The day after hearing about Black Wolf—in other words, the last day of the year—Rei spent in the company of the people of the Duke Kerebel Mansion.
Since arriving in Anesis, Rei had mostly taken his meals with Elena and her family. But today, the final day of the year, everyone among the mansion staff who could participate was enjoying a meal together in the great hall.
"No, honestly, I was surprised. I was completely convinced that nobles wouldn't eat together with their servants."
"Fufu, that's right. Normally, that's always the case. But today, the last day of the year, the Master holds a party like this as a token of appreciation for having spent the year safely."
Miranda, standing nearby, smiled happily as she said this in response to Rei's words.
(Appreciation, huh. I guess it's like a year-end party? Looking at it like this, that doesn't seem too far off.)
Rei thought to himself while glancing around. The partygoers were all chatting quite noisily, far more than usual.
"I had no idea this mansion had this many people in it."
"Well, of course. To properly maintain this mansion and keep it befitting the Duke Kerebel Mansion, this many people are necessary."
So said Miranda, but even with over a hundred servants, the fact that the mansion was being maintained smoothly was solely because those working there were all veterans.
If the skill level of the workers were low, it would likely be impossible to keep things running properly without several times that number.
Rei showed no awareness of such circumstances, but deciding it was a special party after all, he reached for the food nearby.
True to its nature as a year-end party, the gathering was not particularly formal.
On the numerous tables sat various dishes prepared by the cooks led by Georgima, and many people were savoring them.
Since it took the form of a standing buffet, everyone casually chatted with friends and laughed together.
Because this was a party to reward the servants, the Duke Kerebel family—Liberte, Arcadia, and Elena—were also participating. But perhaps due to their standing, they didn't mingle and make noise alongside the servants.
While the servants were at a standing buffet, Liberte and his family alone sat at a table in a separated area, enjoying their meal elegantly.
The difference from usual was that they were dining at that table with those who likely held high positions among the servants.
Rei watched them eating with somewhat stiff yet clearly delighted expressions, and Miranda turned a smile toward him.
"Those whom the Master judges to have worked the hardest over the past year get to dine together with him like that. ...Because of that, the competition is fierce."
At Miranda's explanation, Rei nodded in understanding. At the same time, he felt a subtle awkwardness about the fact that he ate at the same table with them nearly every day despite not having done anything particularly special.
Then again, to Liberte, Rei was essentially his daughter's lover, so it was only natural that he would want to share meals with him.
...If Rei were not an alias-holding adventurer, but just another nameless adventurer that could be found anywhere, things would have been different.
For better or worse, Rei had made a big name for himself over the past few years.
Because of that, many now viewed him as Daskar's trusted right-hand man.
Rei himself had no such intentions whatsoever, but since he was actually receiving various requests from Daskar, he thought it couldn't be helped if people saw him that way. Moreover, if it meant fewer meaningless provocations from nobles, he figured that was fine too, so he didn't particularly deny it.
"Hmm. It's a feeling I can't quite relate to, but from the looks of it, there's no mistaking that those eating with Duke Kerebel are delighted."
To be precise, rather than delighted, it would be more accurate to say they felt proud.
For Rei, it was a feeling he couldn't really understand, just as he had said. Still, thinking there was no need to deliberately say something that would dampen the mood for those who were happy, he decided not to say anything more on the matter.
Miranda, as a capable maid, generally understood what Rei was thinking and judged it best to avoid the topic further, shifting the conversation to Set.
With that, Rei had no particular reason to hold his tongue either, so he spoke entertainingly about Set.
"Fufu, is that true?"
"Yeah. There are quite a few people who dote on Set... who fawn over him, but Mirene and Yohanna are exceptional. Especially Mirene—before she got involved with Set, she was regarded as a skilled, beautiful, and capable female adventurer... but now she's also got the label of Set-lover attached to that."
That said, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Originally, based on appearance alone, calling Mirene a cool beauty wouldn't be wrong at all.
Because of that, many had found her unapproachable. But as her interactions with Set became known, the way people saw her in that regard changed.
They came to recognize her as someone easy to talk to.
Of course, there were some who took a disparaging attitude toward Mirene because of it, but even if she was a Set-lover, her skills hadn't diminished.
As a result, those who acted foolishly came to regret it.
"It sounds like she'd probably get along with me, too."
"Probably. On the point of loving Set, Mirene would treat you friendly. ...Unlike when dealing with Yohanna."
Rei and Miranda had been chatting like that when Rei noticed a single person approaching them.
Of course, it wasn't someone unfamiliar.
It was Leodanis, probably the one he was on the best terms with among the Duke Kerebel's Knight Order.
However, Leodanis was currently directing an unmistakably dissatisfied glare toward Rei.
Not understanding why he was being subjected to such a gaze, Rei decided to call out to him for the time being to assess the situation.
"What's wrong, Leodanis? Do you need something from me?"
"...No, that's not it. I just wanted to talk with Miranda a bit. But then you were here with her, Rei."
"Ah... I see."
Seeing Leodanis's attitude, Rei understood why he was in a bad mood.
