"Eek!"
The moment she stepped out of the Wheat Inn at Dusk, a shriek slipped from Anastasia's mouth.
...That said, it wasn't a scream born of fear.
If anything, it was a cry brimming with delight.
Anastasia's gaze was fixed on a crowd of children, adults, the elderly—men and women alike. Not just humans, either; Beastmen and Dwarves numbered among them.
And right in the center of that group lay Set.
He was happily munching on sandwiches and skewers handed to him by several people, but it was the sight of Set like that which drew the joyful shriek from Anastasia.
"Wait, you already know about me, right? Then shouldn't Lord Daskar have told you about Set too?"
Rei tried asking, but Anastasia charged straight toward Set as if she couldn't hear a word he was saying.
Her sudden appearance startled the people happily gathered around Set. Naturally—they'd just seen a rare beauty come barreling right at them.
Those in her path scrambled to clear the way. ...A few actually intended to collide with her and use it as an excuse to get friendly, but before they could act, bystanders yanked them back and out of her path.
"A gryphon... I've lived a long time, but I never thought I'd see one again."
Rei caught the word "again." In other words, she had encountered a gryphon before.
What's more, Anastasia was a scholar Daskar trusted enough to examine the Wisp—which meant she was deeply knowledgeable about monsters.
Wait, isn't this bad?
Rei's concern was confirmed by her next words.
"...Hm? Are you truly a gryphon? No, you certainly look like one, but you're vastly different from any gryphon I've ever known."
Seeing Anastasia's skeptical expression, Rei interjected without missing a beat.
"Obviously. Set isn't just an ordinary gryphon. He's a Rare Species capable of using a wide variety of skills."
For the time being, he deflected the difference from a normal gryphon by chalking it up to being a Rare Species.
Set was a gryphon Rei had created through Beast Magic, so naturally he differed from ordinary ones. But gryphons were A-Rank Monsters—creatures that ordinary people would almost never encounter. Because of that, most people couldn't tell the difference even if Set wasn't a normal gryphon.
Anastasia had seen through it because she was a researcher well-versed in monsters, and as an elf who had lived for a long time, she had coincidentally encountered a gryphon before.
"Oh, is that so? Rare Species differ not by race but by individual, so a Rare Species gryphon would be extraordinarily rare, wouldn't it?"
Hearing her say that, Rei breathed a quiet sigh of relief. From the sound of it, she had accepted that Set was a Rare Species gryphon.
Anastasia's explanation also prompted the bystanders to nod in understanding. Some had initially been irritated by her sudden charge, but seeing that Rei—who commanded Set—showed no anger and was casually chatting with her, they gathered she was an acquaintance. And if they listened in on the conversation, it was easy to deduce she was explaining something about Set and was likely a researcher or something of the sort.
...Though quite a few of the adult men were simply spellbound by Anastasia's beauty.
"Set, good for you. Apparently you're a rare one."
"Guru? ...Gurururu!"
Understanding that he'd been praised, Set purred happily. Being praised delighted him, and he rubbed his face against Rei as if to boast, "Pretty impressive, right!?"
"...For him to be this attached to you... hey, Rei. How did you make this gryphon—Set, was it?—your Tamed Monster?"
"Huh? Oh, I raised Set from when he was just a chick. We grew up together, so naturally we came to understand each other."
"...I see..."
Anastasia nodded, then glanced back and forth between Rei and Set with a faintly bewildered expression.
It was obvious from the scene before her that Rei and Set shared a deep understanding. Which was exactly why Rei found it odd that Anastasia—even if only slightly—looked bewildered.
Did I explain something wrong? No, I don't think so. Then why did she look like that?
Set had been with Rei since he was a child living under his master. That was why Set was so attached to him and stayed by his side as his Tamed Monster. It was an explanation Rei had given countless times since arriving in Gilm, and many of the city's residents could easily have heard it before.
Yet Anastasia, upon hearing it just now, had unmistakably worn a puzzled look. Rei had no idea why. But... had he let slip something he shouldn't have?
Setting that worry aside, he spoke to Anastasia again. Even if she had noticed something about him and Set, the last thing he wanted was for her to bring it up in such a crowded place.
Whether she sensed his feelings or not, Anastasia simply nodded.
"Understood. Well, we can't stand around here forever, so shall we get going? ...By the way, how are we getting to the destination?"
"We ride Set. ...Though if you really don't want to, Anastasia, we could always use a horse or carriage—"
"I'll ride Set."
Anastasia declared that before Rei could even finish his sentence. She clearly wanted to ride Set that badly. As a researcher well-versed in monsters, it was a natural reaction in a way.
Even so, considering everything that had just transpired, Rei couldn't help but feel slightly on guard.
That said, since he needed to investigate the Wisp in the Treant Forest, not bringing Anastasia wasn't an option.
