"Hoh, a scale, huh? If it's from a Gigant Turtle, wouldn't that be quite valuable?"
As usual, while eating dinner in Marina's garden and recounting the day's events, Elena asked the question with evident interest.
And it wasn't just Elena who was intrigued. Everyone except Vihera and Byune, who had actually seen the scale with their own eyes, was equally fascinated.
"Yeah. I imagine it's probably rare. That said, figuring out exactly what kind of material it is will require some thorough investigation."
"I suppose so. Still, I was more surprised to learn there were people pulling the strings behind the Red Cloth."
Marina was certainly interested in the Gigant Turtle's scale, but as a former Guild Master, she likely found the Red Cloth and whoever was behind them far more compelling.
Cobolts themselves were no real threat to Gilm's adventurers, but not everyone in the city could handle them. Gilm had its share of former adventurers participating in the Gigant Turtle dissection, but they weren't representative of everyone living there.
"We're waiting on a report from the Guards on that front. They should be staking out the hideout Glanje mentioned right now. If there's any movement, they'll relay it to us through the Guild."
"It must be tough in this cold, isn't it?" Ara said, looking up at the sky.
Snow was falling where her gaze was directed, but none of it drifted into Marina's garden—a vivid demonstration of just how convenient Marina's Spirit Magic was.
"Well, if you're here, even watching the snow fall is just 'how pretty' and nothing more," Vihera murmured, looking slightly amused as she followed Ara's gaze.
With no snow entering the garden, the current scene was like watching snowfall through a window from inside a house. Except indoors you could only see outside through windows, whereas in Marina's garden the walls didn't obstruct the surrounding scenery. When it came to enjoying a snowy view, this was undoubtedly the better vantage point.
"Yeah. Though even with the snow, they're not watching from out in the open. I heard they're staking the place out from inside a nearby building, so I don't think we need to worry too much about the cold."
Even a crude hut would block the wind, making it far more bearable than standing outside.
"Hmm. Even so, having to stay still is rough. I suppose it can't be helped when you're on surveillance, though."
Many of those listening nodded in agreement with Vihera's murmured words.
Among those present, people who genuinely enjoyed staying still—who were good at it—did exist, but no one actually wanted to do it willingly. Then again, the same was probably true for the Guards. They did it precisely because it was their job.
(Surveillance duty... back in Japan I'd have manga to pass the time... but wait, if I got too absorbed in manga, I might miss people coming and going from the building under watch, wouldn't I?)
Either way, staring at a single spot with nothing to do was undeniably a form of torture. That was exactly why they probably kept watch in pairs or trios, passing the time with idle chatter.
"Anyway, it feels like things have really been set in motion since the Gigant Turtle business."
"Oh, if we're going to say that, wouldn't it be more accurate to say 'since Elena and the others came back from Anesis'?"
"Have they? Now that you mention it, it does feel that way. Though honestly, we had plenty of trouble in Anesis on its own."
Saying that, Elena turned her gaze toward Rei, who was eating Orc meat roasted in the oven.
It was a look that said Rei was a magnet for trouble.
Rei started to fire back a retort, but reflecting on everything he'd been through, he had to admit that being called a trouble magnet wasn't something he could flatly deny.
In truth, Rei's habit of unintentionally sticking his nose into trouble was a major factor. Above all, if he hadn't gotten tangled up in that mess in Anesis, there was a very real chance that some incomprehensible monster would have been summoned right in the heart of Anesis—the second largest city in the Kingdom of Mireana. The fact that such a catastrophe was averted was, in a sense, the result of Rei getting caught up in that very trouble. It wasn't an unreasonable argument to make.
"Ah, but the Cobolt incident started before I came back to Gilm, right? So saying I had anything to do with that is a bit of a stretch, don't you think?"
"Perhaps. But the fact that you built that earth wall is what set the Red Cloth—and the people behind them—into motion. That's an undeniable fact, isn't it?"
"Can't argue with that."
"Oh, I'm not blaming you, you know. Thanks to that wall, the number of Cobolts getting into Gilm has definitely dropped. As someone who helped build it, I'm glad."
Marina flashed an alluring smile, and Rei returned it with one of his own.
"Ahem. In any case, shouldn't we be thinking carefully about what the people behind the Red Cloth will do next?"
Elena cleared her throat as if to change the subject, and Vihera nodded in agreement.
"She's right. Even with the Guards watching, there's always a chance the other side catches on. And if they do, they might strike first."
"Strike first. If it comes to that, it'd actually make things easier for us. Set would probably prefer it too."
Despite the winter night, Rei murmured as he watched Set and Ielo running around the garden in what felt like comfortable spring weather.
"It would certainly be easier for us, no question. But if they panic, they might resort to methods we haven't even considered. And if that happens, Gilm's residents could get caught in the crossfire."
"As long as Gilm itself doesn't suffer, powerful monsters are more than welcome. Just don't forget your promise for tomorrow, Rei."
Promise? At Vihera's words, everyone else—except Byune, who was absorbed in her meal—turned their gazes toward Rei.
