The dinner party with Duke Kerebel's family had ended safely.
Relieved by that fact, Rei lay on his bed.
"At any rate, I've somehow cleared the first hurdle, huh?"
He felt that his first meeting with Elena's parents had gone reasonably well.
But that was only what Rei himself thought; how it had actually gone was still unknown.
That said, considering how things had been with Duke Kerebel and his wife Arcadia, at the very least he should not have committed any major blunders.
(In that regard, I suppose I owe Georgima my thanks.)
He had been fed a dish that made him want to raise all kinds of objections, and thanks to that, he hadn't needed to dive into a pointed conversation with Duke Kerebel.
...Though since the matter concerned Elena, there would eventually be an unavoidable need to have that conversation, so in truth, he had only bought some time until then.
Rei understood that as well, but honestly, having the talk progress that far right at the first meeting was something he wanted to be spared from.
(For now, there's nothing in particular I need to do for the next few days, so I think I'll go check on Set...)
Anesis was a place he was visiting for the first time, and Elena had told him that Ielo would be staying together with Set, but he still wanted to see their faces.
Thinking along those lines...Rei eventually surrendered to the warmth of the bed, and carried along by the sense of liberation at having safely concluded the dinner party with Elena's parents, he drifted off to sleep.
"What did you think?"
Around the time Rei had fallen asleep, Duke Kerebel was enjoying time with his wife in their bedroom, drinking wine together.
While eating dried meat—a premium product made by Georgima—he asked his wife the question. Arcadia, likewise savoring the aroma of her wine, set the glass she held down on the table.
"What did I think—of Rei, you mean?"
"Correct. From what my eyes could see, he seemed a man of considerable caliber. In fact, he has left behind various achievements up to now as well."
"...But those are as an adventurer, are they not? I have also gathered various information about him, and I think he is utterly unsuited to be a noble."
Since the matter involved her beloved daughter, Arcadia had naturally gathered information on Rei as well.
During her conversation with Rei, she had not revealed that fact, but she had known his general background.
Rei as a person had suddenly become famous over the past few years.
Before that, it was said that he had been training under a mage living deep in the mountains, but as Elena's mother, Arcadia could not bring herself to believe that at face value.
That said, judging from what talking to him today felt like, he did not seem like someone capable of such calculated posturing either.
Even so, as long as there were suspicious points, the fact that she could not fully trust him was certain.
"True. ...I had also gathered various information about Rei. Based on that information, I judged that it would be first and foremost impossible for him to make it as a noble. In combat, he is tremendously capable, but..."
Looking at the matter of the war with the Bestia Empire, as a noble who fights on the front lines leading the charge, he was without complaint first-class...no, possessed ability beyond even that.
Possessing an Item Box, from a noble's perspective, was also undeniably beneficial.
Having a Gryphon as a Tamed Monster and being able to travel at extreme speed was also significant.
But...the crucial noble's duties—he could not possibly be thought capable of those.
Rei was, at his core, most adept at operating in a role where he served under someone else.
That was the conviction Duke Kerebel had gained from speaking with Rei.
Above all, the reason he thought Rei could not make it as a noble was his ferocious personality. The fact that he would not hesitate to use force against anyone who displeased him, even if they were a noble, could be called fatal for a noble's career.
If he were an adventurer, it might be a different story—though of course, it was by no means acceptable for an adventurer to unconditionally use violence against a noble—but a noble committing such acts was fatal behavior.
Among the nobility, there were also those who viewed commoners as no better than garbage, thinking they would multiply on their own even if left alone, but the one leading the Noble's Faction could not possibly do such a thing.
"For a noble, taking to the battlefield is a frequent occurrence. But above that, governing a territory and bringing about its prosperity is far more important."
Though her tone was calm, Arcadia declared that with strong conviction.
In reality, a major reason Arcadia was not usually present in Anesis was for the sake of further developing the Duke Kerebel's Territory.
As Duke Kerebel, his honest desire was to have his wife stay by his side if possible...but the fact that, thanks to Arcadia, the public order in the Duke Kerebel's Territory had improved compared to before, that more Merchants were gathering, and that the number of developing villages and towns was increasing was also true.
Since she had produced such results, Duke Kerebel could not stop his wife's actions, nor did he intend to.
She was his beloved wife, but Duke Kerebel...no, Liberte Kerebel occupied the position of Duke Kerebel.
Since the fate of thousands, tens of thousands, or perhaps even more people could be decided by a single judgment of Liberte's, there was a need to prioritize his position as a public figure over his private self.
Were he someone who held the kind of misplaced pride typical of a noble, it would not be strange for him to say "So what?" and behave as he pleased.
But unfortunately...and fortunately, Liberte possessed an ethical sense rare for a noble, and his wife Arcadia was the same.
Because Liberte had that kind of character, the Noble's Faction had likely grown into a faction led by Duke Kerebel, powerful enough to be counted among the Three Great Factions of the Kingdom of Mireana.
If Liberte had been the type to possess the misplaced pride typical of a noble, there was no doubt that even while remaining a duke's house, the Kerebel household could not have attained its current influence.
"True. ...In that sense, Elena too might only be at a passing-grade level as a noble."
"Heheh, that's true."
Elena, who showed no interest in the social scene and pursued her own strength, was also an entity that could be described as a heretic when considered from the standpoint of a noble.
If an older sister or older brother had existed above Elena, Elena's attitude might have been praised rather than frowned upon.
But the current Elena was the one person of the sole legitimate bloodline of the Duke Kerebel's House.
