"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Having finished his conversation with Roger, Rei channeled magic power into the defensive Magic Item — technically a golem part — that generated a barrier, ensuring it could protect Roger if anything happened. Then he stepped out of the room.
The man who had guided him there was waiting outside.
"No, there's no problem. Shall we head back, then?"
Speaking briefly, the man led Rei back down the corridor.
The route here hadn't been particularly complex, so Rei could have navigated it without a guide without any trouble. He could have, but from the Jalis Workshop's perspective, they likely didn't want an outsider wandering freely through their halls.
Rei fully understood that sentiment, so he didn't make anything of it.
When they returned to the reception area, the man Rei had spoken to upon arriving looked visibly relieved. Even knowing Rei was an acquaintance of Roger's, having an outsider on the premises was apparently still cause for concern.
From Rei's perspective, he couldn't help but think they didn't need to be quite so on edge. However, it wasn't unreasonable for the Jalis Workshop to be in such a state. The title of Egginis's finest workshop had been seized by the Dolan Workshop, and they were now struggling to reclaim it. Under those circumstances, an outsider like Rei showing up — in the middle of the night, no less — was understandably cause for concern.
Judging from the man's demeanor that he had caused worry, Rei offered a light apology to the receptionist.
"Sorry about that. My talk with Roger ran a bit long."
"No, as long as there's no problem, it's fine."
Saying that, the receptionist directed his gaze at the guide. Receiving that look, the man gave a small nod to indicate that there had been no issues with Rei.
Naturally, Rei had been watching this exchange between the two men, but he didn't comment on it. Partly because he thought doing so would likely be pointless, and more importantly, because he found their level of concern perfectly understandable.
"Well then, I'll be taking my leave. I told Roger this as well, but consider this a heads-up: someone from the Dolan Workshop might come demanding you hand Roger over. It'd be best to be prepared for that possibility."
"Huh? Is that... true?"
"I can't say for certain whether it'll actually happen. But the possibility isn't zero. In that case, wouldn't it make sense to be ready?"
"...Understood. So that's why you came, Rei-san?"
"That's right."
When Rei nodded, the receptionist turned a stern gaze toward the guide. The man who received that look simply nodded silently.
Finishing his conversation with the reception, Rei promptly left the Jalis Workshop.
He could have stayed and talked a bit longer under normal circumstances, but right now he needed to prioritize getting to the Star River Inn.
The fact that no one from the Dolan Workshop had come to the Jalis Workshop meant they were deploying their people elsewhere. Given that situation, the most likely target... was the Star River Inn.
It was Rei's base in Egginis, and Camila — who could serve as a hostage — was there.
(The problem is where Seto is right now.)
Before sneaking into the Jalis Workshop, Rei had split up from Seto to act as a decoy against the Dolan Workshop's pursuers. At the time, he had told Seto to return to the Star River Inn after a certain amount of time had passed.
However... Seto was extremely fond of Rei. If the gryphon understood that the harder he worked, the safer Rei would be, it wouldn't be surprising if he deliberately held off on returning to the Star River Inn right away.
That said, Rei didn't think there was anyone in Egginis who could do anything about Seto, so he wasn't too worried.
(Actually, if the Dolan Workshop's golems show up, that could be a bit problematic.)
Ultimately, Rei didn't know the specific capabilities of the Dolan Workshop's golems. He had fought the golems created by Ilunara and the others, but Ilunara's group were ultimately non-mainstream faction alchemists within the Dolan Workshop, and the cores they had been given likely weren't particularly high-performance.
Even so, when they heard that necromancy was being used with souls as material, Ilunara and the others had appeared quite shocked.
Regardless, anything he did would have to wait until after returning to the Star River Inn.
Having decided that, Rei proceeded through the city streets, suppressing his presence as much as possible just as he had when approaching the Jalis Workshop.
He encountered several adventurers and guards along the way, but thanks to quickly hiding or concealing his presence, he wasn't discovered.
As he drew closer to the Star River Inn...
(Just as I thought.)
The time was already nearing midnight. Despite that, the number of individuals who appeared to be adventurers increased as he approached the Star River Inn.
What was strange was the absence of any guards among them. That inevitably led to the conclusion that these adventurers were hired by the Dolan Workshop.
(Should I just neutralize them as I go?)
It would be better to thin their numbers before fighting all of them at once inside the Star River Inn. Rei considered this, but then decided it would be better to prioritize returning to the Star River Inn first.
The inn had numerous nobles and wealthy merchants staying there. Many had moved to other inns after the Blood Blade assassin incident, but it was an undeniable fact that a considerable number still remained.
Because of that, a reckless assault on the Star River Inn would undoubtedly cause major problems. Even though they were only hired, the adventurers who participated would certainly face some form of penalty.
Moreover, those staying at a top-tier inn like the Star River Inn commonly brought skilled bodyguards of comparable ability. If it came to fighting such people, the adventurer side would undoubtedly suffer casualties as well. Among adventurers, there were those who possessed absolute confidence in their own strength, and if that confidence was genuine, the bodyguard side would also take losses.
