After defeating the Fang Boar, nothing of particular note happened.
In the end, they never did find the Green People they had been searching for.
Still, the fact that logging had progressed was probably a good thing as far as the Expansion Construction was concerned.
Ultimately, apart from the incident with Gaga, nothing noteworthy occurred that day, and work concluded without issue.
...Though the incident with Gaga alone was more than significant enough.
At any rate, having finished their work, Rei and the others returned to Gilm and disbanded.
That said, in Rei's case, Daskar's subordinate showed up immediately after the group disbanded, and he found himself headed to the Lord's Manor.
Rei already knew why he was being brought along, so he headed there without any particular surprise or resistance.
Naturally, Set and Zozo were at his side as well.
Upon arriving at the Lord's Manor, Set made a beeline for the garden, while Rei and Zozo were led not to the Grand Hall where parties were held, but to the Knights' training ground.
Why a place like this? Rei wondered. But when he got there, he found a mock battle underway between Gaga and Daskar's subordinate Knights and Soldiers.
"Well... yeah. Given Gaga's personality, I probably should have seen this coming."
When Gaga, a three-meter figure that could only be called a giant Lizardman, swung his practice weapon, the Knights and Soldiers on the receiving end were sent flying.
The saving grace for them was that Gaga's weapon wasn't his signature greatsword, but a practice blade.
Of course, even a practice weapon was still made of metal. It was more than effective enough as a blunt instrument.
Even so, perhaps thanks to Gaga holding back, from what Rei could see at a glance, no one had died, and no one appeared to have sustained serious injuries either.
"He's surprisingly good at holding back."
"Yes. Brother Gaga frequently trains his subordinates as well. I believe that is part of why he is so well-liked by them. The fact that he holds back is likely a factor."
"...Normally, guys who run harsh training regimens get hated."
Rei muttered this thoughtfully as he read the text on Zozo's Stone Tablet.
Just as the term "demon instructor" existed, someone who trained others relentlessly was rarely popular. If anything, it wouldn't be unusual for them to be outright loathed.
(Maybe Lizardmen have a different mindset about that sort of thing than we do?)
Rei thought this, but even if he said "we," it wasn't as though Rei himself were any different from an ordinary person.
"Still, it's probably because everyone understands that Brother Gaga trains them with their best interests at heart. ...Though it's equally likely that Brother Gaga simply loves to fight."
As they conversed, Gaga finished a round of training with the Knights and Soldiers and noticed Rei and Zozo.
"Rei, Zozo."
Eh?
Rei blinked in surprise at the words that had just left Gaga's mouth.
What Gaga had said were unmistakably their names.
Well, if it had just been Zozo, Gaga would have already known the name as Zozo's brother, so it wouldn't have been strange for him to call out to him...
"Brother Gaga is often misunderstood because of his personality, but he is by no means unintelligent. If anything, I would say he is quite sharp."
Zozo's words were translated onto the Stone Tablet, and Rei looked at Gaga anew.
Rei had encountered plenty of powerfully built individuals since coming to this world. But those who stood three meters tall... at the very least, none were human.
Perhaps only monsters like the Cyclops, the Spriggan, or the Ogre came close.
(Ah, wait. Lizardmen are monsters too, aren't they? I kept forgetting since we can actually communicate.)
The fact that Rei recognized them as monsters from another world probably played a large role in this mindset.
Because of that, there was a stark difference in perception between Rei and everyone else—those who remained unaware that the Lizardmen and Green People had come from another world and likely assumed they were simply from another continent.
At any rate, seeing Gaga call his name and wave, Rei felt obliged to respond in kind and waved back.
"Zozo, let's go."
Zozo nodded at Rei's words.
...In truth, he had nodded without even glancing at the Stone Tablet, but Rei, whose attention had been on Gaga, didn't notice.
This was likely evidence that Zozo, while perhaps not to the same degree as Gaga, also possessed a sharp intellect.
Or perhaps the communication failure during their encounter with the Fang Boar in the Treant Forest earlier that day had left a significant impact.
Either way, Zozo felt deep regret for having endangered Rei, the one he served, and was now striving harder than ever to learn their words and writing.
Rei, completely unaware of this resolve, waved back cheerfully... only to feel a wave of exasperation at the sight of Gaga swinging his practice greatsword around for no apparent reason.
(Is he really that smart? Well, he did say my name clearly enough.)
He knew that, but watching Gaga's behavior, if someone asked him whether the Lizardman was genuinely intelligent, Rei would still have to tilt his head in doubt.
The only saving grace was that the greatsword Gaga held was small.
Calling a greatsword small seemed like a contradiction, but that was simply an illusion born of Gaga's massive frame.
The greatsword Gaga had carried when he teleported into the Treant Forest had looked less like a sword and more like a solid slab of metal, at least from Rei's perspective.
Of course, it had a proper blade and the shape of a greatsword. But the sheer impact of its size had made it resemble a metal block.
Given Gaga's stature, even an ordinary greatsword looked small in his hands.
"Rei."
Rei's name came from Gaga's mouth once more.
Naturally, learning a variety of other words in such a short time was difficult, so he couldn't manage anything beyond that.
"Lord Rei, Brother Gaga is asking if you would like to have a mock battle."
"Ah... I see. With a personality like that, it's no wonder people misunderstand him even if he is smart."
Rei never expected to be challenged to a mock battle the moment they reunited.
For Gaga, it was probably proof of just how much he had enjoyed his earlier bout with Rei.
That said, Rei had just finished work and didn't have the energy for that.
Well, he probably could if he wanted to, but with Gaga in tow, he needed to get to Marina's house before dark, and he wanted to move as quickly as possible.
After all, given Gaga's appearance, having him walk through town was out of the question.
