"Hmm. So Elena was the first one you went to see."
A small eatery located a short distance from the clinic.
To be more precise, it was better described as a café, and Rei was in the middle of a conversation with Marina.
He had used this same shop the last time he came to visit Marina, but there weren't many customers today.
...Then again, given the time of day, most people would normally be at work, so it was only natural.
If a little more time passed, there was a high chance that customers would start gathering here seeking lunch.
But in that mostly empty shop, Rei was at a loss for how to respond to Marina sitting right in front of him.
(I went to Marina's house, but she wasn't there? ...No, that's not even an excuse.)
Rei knew full well that Marina worked at the clinic. It went without saying that at this hour, she wouldn't be at home—she'd be working at the clinic.
Knowing that, the fact that Rei had gone straight to Marina's house made it obvious that he had gone to see Elena first.
What could he possibly say to Marina, sitting there before him?
As he hesitated over what to do...
"Hehe, it's fine already."
Marina suddenly said that with a smile.
She had been smiling before too, but this smile was different—it was a genuine one.
Seeing that smile, Rei realized he had been teased.
In other words, Marina hadn't actually been angry up until now.
"Don't startle me like that."
"My, but while I'm forgiving you today, if something like this happens again, I can't guarantee I'll let it slide, you know?"
"Urk, th-that's..."
Rei found himself at a loss for words.
After all, it was an undeniable fact that he had gone to see Marina last.
...That said, since he hadn't met with Byune yet, it wasn't truly the very last.
However, the fact that he had gone to see her after both Elena and Vihera was indisputable.
Though in Elena's case it was one thing, Vihera had come to the other world of her own accord, so grouping her together with Elena and Marina seemed questionable.
"Anyway, I'm glad you're safe. I figured you'd be fine knowing you, but I couldn't say for certain."
Hearing Marina's words, Rei realized he had caused her worry and spoke up.
"Sorry for making you worry."
"My, rather than apologizing, I'd be much happier if you just thanked me for worrying about you, you know?"
"You're right. I'm glad you were worried about me. Thank you."
"...Very good."
Perhaps she hadn't expected him to respond so honestly, because Marina looked slightly flustered as she said it.
Rei had no idea why Marina would be embarrassed, though.
(They say a woman's heart is like the autumn sky, but this is exactly what they mean. Even though it's summer right now.)
He thought about that while sipping the fruit water on the table.
Seeing Rei's expression, a now-composed Marina opened her mouth to speak.
"So, what will you do now? Will you be over there for a while longer?"
"Yeah. I need to do something about the Dragonias...and I have to find Anastasia and Fana too."
"I see."
Marina murmured briefly at Rei's words.
From Marina's perspective, Anastasia was her kin.
Strictly speaking, elves and dark elves were different, but they were undeniably closely related races.
Because of that, Marina likely harbored a desire to rescue Anastasia if at all possible.
"Then it sounds like the Expansion Construction will get busier without you around, at least until things over there are settled."
"It will. Though, since I ultimately need to find the Dragonias' true headquarters, there isn't much for me to actually do while I'm over there. I think I'll be able to come back here periodically."
In reality, there wasn't a whole lot Rei could do at the Centaur settlement in the other world.
It would amount to having mock battles with the warriors among the Centaurs who actually went out to fight, or hunting some kind of animal or monster for food together with Set.
...In truth, both of those things were incredibly helpful to the Centaurs.
Having mock battles with Rei, who possessed the strength to overwhelm Dragonias, would naturally give them an edge when fighting Dragonias as well.
That said, there were obvious differences in build and fighting style between Rei and Dragonias, so fighting Rei wouldn't directly translate to an advantage against Dragonias.
And on the food front, that would help in an even more direct way than the mock battles.
Due to the Dragonias' influence, more and more Centaurs were gathering from other settlements, which naturally meant they needed more food.
...In that sense, holding a feast and slaughtering livestock when Rei's group returned had probably been premature.
Though at the time, they had judged that there would be no more Dragonias attacks.
They never imagined that the place Rei and the others had destroyed wasn't the headquarters.
In that sense as well, having Rei and Set bring back food was extremely appreciated by the Centaurs.
Marina didn't fully understand all of those circumstances, but she nodded at Rei's explanation anyway.
"I see. I'd actually like to go over there myself if I could...but given how things are at the clinic right now, it would be difficult."
"Are there still a lot of injured patients?"
"It'd be more accurate to say that now that summer has arrived in full force, they've been increasing."
"Because of summer?"
"Yes. The heat makes people lose focus, which leads to accidents...things like that. And besides that, the irritation from the heat causes more brawls too."
At Marina's words, Rei recalled a TV program he had seen back in Japan.
A police special that was frequently broadcast during the summer.
It wasn't as though crime necessarily increased just because it got hotter.
Well, maybe it actually did, but Rei didn't really have that impression.
He also thought it might be because summer vacation gave people free time, drawing out those inclined toward crime.
...For better or worse, the town in Tohoku where Rei had lived in Japan was rural enough that he never encountered anything like that.
