"Thanks, Grimm. You saved me."
"Do not fret over it. Without Set, your abilities cannot be fully unleashed, correct? If so, then Set would naturally be necessary when coming to this world as well."
"Gruu."
Grimm responded to Rei's words, and Set, who had been transported from the surface to the grassland world through Grimm's power, cried out happily.
He was simply that overjoyed to have been able to come to this world again alongside Rei.
"Yeah. In my case, it's only with Set that I'm complete... or is that slightly off? 'Able to perform at my best' would be more accurate?"
"Foh foh foh. Well, I am well aware of such circumstances. A being created through Beast Magic becomes an invaluable partner to the one who created it, after all."
Grimm's words carried a strong persuasive power, born precisely from his firsthand knowledge of the Beast Magic that Zephyle and his clan had created.
Rei also knew that Grimm admired Zephyle, so he simply nodded without pressing the matter further and changed the subject.
"By the way, what happened with the Dragonias situation? Did you find out anything from investigating it?"
"Regrettably, I have not learned much. The scales deteriorating so rapidly is particularly painful, especially since those were what I was most curious about."
"...Is that true?"
The words that came from Grimm's mouth were completely unexpected to Rei.
He wore an expression of surprise and pressed Grimm for confirmation.
But Grimm nodded in affirmation.
"Umu. The scales deteriorate after only a few hours pass. Whether that happens because of the time elapsed after death, or because they were brought to our world, I cannot say."
Rei pondered Grimm's words.
If the deterioration occurred with the passage of time, then storing the corpses in his Misty Ring would mean he did not need to worry about the scales degrading.
But if that was the case, would the Dragonias corpse he had left with Daskar also suffer the same deterioration?
For Rei, the only saving grace was that if Dragonias scales deteriorated that rapidly, he would not need to worry about fire-resistant armor or similar Magic Items being developed from them.
Of course, that was not entirely to Rei's benefit.
Since fire was an effective means of attack, both monsters and humans employed it frequently.
Because of that, if Dragonias scales could serve as a countermeasure against such attacks, the adventurers and soldiers of Gilm would not have to worry much about fire-inflicted injuries in any future battles.
"You need not worry much about that."
When Rei voiced his thoughts, Grimm replied thus.
What those words actually meant, Rei did not know.
He did not know, but given the current situation, he decided to simply accept it for the time being.
"By the way, yesterday I came back the same day, so I managed to return safely. But this time I don't plan to come back for about fifteen days. When that happens, is there any way for you to find this hidden hole?"
"Hmm, I see. In that case, you should use the Paired Orbs. If you use them, I too will be able to sense when you and Set have returned."
"Ah, I see."
Now that he thought about it, it was remarkably simple.
With that in mind, he confirmed whether the Paired Orbs would function in this world as a precaution.
Since Magic Items like his Misty Ring, the Twilight Spear, and Death Scythe had all worked, logically speaking, they should be usable.
However, Rei still understood almost nothing about this world.
Given that, it would not be strange if, under certain circumstances, only the Paired Orbs turned out to be unusable.
That said, when he tried them, they worked perfectly fine. Rei told Grimm that he would use the Paired Orbs whenever returning to the other world—not just in fifteen days—then straddled Set's back.
"Alright, I'm off. ...By the way, the cover story is that I'm using a Magic Item I obtained by chance to fix this hole in place, so it would help if you could prepare something that looks the part."
"Coming to me with this now, of all times."
Grimm spoke with a slightly exasperated air, but even so, in the next moment he nodded with a resigned expression.
"I shall prepare a plausible Magic Item for now. When you have settled the Dragonias matter and returned to this world, I will hand it over."
"Sorry about this."
"You did give me Dragonias corpses, after all. However... if you wish to show your gratitude, I would like you to prepare Dragonias corpses other than the red-scaled ones next time."
"Well, but... you said the material might not be usable, right?"
"I do not mind. If I know they possess such a property, it is not as though there are no ways to counteract it."
Seeing Grimm speak with such confidence, Rei decided to accept it at face value.
After all, it was entirely believable that Grimm could manage something of that sort.
"Understood. It'll be a bit difficult, but I'll secure as many as I can."
What Rei planned to do was annihilate the Dragonias main force all at once with Fire Whirlwind.
Naturally, if he did such a thing, the red-scaled Dragonias with their strong resistance to fire would be another matter entirely, but Dragonias with scales of other colors would be burned to death.
...However, if there were any lucky Dragonias that did not accidentally come into contact with the rampaging Fire Whirlwind, the possibility of obtaining non-red-scaled Dragonias corpses remained.
Additionally, beyond Grimm's request, Rei honestly wanted to secure as many Dragonias corpses as possible, given the high likelihood they could be put to some use.
"Umu, I leave it to you."
After exchanging those brief words, Rei finally asked Set to take flight.
Grimm, who had been watching over Rei and Set, eventually gave a small nod, concealed the hole, and returned to Elgin.
"Oh, I can see it. It's down there."
From atop Set's back, Rei felt relieved to see a settlement on the ground.
There was the possibility that Dragonias might come again so soon after yesterday, but... more than anything, Rei was relieved simply because they had managed to arrive at the settlement safely.
Without any sign of getting lost, Set had flown straight to the Centaur settlement.
"Gururu."
