The news that Sura and her group had arrived in Gilm naturally spread throughout the entire city that very same day.
After all, they had moved as if parading down the main street. It would have been more surprising if that hadn't become the talk of the town.
Amidst all that, Rei was enjoying dinner in the courtyard of Marina's house as usual.
"Gururururururu!"
Set purred happily at the Gamelion meat roasted using the Magic Item oven.
Since it was this year's Gamelion, it could reasonably be called a first catch.
Of course, Rei and Set had already eaten some at a yaki udon stall, so it wasn't a true first catch in the strictest sense.
"Mmm, Gamelion meat really is delicious. They said the catch this year is on par with an average year, but with so many people here, the price inevitably goes up."
Marina murmured wistfully.
Indeed, Gilm currently had a larger population than usual.
Naturally, everyone wanted to eat delicious food if they could, which inevitably drove up the price of Gamelion meat.
Additionally, while Gamelions occasionally appeared in places other than Gilm, a certain level of strength was required to defeat them.
For these reasons, Gamelion meat was a major commodity for Gilm at this time of year, and many merchants sought to buy it.
Of course, even in the season transitioning from autumn to winter, meat would naturally spoil.
While it certainly spoiled slower than in summer, it still couldn't be kept fresh forever without Rei's Misty Ring.
To prevent that, merchants who purchased Gamelion meat would either ask specialized craftsmen to make dried meat, or if they possessed the skill themselves, they would make it to increase the product's value.
...However, while that was fine for dried meat made by professional specialists, those who merely possessed the skill were ultimately amateurs.
Because of that, the Gamelion meat they had gone to the trouble of purchasing was often ruined.
Well, if you call it being too greedy, then that's that.
Slicing the oven-roasted Gamelion meat thinly, dipping it in a sauce made from a strongly sour, lemon-like fruit, and bringing it to his mouth, Rei thought about such things.
"Come to think of it..."
Ara suddenly spoke up in the middle of the meal.
"Lady Elena should also start preparing to return soon. If you prepare in a rush, there may be oversights."
"Mm. So I really must go back once after all."
At Ara's words, Elena muttered with a faint look of distaste.
For Elena, life in Gilm was extremely comfortable.
Having the man she loved by her side was a major factor, but the fact that there were no Noble Faction nobles around meant she didn't have to stay on guard, which was a welcome relief.
Of course, even when she was in Duke Kerebel's Territory, Elena's life was primarily that of a military officer, and her interactions with nobles were not all that frequent.
...Among the nobles, there were those who, in an effort to forge some connection with Elena, would enlist their sons or relatives in Duke Kerebel's Army. However, that army was renowned as a formidable fighting force, and naturally, its training was extremely rigorous.
As a result, those types of people would quickly flee back home.
Even under such circumstances, as the only daughter of Duke Kerebel's House, she naturally had to participate in a minimum level of noble socializing, including parties.
But in Gilm, she didn't have to do any of that.
Noble Faction nobles in Gilm, as well as other nobles wishing to gain an audience with Elena, quite frequently requested meetings, but most were rejected by Ara.
She only met with those she absolutely had to see, but even so, it was overwhelmingly easier than when she was at her family home.
Therefore, she had hoped to spend this year in Gilm if possible, but...
"It is impossible no matter how you look at it for Lady Elena, the symbol of the Noble's Faction, to not attend the New Year's party."
When told that by Ara, her trusted subordinate and close friend, Elena couldn't push any further.
Indeed, a party was held every New Year at the Duke Kerebel Mansion.
Naturally, under normal circumstances, one wouldn't travel while snow was falling, but these were Noble Faction nobles.
They used their numbers and financial power to gather at the mansion.
It was precisely an occasion where a mage's power was demonstrated, doing things like melting snow or forcibly moving it aside.
The Kingdom of Mireana was vast.
That was exactly why, for the party that all but those with territories in distant, far-flung corners of the country gathered to attend, Elena— who could be called the symbol of the Noble's Faction— not participating would undoubtedly be like smearing mud on Duke Kerebel's face.
Of course, if she had a legitimate reason like illness, it would be understandable for her to not attend.
But Elena was naturally not ill; she was in excellent health.
Given that, the option of not attending the party did not exist.
Elena understood what Ara was saying, but she still couldn't help but want to avoid it, likely due to the comfort of being together with Rei.
Ara, naturally, understood Elena's feelings as well.
And if it were for Elena's sake, Ara would go so far as to say that she didn't have to attend the party.
However, if she were to say such a thing here, it would ultimately worsen Elena's position.
Given that, as painful as it was for Ara, it was the only thing she could say.
It was precisely because Elena understood this that she nodded, harboring dissatisfaction in her heart.
However... there was someone who called a halt to Elena's words.
"Hey, Elena. The reason you don't want to go back over there is... because Rei is... no, because Gilm is comfortable to live in, right?"
You don't want to go back because Rei is there, do you?
That was what Marina had intended to say, but she judged that Elena wouldn't honestly admit it if she put it that way, so she changed her phrasing.
That was, of course, understood by Elena... and by everyone else present, but no one pointed it out.
"That is right. I will not deny that. As I have said many times, Gilm is a place where I can spend my time with exceptional ease."
