"To our new friend... and to the fact that this settlement was protected thanks to that friend's cooperation!"
At Drum's words, everyone raised their wooden cups and downed the alcohol inside in one gulp.
Only Rei, who wasn't much for drinking, had a uniquely flavored tea that the Centaur tribe brewed. Nearly everyone else was drinking alcohol.
The few exceptions were the Children.
That said, what the Children drank was water or alcohol diluted with animal milk.
In any case, everyone drained the liquid in their raised cups.
...Among them were some like Dratt and his Flunkies who couldn't entirely welcome Rei's presence. But since the Elder Drum was welcoming him, they couldn't voice their dissatisfaction openly.
Furthermore, it was an undeniable fact that the settlement had been saved precisely because Rei was there. They couldn't bring themselves to ruin a welcome party for such a benefactor.
The Elder Drum in particular wielded enormous influence within the Centaur clan.
Given that, even those who had reservations about Rei's presence had no choice but to keep them to themselves here.
And above all...
(Father.)
Dratt muttered the word in his heart, caught in a tangle of complicated feelings toward his father, Drum.
He took pride in his own contributions to the settlement and the presence he had established among its people.
But at the same time, he knew—no matter how he looked at it—that he fell short of Zai, his peer of the same age.
That frustration gnawed at him, and he even felt anger at his own inadequacy.
(But... if Rei hadn't been here, the damage to this settlement would have been far greater. When I think of that, I suppose I have no choice but to be grateful this time.)
Savoring the pleasant burn of alcohol down his throat, Dratt surveyed his surroundings.
It was precisely because Rei had defeated the Dragonias that they could hold this banquet now.
Without Rei, the settlement would have suffered heavy casualties.
Had that come to pass, there was no way they could be holding a feast with everyone smiling like this.
With that in mind, he decided to put aside his thoughts and simply enjoy the celebration.
"Rei-san, this dish is delicious. It's this settlement's Local Specialty Dish!"
A girl—no, she was younger than Rei, a child who might not have even reached ten yet—held out a wooden plate piled with food.
At first they had kept their distance from Rei, but little by little, they seemed to have grown accustomed to him.
Set's presence was also a major factor.
The Centaurs had initially been at a loss for how to approach a Gryphon they had never seen before, but Set had put his innate friendliness on full display.
No—rather than any calculated effort on Set's part, it was more accurate to say that since they showed no hostility and were clearly bewildered, Set had simply been the one to approach them.
As a result, Set was accepted.
Even in a different world, women and children—and sometimes men as well—were won over by Set's endearing friendliness.
...In the men's case, alongside finding him adorable, their feelings also carried a deep current of gratitude.
On the battlefield, many had found themselves in danger facing a red-scaled Dragonias, only to be saved by Set.
For those people, the fact that he had rescued them and now showed such an endearing side made it impossible not to feel warmly toward him.
"Gururu."
Set happily devoured the chunks of meat served to him.
Since many who had fled or evacuated from various settlements had gathered here, this settlement's livestock was by no means plentiful.
Nevertheless, this was a feast celebrating the defeat of the Dragonias—and the fact that while there were injuries, no one had died—so several sheep and goats had been slaughtered.
With dishes of slowly roasted chunks of meat being served, it was only natural that Set was pleased.
(The fact that they don't get scared even seeing his size must have made Set happy too.)
Eating meat glazed with a sweet-and-sour fruit sauce, Rei watched the delighted Set.
Set was beloved in many places, Gilm included, but there were also quite a few who were frightened by his roughly three-meter frame.
Even so, such people quickly grew accustomed to him once they actually interacted with him.
Since that initial step of being frightened by Set's very existence was absent here, Rei could easily imagine that Set was happy about it too.
(Still, the fact that they aren't surprised even seeing Set... could it be that there are no Gryphons in this world? Or maybe they exist somewhere, just not in this grassland. ...They have Centaurs, though.)
It was possible that none of the creatures Rei knew of existed in this world at all.
When he thought about it, that was only natural—but he still couldn't help feeling it was strange.
Then again, Gryphons were extremely rare monsters even in Elgin, so it wouldn't be surprising if they were rare in this world as well.
(I need to gather information on that front too. ...If Gryphons are rare outside this grassland as well, there's a high chance Set could be targeted.)
If someone in power in this world desired a Gryphon, that would naturally lead to a major conflict.
In the worst case, it could drag the Centaur clan into it.
Given that their numbers had already dwindled from the Dragonias attacks, even if someone came wanting Set, Rei absolutely could not back down.
That was precisely why he needed to investigate things in advance—to prevent such a situation from ever arising.
"Rei? What's wrong?"
Eating a skewer, Zai asked curiously.
He must have found it odd that Rei was wearing such a serious expression in the middle of a banquet.
Rei glanced toward Set and spoke.
"Are there no monsters called Gryphons in this world... no, in this area?"
"No, that's the first time I've ever seen one. The Elder said he didn't know of them either."
At Zai's words, Rei accepted that Gryphons must indeed be rare in this region.
That said, he had no intention whatsoever of sending Set back to Elgin or leaving him behind, rarity or not.