Hearing Rei's mutter, Set purred proudly.
Normally, it was not something to be so proud of, but both Rei and Set were self-aware enough to know they were slightly directionally challenged.
That was exactly why Set was happy about having arrived at the settlement so smoothly.
"Thanks. We made it safely thanks to you."
Saying that, Rei stroked Set's neck right in front of him.
Pleased by the gesture, Set descended toward the settlement while flapping its wings.
...The fact that it landed outside the settlement rather than dropping directly into it was probably a habit carried over from Elgin.
That said, many of the Centaurs in the settlement were startled by Set's appearance.
Those who could recognize Rei and Set—the pair who had saved the settlement yesterday—were not particularly alarmed, but for those unable to identify them in the moment, it was only natural to be startled by someone suddenly descending from the sky.
Especially given the ongoing threat of the Dragonias, telling them not to be on guard would have been unreasonable.
Still, once sharp-eyed companions told them it was Rei and Set, those who rejoiced at their return became the majority.
Rei dismounted from Set's back after it landed on the ground, and together they headed toward the Centaur settlement.
Naturally, a large number of people had gathered in the settlement, having heard the commotion.
Since there had been a Dragonias attack just yesterday, this prompt response was only to be expected.
Among those gathered were familiar faces.
Zai, who possessed among the greatest strength in the Centaur tribe and held a position leading the warriors.
Dratt, son of the Chief Drum, who also boasted among the greatest strength.
Granted, while his ability was on par with Zai's, Dratt fell a step behind when it came to charisma.
"Rei."
Rei's name came from the mouths of both Zai and Dratt.
But even though both called his name, the emotions behind them were exact opposites.
Zai looked genuinely happy to see Rei, while Dratt's expression was thick with bitterness.
Looking at the two of them, it required no thought to understand what kind of feelings each held toward Rei.
That said, unlike when Rei had first come to this settlement, the current Dratt had no intention of trying anything against him.
It was a fact that Rei had repelled the Dragonias through his own strength, and above all, the gap in their abilities had been made painfully clear at that time.
He found Rei's presence disagreeable, but if it benefited the settlement, he would tolerate it.
That was Dratt's judgment.
"Did I keep you waiting? I think I'm right on time, same as what I mentioned yesterday."
"Yeah. Right on time. However... a problem has come up on our end."
"A problem?"
"Yes. Many are insisting they want to accompany you."
"...That's unexpected."
Zai's words were nothing short of surprising to Rei.
This endeavor—launching a surprise attack on the Dragonias main force and annihilating them—honestly carried considerable danger.
Whether Fire Whirlwind could truly kill the Dragonias.
And even if it could, the red-scaled Dragonias could not be killed by magic, meaning they would have to be taken down by non-magical means.
And while Centaurs were strong enough to be called the lords of the grasslands, when it came to individual quality, the Dragonias were stronger.
Under such circumstances, why would they want to accompany Rei?
"This is, first and foremost, our problem. Lending only your strength to settle the cause while we do nothing and stay silent—our pride will not permit that."
I see, Rei thought.
Hearing that, Rei recalled that Centaurs were indeed that kind of race.
Since they had only just met, he could not claim to understand everything about them.
But even so, considering the current situation, understanding the Centaurs' nature was not difficult.
Furthermore, if the Centaurs only had the kind of strength that would hold Rei back, he could have refused outright.
However, Rei had seen with his own eyes that in the single area of speed and agility, the Centaurs surpassed the Dragonias.
In that regard, even if they could not win outright, they could at least draw the enemy's attention and serve as decoys.
Above all, the Dragonias were starving.
If a substantial, satisfying meal like a Centaur was before them, hunger would drive them to attack.
Compared to a Centaur, Rei was small and had less to eat.
Of course, if Rei attacked them, the Dragonias would fight back.
"I understand your position. But you can't empty this settlement of all its combat power, right?"
Yesterday's Dragonias aside, there was no guarantee that other Dragonias wouldn't come while Rei was heading toward where the main force was stationed.
In that case, without any guards, there was a real possibility that every living soul in the settlement would be devoured.
Zai must have understood that as well. He nodded to Rei's words as though it were obvious.
"Indeed. That is exactly why we were in the middle of deciding who to dispatch. That was when you arrived..."
"Decide how, exactly?"
"Simply by strength."
When Rei asked for details, it turned out they had been holding something like a small martial arts tournament.
Those who placed highly in the tournament would go with Rei.
...Furthermore, both Zai and Dratt were apparently still winning their matches at the moment.
(Zai is one thing, but I didn't expect Dratt to be participating too.)
Rei knew full well that Dratt disliked him.
That was why the fact that Dratt was participating in a martial arts tournament to determine who would travel with him was completely unexpected.
There was no doubt that Dratt disliked Rei, but in this case, it was a different matter.
Even though he disliked Rei, leaving the entire burden of defeating the Dragonias to him was something Dratt could not accept.
...Naturally, given Dratt's personality, he would absolutely never say so to Rei's face.
"I understand the situation. Then for now, hurry up and decide who's coming with me. Just keep in mind that if there are too many of us, there's a chance of being spotted by the Dragonias while we're on the move, so keep the numbers small."
With those words from Rei, the selection ratio for those who could accompany him grew even steeper... and the participants in the martial arts tournament steeled their resolve.