Once Rei finished verifying Set's newly acquired Fog skill, he took a look around.
Thanks to their Night Vision, neither Rei nor Set had any particular difficulty in the dark, but the Forest of Magic had already fallen into full night.
He hadn't noticed while wandering through the fog, but apparently a considerable amount of time had slipped by.
When he pulled out his pocket watch to check, it was already past eight in the evening.
"Whoa... we spent a little too much time on that fog monster."
"Grrrrrl."
At Rei's words, Set looked up at him apologetically.
As far as Rei was concerned, that fog monster... in the end, all he'd been able to determine was that it was probably some kind of Undead Ghost-type, and even that was sheer speculation. Regardless, the fact that they'd struggled against it wasn't solely Set's fault.
Since Rei was the one who had finished the monster off, the time it took was his responsibility.
That said, the deep concentration he'd experienced during that battle had been significant—significant enough that even after handing the Magic Stone over to Set, the overall outcome still felt like a net gain.
"Anyway, let's head toward the forest's outer edge first. We've got four hours left... no, let's play it safe and call it three. Once that much time passes, we'll take to the sky, draw the monsters after us, and lure them outside the Forest of Magic."
"Gruu."
At Rei's words, Set gave him a worried look, as if asking, Are you sure you're okay?
Set must have sensed how fatigued Rei was from the fight with the fog monster.
In his current condition, drawing a swarm of monsters and leading them outside the forest to finish them off—given Rei's exhaustion, Set's honest opinion was that they shouldn't.
Rei understood Set's concern, but the chance to visit the Forest of Magic was rare.
It wasn't as if there were patrols or Barriers keeping people out, so Rei and Set could always come back... but once he was promoted to A-Rank, he would undoubtedly become busy again.
Fortunately, the Expansion Construction in Gilm would be less efficient without him, but it could still proceed to a certain degree on its own.
Even so, Rei had a variety of other duties beyond the construction.
Checking on Anastasia and the others' Wisp research in the underground beneath the heart of the Treant Forest. Consulting with Grimm about the Magic Item to connect to the Centaurs' world. Matters concerning the lake adjacent to the Treant Forest and the Lizardmen.
On top of all that, becoming an A-Rank Adventurer meant he would be busier than ever before.
(Come to think of it, I still haven't found out who'll handle negotiations with the nobles and such... Well, if I leave it to Lord Daskar, it should be fine for now.)
With those thoughts in mind, Rei set about persuading Set once more.
"Listen. Once we're back in Gilm, we'll be too busy to return here for a while. So it's better to stock up on as many skills as we can right now."
Looking back on it, he wished they'd taken down a few more monsters during the days before the final day of this two-night, three-day trip.
That was his thought, but Rei also felt he'd fought in earnest throughout the entire trip.
Given that, there was no point dwelling on it now.
Even if he could rewind time, his efficiency might improve slightly, but the result would probably be the same.
He had enough conviction within him to believe that.
"Grrrrrrl..."
"Don't worry about it. We're heading outside the Forest of Magic. If it comes down to it, I'll wipe them all out with magic."
Inside the Forest of Magic, the risk of spreading fire made using magic impossible.
If Rei could use magic other than Flame Magic—wind, earth, water, and the like—he could have cast spells inside the forest without any issue at all.
Unfortunately, Rei was a being specialized in Flame Magic.
By consuming an extraordinary amount of mana, he could forcibly tack other attributes onto Flame Magic, but even then, the spell remained fundamentally flame-based.
In other words, no matter what magic he used, fire would invariably be produced.
Given that, using magic inside the Forest of Magic was out of the question.
...Although, if this had been any other forest instead of the Forest of Magic, he might have been able to afford a few more risks.
Regardless, the situation was what it was. He couldn't use magic inside the forest, but the moment he stepped outside the Forest of Magic, Flame Magic was fair game with no concerns whatsoever.
The only drawback was that if he wiped out monsters with magic, not just the Subjugation Proof Parts but the majority of usable material parts would go up in flames as well.
More than that, the real shame for Rei and Set was that edible portions like meat would almost certainly be reduced to charcoal along with everything else.
Still, in terms of gathering Magic Stones, annihilating enemies with magic was far from a bad option.
Having persuaded Set thus far... eventually, Set nodded at Rei's words, though worry still lingered in his eyes.
"Gruu."
"I'm telling you, it'll be fine. Even if something goes wrong, as long as you're with me, we can make a run for it, right? ...At worst, we fly in the opposite direction from Gilm and wait for my stamina to recover."
That was truly a last resort, though.
Set's flight speed was unquestionably among the top tier of all monsters.
However, given that this was the Forest of Magic, it wouldn't be strange for monsters with flight capabilities surpassing Set's to exist.
That was exactly why Rei considered it a last resort in the truest sense.
"Grrruu? Gruu, grrrrrruu."
Perhaps pleased by Rei's words, Set purred happily.
Set had confidence in his own flying speed, so he probably figured that even if an enemy gave chase, he could outrun them.
(Phew. At least Set is on board now. Which means the next order of business is... getting through the Forest of Magic.)
Even this round of persuasion had eaten up a bit of time.
If so, they needed to start moving as quickly as possible.
"Alright, let's go. As for enemies... well, if we run into any, we fight. The real question is whether there'll be any at all."
"Gruu?"
Why? Set tilted his head.
As Rei swung himself onto Set's back, he continued.