"I see. ...Then, how about this? Rei, you attend the New Year's party that Elena has to participate in."
'Huh?'
At Marina's exceedingly bold proposal, Ara, Elena, Rei, and Vihera all raised their voices in unison.
Byune did not let out a sound of surprise, but seeing her normally expressionless face with eyes wide open showed just how much of a shock she had received.
It was only natural. Rei and nobles were simply incompatible.
And not just slightly incompatible, but fatally so.
Many Noble Faction nobles took pride in the fact that they were nobles.
...The problem was that for many of them, that pride was directly linked to meaningless hubris.
If they were nobles in the upper echelon of the Noble's Faction, starting with Duke Kerebel, many understood this well. ...The fact that "many" did meant that there were also nobles in the upper echelon with meaningless hubris, but even so, they could properly adjust their attitude depending on the other party.
But beyond them... merely by being Noble Faction nobles, many believed they were chosen beings among the aristocracy, and that everyone who was not a noble should naturally obey noble orders.
Nobles harboring such thoughts inevitably tended to be numerous.
While not all of them were like that, what would happen if Rei were present at a party with such nobles? It was obvious without even thinking about it.
Especially considering Rei's position, he would be nothing but an obstacle to nobles trying to approach Elena.
If Rei participated in such a party, it was virtually certain that problems would arise.
Marina, of course, should have understood this, and everyone present turned their gazes toward her, wondering why she would say such a thing.
...Well, Set and Ielo were each savoring their Gamelion meat, so perhaps not everyone.
In any case, Marina, receiving the gazes from the others, smiled and opened her mouth.
"Listen? Elena will eventually have to settle things properly in that regard, right? She can't stay as she is now forever, after all."
"That is..."
At Marina's words, Elena was at a loss.
In truth, Elena's feelings were already decided.
To the point where she believed she could not even imagine herself loving anyone other than Rei.
But that was only what Elena herself thought; it was not publicly recognized as such.
No, those who were close to Rei would probably know that Elena felt that way, but... within the Noble's Faction that Elena belonged to, there should not be many who would acknowledge the relationship between Elena and Rei.
For those who believed they could do anything and that anything they did would be forgiven, there were many who perceived Elena as the one who should become their wife.
For such nobles, the idea that Elena would settle on Rei— someone who, even if he was a high-rank adventurer and an alias holder, was not a noble— was something that absolutely could never be permitted.
That was exactly why Marina was telling her to bring Rei to that party and clearly demonstrate who she loved... and whose side she wanted to be on.
Even if a disturbance occurred, if they would give up because of that, then Elena's love for Rei was only of that degree— that was what she was implicitly stating.
The gaze Marina directed at Elena was serious, neither joking nor teasing.
If you love Rei, make your stance clear— that was what she was telling her.
Those who loved Rei, as far as Marina knew alone, numbered several.
The majority of them were people who could cast aside their current positions without hesitation for Rei's sake.
...In fact, Marina had easily discarded her position as Guild Master of Gilm— one of the most prominent positions in the Kingdom of Mireana— to return to being an adventurer, all to be with Rei.
In Vihera's case, while she held the position of a former imperial princess of the Bestia Empire, she had already thrown away that status by the time she met Rei at the Labyrinth City Exil, so there was no particular issue.
Of course, abandoning the Labyrinth City— a place where Vihera could enjoy battling strong opponents— to come to Rei's side may have been proof of her resolve.
However, Rei's base was in the frontier city of Gilm.
While it wasn't unheard of for monsters more powerful than those found in dungeons to appear there...
While she couldn't compare to those two, Kenny, a guild receptionist, also didn't hide her favorable feelings toward Rei.
Considering Rei's personality, he's probably caused all sorts of things in places I don't even know about.
While exchanging glances with Elena, Marina thought this.
In fact, Marina's assumption was correct.
For example, Rosha, a fisherman's daughter from Emosion.
Beyond that, Rei was completely unaware of it, but he had unknowingly stolen the hearts of many women.
Rei's personality was by no means gentle, and it wasn't necessarily something that would be liked by everyone... but it was undeniably an intensely strong personality that could be called extraordinary.
Because of that, once someone came to know the person that was Rei, there were many who found it difficult to regard ordinary men in the vicinity... as men, as the opposite sex.
Though not everyone felt that way.
"So, that's the situation, but... what will you do, Rei?"
Marina turned the topic toward Rei.
Rei, without any hesitation over those words, nodded without a moment's doubt.
"I don't mind going, as long as Elena is fine with it. There's nothing in particular for me to do during the winter anyway."
To be precise, there would likely be various things to do for Gilm's expansion construction.
But during the winter, logging in the Treant Forest was basically suspended, so there was almost no work that required someone with a Misty Ring like Rei.
Of course, there might be work transporting materials such as lumber from one storage yard to another, but that could be left to those seeking work without issue.
There was also no danger of going outside Gilm, so even if Rei wanted to do it, unless they were exceptionally busy, the guild would likely ask him to refrain.
"...Are you sure?"
Perhaps not expecting Rei to so readily agree to come with her to Duke Kerebel's Territory, Elena asked him in a somewhat timid manner.
At Elena's words, which seemed like a final confirmation, Rei nodded without any particular sign of tension.