"Phew, that was delicious."
"Yeah... burp."
As Rei muttered upon stepping out of the restaurant, Nielson agreed from inside the Dragon Robe.
She sounded slightly miserable, though—probably from eating too much.
For someone barely the size of a palm, Nielson had ended up consuming far more food than Rei had anticipated.
The dish Rei had suggested—plain udon topped with stir-fried fruit, meat, and vegetables—must have been particularly to her liking. She'd somehow managed to polish off an entire serving.
In terms of sheer mass, she had eaten more than her own body weight, yet she only seemed mildly uncomfortable rather than in genuine distress.
Rei had eaten overwhelmingly more by volume, but as a ratio to body size, Nielson had him beat.
Naturally, Nielson had eaten the udon with her bare hands as well, leaving herself quite a mess—which meant Rei had to wipe her down with a damp cloth.
He couldn't help wondering why he was going to such lengths, but as long as Nielson's hiding place was inside the Dragon Robe, leaving her dirty would ultimately mean the Dragon Robe itself would get soiled.
That was why he did it, but there was no denying it was a hassle.
"At any rate, don't go throwing up from overeating. Just sleep quietly."
"Fine, fine..."
The food had been made by humans—and not just something thrown together by amateurs, but dishes crafted with real skill by a professional cook using carefully selected ingredients.
Naturally, it was more than enough to satisfy Nielson.
Having eaten well past her limits, her voice as she replied from inside the Dragon Robe was languid.
With a full stomach, she probably just wanted to sleep right now.
Fortunately, the interior of the Dragon Robe was comfortable thanks to its Magic Item properties.
Even now, under direct sunlight in the middle of a midsummer afternoon, it provided the perfect environment for Nielson to sleep.
...Even so, sleeping inside the Dragon Robe while Rei walked would normally be rough, but for Nielson, that much was apparently no problem at all.
So, letting Nielson rest inside the Dragon Robe, Rei surveyed the area outside the restaurant... and spotted a place where a large crowd had gathered.
As he headed in that direction, the people there—those who had been doting on Set—cleared a path for him.
Because they loved Set, they understood exactly who Set loved most.
They could never bring themselves to interrupt Set and Rei's reunion and make Set sad.
...That the majority of people thought this way was fortunate for both sides.
If someone had prioritized playing with Set above all else and tried to keep Rei and Set apart, they would unquestionably have been driven off by Set himself.
Seeing Set being petted and hugged by several people... Rei suddenly noticed that Mirene was nowhere among them.
"Huh? Where's Mirene? I thought she was here."
"Ah, Mirene-san, she... Surnin came and..."
A woman who had been stroking Set's body with an entranced expression said somewhat awkwardly.
She didn't even need to finish. The mere mention of Surnin's name was enough for Rei to understand what had happened.
(So something did happen, as expected.)
From Mirene's attitude whenever Surnin was mentioned, Rei had already guessed she'd probably done something.
He had assumed her claim about finishing her work was true based on her demeanor, so he hadn't pressed further... but Surnin's appearance led him to surmise that she had either lied about being done, or had claimed she was finished when she was actually still in the middle of it.
That said, since it was another party's internal matter, he wasn't going to pry any deeper.
Above all, knowing Mirene, it was a safe bet she would reappear before Rei—more accurately, before Set—before long, acting as though nothing had happened.
"I see, got it. ...Well, sorry, but Set and I need to get going, so please stop playing with him for now. Set, let's go."
"Gruu."
At Rei's words, Set purred apologetically to the people around him and stood up.
Even while looking apologetic, the fact that he didn't hesitate to move to Rei's side was very much in character for Set.
"Alright, let's head home while we can. ...Elena and the others should be there too."
"Gruu!"
Perhaps because he knew he'd get to see Ielo, Set purred happily.
Several of the bystanders understood exactly who Rei meant when he said the name Elena.
Of course, Elena wasn't a particularly rare name, so it wouldn't be strange for a few people in Gilm to share it.
But who Rei meant when he said Elena... was obvious without even thinking about it.
Namely, Elena Kerebel... the Princess General.
Anyone who knew of Rei and Elena's relationship would never be foolish enough to make a move on him here.
Even those who didn't understand could read the demeanor of those who did, and so no one tried anything. They simply let him pass.
"Now then, Set... from the looks of it, you got fed quite a variety of things."
"Gruu!"
At Rei's words, Set purred happily.
While Rei and Nielson had been sampling various dishes, Set must have been having an enjoyable time of his own.
...Though honestly, Set probably would have preferred to stay with Rei.
"I did have them prepare a few things for Set at that restaurant too. Want to try them when we get back to Marina's house?"
"Gruu!"
Set had been treated to all sorts of food, but even so, he still wanted to try the delicious dishes Rei had eaten.
At Rei's words, he purred happily.
(Ah, come to think of it, I still have the Daar Wolf's Magic Stone. ...It'll probably be difficult to acquire a new skill given its rank, but I'll feed it to Set later as a dessert and see what happens.)
He had completely forgotten about it yesterday due to one thing and another, but a Magic Stone from an unknown monster was a very important item for Rei.
That being the case, he needed to test it while he still remembered—whether it would grant a new skill, enhance an existing one, or have no effect at all.
