"Whoa!"
Stepping out of the Guild, Rei couldn't help but exclaim at the sight before him.
That the mere sight of it startled Rei—an A-Rank adventurer, though the news hadn't been officially announced yet—was proof enough that the scene was truly something astonishing.
After all, a large crowd had gathered around Set, who had been waiting just outside the Guild.
Rei could easily guess what was going on.
He was surprised to see it, yes, but it wasn't as if this were the first time such a scene had played out.
The Set Enthusiasts had likely gathered out of concern for Set, who had just returned from the Forest of Magic.
(Though maybe it wasn't just concern. They might have also wanted to make up for lost time and dote on Set after being apart for so long.)
It wasn't that one reason was right and the other wrong. Both were probably true.
"You over there—please don't spill outside the line! You're getting in the way of people trying to use the road. …Hey, you! No cutting in line! Set-chan doesn't like people who pull stunts like that!"
Turning toward the voice that rang out, Rei spotted someone organizing the line of Set's devoted fans.
Set was stationed right near the Guild entrance. If people had gathered in a disorderly mob, a conflict with those who had actual business at the Guild would have been all but inevitable.
On top of that, it was summer and sweltering. No—given the circumstances, "scorching" might be the more fitting word.
Rei wore his Dragon Robe with its built-in simplified air conditioner, so the heat didn't bother him. But for people coming to report after finishing work, or those arriving to pick up jobs, being blocked from entering the Guild by a crowd in this kind of heat would undoubtedly have sparked a scene.
That was exactly why the Set Enthusiasts were organizing the line—to make sure none of that happened.
"Huh?"
Catching sight of a familiar face among those managing the line, Rei murmured.
The woman must not have heard him, but she looked his way regardless.
"Ah, Captain Rei."
The moment she saw Rei's face, a woman in her mid-twenties blurted that out.
From her calling him Captain alone, Rei realized who she was—and that he recognized her too.
"Drop the Captain. The Mobile Unit disbanded a long time ago."
Right. The woman standing there was one of those who had fought alongside Rei as part of the Mobile Unit during the civil war in the Bestia Empire. After the war ended, she had followed Rei… or more accurately, she had immigrated to Gilm to avoid ever having to fight against him.
By now, she and the other Former Mobile Unit members who had made the same move were supposed to be sharing a large mansion together in Gilm.
And if someone like her was here managing the line, that could only mean one thing.
"Is Yohanna inside?"
"Yes."
Of course she was.
Rei accepted the woman's easy nod without surprise.
Yohanna was one of the Former Mobile Unit members, the unofficial leader among those who had relocated to Gilm—and at the same time, a woman who doted on Set every bit as much as Mireinu did.
Given that, it was perfectly understandable to Rei that Yohanna would be fawning over Set, who had just returned to Gilm after a long absence.
"Just to be safe—Mireinu isn't here, is she?"
"No. Fortunately."
The woman's response was dead serious.
Mireinu and Yohanna were both Set Enthusiasts. But perhaps precisely because their tastes were so similar, they were anything but friendly with each other.
…Still, Rei suspected their mutual animosity was only surface-level. In reality, they probably acknowledged each other to some degree.
Either way, having Mireinu and Yohanna together would be a headache. In that sense, Rei was honestly relieved that only Yohanna was here.
"I see. Good. …Sorry, but I can't leave things like this indefinitely. I need to get to the Lord's Manor."
"Understood. Just give me a moment."
With that, the woman raised her voice toward the line.
"We're done! That's a wrap, folks! The Set Petting Club is now concluded for the time being! Set needs to head to the Lord's Manor with Rei-san!"
A collective groan of disappointment rippled through the crowd. Even so, everyone filed out of the line and went back to their own business.
Doting on Set was fine, but the unspoken rule was that it had to stay within bounds that didn't inconvenience him.
"It's a shame, but what can you do."
Yohanna, who had been at Set's side, had clearly heard her comrade's announcement. She stepped away, unwilling to cause Set any trouble.
"Grrruurr."
Set purred his thanks to Yohanna and the others for playing with him, then rose to his feet.
A few people still wore wistful expressions, but not a single one tried to get in Set's way.
"Sorry, Yohanna. If you spot Set around town again, feel free to play with him."
"Yes, of course!"
Yohanna nodded without a second's hesitation.
Slightly exasperated by her eagerness but accepting that she genuinely cared for Set, Rei offered a smile, gave a small wave, and left with Set at his side.
"Set, you really stuffed yourself, didn't you?"
"Gruu!"
Set purred happily at Rei's words.
He had indeed received all sorts of food from Yohanna and the others—dried meat, fruit, bread, skewers, and a number of other dishes besides.
That was surely part of why he was in such high spirits right now.
"I'm heading to the Lord's Manor to see Lord Daskar. You'll be fine, right? Actually, never mind—it's Set, of course you'll be fine."
What Rei meant by "fine" was whether Set would still be able to eat if the cook at the Lord's Manor offered him something.
But Set's stomach was enormous. A few treats in front of the Guild wouldn't stop him from eating whatever came next.
