"For now, I'll have you let me research these materials."
After a brief silence, Roger made his declaration.
Whether or not it would yield new technology was uncertain. But without taking on the challenge, that technology would definitely remain out of reach. Given that, it made sense to research the Orc Naga materials here.
After all, the Orc Naga was a new species of monster. As such, there was a more than sufficient chance that researching it could yield something to serve as the foundation for new techniques.
"I see. Then I'll hand over the materials for now. But be careful. If someone steals them from you and you come asking for new ones, or if you ruin them with sloppy storage methods and want replacements—don't expect me to accommodate that."
Rei's words were by no means exaggerated. Like the alchemists in Gilm, the desire for the unknown was near-instinctual for those in the profession. Even if Roger was a renowned alchemist in Egginis, once word got out that he possessed materials from an unknown monster, there would be no shortage of people who wanted them. There might even be those who, knowing full well they belonged to Roger, would sneak in to steal them—or bypass the Guild entirely and hire adventurers through private commissions to seize the materials by force. That such things could happen was not out of the question.
If it were the alchemists in Gilm, it wouldn't be strange for them to do exactly that.
So Rei thought, though deep down he believed they wouldn't actually go that far. If they were the kind of people willing to sacrifice others for their own research, Daskar would never have left them in place.
Not that he had any intention of saying so aloud.
"I understand. I'll exercise the utmost care in storage. I may not look it, but I'm known as a skilled alchemist even within Egginis."
"I'd expect as much."
Rei acknowledged Roger's words readily.
In the first place, Roger had been unable to create golems superior to those of the Dolan Workshop, and his frustration had driven him to cause problems—but the fact that it never escalated into a truly serious issue was largely because Roger was a genuinely capable alchemist. Otherwise, it would have become a much bigger problem, and at worst, he would have been arrested by the guards.
Normally, varying the decision to arrest based on the individual was not good practice, but for better or worse, the city of Egginis placed great significance on alchemists—particularly those capable of manufacturing high-performance golems. Of course, that wasn't the only reason; the fact that members of Roger's workshop had been going around apologizing to those he'd caused trouble for, and compensating for any financial damages, also played a large part.
"So, the matter of the materials is settled. That brings us to the golem as payment. What kind of golem do you want, Rei? I'll craft one for you with the very pinnacle of my skill!"
Roger declared with full confidence. From his perspective, even if they weren't the A-Rank monster materials he had hoped for, he had still been entrusted with materials from an unknown monster. He was grateful to Rei and intended to use his skills to create the highest-performance golem possible. He had thought that, but...
"I see. Then make me a cleaning golem."
"...Huh?"
At the unexpected words from Rei's mouth, Roger let out a dumbfounded voice. Naturally—a cleaning golem was generally known as the type made by newcomers or those lacking in skill. Of course, there were eccentrics who had considerable ability yet made cleaning golems as a hobby, but still.
"Say that once more. I seem to have misheard."
"No, you didn't mishear. I want a cleaning golem."
"...You're telling me to make a cleaning golem? The kind newcomers make?"
"What I want is a cleaning golem."
"How about a golem that patrols at night and captures suspicious individuals?"
"The house I live in has a skilled Spirit Mage, so in terms of security, it's already quite solid."
"You're a skilled adventurer yourself. Then how about a golem that serves as combat power in battle?"
"With me and Seto around, a combat golem? That would just be a burden unless it's extremely high-performance."
"Guh... then an escort golem! How about that!"
At the mention of an escort golem, Rei pondered for a moment. A combat golem would likely become a burden. But a golem designed to protect someone—that could be genuinely useful.
Fundamentally, Rei didn't take escort requests, but that wasn't an absolute. Even outside of escort work, when acting alongside other adventurers, if those adventurers proved to be a liability or got injured, a golem could serve as a place to evacuate them.
Also, considering Byune—the least combat-capable among Rei's companions—having a golem that could serve as a shield in an emergency would be worthwhile.
...Byune's combat ability being "low" was strictly relative to Rei's party. Or rather, when including people like Elena and Ara, it might be better to categorize them all as "companions"—but in any case, it was only because those around her possessed above-average combat ability that Byune seemed lacking by comparison. Viewed generally, she had more than sufficient combat prowess. Especially within the thief category, she was still conducting combat training with Vihera and others, and her combat ability continued to grow even now.
"I see. An escort golem... or rather, a defensive golem might work. But I still want a cleaning golem..."
"Something of that level, I'll throw in as a bonus with the defensive golem."
For Roger, setting aside the defensive golem, a cleaning golem was something he could make in his spare time. Offering it as a bonus token of gratitude posed no particular issue.
"You think so? Then I'll go with that. But... if you're going to make a cleaning golem anyway, wouldn't it be interesting to pour the full extent of your skill into it? Right now, cleaning golems are everywhere—the same ordinary models all over the city. It'd be the perfect chance to show the difference in technical ability, don't you think?"
