveling with them would draw attention.
"Listen, until we return, try to avoid any activities as the Resistance, alright?"
"Got it, Sura. Don't worry. It's not like we can't do anything without you. We'll lay low until you come back. Besides... if what Rei said is true..."
The man paused there, shifting his gaze toward Rei, who was speaking with three women—all of them exceptionally beautiful.
Lowering his voice so Rei wouldn't overhear, he continued.
"A delegation from the Kingdom of Mireana is heading here, right? And apparently Reblurina and Jaya have turned hostile toward each other over it. I don't think either side has the leeway to come after us."
"Let's hope so. But we can't let our guard down."
Whether it was Reblurina or Jaya, the Resistance was unquestionably a nuisance to both.
Moreover, they knew what had been done. The atrocities committed—abducting women from other nations by force, using Slave Collars to compel them into prostitution, employing the Black Crystal to turn the children they conceived into giants, and ultimately having those giants devour their own mothers alive from the inside. Such cruelty... no, calling it depravity would be more accurate.
Sura could not possibly believe that Reblurina or Jaya would simply leave the Resistance alone, given that Rei had likely informed them of the full details.
"Don't worry. We'll manage somehow without you. Have a little faith in us."
"I... I know that, but..."
Even as she said it, Sura could not help worrying about her comrades.
Should she stay behind instead of heading to Gilm with Rei?
The thought crossed her mind.
However, there were also those within the Resistance who had decided to relocate to Gilm.
Among those with family or lovers, none could make the decision so easily—but conversely, for those with no one to leave behind, that was reason enough to commit to the move.
Sura needed to go herself as the leader of the Resistance—both to accompany such individuals and to properly report everything that had happened in Reblurina.
Of course, if it were simply a matter of speaking with Daskar, there was always the option of using Paired Orbs.
But in a situation like this, there was meaning in Sura going in person.
...If there had been circumstances preventing the Resistance from leaving Reblurina, that would have been a different story. But through this series of events, the Resistance had already accomplished its primary objective, and there was nothing that needed to be done urgently right now.
If anything, the concern was that they might face retaliation for their involvement in this incident... but as long as they kept their heads down, that should be fine.
"Well, leave this side to us. You just focus on being the Resistance representative, Sura."
"Yes... take care."
Sura glanced at the man she had been speaking with, and at the other Resistance members nearby, then turned on her heel.
There was still a little time before departure, but she felt that staying with her comrades any longer would only expose her weaker side.
Rei, having seen Sura off as she separated from her comrades, finished his conversation with Elena and the others, and began storing into his Misty Ring the luggage handed to him by the women who had temporarily returned to Mejougo.
With nearly a thousand people, there was no time to accept each person's belongings individually. Instead, he gathered them into suitable containers and stored them in batches.
The women's possessions from Mejougo were not that numerous to begin with.
At most, they brought along the clothes from their time working as prostitutes, to use as undergarments and spares.
"Rei, we're done here. How much longer will your side take?"
"It won't take long. But... we'll probably need to buy clothes along the way."
Some had taken clothes from Jaya soldiers in Mejougo. Others had stripped garments from the corpses of Jaya soldiers killed in the recent battle, selecting those without major damage. And some had managed to obtain clothing provided by the Resistance.
Such people existed, but with nearly a thousand individuals, there was no way everyone had been supplied.
Naturally, that meant they would need to procure clothing somewhere.
There were some clothes inside the Misty Ring, but nowhere near enough to go around.
I do have some cloth in the Misty Ring that might be useful. As for needles... could I manage with Byune's Long Needles somehow? If I had thread, I could probably make something resembling clothes.
Rei thought it might be faster to make clothes from cloth rather than buying them in bulk, but that assumed someone capable of sewing was present, and providing for everyone without any was a daunting prospect.
"We'll depart before nightfall, so rest up until then."
At Rei's words, those heading to Gilm each gave their reply and settled down to rest.
Rei glanced at them, then noticed Sura approaching.
"Hm? Hey, Sura. What about Sharia?"
He named a familiar beastman who had been quite active on the battlefield.
At his words, Sura directed her gaze toward a group gathered some distance away.
There, at the center of a cluster of various beastman women, Sharia was lying down, unfazed by the summer evening sun.
Rei could tell she was likely recovering from the fatigue of battle.
"Over there, huh... So, are Sharia and the others coming to Gilm too? Personally, I'd like them to come if possible."
From Rei's perspective, the beastman unit led by Sharia had performed remarkably well in the recent battle.
They were people he definitely wanted along.
From here to Gilm was about a month by carriage.
With nearly a thousand people to move, using carriages was out of the question, which meant traveling on foot.