"That fog monster was around, right? It generated fog across such a wide area. Don't you think it's possible that even the monsters in the Forest of Magic judged it dangerous and decided not to move around too actively?"
"Grruu."
At Rei's words, Set nodded as if in understanding.
As far as Set was concerned, he'd been able to act without much trouble even within the fog.
So for Set, the fog hadn't been much of an inconvenience.
But that was solely because it was Set.
Among ordinary monsters, there weren't many that could move freely through fog like that.
Since this was the Forest of Magic, there were naturally a great many High-Rank Monsters as well, and among them there might be some that could move about as freely as Set even in the fog. But even in the Forest of Magic, the monsters inhabiting it were naturally not all High-Rank Monsters.
Rei understood this well, having fought many monsters during this Promotion Exam.
Low-Rank Monsters, or even High-Rank Monsters that were cautious by nature, wouldn't want to venture out right away just because the fog covering the area had cleared.
"So with all that in mind, we probably won't run into that many monsters. ...For us, that's a double-edged sword, though."
Not encountering monsters in the forest meant that many fewer Magic Stones to collect.
Rei was currently quite fatigued, having fought a string of consecutive battles today alone.
He'd taken breaks here and there, but the Forest of Magic was demanding... and the battle with the S-Rank Monster Crystal Dragon in particular must have taken a heavy toll.
Until just now, with the Promotion Exam nearly over and a long list of monsters defeated, he hadn't even noticed his own fatigue.
But the deep concentration required during the fog monster fight had made him acutely aware of the exhaustion lurking within him.
Perhaps because he'd become conscious of it, Rei now felt a slight sluggishness.
He knew it wouldn't particularly affect him in combat, but he also understood that for the sake of recovering his mental fatigue, returning to Gilm as soon as possible was the right call. He understood that perfectly well. And yet, as a practitioner of Beast Magic, he still wanted to secure as many Magic Stones as he possibly could.
In any case, Set pressed on through the Forest of Magic with Rei still on his back.
There were still several hours before the exam deadline, so Set's pace was fairly relaxed.
(Come to think of it, I'm pretty wiped out, but Set isn't all that tired. Is this the difference between humans and monsters? Well, calling my body "human" is a bit of a stretch, though.)
If someone who knew Rei's circumstances had heard that thought, they would probably have shouted, "A bit of a stretch?!"
While musing over such things and riding Set onward... eventually, Set came to a halt.
"Set."
"Grrrrru."
Set purred in vigilance.
From that reaction, it was certain—something at a level worth Set's caution had appeared.
Rei dismounted from Set's back, took up Death Scythe and the Twilight Spear, and readied himself for combat.
Perhaps because his awareness had sharpened as he focused on the coming fight, the sluggishness that had plagued Rei was already gone.
"GOAAAAAAH!"
As if it had been waiting for Rei and Set to finish their preparations... no, it had probably been waiting all along—the enemy let out a war cry and revealed itself, snapping a nearby tree in half as it emerged.
It was a giant humanoid, roughly three meters tall.
Its face, however, was that of a dog, and its entire body was covered in fur.
Sharp fangs protruded from its jaws—being bitten by those would undoubtedly mean a fatal wound.
From its hip grew a tail... no, a snake, and whether it possessed a will of its own or not, it was watching for any opening between Rei and Set.
"Troublesome."
Those were the words that escaped Rei's mouth upon seeing the creature—something that could be called either a Giant or a Beastman.
He hadn't fought it yet, but the presence emanating from the Giant—for now, Rei decided to think of it as such—was unmistakably that of a High-Rank Monster.
And not a B-Rank Monster among High-Rank Monsters... but in all likelihood, an A-Rank Monster.
To encounter an A-Rank Monster again, right as he was about to leave the Forest of Magic, came as a surprise even to Rei.
That said, he was surprised but also accepting.
This was the Forest of Magic. A-Rank Monsters weren't lurking on every corner... but it was still a place where a considerable number of them lived.
Moreover, it was now night—the time when monsters grew most active.
The earlier fog might have kept cautious monsters lying low for a while, but monsters that weren't the cautious type would naturally be out and about in search of prey... or something else entirely.
(The one saving grace is that, from the looks of it, this one's a power-type... no, maybe speed-type? Either way, it doesn't seem like the kind of enemy that relies on skills or magic.)
It was strong because it possessed high physical abilities.
The Giant before him was unquestionably that type of monster.
But for Rei and Set, that was exactly the kind of opponent they excelled against.
The Giant, too, seemed to have no intention of attacking until Rei and Set had fully prepared, and simply waited.
(From the looks of it, there's no doubt it possesses high intelligence. ...An A-Rank Monster, after all.)
He hadn't been able to find one while searching deep in the forest, yet here one was just as he was about to leave.
Rei had experienced something similar before.
Back in Japan, he'd fished in a river for hours without a single bite, only for the fish to start biting the moment he decided to give up and head home. It was that same feeling.
"A-Rank Monsters—the more, the better. In that sense, I guess we got lucky."
Half-forcing himself to believe those words, he steadied his breathing... focused on the enemy before him, and then shouted.
"Set, let's go! This Giant is probably the last enemy we'll fight on the ground of this Forest of Magic!"
"Grrrrrrru!"
At Rei's words, Set let out a sharp cry... and without needing any further instruction, the two of them moved to flank the Giant.
"Magic Shield."
Since the enemy relied on physical prowess, Rei cast Magic Shield to absorb a potential blow, and then Rei and Set charged at the Giant simultaneously.