"Delicious—!"
The voices rang out all around.
And it wasn't just one or two people. Everyone who had drunk the water Rei produced from the Dagger of Flowing Water let out similar cries, their faces melting into expressions of pure ecstasy.
Watching them, Rei smiled to himself, satisfied that his plan had worked perfectly.
Walking endlessly under the summer sun took a tremendous toll on the body—even without monsters, soldiers, or Jaya pursuers to worry about.
Those whose stamina was nearing its limits were allowed to ride in the carriages, but even so, the group was by no means moving quickly.
Given that reality, they needed some kind of incentive.
Naturally, the mere fact that they no longer had to stay behind in Mejougo as prostitutes was incentive enough on its own.
Being promised proper employment once they reached Gilm was also more than sufficient motivation.
But those were ultimately long-term rewards. They couldn't serve as immediate encouragement for the day at hand.
In that sense, bringing out the water at dinnertime proved to be a remarkably effective short-term incentive.
That said, even if it was only one cup per person, he still had to produce enough water for nearly a thousand people.
For Rei, the magical exhaustion was practically nonexistent, but the time required to produce that volume was considerable.
"Still, no matter how many times I drink it, it really is delicious," Vihera murmured in deep appreciation after drinking the water from the Dagger of Flowing Water.
Elena, Marina, and Byune, who were seated nearby, all nodded in agreement, clearly sharing the same opinion.
"A cloudless night sky lit only by the moon and stars… Just hearing that Rei and I are together under such a sky would normally bring to mind a sweet, romantic moment. But given the current situation, that's the last thing that comes to mind," Marina said with a smile as she drank her water.
Judging solely by her words, it might indeed sound like the tender moment shared between lovers.
But with nearly a thousand people gathered around them, it was hardly a setting that could be described as sweet or romantic.
"Well, with this many people, it can't be helped. Anyway… we couldn't do it last night, but shouldn't we contact Ara soon? We need to let Lord Daskar know that we successfully persuaded the group."
"Hmm, you're right. Besides, Ara is quite the worrier, despite how she acts."
"Even though she never initiates contact herself?" Vihera asked, sounding genuinely puzzled.
In truth, communication via the Paired Orbs was not one-way. Whether it was Elena's orb or Ara's, either side could initiate contact.
Yet up until now, Ara had never once reached out first.
Everyone present knew just how deeply devoted Ara was to Elena. So it was only natural to wonder why.
In fact, it was safe to assume that everyone besides Vihera had the same question.
"For now, we have no way of knowing what might happen on our end. That's why we decided that I would be the one to initiate contact," Elena explained.
"Ah… I see."
Among those present, Rei, who had known Elena and Ara the longest, nodded with an expression of understanding. Though even those who hadn't known them as long could immediately tell how devoted Ara was to Elena, so everyone else was nodding in comprehension as well.
"In that case, we should do it right away… Actually, if we're contacting Lord Daskar, wouldn't it be better to call Sura over first? Once we're gone, she'll be the one leading this group," Rei suggested.
"You're right. It would be best to introduce Sura to Daskar as well," Marina agreed.
At Rei's suggestion, Marina called out to a Resistance member eating a short distance away and asked him to bring Sura over.
The man immediately broke into a run. Part of it was certainly the urgency of fetching Sura, but the larger reason was likely that he had become flustered after speaking directly with a beauty like Marina.
Marina gave a small smile at his innocent reaction. Rei almost felt like calling her a temptress for it—and he wouldn't have been wrong.
Sensing something from Rei's attitude, Marina kept her smile as she spoke. "Oh? Is something the matter?"
"…No, it's nothing. I was just thinking we should contact Ara as soon as possible."
If he said anything here, he would only end up becoming a victim himself. Having quickly judged as much, he smoothly changed the subject. Of course, what he said wasn't wrong.
Elena gave a small smile at Rei's evasive behavior, then activated the Paired Orbs that he had handed her.
Ara's image appeared on the orb in less than a few seconds. This meant she had been staying right next to it. Since she had no way of knowing when Elena might call, it was only natural for Ara to remain prepared.
"Lady Elena? I'm so glad you're safe."
"Safe, you say… To be honest, I never encountered any situation that might have injured me."
In truth, even after their previous communication, she had joined the battle against Jaya soldiers in Mejougo and later fought against a Cavalry Unit near Rossi. But to Elena, those battles had apparently not felt particularly dangerous.
Of course. She holds the title of Princess General, yet the opponents she faced were merely soldiers from a criminal organization and cavalry from a minor kingdom. Compared to fighting Giants, battles against such opponents would indeed have been far less threatening.
"Given it was you, Lady Elena, I wasn't particularly worried… but I still couldn't help but be concerned. Is this communication regarding the matter you discussed with Lord Daskar?"
"Yes. That matter has largely gone well. There were some who chose to remain in Mejougo of their own accord, so I can't say we brought everyone, but…"
Elena's words trailed off. Given the sheer size of Mejougo, it wouldn't be strange if there were still women who hadn't noticed what was happening and remained behind.