That would take two months, three months—possibly even longer.
Arriving in Gilm in autumn, or even early winter, was a very real possibility.
Under such circumstances, there was no way Rei could stay with them the entire time. He would likely separate from the group early on, return to Gilm, and help with the expansion construction.
He might revisit the group periodically on Set, but traveling together continuously would be virtually impossible.
That was precisely why capable escorts were necessary.
Worst case, I'll have to hire adventurers somewhere... but I'd rather not bring in outsiders if I can help it.
This group was composed ninety percent—no, over ninety-five percent—of women.
Moreover, given that they had been forcibly taken to serve as prostitutes, a disproportionately large number of them were attractive.
Of course, whether one considered them beautiful depended on individual sensibility.
That was why it wasn't an absolute certainty. Even so, with this many women gathered together, it was inevitable that those with unsavory intentions would be drawn to them.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, it would be best to hire an all-female party as escorts... but all-female parties with sufficient combat ability were not common.
In that sense, the beastman women led by Sharia were undeniably an attractive fighting force.
"Don't worry. Everyone has agreed to go to Gilm."
"Good."
Rei felt relieved at Sura's words.
He didn't think Sharia and her group alone could protect all these people by themselves, but it was reassuring to know they were a substantially powerful force.
"So, food and water—can I leave that to you?"
"Yeah, no problem. Worst case, we can hunt animals or monsters for food too."
Inside Rei's Misty Ring was a vast quantity of food.
Enough to easily feed this many people for half a year or so.
And traveling alongside Rei was Gryphon Seto.
Hunting animals or monsters would be exceedingly easy—that much was certain.
"Good, that's a relief. Still, it's impressive how you can manage food and water for this many people... Is that also the power of your Item Box?"
"More or less. That's not wrong."
Without the Misty Ring, providing food for this many people would have been impossible in the first place.
Even if they could procure the food, it was summer.
Left to sit, it would inevitably spoil.
Only because time stood still inside the Misty Ring could they take out the necessary food whenever it was needed.
"I'm jealous," Sura murmured earnestly.
As someone leading the Resistance, she had probably wished for an Item Box countless times.
It could not store living creatures, but weapons, armor, food, and all manner of other items could be stored within.
For someone leading an organization—especially one like the Resistance that needed to operate in secrecy—envying such a thing was only natural.
"Well, it's certainly rare, no question. But even if it's not a true Item Box, they sell degraded versions, right?"
"...They do, but at a price I could never afford. Nobles or successful adventurers might be able to manage it, but..."
Sura shot Rei a look that said must be nice being rich.
Of course, Rei hadn't obtained the Misty Ring with money.
It had been prepared for him before he even arrived in this world.
Though knowing that would likely make her envy him even more. It wouldn't be strange if she looked at him with even more resentment.
"Anyway, I know I've said this multiple times, but please hurry with the preparations as much as possible. By the way, we'll basically be sleeping outdoors, so be prepared for that. I have my own tent, so I'll use that."
Telling women—women who were victims of Jaya, no less—to sleep outside while he slept in a tent. Rei had said as much, but unlike with the Item Box, Sura showed no sign of dissatisfaction.
She understood. She knew that Rei and his companions were doing everything they could for their sake.
Providing food for nearly a thousand people for months would normally be an enormous expense.
...Though in Rei's case, he planned to bill the client for all expenses incurred later.
And it wasn't just food. Even water—essential for human survival—Rei was offering for free.
Under normal circumstances, something like that would require a dedicated unit or similar.
Even with the Resistance's cooperation, it was not a job for a handful of adventurers.
Though that was only possible because it was summer.
If it were winter, with snow falling, the very option of traveling to Gilm would have been out of the question.
In that sense, it was fortunate that Rei and his group came to Reblurina at this time of year.
Nodding at Rei's words, Sura issued instructions to the Resistance members who would be traveling with her, silently grateful for the good timing.
"Hurry up, everyone! Get your departure preparations done as quickly as possible! Don't forget your canteens! And resupply your water, too!"
Traveling outdoors in summer made hydration essential.
Rei had said he would provide water as well, but that didn't mean they could rely on him completely.
With a group this large moving together, they had to do what they could on their own.
"Rei, there's a river a short distance past Rossi. Would it be alright to camp there tonight?"
"Yeah, that works for me. With Set around, nothing will come near us of its own accord—unless it's an idiot like a Goblin."
"...That helps."
Naturally, a night watch was still essential, but knowing that only monsters on the level of Goblins would approach was a blessing for those standing guard.
Sura briskly issued orders to her allies.
In the end, it was roughly thirty minutes later that they fully departed from Mejougo.