"So... what's the plan?"
Zai asked once it was just the two of them, looking somewhat relieved.
He had seen with his own eyes what happened when Rei destroyed a Dragonias base, but within this Reconnaissance Unit, he was the only one who knew that. Which was exactly why he understood that if word got out a Dragonias base had actually been found, the other Centaurs would be shaken.
Because he had witnessed Rei laying waste to a base firsthand, Zai knew it could be done as a matter of course... but the others were different. Though they had joined this Reconnaissance Unit, for many of them, Dragonias were still something that could only be called a symbol of vicious death.
Even if Rei said he could destroy them, words alone were hard to believe. In that case—Rei spoke without hesitation.
"It's simple. We just need to show that Dragonias are formidable enemies, but not invincible. From what I've seen, there are guys in this unit who fear Dragonias more than necessary. Even though Centaurs alone should be able to kill a few of them. I wonder why that is?"
That was something Rei genuinely found puzzling. There was no doubt that Dragonias were ferocious enemies to the Centaurs. But the Centaurs had once been called Ruler of the Plains, so their combat ability was by no means low. They couldn't win one-on-one, but fighting cooperatively with their companions, they could win—Rei had seen that with his own eyes, and the Centaurs themselves should have known and experienced it.
And yet, why did they fear Dragonias this much? More than necessary?
(As I thought, the biggest problem is that even if they can manage some counterattacks, they're overwhelmingly outmatched overall. A lot of them have this complex that they simply can't win.)
Having been overwhelmed this much—no, continuously overwhelmed—it wasn't strange for the Centaurs to feel that way. Rei could understand that. But if that sense of inferiority wasn't somehow addressed, it could lead to a critical crisis when they fought Dragonias going forward.
And so, what Rei came up with was...
"Why don't I just show them me destroying the base we found? If I do that, that kind of complex should disappear."
"That's..."
At Rei's words, Zai hesitated over what to say.
In truth, ever since he and his companions had witnessed Rei devastating a Dragonias settlement, their complex toward them hadn't completely vanished... but it had definitely lessened. That was an undeniable fact. If the others saw the same sight up close, their fear of Dragonias would probably diminish at least a little.
He thought so, but he also wondered if that was really how it would play out. If they took action in this current situation, there was a possibility some would be shocked in a different way than Zai had been.
"It might be best to at least give it a try. However, I can't force everyone to come. It should only be those who want to. Besides, even heading to an enemy base, we can't bring everyone."
"I suppose not. This campsite is an important location for the Reconnaissance Unit."
Rei nodded in agreement with Zai's words.
After all, if another Reconnaissance Unit—different from the one that had just returned—came back and found no one here, or worse, found it occupied by Dragonias, it would lead to the worst possible outcome. The one saving grace was that the majority of the food the Dragonias needed most was inside Rei's Misty Ring. No matter how much they occupied this campsite, there would be no food here. And if there was no food, there was a good chance the Dragonias, driven by hunger, would simply leave.
"Then we'll head out right away. Select the ones who want to come. We'll also need a guide from the group that just returned."
"Understood, I'll get ready immediately. I imagine quite a few will volunteer, but what should I do in that case?"
"You decide. Besides... I don't think destroying a Dragonias base is going to be a one-time thing. That's just my guess, though."
Zai nodded with a difficult expression.
From his perspective, while he wanted as many people as possible to see it, he also worried that showing it to the wrong people would be too much for them—that it might even become a kind of trauma. Making that judgment himself was surprisingly tough. But as the one leading the reconnaissance unit, he couldn't leave that decision to someone else either.
"Alright, call me when you're ready. I'm going to rest a bit."
From the commotion since last night, Rei was reasonably tired. It wasn't to the point where he absolutely had to rest, but considering he was at least somewhat fatigued, wanting to take it easy was only natural. Given the current situation, there was no telling what might happen at any moment. Under those circumstances, resting when he could was only natural for Rei—or rather, as an Adventurer.
"Got it. I'll come get you when preparations are done. Um... the Magic Tent is the right place, right?"
"Yeah. But if I'm not there, look for Set. Where Set is, I probably am too."
"Understood."
After exchanging those brief words, Rei parted ways with Zai and headed off to rest.
"Guruu!"
"...Hm?"
In front of the Magic Tent. Rei, who had been sleeping propped against Set's prone body, woke to the cry.
Though he had been asleep, it was only lightly. If anyone had approached, he would have woken immediately. Given that, he didn't act groggy. Rei's sleep when on a job as an Adventurer had always been light—so he could respond instantly no matter what happened while he was asleep.
And there, in the direction his gaze went upon waking, was Zai.
How much time had passed since he fell asleep? Rei looked up at the sky, but the sun's position hadn't changed much from before he slept.