To Leodanis, Miranda was someone he held affection for.
Rei also understood that this affection was not the kind between friends, but romantic interest between a man and a woman.
(Jealousy, huh.)
Yes, Leodanis must have felt jealous seeing Miranda chatting happily with Rei.
Even Rei, who was not very attuned to such emotions, could understand what Leodanis was feeling.
And so, Rei turned to face Miranda and spoke.
"I'm fine now. Go enjoy the party with Leodanis."
"Are you sure?"
Miranda's job was, ultimately, to be Rei's dedicated attendant.
If something strange happened while Rei was unattended, it could lead to all sorts of trouble.
Especially since, from Miranda's perspective, Rei did not seem to have acquired the common sense of a noble.
Then again, Rei wasn't actually a noble, so it wouldn't be strange for him not to have that common sense.
"Yeah. At this party, there's probably... no one who would try anything stupid with me."
Rei's status was that of a guest of Liberte, the Duke Kerebel.
If anyone were foolish enough to try something with Rei, their head might literally—not metaphorically—go flying.
Among those who served the Duke Kerebel's House, Rei couldn't imagine anyone who would do such a thing.
(Well, there's the possibility that Black Wolf might try something... or rather, should I try luring them out myself? I don't know if Black Wolf would take the bait, but it's still better to do something than nothing.)
It was a sudden whim, but Rei didn't want to keep putting off the uncertain element that was Black Wolf indefinitely.
If he could settle things here, that would be for the best.
Having decided that, Rei spoke to Miranda.
"Come on, I'll be fine, so go look around the party with Leodanis. Georgima and the others have put together all sorts of elaborate dishes, so there's no way you can pass up the chance to go see them, right?"
"Eh? Ah, yes... Understood. Then, I'll take you up on that. Shall we go, Leodanis?"
"Yeah... Are you really sure it's okay?"
"No problem. Go have fun."
Prompted by Miranda, Leodanis nevertheless confirmed with Rei as if to be on the safe side.
Perhaps Leodanis had sensed Rei's intentions or whim in some form, but it was no more than a vague feeling at the edge of his consciousness, and in the end, he simply obeyed Rei's words.
"Got it. Then we'll be off."
While harboring slight doubts about Rei's attitude, Leodanis ultimately left Rei's presence together with Miranda.
Leodanis glanced back over his shoulder a few times as if checking on Rei, but in the end, he couldn't resist the temptation of enjoying the party with the one he held affection for, and focused his attention on that.
Rei watched the two of them go, and then, suddenly sensing a gaze, turned to look.
Of course, that gaze was not an eerie one like Black Wolf's, but a worried one looking out for him. It belonged to Elena, who was eating together with Liberte and Arcadia.
What Elena was worried about was, naturally, something Rei understood as well.
After all, it was Elena who had told Rei about Black Wolf, so it wouldn't be strange for her to predict his actions.
Nodding to Elena's worried gaze to signal that he was fine, Rei quietly slipped away from the party venue.
"Well, whether a demon or a snake appears... Since it's Black Wolf, would it be more fitting to say a wolf appears?"
Saying that, Rei gazed up at the night sky from a balcony a short distance away from the party venue.
From inside the building, he could faintly hear the cheers coming from the party, and even voices that sounded like screams over something or other.
That said, those screams weren't genuine screams of distress but rather screams of people finding something amusing, so Rei didn't feel any particular need to rush over and help.
Standing on a balcony on a winter night, it wouldn't have been strange to feel bone-chilling cold.
But in Rei's case, he was wearing his Dragon Robe, which had a simplified air conditioner function, so there was no need for such concern.
Under the crisp winter air, Rei fixed his gaze on the starry sky, which looked more beautiful than usual, and while doing so, waited for Black Wolf to appear.
If the accounts of Black Wolf's abilities that Rei had heard from Elena were true, then it wouldn't be strange for them to show themselves even in a situation like this.
That was precisely why he was waiting for Black Wolf to appear like this.
"Then again, it's the end of the year. Black Wolf might be busy preparing for the new year, too. ...Hehe."
Even as he said it aloud, Rei couldn't hold back a laugh.
He simply couldn't imagine the person he had seen before, the one who appeared to be Black Wolf, living a daily life.
Let alone a scene of them making new year's preparations—that was even more beyond imagination than everyday life.
(Making year-end soba, huh... no, there's no soba to begin with, and there probably isn't such a custom either.)
As far as Rei knew, in this world called Elgin, there was no dish eaten at year's end like year-end soba.
To be precise, there might be one somewhere, so it would be more accurate to say that in places like Gilm and Anesis, at least, there was no such dish.
In its place, it was not uncommon for a year-end party like this to be held.
(There's a year-end party, and there's a New Year's party... That sounds like a lot of work. Especially for Georgima and the others making the party food—they probably don't have any time to spare on ramen research.)
It was at that moment. Rei sensed the same gaze he had felt before—a gaze devoid of emotion, one that felt like it was observing him.
"...You've come, haven't you. Come on out."
As if hearing Rei's murmur, a presence suddenly appeared on the roof above the balcony.