For one thing, without Set, Rei faced the problem of how to take action against the Dragonias.
What he planned to use this time was Fire Whirlwind, a technique he had employed several times before.
But Fire Whirlwind couldn't be produced by Rei alone.
It was only possible with Set's cooperation.
Beyond that, Set was essentially Rei's other half.
...And without Set, there was also the matter of how to get around.
Since Rei spent so much time with Set, the scent clung to him, and ordinary horses balked at it.
As a more fundamental issue, this was a Centaur settlement.
When everyone traveled, they ran on their own legs.
Without Set, Rei would have to run on foot... or ride on someone's back.
He didn't want to cause that much trouble for the Centaurs.
"So Set really is that rare? I figured that even if there aren't any in this grassland, they might not be uncommon where you're from, Rei."
"Yeah. Where I come from, they're reasonably well-known, but nobody had actually seen one in person. Then again, Gryphons aren't normally that friendly, so if you ran into one, you'd probably get killed."
Rei felt he wasn't lying as he said this.
In truth, in Gilm—no, looking across the entire Kingdom of Mireana or even all of Elgin—the existence of Gryphons was undeniably rare.
"I see. In that case, should we stop treating him like that?"
Zai's gaze was directed at the Centaurs fawning over Set.
If he was that rare a monster, perhaps they should treat him more respectfully.
But Rei shook his head at Zai's words.
"Set is inherently friendly. He loves it when people fuss over him like that. If anything, I'd say he's thrilled. ...Of course, that's strictly toward friendly parties."
Friendly to those who were friendly, hostile to those who were hostile.
That was Set's stance—and Rei's as well.
...Though to be precise, it was because Rei had taken such an attitude that Set had been influenced by it—the reverse was the more accurate way to put it.
So as long as everyone treated him as cordially as they were now, there was no chance Set would do anything.
At Rei's explanation, Zai nodded in understanding.
"The matter the day after tomorrow... I imagine things will get pretty rough, but I'm counting on you."
The topic shifted abruptly.
No—in reality, the conversation about Set had probably been a preamble to bringing this up.
Given Zai's serious nature, Rei could predict that much.
"Right. Five days one way, was it? Sounds like quite a long journey."
"Well, you'll be carrying the luggage, won't you? In that case, maybe a day... possibly two could be shaved off the time."
A five-day one-way trip—ten days round trip—demanded that much in the way of supplies.
And since Centaurs had large bodies, they ate accordingly.
...Though when it came to sheer appetite, Rei, despite being smaller than a Centaur, wasn't all that different.
On top of that, even if Rei attacked the Dragonias, the red-scaled ones would likely survive, and those of other colors might weather the damage as well.
"It can be shortened that much?"
"That's just my estimate. We won't know for sure until we actually try."
Could they travel even faster using the Set Basket?
The thought occurred to Rei, and he proposed the idea while bringing pickled leafy greens to his mouth.
"Among the Magic Items I carry, there's something called the Set Basket—Set grabs it and flies with it. If we used that, I think we could travel much faster. What do you say?"
"Through... the sky? Us?"
The words coming from Rei's mouth were clearly something Zai hadn't anticipated at all.
He asked with visible trepidation.
For Rei, riding Set through the sky was a routine mode of travel, and he had used the Set Basket more than once or twice.
That was why he nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"To be precise, it's not that you'd fly—Zai, you and the others would get into a large basket, and Set would grab it and carry you."
"Impossible."
Hearing the explanation, Zai rejected it flatly.
"Huh?" Rei looked at him, puzzled and surprised.
He hadn't expected Zai to shoot down his idea so decisively.
"We are creatures that run on the earth. That being the case, if we were to take to the sky, there's no telling what might happen. ...It's entirely possible we could die from an unexpected shock."
"That's..."
No matter how he looked at it, that seemed impossible.
That was what Rei thought—but it was something only he could think.
If the Centaurs of this world truly had such a trait, then taking to the sky would be tantamount to suicide.
Rather than take such a risk, running along the ground was the clear choice.
"Understood. If you say so, Zai, then I'll leave it at that."
"Appreciated. When it comes to running the earth, I won't lose to anyone—but flying through the sky is something I'd avoid at all costs. ...So then, about where you'll be sleeping, Rei..."
"Ah, don't worry about that. I have some business to attend to tonight."
"...Business? But going out into the grassland at night is... no, with your abilities, Rei, it shouldn't be a problem."
The nighttime grassland was prime territory for all manner of animals, monsters, and Bandits to roam.
Even the Centaurs of this settlement didn't venture outside so easily after dark.
...That said, Rei was someone who could incinerate nearly every Dragonia in a single strike.
It was certain that no matter what came at him, he could handle it with ease.
If anything, Rei welcomed the prospect of Bandits and the like attacking him.
It would be the perfect chance to unleash his true talents as the Bandit Eater.
The presence of monsters was also welcome, in the sense that any information about them would help him understand this world better.
"Right. I'll stay here tomorrow night, but tonight and during the day tomorrow I have things to take care of, so plan accordingly."
At Rei's words, Zai nodded firmly.