The words were somewhat provocative, but they were also true. Cleaning golems existed in large numbers all over Egginis, a familiar sight to the residents. For someone like Rei, who had only just arrived in Egginis, it wouldn't be strange to be surprised by them—but to the locals, they were commonplace.
Under those circumstances, if Roger used his skills to create a cleaning golem with clearly superior performance—something that could be called a next-generation cleaning golem—what would happen? It would undoubtedly become a topic of conversation. There was even a possibility that the very value of cleaning golems would be reassessed.
Rei had said as much simply because he wanted a high-performance cleaning golem if he was getting one anyway.
"Hoh, I see."
At Rei's words, Roger showed a flicker of interest. He didn't think everything would go exactly as Rei described. But perhaps—truly perhaps—it might turn out that way. He had definitely harbored that expectation.
"How about it? Don't you think it's worth a try? There's even a chance it could be evaluated higher than the Dolan Workshop's golems. I'm not saying it's impossible."
"I'll consider it. Even if you call it a next-generation cleaning golem, it's not something I can conceive of right away. I don't know of anyone who's attempted such a thing before, though that doesn't mean no one has. But considering that nothing has particularly changed despite that..."
It was not so simple a matter, Roger stated. Unlike Rei, golem-crafting was Roger's true profession; even if Rei couldn't envision it, Roger could likely anticipate the difficulties. At the same time, precisely because he was a professional, there might be instances where Rei would voice some outlandish idea that Roger himself would never conceive of.
"I see. Anyway, I'll leave it to you."
"Leave it to me. I'll build a solid one for the defensive golem as well, so don't worry."
At Rei's words, Roger declared with full confidence. From Roger's perspective, he had every intention of researching the materials received from Rei and finding ways to apply them to golem-crafting. But more than that, what mattered was that Rei had demonstrated trust in Roger's manufacturing technique. This matter held that much significance for him.
Until recently, he had believed he wanted to, should, and needed to create golems superior to the Dolan Workshop's—yet had been unable to achieve it. That pent-up frustration had likely been taken out on those around him, resulting in his poor reputation.
From Rei's perspective, he had no idea Roger was that motivated, and even if he found out, he might have wondered, "Why that much?"
"Alright then, I'll leave the management of the materials to you. When the golems are done, come to the Star River Inn. That's where I'm staying."
"You managed to get lodging there?"
"...Hey, you're the one who wrote the letter of introduction, right? The way you're saying that makes it sound like even with your letter, I might not have gotten a room."
Even as he said that to Roger, Rei found himself somewhat understanding the sentiment. In truth, yesterday, even after presenting Roger's letter of introduction, the atmosphere had suggested that simply securing a room wouldn't be possible.
What had enabled him to get lodging so smoothly was the fact that Maruka—the only daughter of Duke Quento's House, which wielded great influence even within the King's Faction—had been staying at the Star River Inn. Thanks to Maruka's endorsement, Rei had been able to secure his room without issue.
Thinking back on that, there was no doubt Rei had a few things he wanted to say to Roger.
"Even so, with my letter of introduction, you should normally be able to get a room. Wasn't there some issue on your end, Rei?"
"You think so?"
As he spoke, Rei directed his gaze toward the Orc Naga materials on the table, and Roger apparently caught the implication. He hastily shook his head.
"Of course, I would never think such a thing. You're a reliable person, Rei."
"...Well, I'll let it go at that. More importantly, I should head back to the Guild soon. I'm counting on you for the golems."
With that, Rei stood up from his chair.
"Oof... well, come to think of it, I hear it's a place with fairly poor security, so I suppose this was inevitable."
"Grrrrl."
Did I go too far? Seto purred to Rei.
From Seto's perspective, he had merely dealt with those who had provoked him. But he looked at Rei with a slightly worried gaze, wondering if he had caused trouble.
Rei shook his head at Seto, signaling that there was no problem.
"Don't worry about it. Knowing you, Seto, they started it, right? Besides..."
Rei paused there and directed his gaze once more toward the fallen men. They were all moving slightly, as if to show they were still alive.
"They're alive, so there's no problem."
What the fallen men had been thinking when they laid hands on Seto was unclear. Like Roger, had they desired the materials of the high-rank monster Seto? Or did they simply dislike tamed monsters? Or perhaps, seeing a gryphon—a monster—in the middle of the city, they had judged it to be dangerous?
Rei honestly didn't know which was the correct answer, but since they were already unconscious, he judged there was no need to attack them further and left the scene with Seto.
The unconscious bunch will probably be handled by Roger somehow.
Leaving the cleanup to Roger. What would Roger think, hearing that others had done the same thing he himself had done? Rei was slightly curious about that, but he also suspected that Roger, being who he was, might get so absorbed in his research that he'd simply leave the unconscious men lying there.
Then again, it was summer—late summer, but summer nonetheless. Since it was daytime, they wouldn't catch a cold, and heatstroke wouldn't be an issue either. With that judgment, Rei headed toward the Guild with Seto.