That said, the promise wasn't anything scandalous that the others might be imagining.
This morning, Rei had slain a Snow Cyclops. He and Vihera had agreed that if a similarly powerful monster appeared tomorrow morning, she would be the one to fight it.
For someone who loved nothing more than battling strong opponents, Vihera wasn't about to let such a perfect opportunity slip away.
"I know I keep saying this, but there's no guarantee a powerful monster like the one you're hoping for will actually show up. If tomorrow rolls around and the only monsters left are weak ones like Cobolts or Goblins, don't come complaining to me."
Even so, Rei himself was hoping that a powerful, unknown monster would make an appearance. That was exactly why he hadn't used Terrain Manipulation to replace the blood-soaked ground at the Gigant Turtle dissection site with fresh subterranean soil.
"I know. But I have a feeling it'll be fine."
"What makes you say that?"
"Woman's intuition."
She said it with absolute confidence, and Rei found himself almost convinced.
But when the basis was "woman's intuition," there was simply no way for Rei, a man, to argue back. And truth be told, he knew from experience in this world that such intuition was often far sharper than expected. Above all, Vihera had relied on hers countless times in battle to seize decisive openings. Given that, there was no way he'd make the mistake of underestimating it.
(In manga back home, woman's intuition was sometimes depicted as so sharp you'd almost think it was a superpower. But Vihera takes it to the extreme.)
In Japan, Rei had never personally felt the sharpness of woman's intuition. But since coming to this world, he'd witnessed it time and time again. That was why he didn't doubt Vihera's words for a second.
"...Yeah. Vihera's intuition really is something else."
Early the next morning, Rei muttered to himself, Death Scythe in one hand and the Twilight Spear in the other.
Dodging attacks from multiple monsters before him—giant white-furred apes standing nearly two meters tall—Rei couldn't help but think once again that Vihera's woman's intuition was not to be underestimated.
He deflected fists powerful enough to snap an ordinary tree with the Twilight Spear, then swung Death Scythe and bisected a torso from top to bottom.
As he dispatched the white ape—a Snow Ape, according to the Guild Staff Member—Rei watched Vihera fighting with obvious delight.
Using claws generated by magic, she wove through the Snow Apes' attacks while slicing open their hides. Her movements were better described as dancing than fighting.
Rei wasn't the only one captivated by Vihera's battle. Many of the others present—specifically, those who had come for the dissection—were equally spellbound.
The seasoned adventurers among them marveled at her waste-free combat style, wondering how anyone could move like that. Meanwhile, those like Suchee, with virtually no combat experience, were simply mesmerized by the sheer beauty of her dance-like movements.
"Grururururururu!"
A short distance away, Set was using Power Crush to obliterate a Snow Ape's head.
The Level 6 skill didn't just crush the skull—the blow pulverized the flesh, bone fragments, and brains so thoroughly, so finely, that they scattered in all directions as if processed through a specialized machine.
Rei could appreciate the incredible power, but with the right ear reduced to that state, it was useless as a subjugation proof part. That said, Rei wasn't exactly strapped for cash, so losing one or two proof parts didn't particularly bother him. Had the all-important magic stone been pulverized as well, he might have actually scolded Set.
"Well, I got one and Set got one. Might as well leave the rest to Vihera."
He stowed Death Scythe and the Twilight Spear into the Misty Ring, and deposited the Snow Ape's corpse along with them.
"Gruu."
Set, having pulverized the head, dragged the Snow Ape's lifeless body by its beak over to Rei and purred.
Rei stored the headless corpse, praised Set for a job well done, and scratched him behind the head. Set narrowed his eyes in blissful contentment.
After that little exchange, Rei settled in alongside Set to watch Vihera fight.
"Mn."
A voice caught his attention, and he turned to find Byune standing there.
If he detected just a faint hint of envy in the gaze she directed at Vihera, it was certainly not his imagination.
"What is it? You want to fight the Snow Apes alongside Vihera too?"
Byune gave him her usual expressionless nod.
Rei understood, though, that this wasn't a thirst for combat. She was interested in the Snow Ape's materials, magic stone, and subjugation proof part—the parts that could be converted into coin. Still, whether the current Byune could hold her own against a Snow Ape was honestly a close call.
(She might manage against just one. But coordinated group attacks seem to be the Snow Ape's specialty. Thinking about it, Set and I were lucky to only face them one at a time.)
In his line of sight, a Snow Ape was throwing itself at Vihera in a desperate frenzy.
The sharp claws jutting from its fingers could normally tear through skin, rend flesh, and shatter bone with ease. But that was only if they connected. No matter how devastating the attack, it meant nothing if it didn't land.
Instead, Vihera danced around the Snow Ape's strikes, carving into its body with the claws from her Hand Gauntlets and the blades extending from the heels of her Foot Guards.
The creature's white pelt—so fitting for the name Snow Ape—was stained crimson with its own blood.
The Snow Apes tried to exploit openings created by one another, but Vihera slipped past every attempt, slicing through their bodies one after another in a relentless, whirling display.
And so, in the end... every last Snow Ape lay sprawled across the snow-covered ground.