Rei had just received the Wind Magic Stone when unexpected words slipped from Liberte's mouth.
"Rei, that Flame Tornado of yours—the one that could be called your signature. I'd like to see it... Would you be willing to show me?"
"...Huh?"
Never expecting such a request from Liberte, Rei let out a sound that could only be described as vacantly dumbfounded.
In truth, most of the others in the room shared his surprise at Liberte's sudden proposal, making it abundantly clear that this hadn't been part of any prior plan.
Even so, the fact that the other party was Elena's father didn't mean Rei could simply nod along. Fire Whirlwind was one of his trump cards.
Unlike the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor, which few people even knew about, Fire Whirlwind was widely recognized—but that recognition didn't mean anyone could counter it. The Flame Tornado rampaged freely, making it nearly impossible for a single person to deal with. Not strictly impossible, but exceedingly difficult. Only those truly beyond the norm—Alias Holder adventurers, S-Rank Adventurers, and the like—might stand a chance.
Even so, there was no question that it wasn't something to be flaunted carelessly before an audience.
Rei opened his mouth to refuse, but before he could speak, Liberte continued.
"Of course, I'll provide compensation. The wooden barrel of Wind Magic Stone you just stored away—I'll add another of the same. How about it?"
An unexpected offer. No, one that could fairly be called extravagant.
Rei had nearly nodded on reflex, but the sheer value of the reward gave him a moment of pause.
"Why the sudden request? And forgive me for saying so, but that seems rather excessive."
"Not at all. If anything, I consider this an appropriate price. Though perhaps it's precisely because you're the one involved that you don't realize it. There would be no shortage of people willing to pay an even higher sum for the chance to see your Flame Tornado with their own eyes."
"...Is that so?"
"Indeed. Moreover, I don't intend for only myself to witness it. I want to show it to the knights in my service and several nobles as well. Taking that into account, one barrel of Wind Magic Stone is, if anything, a bargain."
"I see. So that's your aim."
Under normal circumstances, being made to parade one's trump card as a spectacle would have been far from pleasant. But Rei, having pieced together the gist of Liberte's intentions from his words, found himself understanding—and even accepting—the reasoning behind them.
The Marquis Seisole's House is probably among those nobles.
After yesterday's incident, the Marquis Seisole's House had unquestionably incurred a massive debt to Duke Kerebel's House. They had mobilized military forces in a city governed by the very leader of their own faction. Under different circumstances, it could easily have been interpreted as the Marquis Seisole's House picking a fight with Duke Kerebel's House.
And on top of all that, to be subjected to the intimidation of a Fire Whirlwind demonstration—it was all but certain that the Marquis Seisole's House wouldn't be able to lift its head before Duke Kerebel's House for a good while. Possibly for decades.
At that point, Rei's feelings had shifted. He was now inclined to use Fire Whirlwind.
Besides, if I'm getting another barrel of Wind Magic Stone out of this, I can see what happens when I combine it with Fire Whirlwind.
He wouldn't need to use the entire barrel to test the effects. A half—maybe even a quarter—would be plenty for a trial run.
With that in mind, he made his decision.
"Understood. I'll do it."
"Splendid! That's a great help. I've wanted to see Fire Whirlwind with my own eyes at least once."
"When? I can't stay in Anesis indefinitely."
"Hm. How about right now, today?"
That, too, was entirely unexpected. Asking to see Fire Whirlwind was one thing, but Rei never imagined he'd want it done immediately.
Still, if Liberte was willing to do it here and now, that suited Rei just fine. He wasn't scheduled to leave Anesis tomorrow, but he still felt it best to settle the matter as early as possible.
"Fine. Let's do it today, then."
"I'd appreciate that. Though if we're calling people now, it'll likely have to wait until after dark."
"That doesn't bother me. If anything, since it is a Flame Tornado, it'll look more spectacular at night than in broad daylight."
Rei had woken up well past noon—around three in the afternoon. It was now just before four.
In the time remaining, they would need to contact the Marquis Seisole's House and any other nobles still in Anesis, assemble the Duke Kerebel's Knight Order, and notify key figures that Fire Whirlwind would be appearing outside the city.
The knights and soldiers would gather quickly enough when called—though given the hour, many were probably looking forward to the end of their shift and would grumble at the summons.
Nobles, however, were a different matter. Even under the direct orders of Liberte, the head of the Noble's Faction, they couldn't simply drop everything and rush over.
They'd come faster than if summoned by an ordinary lord, true. But nobles had their own obligations. Most of those still in Anesis were there to conduct negotiations with other nobles or merchants, and more than a few were likely in the middle of those discussions right now.
Telling such people to come immediately wouldn't yield a simple "Right away."
The Marquis Seisole's House, drowning in debt to Duke Kerebel's House, was the sole exception.
"Very well. Let us make preparations at once. As for the nobles, it's fine if only those who can come at the set time attend."
"I'll leave that to you, Lord Liberte. That's beyond my expertise."