Just like when they had traveled from the Treant Forest, they needed to go by Carriage.
(Actually, if I parade Gaga around, people will probably start treating him like my Tamed Monster too.)
It was already conspicuous enough walking around with Zozo in addition to Set. Adding Gaga to the mix would attract far too much attention.
...Though Rei did expect that information about Gaga would spread by the end of the day regardless.
He had appeared before such a large crowd during his mock battle with Gaga in the Treant Forest. Now that the work parties had disbanded, Adventurers and Woodcutters were undoubtedly spreading the word about the Gaga incident in taverns by now.
Or perhaps recounting it to Prostitutes as a bedtime story.
At any rate, it was an indisputable fact that information—or rather, rumors—about Gaga would circulate. That was exactly why Rei didn't want to walk around with him.
"Anyway, the mock battle can wait. We're heading to Marina's house... the place where I live. I've already gotten permission. ...Ah, what about food? Marina mentioned she'd collect food expenses from Lord Daskar, but..."
"Rei."
Perhaps overhearing Rei's muttering, a nearby Knight called his name with a distinctly world-weary air.
Seeing the Knight's demeanor, Rei somehow grasped the situation.
Probably... no, almost certainly, Daskar had been relieved of his funds by Marina's assault.
"The damage?"
"None, apart from the damage to Lord Daskar's spirit. ...Fortunately."
"Ah, yeah. I sort of figured."
Marina had known Daskar since he was a child. Because of that, she was privy to a great many things that could only be described as his dark history.
Just from what Rei knew, there was the matter of a young Daskar having proposed to Marina.
Given that she held various other embarrassing episodes over him beyond that, Daskar fundamentally couldn't refuse her.
If it were a matter involving the administration of Gilm, that would be a different story.
At any rate, judging from the Knight's demeanor, Rei understood that Marina had firmly collected—no, extracted—Gaga's food expenses. Given Marina's personality, it was almost certain that by now she had prepared some sort of meal, if not exactly a welcome party.
"Anyway, if that's the case, let's head straight home. ...Zozo, Gaga, let's go!"
At Rei's call, Zozo and Gaga, who had been conversing about something, both nodded.
"This is the house where Gaga will be living from now on. ...You are going to live here, right? Not just for today."
After stepping down from the Carriage in front of Marina's house, Rei posed the question to Gaga, who had likewise disembarked.
Zozo translated Rei's words on the Stone Tablet and relayed them to Gaga. The Lizardman nodded as if the answer were self-evident.
Rei would have preferred that Gaga not live here and instead stay at the Lord's Manor like the other Lizardmen.
But for Gaga, Rei was at the very least his equal—almost certainly someone possessing greater power than himself. From that perspective, letting such a person out of his sight was simply not an option.
Additionally, the power of the Stone Tablet that Zozo carried was extremely useful.
Without it, communication was difficult. But with Zozo present, they could converse with ease, even if it had to be through the tablet.
...Even without the Stone Tablet, Rei now felt that Gaga would eventually come to understand their language, now that he knew how intelligent the Lizardman was.
At any rate, upon arriving at Marina's house, Rei briefly exchanged greetings with the Coachman before parting ways and entering the estate grounds.
For a brief moment, Rei worried about how the protective Spirits guarding Marina's house would judge Gaga. But whether it was because he was with Rei and Zozo, or because Marina had already made arrangements, they entered the grounds without incident.
(Well, if the Spirits were set to repel all unknown visitors, then everyone who came to Marina's house would have to be a familiar face. Maybe anyone can pass from the gate to the front door.)
Compared to other nobles' estates, Marina's house was by no means large. From the gate to the front door, it was only a short distance.
In a space like that, it wouldn't be unusual for it to be set up so that anyone could enter without issue.
Upon entering the grounds, they skipped the front entrance and headed straight for the courtyard.
Gaga didn't seem to question this. Perhaps, considering the size of the front door, he had already concluded that he wouldn't fit inside the house.
Either way, Rei and his group made their way to the courtyard, and there too, they were not attacked by Spirits—not just Rei and Zozo, but Gaga as well.
The moment they stepped into the courtyard, the surrounding atmosphere shifted.
This was because the Spirits had adjusted the space to make it comfortable to spend time in. While Rei was accustomed to it and it wasn't Zozo's first time either, the instant Gaga set foot in the courtyard, he wore an expression of sheer astonishment as he looked around.
It was unclear whether Gaga possessed the ability to sense Spirits, but even so, he could clearly feel that his surroundings had been utterly transformed.
And it wasn't the Spirits that caught Rei off guard—it was the mouthwatering aroma drifting through the air, and above all, the sight of a table set up in the garden with dishes of food being carried out to it one after another.
Having freshly prepared food waiting for them at the exact moment of their arrival was far too perfectly timed.
However, Rei surmised that this was likely Marina's Spirit Magic at work, and indeed it was.
Seeing the spread before him, Gaga said something happily.
The meaning of his words was unclear, but with his gaze locked onto the table, riveted by the dishes upon it, what he wanted to say was immediately obvious.
(Is Gaga fond of Fish too?)
As far as Rei knew, Zozo was quite fond of Fish—no, rather than fond, it would be more accurate to say he was obsessed with it.
Because of that, Rei had wondered whether Gaga, as a fellow Lizardman, might also be partial to Fish. And while there was what appeared to be a reasonably large salt-grilled fish among the dishes on the table, Gaga's eyes were darting across the entire spread.
(Well, at least he doesn't seem to be exclusively fixated on Fish. ...Though comparing Zozo and Gaga side by side, they're both Lizardmen, but they really don't look like they belong to the same race at all.)
With that thought, Rei continued across the garden with Set, Zozo, and Gaga in tow.