Set had rampaged so violently that anyone should have woken up, even if they had been asleep. However, since working as a prostitute consumed far more stamina than most people imagined, it was impossible to say with certainty that not a single one had slept so deeply they failed to notice the commotion Set caused.
Still, the women had said they searched the area while gathering their belongings, so Rei could only trust their word and conclude that it was probably fine.
"I see. Then shall I inform Lord Daskar of this?"
"Yes. Also, I'd like to introduce Sura, the leader of the Resistance."
"Understood. I will notify Lord Daskar immediately. It is still early in the evening, so it should be fine."
This incident was a major event for Gilm as well. For that reason, Ara had recently been sleeping at the Lord's Manor rather than the inn, so she could contact Daskar at any time if something came up.
Though Ara had the looks of a beauty when she kept quiet, and had gained a fair amount of popularity among the knights and soldiers, the person in question—whose life revolved entirely around Elena—remained completely oblivious to it.
"Speaking of which, Ara has never had a single rumor about romance… But living at the Lord's Manor, maybe something will finally happen?" Marina spoke in a slightly amused tone.
Elena shook her head with a somewhat melancholic expression. "That is probably impossible. There have been quite a few men who have approached Ara over the years. She has turned down every single one of them."
In the past, Elena probably wouldn't have cared this much about the topic. But after falling in love with the man named Rei, she had come to understand just how wonderful romance could be, and how much strength it could give her.
Therefore, it was only natural for her, having been with Ara since they were children, to wish for Ara to find a lover as well.
"Um… am I perhaps intruding?" A somewhat reserved voice echoed around them.
However, everyone present had already sensed the person's approach through her presence.
Elena shook her head, showing no particular displeasure. Even such a simple motion caused her golden hair to quietly catch the pouring moonlight and shimmer beautifully.
Being beautiful really is an advantage, Sura thought while gazing at Elena in admiration. However, there was no doubt that Sura herself also belonged to the category of women who could unquestionably be called beauties.
In fact, when she first met Rei in Mejougo, Sura had approached him while pretending to be a prostitute. The fact that she had done so without raising any suspicion from those around her was proof enough that she possessed the qualities of a beauty.
"No, you're not intruding. I'm about to introduce you to Lord Daskar, so please be ready."
"…Eh?" The words that came from Elena's mouth made no sense to Sura. That was her honest reaction.
But even as confusion gripped her, events continued to move forward.
"Rei. It appears you've successfully managed to bring the people from Mejougo out safely," Daskar's voice came through the orb.
"Yes. With that in mind, I thought I would introduce the current leader of the Resistance to Lord Daskar today."
"Hmm, I see. As the lord of Gilm, I would indeed like to see the face of the one leading the Resistance."
Hearing those words, Rei turned his gaze toward Sura. He didn't speak, but Sura seemed to understand what he wanted from his look alone. Though she hadn't completely calmed down yet, she stepped forward in front of the Paired Orbs.
"H-hello, Lord Daskar. My name is Sura, and I am currently leading the Resistance."
Her first words came out stiff with nervousness, but she quickly regained her usual composure—likely thanks to the pride she felt from having led her Resistance comrades this far. The fact that this was not a direct meeting but through the Paired Orbs probably helped as well.
Even so, the pressure she felt from Daskar through the orb was incredibly intense. Sura honestly believed that if she met him in person, she would undoubtedly be overwhelmed by his presence.
"Oh? Someone so young is leading the Resistance?"
"Yes."
Sura had been certain she would be looked down on for her youth, but she sensed no such intent in Daskar's words. Even so, it was obvious to anyone watching that she was still tense.
"Come now, Daskar. You shouldn't bully young girls like that. You were young once too, you know." The one who cut into the delicate atmosphere was Marina.
There weren't many people who could speak to Daskar so boldly. One of those few was Marina, who had known him since childhood.
Since Daskar knew countless embarrassing stories from his youth—what Rei would call his "dark history"—he usually couldn't push back strongly against Marina. Of course, that would be a different story if Marina were to arbitrarily interfere in important decisions concerning Gilm or the Neutral Faction. At the very least, now was not the time for such a judgment.
"Hey now, why are you saying that all of a sudden? …Ah, Sura, was it? I have no intention of underestimating you just because you're young. Besides, if I were going to judge someone based on age, what would I do about Rei?"
Sura was in her late teens. By comparison, Rei had the appearance of someone in his mid-teens. If Daskar were to look down on Sura simply for being young, then he should have done the same with Rei.
Of course, the first time Daskar learned about Rei, he had witnessed the reality of a newly registered adventurer defeating an Orc King not long after, which may have been why he reacted this way.
"At any rate, if Rei and the others recognize you as the leader of the Resistance, then I have nothing more to say. If you make it safely to Gilm, I'll prepare work for you—as Rei has likely already told you. We're quite short on manpower over here."
Thanks to a certain someone, Daskar's expression seemed to say. He directed a complex look at Rei—one that mixed joy at Gilm's development with clear resentment over the massive increase in work.