"Rei, how about it? Care to stop by for a bit?"
Several food stall owners called out to him, but he brushed them off casually.
He wanted to get back to Marina's house as quickly as possible right now.
(If possible, I'd like to arrive at Marina's house while Nielson is still asleep. Otherwise, there's no telling what kind of mischief she might get up to.)
Nielson was a fairy who pranked instinctively.
Even while inside the Dragon Robe, there was no guarantee she wouldn't try something strange.
If so, reaching Marina's house while Nielson was still asleep would most likely prevent any problems from arising.
It was also true that if Nielson did try something at Marina's house, there was hope that the spirits would manage it somehow.
Rei chatted with Set as he entered the Noble District.
Naturally, with so many people gathered seeking work, security in the Noble District was tight.
In winter, the people in Gilm would return to their respective hometowns, so security wouldn't be quite so strict... but right now it was summer.
Given that, the security was naturally stringent.
Amidst all that...
"Hey, you! Who are you!"
As he walked through the Noble District, a voice suddenly challenged him.
"Huh?"
That bewildered sound escaped Rei's mouth because, as someone who worked in Gilm's Noble District, the man should have naturally known who Rei was—a famous figure.
Anyone working in the Noble District would certainly research that kind of information before starting a job, or be provided with it by their employer.
The latter was especially important. If an adventurer they had hired picked a fight with one employed by another noble—and potentially a noble of higher rank than their own house—at worst, it could bring about their family's downfall.
As a silver lining, this was still the frontier city of Gilm, so the noble family heads themselves wouldn't show up in person... but even so, if a problem occurred, they had to be prepared for the worst possible outcome.
Under such circumstances, the fact that someone had spoken so arrogantly to Rei, of all people—a man famous even within Gilm—was naturally astonishing.
And there were others who were just as surprised.
"W-w-wait, please! That's Rei! Rei! We gave you the information beforehand, didn't we!?"
The ones shouting in a panic were the men who had been working alongside the person who'd called out to Rei.
One of them hurriedly explained to the man, while the others bowed deeply to Rei in apology.
They were probably terrified of what would happen if they angered him.
After all, Rei showed no mercy to those who made enemies of him.
At worst, they could end up with a broken arm or leg... no, getting off with just that would be lucky.
Death Scythe, Rei's signature weapon, could sever a limb without the slightest difficulty.
"...What? That's him? I see. That's why he has a gryphon. But... that creature would be more fitting for me."
Even after hearing his companions' words, the man still muttered about wanting Set.
What was unfortunate for him was that Rei's five senses were razor-sharp.
That was why the man's words reached Rei's ears perfectly.
And having heard them... there was no way Rei could let such a remark slide.
A faint twitch.
Rei's lips curled into a smile.
But it wasn't the kind of smile one showed to a friend. It was the kind that made everyone around him feel as though a ferocious predator had just locked eyes on its prey.
The adventurers who caught that smile all took several steps back in unison.
Being adventurers employed by nobles, their skills were genuinely high.
They must have sensed the shift in Rei's aura and reacted on pure instinct.
Even the man who had first declared he wanted Set was startled by the sudden change in Rei's demeanor... but unlike the other adventurers, he didn't retreat.
"Hoh. To show that much spirit facing me. I'll give you that much."
Though surprised by the transformation in Rei's aura and feeling somewhat intimidated, he showed no sign of backing down.
On the contrary, he bared a fierce smile to rival Rei's and spoke.
"Leave that gryphon behind, and I'll forgive your disrespect. What'll it be? For the record, I'm an A-Rank adventurer. I'm also the second son of a Count's House. Do you really intend to defy someone like me?"
Hearing "A-Rank adventurer," Rei understood.
Standing face-to-face with him without flinching was proof that the man possessed genuine ability.
That said, Rei did wonder why the second son of a Count's House was working as an adventurer in the first place.
...Third and fourth sons of noble families typically had to choose a path—either becoming an adopted son-in-law for some noble family upon coming of age, becoming a knight, or becoming an adventurer.
For a second son to choose such a path was extremely rare.
By default, a noble's second son served as a spare in case something happened to the eldest son and heir.
For such a second son to become an adventurer—a profession fraught with danger—and moreover, to climb all the way to A-Rank was quite unusual.
Not extremely unusual, but fairly so, because nobles often received combat training from childhood.
As a result, it wasn't unheard of for nobles who became adventurers to reach a relatively high rank.
That said, the life of an adventurer wasn't only about fighting one-on-one in fair, honorable combat.
There were all manner of battles—one against many, many against one, many against many.
Those who could only move according to practiced forms, who couldn't adapt to real fighting, died quickly.
And between C-Rank and B-Rank lay a wall that couldn't be easily overcome.
Among such people, the man standing before him who had risen to A-Rank could undoubtedly be called a standout.
That said... even so, there was no way Rei was going to let someone targeting Set off the hook.
"I see... then..."
Rei began, but cut himself off mid-sentence.
If the man's misfortune was having his desire for Set overheard by Rei, then his fortune was that Nielson was tucked away inside the Dragon Robe.
Since he couldn't let anyone discover the fairy's existence, Rei couldn't afford to fight the man so easily under the current circumstances.