(That's right. In that case, it might be better to just walk openly. That way they can't mess with the Star River Inn, and anyone who understands the gap in strength will quietly back off. If someone still attacks, I'll just beat them down without killing them.)
Having decided that, Rei stopped concealing his presence. He drew Death Scythe and the Twilight Spear from his Misty Ring — both symbols of who he was — and boldly strode down the road leading to the Star River Inn.
Naturally, the adventurers immediately noticed him. They noticed, but just as Rei had predicted, they understood the gap in strength, and most found themselves unable to make a move.
"Gah!"
One man, who had been confident in his own abilities, let out an involuntary noise and froze the instant he saw Rei.
The adventurers hired by the Dolan Workshop were supposed to capture Rei... and bring back Ilunara's group and the escaped slaves who had fled with him. The man had thought he could accomplish such a thing easily. But that confidence scattered the moment he saw Rei walking with weapons in hand.
The great scythe and spear Rei carried each possessed an overwhelming presence on their own. Yet what demanded their attention wasn't those two weapons — it was Rei himself.
He made no attempt to conceal his presence. On the contrary, he exuded an aura that made clear his intention to immediately counterattack anyone who dared attack him.
To make a move in this situation, one would have to be an extreme egotist, a true powerhouse, or a fool incapable of understanding the gap in strength.
Whether fortunately or unfortunately, none of those gathered on the road to the Star River Inn fell into those categories — they were all people who could comprehend the difference in strength between themselves and Rei.
...To be precise, while many could tell Rei was overwhelmingly stronger, they couldn't grasp exactly how large the gap was. Even so, since no one attacked, Rei honestly didn't care.
He was baring his presence as a fighter and carrying Death Scythe and the Twilight Spear solely to avoid unnecessary combat. In other words, as long as he could avoid fighting, the reason didn't matter.
Receiving gazes of terror and awe, Rei continued down the road.
Eventually, the familiar sight of the Star River Inn came into view. Relieved to see no signs of any combat having occurred, he headed not inside the inn... but toward the stables.
"Grrrrru!"
Waiting for Rei as he arrived at the stables was Seto. Seeing the gryphon, Rei stroked his head with visible relief.
"You made it back safely. ...By the way, you being inside the stables — did someone let you in? Setting that aside, you're not hurt, right?"
"Grrru!"
Obviously, Seto purred.
For Seto, a high-rank monster, there was no way he would be injured by the likes of those who had been chasing him. Much less when he understood that Rei would be sad if he got hurt. Given that, there was no way Seto would recklessly allow himself to be injured.
"Good. I'll feed you something delicious later, alright."
Hearing the words "delicious food," Seto perked up happily. Seto loved the act of eating. Especially when it was delicious food, all the more so.
And the food Rei would feed him — the dishes stored in the Misty Ring — were all ones Rei had found delicious, and naturally Seto found them delicious as well. That was why Seto rejoiced at Rei's words.
After petting Seto for a few minutes, Rei wanted to enjoy the moment a bit longer, but decided that meeting with Maruka and the others took priority. He pulled his hand away.
"Alright, I'm going to go talk to Maruka and the others about tonight's situation. Seto... you should be fine staying in these stables, but if any enemies attack, you're free to counterattack."
"Gruu!"
After stroking Seto one last time as the gryphon purred to indicate he had it handled, Rei left the stables.
He headed toward the inn, but looking at the entrance, there was no sign of any enemies — anyone from the Dolan Workshop. Given the killing intent — no, the fighting spirit — Rei had been emitting as he made his way here, that was perhaps only natural.
Or perhaps... Rei looked at the Star River Inn building, whose door had not yet been opened. Beyond the door, he could sense the presences of over ten people.
Whether they were reacting to Rei's fighting spirit, or on alert because of those gathering around the Star River Inn, Rei couldn't tell. But the option of not opening the door didn't exist for him.
He reached out and opened the door.
At this moment, he absolutely must not open it roughly. The people on the other side were on alert against threats from outside. If he were to throw the door open and barge in, he would immediately be perceived as an enemy, and it wouldn't be surprising if he were attacked without a word.
That was why Rei opened the door carefully, so as not to alarm those inside, and entered.
Even with that precaution, he was still met with sharp stares from the people within. Relieved that he hadn't been attacked without question, he surveyed the interior once more.
(I thought there were about ten, but there's a few more. They're quite skilled at concealing their presence.)
Impressed despite himself, Rei headed toward the stairs without saying anything to those waiting...
"Wait a moment."
One of those waiting — a woman in her twenties — called out to him.
"What is it?"
"Don't give me 'what is it.' I won't let you claim you don't understand the situation currently unfolding around the Star River Inn. You're involved in this matter, aren't you?"
For the woman serving as a noble's bodyguard, the possibility that Rei — who had brazenly walked in from outside under these circumstances — had absolutely nothing to do with the current situation simply did not exist. Given that, it was only natural she would want to know what was going on.
And it wasn't just her — the others felt the same.
Faced with them, Rei considered what to do... and eventually nodded.