Under normal circumstances, it would not have been strange for her to already be helping with Liberte's work as the next Duke Kerebel, or to be traveling with Arcadia to inspect the Duke Kerebel's Territory, improving what could be improved, and assisting with such work.
No, it should rather be said that it would be strange if she were not doing so.
Or perhaps, welcoming a son-in-law into the family.
Since Elena was already in her twenties, she was at an age where it would not be strange for her, as a noble, to be married.
But...it was hard to imagine that the current Elena could have any interest in such things.
Both parents understood their daughter's capability, but when considering her happiness, they could not imagine her making it as a noble.
No, rather, it might be better to say that Elena's capacity was too large to be contained at the level of a noble.
That was why Liberte had ordered Elena to undergo the Ritual of Inheritance of the Ancient Dragon's Magic Stone.
To be honest, the thought that the Ritual of Inheritance would probably fail was also a fact...but as a result, the Ritual of Inheritance was, despite some problems, largely a success.
(An heir, huh. Should I perhaps adopt someone from a distant relative...)
In his mind, Liberte pictured the capable-looking individuals among the houses connected to Duke Kerebel.
But then, Arcadia's hand suddenly rested on the hand of Liberte, who was thinking along those lines.
"What is it?"
"Nothing. Was Rei not saying so? That if you wanted to free Elena, you should simply have one more child. ...I too think that would be better than hastily taking in an adopted child. Don't you think so?"
What his wife was demanding, Liberte understood immediately.
Then, rising from the chair he had been sitting on, he took his wife along...and headed toward the bed.
"Grururu!"
"Kyu? Kyu, kyu!"
In the nighttime stable, the cries of Set and Ielo echoed.
A proper meal had been served, and having eaten to their satisfaction, Set and Ielo did not particularly feel like sleeping, so they were playing inside the stable.
Fortunately, only Set and Ielo were currently in this stable, so even playing like this at night would not cause trouble for other animals.
...In reality, since Set was being placed in the stable, all the other animals that had originally been in this stable, including the horses, had been moved to a separate stable...was the accurate account.
That said, while a strictly trained horse might be an exception, there was no way an ordinary horse would not feel tense staying in the same place as Set.
Given a certain period together, the horses would probably grow accustomed...but it was definitely better to separate the stables from the start.
Even trained horses would not cower in Set's presence, but that did not mean they would not still feel stress.
In that sense, the people entrusted with the care of the horses in the Duke Kerebel's Territory could be said to have made the optimal decision.
"Gruru?"
"Kyu! Kyukyukyu!"
And precisely because no other horses were present and it was only Set and Ielo, they could make free use of the stable.
The people entrusted with handling the horses had also removed the partitions that had been inside the stable so that Set could move freely, and at present, this stable itself had the feel of Set's room.
Handling Set...or rather, a Gryphon, was naturally a first for them, but even so, Set possessed high intelligence and did not recklessly thrash about, and so the move was completed without any particular turmoil.
That said, the fact that there were still many people frightened by the existence of Set was also an undeniable fact.
"Grrrrrrrrrrl!"
"Kyu! Kyuu, kyuu!"
Inside the now-spacious stable, Set and Ielo ran about.
Naturally, there were no sources of light in the stable.
But for Set and Ielo, the faint moonlight filtering in was enough to look around inside the stable, so there was no problem.
Being the stable of the Duke Kerebel's House, the building was quite spacious.
There was enough room for Set and Ielo to run around without issue.
...That said, if it came to Set running around in earnest, the size of the stable would absolutely be insufficient, so it was only spacious enough for them to run about at the level of playing with Ielo.
Whether it was that the act of running around in the dimness pleased them or not, Set and Ielo happily chased each other inside the stable.
Sometimes Ielo chasing Set, and sometimes Set chasing Ielo.
The two of them had been playing like that...but suddenly, Set, who had been chasing Ielo, stopped his feet and looked outside the stable.
A few seconds late, Ielo also turned his gaze in the same direction Set was looking.
That said, there was no hostility or vigilance in the two's gazes.
Because the presences outside the stable were those of people both Set and Ielo knew.
"Gruru?"
"Kyu!"
Going? Of course!
Exchanging such short cries, the two headed straight for the stable door.
The reason they had hurried was partly because the presences were familiar, but more than that, the cause was likely the drifting aroma.
They had properly eaten dinner, but that had been several hours ago.
Set and Ielo were not so hungry that they could not bear it, but they were feeling a little peckish.
Especially since they had been moving their bodies, running around inside the stable right up until now, that was probably understandable.
And then, the door opened...
"Whoa there"
"W-wait, Lady Elena!?"
At Set and Ielo suddenly charging toward her, Elena raised a voice of surprise.
Ara, who was at Elena's side, tried to shield her...but before that, Set and Ielo stopped their feet.
"Heheh, were Set and Ielo that hungry, I wonder? Ara."
At Elena's words, Ara, while floating a slightly dissatisfied expression, set the plates of food she held in her hands on the ground.
That food was the leftovers from today's dinner party.
Normally, even the leftovers of the dishes Georgima had made would have been something the other cooks competed to eat for their own study...above all, to learn the technique.
That there were at least some portions for Set and Ielo like this was because Elena had told Georgima beforehand.
Because Set was Rei's partner, she had said, he had the right to eat the same meals as Rei.
The main meat dish could not be prepared because it took too much effort, but the other dishes had been properly saved.
"The quantity might be a little lacking, but forgive us."
At Elena's words, Set and Ielo each raised their voices as if to say not to worry about it.