"Alright. Then let's go. Here, hop on."
"Yes."
As if understanding from their exchange what was about to happen, Set rose from his reclining position and crouched before Rei and Anastasia, lowering himself so they could mount easily. The two straddled Set's back.
Some of the people around Set looked disappointed, but they understood that Rei and Set were heading to work—no one asked them to stay. ...A few children started to say something, but when Set purred at them, they fell silent and simply waved.
"Gurururu!"
With that cry, Set carried Rei and Anastasia toward the Main Gate.
Since they were in Gilm, he naturally didn't sprint through the streets at full speed. ...A briskly walking Set wasn't all that unusual a sight in the city.
But the reason he drew so many stares was simple: the ones on his back were Rei and Anastasia.
If it had been Elena, Ara, Vihera—the usual crowd—or even just Ara and Byune, it wouldn't have turned nearly as many heads. But the person riding behind Rei today was none of them. She was an elf that the vast majority of Gilm's residents were seeing for the very first time.
And not just any elf, but one whose appearance could fittingly be called an intellectual beauty. The fact that Rei was with someone like her surprised many.
While plenty of people didn't know about his relationship with Elena, it was common knowledge that he was in the same party as Marina and Vihera. Those well-informed might also know he frequented Marina's house. Because of all that, walking through town on Set's back with yet another beauty was naturally conspicuous.
"Damn it, why... why is it always Rei..."
"Seriously. Geez... yeah, how should I put it... I'm jealous."
"I won't deny that. But the ones with Rei are the Former Guild Master Marina and the Battle Maniac Vihera, you know? No matter how stunning they are, being around women with such strong... no, overwhelmingly strong personalities like that has got to be exhausting in all sorts of ways."
The two men talking found themselves nodding deeply in agreement with their friend's words. Whether it was Marina or Vihera, either would be more than welcome company for a night, but actually dating them would undoubtedly be difficult in more ways than one. "Unique" was an understatement; their personalities were intensely strong.
Rei, who partied with both of them, was in a sense remarkable—or so they couldn't help but think.
...Completely unaware that strangers were envying and pitying him, Rei kept walking toward the Main Gate with Anastasia.
"Ah."
After passing through Gilm's Main Gate—where there had naturally been a bit of a commotion on the way out—and heading toward the Treant Forest, Rei suddenly spoke up.
"What is it?"
Anastasia asked. She was clearly delighted to be riding Set and seemed satisfied with how he was sprinting along.
But Rei shook his head at the question from behind.
"No, it's nothing."
He decided it was better not to mention that he'd been attacked on the way to Gilm earlier today, and that there should have been a fair number of corpses right here. If he said nothing, she'd never even imagine corpses had been here. ...Well, there were traces of blood here and there, so someone sharp might notice something had happened.
Fortunately, Anastasia behind him seemed so thrilled to be riding Set that she showed no sign of noticing the bloodstains around them. That was probably because the guards who had arrived at the time had taken the survivors into custody and transported the dead away.
"Set, I don't want to be spotted by woodcutters or escort adventurers. Take a route that avoids them."
"Guru!"
Set let out a cry as if to say Leave it to me! and changed course in a different direction from usual, entering the forest from an area where woodcutters weren't working.
Once inside the Treant Forest, Anastasia—being an elf—began directing her gaze not just to the ride but to their surroundings as well.
"This forest is..."
Anastasia trailed off, but Rei understood what she meant to say. She was probably trying to say that the Treant Forest was no ordinary forest. Given that such a forest had grown in such a short span of time, it was by no means a misconception on her part.
Perhaps because her attention was captivated by the forest and by Set, Anastasia didn't seem to notice the Birth Tower visible in the distance.
"Hey, wait! Aren't you going to slow down!?"
Even inside the Treant Forest, Set didn't slow down at all. At that speed, it would've been no surprise if he crashed into a tree, but Set paid that no mind, weaving between the trunks as he went.
Anastasia was frightened at first by the fact that he showed no sign of colliding with anything, but after a few minutes, she calmed down. That said, that was only how she appeared on the surface—how she actually felt inside was anyone's guess.
A few more minutes passed before they finally arrived at their destination.
"...Here? It looks like there's nothing here."
"Marina—a companion of mine—hid the entrance with Spirit Magic."
At the words "Spirit Magic," Anastasia looked around with a spark of intrigue. As an elf, she could presumably use Spirit Magic herself.
But that intrigued expression lasted only a few dozen seconds. It quickly shifted to surprise, then to a furrowed brow. After about a minute, she opened her mouth in apparent surrender.
"No good. I thought I might be able to detect it if it were hidden with Spirit Magic, but... The person who cast this is remarkably skilled. Marina, you said?"
Rei nodded at Anastasia, who raised her hands in defeat.