And so, Rei found himself about to unleash Fire Whirlwind in a most unexpected setting.
It was already past five. Given the season, the sun had long since set, leaving the moon and stars to shine in the night sky.
Under that canopy, Rei stood with Set at a spot a short distance from Anesis.
Naturally, he and Set weren't alone outside the city walls. A little way off stood Elena, Ara, Liberte... and even Arcadia had come to watch. Filma was present as well, leading the Duke Kerebel's Knight Order as escort, along with a number of other knights and soldiers.
The gathered crowd wasn't limited to Duke Kerebel's House, of course. Nobles from the Marquis Seisole's House and others who had managed—or forced—the time to attend were also present.
When told they would have the chance to see the Flame Tornado—Rei's trump card, his very moniker—it was only natural that they would do everything in their power to be there.
"I never imagined I'd get to see the Flame Tornado with my own eyes."
"Indeed. I had business here, but staying in Anesis turned out to be a stroke of fortune."
"Makes you feel sorry for those who hurried back to their territories."
"I half-forced my negotiations with an acquaintance to a close just to come. I'd have preferred to take more time, but..."
"Ho, ho, ho. That's experience for you."
The nobles who had made it here congratulated one another on their good fortune. Even the one who claimed to have rushed through negotiations, for all his bitter words, couldn't entirely conceal the eager curiosity on his face.
Amidst the chatter, a single man stepped forward before the crowd.
Thanks to the bonfires scattered around, his identity was immediately clear.
It was the man who had assembled them all: Duke Liberte Kerebel.
"Everyone—thank you for gathering on such short notice. The reason I've called you here tonight is simple. Rei... Crimson, will be using the Flame Tornado as part of the compensation I've paid him. Since I wished to see it for myself, I thought I'd extend the invitation to anyone else who might be interested."
Liberte's announcement was met with understanding nods. The nobles still in Anesis were well aware of the previous night's disturbance, and could easily guess that this demonstration served as Rei's reward for that affair.
Among them, one man smiled outwardly while seething inwardly. His identity needed no guessing.
The nobles nearest to him quietly edged away from Zaskal Seisole.
Zaskal observed their behavior but could say nothing. After this incident, he had unquestionably incurred a debt to Duke Kerebel—a debt far too massive to ignore. Under the circumstances, any careless word from him risked making things worse.
Liberte spared a single glance at Zaskal's predicament before raising his voice once more.
"Now then. It's grown sufficiently dark—just about the perfect time to view the Flame Tornado. Rei, if you would!"
Liberte called out, but Rei's position was a considerable distance away for safety reasons. His voice wouldn't carry that far, so a soldier raised his torch high and swung it in a wide arc, signaling Rei.
A few seconds later... the first to sense something were those with combat experience.
"The wind... is picking up?"
It was unusual for the season—even at night, there was no snow, no clouds in the sky, and no wind. And yet, a breeze had begun to stir.
It grew steadily stronger, until it coalesced into a tornado visible to the naked eye. The fact that it could be recognized as a tornado on a winter night with limited illumination spoke to its sheer scale.
Though even under those conditions, some couldn't quite make it out... until the next moment, when the tornado wreathed itself in flames like armor. After that, even those with poor eyesight couldn't miss it.
"Oooooh—!"
Nobles, knights, soldiers—without distinction, they cried out in astonishment at the Flame Tornado blazing before them.
Yet for all that shock, there was no fear in their voices. They understood that Rei would never attack Liberte's position under these circumstances. And indeed, the Flame Tornado made no move toward them; it simply hovered in place where it had appeared, churning furiously.
The crowd stared, transfixed... until the Flame Tornado began to change.
"What is that sound...?"
Who first voiced the question, no one could say. But shortly after, others began to notice it too—a high-pitched whine emanating from the flames, a shrill, ringing tone.
An ordinary Flame Tornado wouldn't produce such a sound. It shouldn't. But then again, almost no one present had ever seen one firsthand. Even those who had witnessed it during the war against the Bestia Empire had been so overwhelmed by its visual impact that they couldn't recall whether it had made the same noise before.
But whatever their experience, the change that occurred in the next instant was something none of them could deny seeing for the very first time.
From across the surface of the Flame Tornado, wind-blade-like projections were sprouting—dozens upon dozens, countless numbers of them. It was only because the tornado was wreathed in flames that the blades could be seen at all.
"That would be the Wind Magic Stone's power."
Filma, catching Liberte's questioning glance, answered succinctly. Liberte nodded, his expectation confirmed—this was no irregularity.
And so, before the eyes of every assembled spectator, the Flame Tornado—now bristling with countless Wind Blades—began to drift slowly across the landscape.
Its path led away from Liberte and the others, toward open ground with no road, so the onlookers felt no alarm.
Even so, the Flame Tornado was enormous, which meant it was clearly visible from Anesis itself. Liberte had presumably made arrangements to preempt any panic, but there was no doubt that the sight was causing quite a stir.