Rei knew Set's appetite well enough to answer his own question without waiting.
"Definitely getting more looks than usual."
"Gruu."
As they walked through town, Rei registered once more that he was drawing stares from all directions, and muttered as much.
Set seemed to sense the eyes on them too, letting out a low purr.
It wasn't unusual for Set to attract attention. Outside Gilm, he turned heads simply for being a gryphon—an A-Rank monster. Inside Gilm, he drew looks as something of a mascot figure.
But today, the attention carried a different weight than usual.
Set seemed to understand that too, looking slightly ill at ease.
What was fortunate, at least, was that no one came pestering him about how the Promotion Exam had gone.
Even if someone had, Rei hadn't planned on telling them.
Still, the added visibility meant he couldn't make his usual stops at the food stalls to buy something.
Well, technically he could, but doing so would likely bring trouble to the stall owners—word that they'd spoken with Rei could draw unwanted crowds.
…Then again, some stall owners might actually exploit it, using the fact that they'd chatted with Rei as a selling point, dropping hints to lure in customers.
Either way, getting entangled in that sort of thing wasn't worth the hassle. Rei skipped the food stalls as usual and headed straight for the Lord's Manor.
Set looked genuinely disappointed that they weren't stopping.
As the Lord's Manor drew near, the food stalls naturally thinned out and disappeared. People with business at the manor or with Daskar passed by Rei and Set on their way out, glancing at them but not attempting to strike up conversation.
And so, without incident, they arrived at the Lord's Manor.
"Oh, Rei! You made it back in one piece!"
One of the gatekeepers called out the moment he spotted Rei and Set.
His delight was genuine—he was honestly thrilled that Rei had returned—but it also came from the certainty that he'd won his bet.
In truth, it wasn't yet known whether Rei had actually passed the Promotion Exam.
Even so, knowing Rei's strength, the gatekeeper had clearly decided that returning in one piece meant he'd passed.
Rei offered the same noncommittal nod he'd given everyone else, neither confirming nor denying.
"Yeah, it was rough. I need to see Lord Daskar about it—can I?"
"Doesn't seem like we have too many visitors today, so it shouldn't be a problem, but… hold on, let me check."
If it had been a stranger—or even someone he'd only met a handful of times—the gatekeeper wouldn't have rushed off to inform Daskar so quickly.
It was precisely because Rei was the one asking that he moved so readily.
That was the payoff of everything Rei had done for Gilm.
One gatekeeper departed, leaving Rei alone with the other.
"So what was the Forest of Magic like?"
The remaining gatekeeper wasn't just making small talk—he genuinely wanted to know.
Rei decided that as long as he steered clear of his exam results, he simply needed to avoid mentioning anything sensitive—the Hidden Base, the river source concealed by the Barrier, the Black Snake, and the like—and spoke.
"Let's see. First off, the monsters there are on a completely different level from the ones outside the Forest of Magic."
"By that much?"
"Yeah. Even around Gilm in the Frontier, there are some fairly tough monsters, but still…"
At the very least, just wandering around the outskirts of Gilm didn't land you in regular encounters with A-Rank monsters, and S-Rank monsters certainly didn't appear drawn by the scent of fresh corpses.
Technically, running into an A-Rank monster could happen, but nothing close to the frequency seen in the Forest of Magic.
Even the lesser monsters that appeared far more regularly were noticeably stronger than their counterparts outside.
"Huh. I guess it lives up to the name. Anything else?"
"Let's see. Outside the Forest of Magic, most monsters would bolt the moment they sensed Set. Inside, almost none of them fled. If anything, the majority were clearly weaker than Set and still came charging right at him."
From Rei's perspective, not having enemies scatter was actually a relief. But if anyone else had entered the Forest of Magic, those aggressive creatures would have been a serious problem.
…Of course, entering the Forest of Magic required Daskar's permission in the first place. Anyone who slipped in without it would most likely end up dead for nothing.
They chatted for a few minutes before the first gatekeeper returned.
"He wants to see you right away. Probably helps that no one's currently with Lord Daskar, but you're in luck."
"Right."
Luck was the right word for it—Rei genuinely felt that way.
Given how piled up Daskar's workload was, it wouldn't have been surprising if he couldn't spare a moment.
But the moment he heard Rei was back, he would have made room, even if it meant rearranging his schedule.
Rei's Promotion Exam was that important to Daskar.
Rei parted ways with Set as usual.
Despite having already eaten his fill in front of the Guild, Set trotted off happily, no doubt anticipating another handout from the cook at the Lord's Manor.
Rei envied Set's seemingly bottomless stomach.
Strictly speaking, even Set would eventually reach his limit if he kept eating without stopping—but it was hard to tell from the look on his face.
"It has been a while, Lord Rei."
As Rei stepped inside the Lord's Manor, the butler bowed deeply and greeted him.
Having visited the manor countless times, Rei recognized him immediately.
"Yeah, it's been a while. Could you show me the way?"
"Certainly. Though it is the Office, so I imagine you know the way by heart."
The butler offered a warm smile, and Rei returned it with a nod.