(In that case, were the members decided pretty quickly?)
Thinking that, Rei waited for Zai to approach.
"Were you able to sleep?"
"More or less."
Rei's words were no lie. Compared to before he slept, the fatigue in his body was nearly gone. While he wasn't exactly brimming with energy, his sleep deficit had at least been somewhat resolved—that much was certain.
(The sunlight is nice... a nap on these plains would probably feel great.)
Rei thought about such a luxury—something absolutely impossible given the current situation—but ultimately, no matter what he did, he needed to deal with the Dragonias first. That much was certain.
"Well then, let's take the first step toward reclaiming our peaceful days. So, how many ended up coming with me?"
"When I asked for volunteers, there were so many that narrowing it down was hard work."
Zai's words were neither flattery nor exaggeration. They were pure fact.
Everyone already knew Rei was strong. But that was strength as an individual. What the people dispatched from Zai's settlement had described—Rei using Flame Magic to unilaterally devastate large numbers of Dragonias—was something they had not yet seen for themselves. They had only heard stories, and they wanted to witness Rei's power firsthand.
There were far more people who thought that than Rei or Zai had expected. Initially, the two had assumed that while they would put out a call for volunteers, many would be too afraid to actually go with Rei to the Dragonias' lair. In reality, more volunteers came forward than either of them anticipated. Though the only one who struggled with that was Zai, who had to decide who to pick—Rei had been sleeping the whole time and didn't particularly struggle with anything.
"So, is the number settled?"
"Yeah. Those who didn't make the cut this time agreed to go when another base is found later."
"That's reasonable."
Since one base had been found in a single day, it wouldn't be strange for a unit scouting a different direction to find another. The plan was to bring along those who couldn't go this time when that next base was destroyed.
Rei couldn't help but think it was a bit much that they had decided this without consulting him, but since he was ultimately the most suited for destroying bases, what needed to be done wouldn't change. If so, he had no choice but to nod at Zai's proposal.
"Got it. Are the ones heading out ready?"
"...More than them, it'd help if you prepared for the ones staying behind."
Rei was slightly puzzled, but then remembered that food for everyone was stored inside his Misty Ring, and understood. For Rei to leave this campsite and head to the Dragonias base naturally meant that those staying behind would need to secure their own food. The Reconnaissance Unit having returned on their second day meant the base was about half a day's distance away. In other words, while Rei was gone, this campsite would run out of food. For Zai, wanting him to leave provisions behind was only natural.
"Ah... right. We do need to leave food behind."
Rei, having grasped what Zai was getting at, said as much.
That said, ultimately two days' worth—even factoring in reserves in case something happened, three days' worth should be enough.
(No, considering that like the group who came back today, someone else might find a Dragonias headquarters... that's probably a stretch, but they might find another base and come back. Maybe I should leave a bit more to be safe.)
After a moment's thought, he reached that conclusion and got ready immediately. In Rei's case, taking supplies out of the Misty Ring was as simple as willing it, so leaving food behind wasn't any trouble at all.
After finishing a brief discussion with Zai, he pulled four days' worth of food from the Misty Ring to provide some margin, and with that, preparations for departure were complete.
The members heading to the Dragonias base with Rei had finished their own preparations even faster. Naturally—the food and drinking water essential for travel were inside the Misty Ring, and the tents for everyone were already stored in it as well. That left only weapons for the event of a Dragonias encounter... but if they did run into any, with Rei, Vihera, and Set present, there was nothing to worry about. The group's strength was known well enough for everyone to understand that.
Which was why their preparations had been finished so quickly.
"Twenty people in the end, huh... I have my doubts about bringing this many along."
Originally, about thirty had remained at this campsite. About ten newly joined Centaurs had arrived, and the ones who found the base and returned numbered five. Thinking of it that way, twenty wasn't that big a difference—or so Rei tried to convince himself. That was nearly half the people at the campsite, but for now he decided to overlook it.
"No, no matter how you slice it, isn't that too many? I figured about ten, with the rest going next time."
Unable to let it go after all, he said as much to Zai.
But Zai simply bowed his head apologetically.
"Sorry. Even this is half."
"Half... meaning originally, just about everyone intended to go?"
Rei's expression of exasperation was only natural.
(Huh? Didn't these guys fear Dragonias? So wasn't the whole point of going to show them me destroying a Dragonias settlement... well, whatever.)
If their fighting spirit—or rather, hostility toward Dragonias was strong, that wasn't a bad thing for Rei. What had caused such a sudden shift, he had no idea. But it was easier to fight alongside the combative than the fearful.
Making that judgment, Rei said nothing more and headed toward the gathering place where the members bound for the base had assembled.