A street performer, a stall.
Rei had been attacked by assassins twice in a single day, but he walked through the city streets alongside Set without any particular sign of concern.
Normally, being targeted by assassins twice in a row would make it perfectly understandable to be on guard against everything around you—worrying about where a weapon might come flying from as you walked, or suspecting that every passerby could be an assassin.
If not for Set, Rei might have been just that vigilant, even if not quite to such an extreme.
But with his partner Set by his side, there was no need to be so on edge for the time being.
...That said...
"Grrrrrl."
Rei stroked Set, who was growling in vigilance, and calmed him down.
Being attacked by assassins twice in a row—and failing to neutralize the first one before they'd managed to strike Rei—must have been a blow to Set's pride.
In truth, it was only because of the Dragon Robe that Rei had come through the first attack unscathed. If he hadn't been wearing it, blocking that short sword strike might have proven difficult.
Of course, the fact that he was wearing the Dragon Robe also meant Rei had let his guard down somewhat. He trusted the robe—crafted from the materials of a dragon that had lived for centuries—and that confidence had made him somewhat careless.
That said, the fact that the assassin had managed to land a hit at all was impressive in its own right.
"Set, calm down a bit. We don't know what methods the enemy will try next, and staying on edge forever will just wear you out."
"Grru..."
Set didn't look entirely convinced.
From his perspective, the real question was how Rei—someone actively being hunted by assassins—could remain so carefree.
Rei kept stroking him as he continued.
"Think about it. Back at that stall, you stopped me before I could drink the poisoned fruit water, right? As long as you're with me, there's nothing to worry about."
"Grru? Grrrrrl, grru."
Set looked slightly pleased, though he still scanned the surroundings without letting his guard down.
Since they were walking through the city, there were naturally other pedestrians about, but no one was currently approaching to fawn over Set. Seeing Rei and Set's demeanor, people likely understood they were in the middle of work.
If there had been any children around, there was no guarantee someone wouldn't come bounding up wanting to play with Set, oblivious to the mood—just like earlier. But fortunately, there were no children in the vicinity.
As they walked under these conditions...
"Oh, is this Set? No way! Whoa, that's amazing. To get to see Set right after arriving in Gilm—aren't we lucky?"
"Yeah, we really are. That's exactly why we made it to Gilm without being attacked by monsters or bandits on the way."
"If it were us, we'd be fine even if bandits showed up. We'd just beat them down and profit off it."
Three young men and women abruptly approached Rei and Set, chattering among themselves.
They were still young—though they appeared older than Rei—and from the sound of it, the three of them had only just arrived in Gilm.
Otherwise, no one would normally think to approach Rei and Set right now. And yet here they were, brazenly closing in on Set and making a commotion. By any reasonable standard, that was nothing short of suicidal.
"Hey, wait. Shouldn't someone stop them? Rei and Set right now are..."
"From the sound of it, they seem like they just got to Gilm... but seriously, shouldn't we stop them? Set-chan is looking visibly annoyed, you know?"
"You're right. I don't want to do anything to make Set angry. I'll go stop them right now!"
Similar exchanges took place in several spots as a handful of people started moving to stop the trio from bothering Set.
"Hey, you three. Stop messing with Rei right now. Can't you see he's in the middle of work?"
One of the men called out to the trio of newcomers.
But the three who'd been warned simply directed annoyed looks at the man who'd spoken.
"What? Did we cause trouble for someone?"
"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying—you're about to. If you're adventurers too, you should be able to tell how serious Rei is. He's clearly working, so don't go messing with him recklessly. Besides, nothing good comes from making Rei angry."
"Shut up, will you? What we do is none of your business, isn't it? Or what, are you trying to pick a fight?"
Whether from growing irritation or something else, the trio's gazes turned increasingly hostile as the seconds ticked by.
The adventurer who'd spoken to them hesitated over what to do.
In terms of sheer ability, the three standing before him weren't particularly strong. Their attitude suggested they had confidence in their own skills, but the man was certain that even if he took on all three at once, he'd have a bit of trouble but would still come out on top.
The trio, however, couldn't read his ability. Or perhaps they could, but assumed he wouldn't actually use force in a place like this.
Either way, they were treating him with open contempt.
Many of the onlookers directed exasperated looks at the three. As adventurers in Gilm, they could tell the trio was clearly out of their depth.
Of course, with the expansion construction underway, Gilm was currently flooded with adventurers who normally wouldn't have been able to make it here. As a result, situations like this had become all too common lately.
...Common as it was, the critical factor this time was that the trio had chosen to mess with Rei and Set.
Under normal circumstances—say, if Rei were casually hopping between food stalls with Set, or just out for a stroll—he wouldn't have come down so hard on people like this.
But right now, at least to anyone watching, Rei radiated a distinctly tense aura.
What would happen to this trio if they kept up that contemptuous attitude under these particular circumstances?
The answer was obvious without giving it a second thought.
Maybe I should just stop trying to help these guys? They're the type to charge headfirst into hell even when someone's trying to save them.
