Having left the Lord's Manor, Rei walked through the town alongside Set, who was as satisfied as ever from the food the Cook had given him in the courtyard.
"Now then, what should we do next? Go shopping, I suppose?"
"That's right. There are all sorts of things I want to buy, so if I think about it, I'd like to get them now."
Nielson's voice came from inside the Dragon Robe in response to Rei's words.
For Nielson, the time to shop was when the opportunity presented itself.
Since Rei had the Misty Ring, there was no risk of cold dishes warming up or hot dishes cooling down.
That was exactly why she wanted to get her shopping done now.
"Right. We still have time, and I want to grab some lunch too."
It was currently a little past noon.
That meant they needed to find a place to eat.
"Nielson, lunch first, then shopping. At this hour, the lunch rush should be over, so there shouldn't be many customers."
"Lunch? Sure, but what are we having? Wait, can I eat too?"
Nielson asked, clearly intrigued by Rei's mention of lunch.
They had bought skewers yesterday, but the wolves had eaten those.
They had purchased various other things as well, but the only proper food had been the skewers. The rest was mostly baked goods and trinkets.
Because of that, Nielson was naturally curious about what kind of food she could eat here.
"Let's see. Ideally, a restaurant with a private room would be best."
It went without saying that a private room was for letting Nielson out of the Dragon Robe.
At an ordinary diner, there would naturally be other customers, so setting Nielson free was out of the question.
If she did something like that, it would not be surprising if all of Gilm was thrown into an uproar.
For that reason, letting Nielson roam free required a restaurant with private rooms, even if it meant a somewhat upscale establishment...
"The problem is that restaurants with private rooms tend to be high-end places that only operate at night."
"Ehh... then what about me?"
She sounded dissatisfied, yet she remained in good spirits despite the midsummer sun and the heat of the near-noon hour, not sweating at all and staying perfectly comfortable.
To Nielson, the inside of the Dragon Robe was an incredibly comfortable place.
So much so that she would happily live there if she could.
"Not all restaurants are like that. Worst case, we can buy food and eat at Marina's house. Elena and Ara should be there right now too. Ah, though they might be meeting with nobles who requested an audience."
Elena had originally had a number of tasks she should have taken care of yesterday as well.
She had still spent the day with Rei because none of those matters had been particularly urgent.
But as a result, she was naturally busier today than usual.
"Gurururu..."
Hearing Rei and Nielson's conversation, Set let out a disappointed purr.
It went without saying, but Set, whose body length exceeded three meters, could not simply walk into an ordinary shop.
...If he tried, the door would undoubtedly break.
That was why Set gazed enviously at the conversation between Rei and Nielson.
"Sorry, Set. In exchange, how about we make tonight's dinner a little fancier? Nielson's here with us, after all."
"Gruu?"
At Rei's words, Set purred happily, as if asking, "Really?"
"Really? Then I get to eat delicious food too!"
Not just Set, but Nielson also cried out in delight...
"Set-chan, long time no see! ...Huh? Didn't I just hear a strange voice?"
Mirene had appeared at almost the exact same moment Nielson spoke, which meant she had likely heard the joyful exclamation that came from Nielson's mouth inside Rei's Dragon Robe.
Reacting to Mirene, Rei reflexively pinned Nielson down through the Dragon Robe and spoke.
"Huh? There are quite a few people around. Maybe the voice came from that direction?"
Mirene frowned at Rei's words, but...
"Gruu?"
When Set purred as if to ask, "What's wrong?", the question vanished from Mirene's mind in an instant.
For Mirene, Set was her top priority.
...In that sense, it was perhaps fortunate that the one who heard Nielson's voice was Mirene.
(Though, considering Mirene's position, I'm not sure if that's actually for the best.)
Mirene was an adventurer in Gilm—not one of the crowd that had swelled with the Expansion Construction, but in the truest sense, she was rumored to be a promising young talent among Gilm's adventurers.
Setting aside irregular existences like Rei, she was undeniably top-class among the younger generation by conventional standards.
For someone like her to be this obsessed with Set was, frankly, a bit questionable.
...Though as Set's partner, Rei felt that having someone love Set that much was a welcome thing.
"It's fine to dote on Set, but what about your work? Don't come crying to me if you get hit with a staff again."
Surnin—Mirene's companion and the person who could be called her External Conscience.
The fellow member of Scorching Wind had the role of beating sense into Mirene, quite literally, when she did something unnecessary.
Hearing Surnin's name, Mirene reflexively shielded her head.
That was likely proof of how many times she had been struck by him up until now.
If it were meaningless violence, Mirene would not have simply taken the blows; she would have fought back.
But Mirene understood that she was in the wrong, so part of her accepted being struck by Surnin as unavoidable.
That was why she quietly took his hits as tough love.
...The fact that she still could not bring herself to stop doting on Set, however, was proof of just how deeply Set's presence had taken root within her.
"So, the fact that you're here to see Set—how's your work going today?"
"I-it's pretty much done, okay? So don't go calling Surnin."
Looking at Mirene's demeanor, it did not seem like she was telling the truth at all.
For one thing, it was still just past noon.
At this hour, Rei could not honestly believe her work was finished.