"Why not just use your Spirit Magic to cool down all of Gilm? ...Would that be too difficult?"
"Not difficult—impossible. What do you think I am?"
Marina told him in an exasperated tone, but from Rei's perspective, she was someone who could manage most things with Spirit Magic.
It was only natural for him to think that she might actually be able to cool down all of Gilm.
If that were possible, it would draw even more people to Gilm.
And not just ordinary residents, but nobles...even the associates of high-ranking nobles like marquises and dukes, or in some cases the heads of those houses themselves, wouldn't find it strange to visit.
After all, if it was cool in summer...and if something like that were possible, there was no reason it couldn't also be warm in winter.
(Well, if that ever happened, I imagine it would cause a huge uproar over Marina.)
Even now, if the true extent of Marina's Spirit Magic prowess became known, there were no few people who would want it by any means necessary.
The reason none of them dared to act carelessly was largely because Marina had long-standing ties with Daskar and his family, was a former Guild Master, and had been a formidable adventurer before taking on the role of Guild Master.
Also, the fact that she was a companion of Rei, Bearer of the Crimson Moniker, served as a significant deterrent.
It was widely known that Rei showed no mercy to nobles.
When asked if anyone wanted to make an enemy of such a person...under normal circumstances, no one would say yes.
"I only thought you could do it because I know how skilled you are."
"It's absolutely impossible. Even if I could manage it, it would last mere seconds...maybe a few minutes if I pushed myself, but that's about what I'd expect."
Once my Spirit Magic improves a bit more, I might be able to sustain it for tens of minutes, though.
Marina added that at the end.
It wasn't a wishful thought that things would turn out that way—it was a statement made with absolute conviction.
"Is it that Spirit Magic is amazing, or that you're amazing...?"
"Both."
Marina stated that plainly with a confident expression.
There was something about Marina in that moment that possessed a charm capable of captivating Rei's gaze.
However, thinking it would be unwise to let a strange atmosphere develop in a place like this, Rei changed the subject.
"Anyway, I probably won't be able to come back here very often until things over there are resolved."
"I suppose so. If you want to save Anastasia and the others, that would be for the best. ...It'll be a little lonely, but I'll manage."
Marina said that with a smile, radiating an intensely feminine allure.
In fact, among a pair of apparent lovers in their twenties sitting a short distance away, the man was so captivated by Marina that...naturally, his partner wasn't amused. She stomped hard on his foot under the table, making him cry out in pain.
"What was that?"
"Who knows?"
Unaware that they had sparked a lovers' quarrel among strangers, Rei and Marina both looked puzzled.
After they continued talking for about ten minutes, someone suddenly entered the shop.
Normally, they wouldn't have paid it any mind and kept talking.
But when the person who walked in was someone who worked at the clinic, that was a different story.
Especially when the woman hurried straight toward Marina.
"Did something happen?"
Marina wasn't entirely pleased about having her time with Rei interrupted, but seeing the serious expression on the approaching woman's face, she could tell this wasn't a visit born of mere curiosity.
And sure enough, the woman spoke quickly, as if in a rush.
"A patient has been brought into the clinic. ...A severely injured one. Construction materials fell from above and struck them."
"Understood."
Marina's expression had already shifted from that of a woman in love with Rei to that of someone who used Recovery Magic at the clinic.
"Rei, sorry, but..."
"Yeah, don't worry about it. I was about to head out of Gilm anyway."
"Take care."
Whether it was because they were in public or because she had some other thought in mind, Rei couldn't tell.
But rather than his lips, Marina gave him a light kiss on the cheek before leaving the shop with the woman who had come to fetch her.
That scene apparently sparked another commotion among the quarreling couple from earlier, but Rei paid it no mind as he rose from his chair and settled the bill.
Since it was the kind of shop that couples frequented, rather than paying for each order individually like at a tavern, payment was made all at once at the end.
He also bought a few baked sweets for Set while he was at it.
...That said, Ara had left some baked sweets for Set earlier, so these wouldn't be for now but rather for tonight.
Baked sweets made by a cook employed by a noble, and baked sweets sold in a shop.
Naturally, there was a considerable difference in flavor between the two.
Even if these shop-bought sweets would normally taste delicious to Set, the memory of the previous sweets would overshadow their true flavor.
That would be far too wasteful.
Leaving the shop and heading toward the clinic—more accurately, toward where Set was—Rei found that quite a crowd had gathered in front of the clinic, unlike when he had been there earlier.
However, they hadn't gathered for treatment. They were likely there out of concern for whoever was inside.
(It seems like the injured person isn't just some day laborer, but someone people genuinely look up to.)
Rei was slightly curious about that individual, but he couldn't stay in Gilm forever.
He needed to return to the other world and check on how the search for the Dragonias headquarters was progressing.
If things were truly dangerous, he considered using his own potions, but quickly shook his head.
With Marina's Spirit Magic available, his own potions probably weren't necessary.
Having made that judgment...Rei headed toward where Set was waiting.