The man who'd been attempting to intervene was starting to think that way. From the looks of it, no matter how much he tried to stop them, they simply wouldn't listen. Why should he tangle with this kind of troublesome bunch just to protect someone like that?
It was a perfectly reasonable thought.
"Ah... fine. I'm done talking. Just remember—you're on your own with whatever happens."
Ultimately concluding that talking sense into this trio was a lost cause, the man turned on his heel.
"Yeah! Did you see that? Did you, did you, did you? Gilm adventurers ain't nothing compared to us!"
"Yeah, I saw it. Man, we're really something. At this rate, maybe we'll end up at the top of Gilm's adventurers someday?"
"Kyahahaha! That's great. The best! This Gilm place is pretty nice, and once we're on top, everyone's gonna be thanking us."
Hearing all this, the onlookers could only feel a sense of helpless exasperation.
Meanwhile, the man who'd tried to warn the trio received sympathetic pats on the shoulder from nearby adventurers—acknowledgments that he'd done his best.
People who thought they were incredible adventurers just for making it to Gilm were far from rare. And with the expansion construction drawing in large numbers of adventurers, that bar had only gotten lower. That was precisely why a group like this trio had shown up, but...
How pitiful.
Looking at the trio, that was the one thought on most people's minds.
The trio, oblivious to all of this, shifted their attention to Rei and Set as the pair approached. They decided this was the perfect moment to demonstrate to everyone the power of those destined to rule Gilm—
"Hyii!"
In a single instant, that delusion was shattered.
The moment Rei and Set's gazes fell upon them.
Someone they didn't recognize, suddenly closing the distance. That being the case, Rei's first assumption was that they were assassins.
Set had reached the same conclusion—an unknown person approaching had to be an enemy.
What's more, Set's instincts had detected the malice the trio directed at him, and that played no small part in his reaction.
"Did you need something?"
At Rei's perfunctory question, all three shook their heads in unison.
Coming face to face with Rei had finally made them understand that he and Set were on an entirely different level—opponents they had no hope of dealing with. Opponents who, if carelessly provoked, could end their lives.
All three collapsed on the spot, falling onto their backsides. "We're sorry! We're so sorry! We won't get ahead of ourselves anymore!" they stammered, apologizing frantically.
"...What's all this about?"
As far as Rei was concerned, he hadn't meant to project any overwhelming killing intent. He'd simply asked the question as a deterrent—while remaining ready to act immediately if they turned out to be assassins.
Yet here they were, falling apart for reasons he couldn't begin to fathom.
"Ah, don't worry about it. Those three just arrived in Gilm, and their abilities aren't much to speak of either. Just the fact that they made it here went straight to their heads."
Told this, Rei directed an exasperated look at the trio. Still, deciding they probably weren't assassins, he gestured for Set to come over.
"These three aren't a problem. Let's go somewhere else. I'd prefer somewhere without too many people, but in Gilm right now, that might be asking for too much."
With the risk of another assassin attack looming, Rei's honest desire was to get somewhere devoid of people. Until now, the attacks had been targeted—a short sword from behind, poison aimed only at him and Set—with virtually no collateral damage.
But that was strictly until now. If the enemy concluded that a pinpoint strike on Rei alone was impossible, they might resort to attacks that would inflict harm on everyone nearby.
If bystanders got caught in the crossfire, Rei and Set wouldn't be able to fight at full strength. The enemy might consider exactly that and employ some kind of attack designed to cause widespread damage.
Wide-area attacks were something Rei, who specialized in Flame Magic—more accurately, could use nothing else—employed regularly. But being on the receiving end made him realize just how troublesome they truly were.
"A place with no people? Hmm, if that's what you're after, I know a decent spot."
Whether he'd overheard Rei's muttering or not, the adventurer chimed in.
Not expecting to be offered something like that out of the blue, Rei urged him to continue, still looking surprised.
"A decent spot? Just how few people are we talking?"
"When I passed by earlier, there wasn't a soul. Though that was just when I happened to look, so there might be a few people now. Still, probably not many. ...Man, being famous is rough, isn't it?"
The man murmured this with genuine sympathy, assuming Rei wanted to be alone—well, alone with Set—to relax.
The real reason was something else entirely, but explaining that wouldn't change the current situation. If anything, letting the man keep his misunderstanding was actually the smarter play.
"Yeah. It's rough in a lot of ways. So if you know a place where I can take it easy without anyone finding me, care to share?"
"Sure, no problem. I don't want... Set to have to push himself too hard, after all."
What had slipped out first—that he didn't want Set to overexert himself—was probably the man's honest sentiment.
Rei could guess as much, but since the other party was laboring under a misunderstanding of his own making, there was no need to correct him. He simply nodded.
"So, where is it?"
"Over that way... let's see, go straight from here and..."
After getting detailed directions from the man, Rei immediately prepared to head there with Set. But first, he called out to the three who were still slumped on the ground.
"Next time, you'd do well to listen when people give you advice."
Anyone who knew Rei well would have been ready to shout in unison, "You're one to talk!"