...Of course, given that Scorching Wind was an excellent party, the possibility that they had genuinely finished their requests in the morning alone could not be entirely ruled out.
Even so, the reason he could not simply take her word for it was Mirene's personality.
"If you say so, Mirene, I'll believe you. But if Surnin shows up, I'm telling him exactly what you just said, alright?"
Mirene flinched at Rei's words, but whether she truly lacked confidence in her own claim or simply prioritized playing with Set above all else, she said nothing more.
(No matter how I look at it, it feels like the latter.)
Knowing Mirene's personality, that was what he couldn't help but think.
When they first met, she had given the impression of being quite a sharp individual... what on earth happened to make her like this? Rei, thinking that, could hardly be blamed.
Though it was also true that it was precisely because Mirene had grown so devoted to Set that Rei was able to build a friendly relationship with Scorching Wind, a party considered promising among Gilm's younger generation.
Had that not been the case, Rei and Scorching Wind would never have built the relationship they had now.
Rei had made a name for himself immediately upon arriving in Gilm, earning an alias within a few years and becoming known not only throughout Gilm but across the entire Kingdom of Mireana... and possibly even the surrounding nations.
No matter how skilled Scorching Wind was among the younger generation, they were still within the bounds of common sense.
...Well, that common sense was Gilm's common sense, not the common sense of everywhere else.
In any case, under normal circumstances, Mirene would not have proactively approached an irregular existence like Rei.
"Hey, Rei. What's with that person? We're going to eat, right? Let's go already."
From inside the Dragon Robe, Nielson protested.
For Nielson, human food was endlessly fascinating.
...Among the fairies who had been playing pranks in the Treant Forest, there were some who had secretly stolen and eaten the bento boxes of Woodcutters and Adventurers.
After hearing them boast about how incredibly delicious the food was, Nielson had become interested in human cooking.
In fact, the baked goods she had eaten in Gilm yesterday had been so delicious that she had bought a fair amount for herself. ...Though most of it had ended up being eaten by other fairies.
For that reason, Mirene, who had interfered with the lunch she was supposed to share with Rei, was someone Nielson could not forgive.
She even considered playing a prank to drive Mirene away, but sensing this, Rei pressed down on Nielson's body through the Dragon Robe.
When it came to Set, Mirene exhibited extraordinary focus—strength that exceeded even her own abilities.
On top of that, since she was skilled enough to be called a capable adventurer in Gilm, she could easily handle a mere prank... and it would not be strange for her to deduce that the culprit was Nielson hiding inside Rei's Dragon Robe.
"Hey..."
"Stop it."
Rei murmured, his tone firm but instructive.
The existence of fairies had to be kept hidden as much as possible.
He could not afford to risk exposure over something so foolish.
(Fortunately, the restaurant I'm heading to isn't far from here. Alright, I'll leave Set in Mirene's care.)
Since Set could not go inside the restaurant, he would naturally have to wait outside.
That meant Set would be on his own.
Of course, with Set around, various people would come to dote on him, so he probably would not get lonely.
"Mirene."
"What?"
Mirene replied without stopping petting Set... she did not even bother turning her face toward Rei.
Normally, being treated like that would be reason enough to feel offended, but having known Mirene for some time, Rei knew this was par for the course. Without appearing bothered by her attitude at all, he spoke.
"I haven't had lunch yet. I'm going to grab a bite to eat, so could you keep Set company while I do?"
"Leave it to me."
Mirene accepted Rei's request without a moment's hesitation.
It was not as though she heard his words, thought about it, and then nodded. Rather, she heard his words and nodded instantly.
She seemed far more fixated on Set than usual, but while Rei and Set had been away in the otherworld, Mirene had naturally not had the chance to play with Set at her leisure.
In that sense, this whole situation was something she was genuinely happy about.
"Alright then, Set. Play with Mirene for a while."
"Gruu!"
At Rei's words, Set purred happily as if to say he understood.
For Set, not being able to stay with Rei was disappointing, but since Mirene would keep him company while Rei was gone, he could endure it.
To Set, Mirene was someone who doted on him, and he held affection for her.
Since he would be with someone like that, he was glad he would not have to spend the time feeling lonely.
"I'm counting on you, then. I'll be back in a bit."
"Take your time."
When Rei returned, they would head somewhere together with Set.
Knowing that, Mirene was happier if Rei took his time.
Understanding Mirene's reasoning, Rei gave a light wave and headed toward a nearby restaurant.
It was a place that served fairly high-end food at night, with a high threshold for the workers who had come to Gilm seeking employment in the Expansion Construction.
However, it was known as a spot where one could eat lunch at a relatively affordable price—though still about fifty percent more expensive than an ordinary diner.
People of standing also patronized the establishment, and in such cases, they could rent a private room for an additional fee.
Naturally, it was impossible for an ordinary person to rent a private room, but Rei was famous as an Alias Holder and was in a position where he could use one.
"Welcome."
Upon entering the restaurant, there were not many customers, likely because the rush had already passed.
At first, Rei thought that maybe he did not need a private room after all, but then reasoned that if Nielson caused a commotion in her excitement, a private room would indeed be necessary. And so, he asked the Hobbyist Shop Owner to let him use one.