Rei wore a bewildered expression when the Fairy Chief asked for his help with the Fog Sound.
He had never expected to hear such a thing.
Wondering what on earth could have led to this, Rei directed a questioning gaze at the Chief.
"What do you mean? Wasn't the understanding that I could just leave the Fog Sound to you? So why are you asking for my help?"
"It is rather embarrassing, but the materials needed to create the Fog Sound... or rather, to be precise, the materials required to add the cooling effect you requested, are running short. Until recently this was not an issue, but since relocating to the Treant Forest, our consumption of the materials has been far greater than anticipated..."
Why would coming to the Treant Forest cause material consumption to increase?
Rei found himself wondering this, but fairies were inherently unusual beings. If told that was simply how things were, he had no choice but to accept it.
Pressing the matter further with careless questions could very well work to his own disadvantage.
Making that judgment, Rei decided to focus on figuring out concretely what needed to be done to complete the Fog Sound, rather than listening to detailed explanations here.
Receiving the Fog Sound was supposed to be his reward from the Chief.
That meant it would not have been unreasonable for him to demand it even if he had to push for it—even if he wanted the very Fog Sound that protected this Fairy Dwelling.
That said, doing such a thing would naturally earn him the resentment of the fairies.
He had gone to the trouble of building a friendly relationship with them, and Rei wanted to maintain that.
Additionally, the Fog Sound's initial settings could be configured, but the fog blanketing this Fairy Dwelling was ordinary fog. It did not have the cooling effect Rei had hoped for.
"In other words, you're short on materials to make the Fog Sound. ...Understood. What specific materials are you lacking? If I know that, I can go gather them."
Going to gather the materials himself for an item intended as a gift of gratitude—or rather, a reward for him.
Though he felt some slight misgivings about this, considering the usefulness of the Magic Item known as the Fog Sound, it was something he definitely wanted.
Above all, Magic Items crafted by fairies were exceedingly rare, and opportunities to obtain them were almost nonexistent.
Since he had the chance to acquire one, Rei had no intention of worrying about a little effort.
"Are you sure?"
The Chief showed a hint of surprise at Rei's words.
Given the flow of the conversation, the Chief had indeed wanted Rei to go gather the materials.
But asking Rei to fetch the materials for the Magic Item she intended to give him was something that clearly gave her pause as well.
That was why, while she had ultimately planned to ask Rei, his agreeing so readily was still unexpected.
"I don't mind. The Fog Sound is a Magic Item I very much want for myself as well. If it means obtaining it, a little effort is no problem at all."
"...Thank you."
So saying, the Chief bowed her head.
She probably intended it as a solemn gesture, but the Dwa Fruit she had been levitating through some means moved in tandem with her bow, giving the scene a somewhat humorous air.
Not that he could afford to laugh in this situation, though.
"Don't worry about it. I know I'm repeating myself, but Magic Items made by fairies are valuable for their rarity alone, and the Fog Sound has thoroughly practical effects beyond that. A little effort to obtain it is no issue at all. ...So, what exactly are you short on?"
"Yes. We need the magic stone of a monster called the Smog Panther."
"Smog Panther? Panther, meaning it's a panther-type monster?"
Rei had defeated many different monsters up until now, but he had never defeated one called a Smog Panther.
(Come to think of it, I've fought animal-type monsters like wolves, tigers, and lions before, but have I ever fought a panther-type...?)
He couldn't specifically remember whether he had.
That in itself was likely proof of just how rare panther-type monsters were.
Because of that, Rei had already been motivated to obtain the Fog Sound, but now he was even more determined to fight the monster known as the Smog Panther.
After all, it was a monster he had never fought before.
That meant it was also an opportunity for Rei and Seto—or more precisely, for Rei's Death Scythe and Seto—to acquire a new Skill through Beast Magic.
"A Smog Panther, huh. You're saying I need its magic stone, but what kind of ecology does the Smog Panther have? Specifically, does it operate alone, or does it act together with family or companions?"
Seeing Rei suddenly showing such eagerness, the Chief looked slightly puzzled.
She didn't understand why he was this motivated.
Still, if Rei was willing to obtain the Smog Panther's magic stone for her, that was ideal, so she straightforwardly shared what she knew.
"The Smog Panther primarily acts alone. However, as something of an unusual trait, solitary Smog Panthers gather within a certain area. It has this peculiar habit."
"I see. That is certainly strange."
If they were simply forming packs and acting together, or conversely acting purely alone, it would have been easier for Rei to understand.
But according to the Chief, the Smog Panther was neither, yet somehow both—possessing such an odd habit.
(Well, the Smog Panther is a monster, so it wouldn't be strange for it to behave in ways we can't comprehend.)
If it were an animal, one might be able to predict its habits, but the opponent was a monster.
It was known that animal-based monsters inherited some of the habits of their base animal to a certain extent, but conversely, they could also possess habits entirely different from the base animal.
Ultimately, this meant that the base animal's habits could only serve as a rough reference at best.
"I understand the situation. In that case, would it be acceptable for me to obtain extra Smog Panther magic stones and keep them?"
"Yes. I have no objections, though if possible, we would like to have some extras as well."
"I figured. In that case... let's see. I'll take two extra. I'll hand over everything beyond that to you. How does that sound?"
"That would be... wonderful, but are you sure?"
"I don't mind. I want to maintain a friendly relationship with the fairies, after all. Also... I only need to hand over the magic stones, right? It's fine for me to keep all the other materials, correct?"
"Regarding that, there is no problem. ...That said, the Smog Panther is not easy to defeat, you know?"
So saying, the Chief told Rei about the Smog Panther.
According to her, the Smog Panther could turn its body into fog. When it did, everything including its magic stone transformed into fog, making it invincible to physical attacks.
Furthermore, the Smog Panther could attack its opponent while remaining in its fog state by materializing only parts of its claws and fangs.
"That's... troublesome."
The Smog Panther's troublesome nature as described by the Chief was quite a hassle for Rei.
If it were simply a matter of killing it, there was always the option of burning the entire fog-transformed Smog Panther at once.
In other words, killing it would be easy, but... in this case, the problem was that the magic stone also became fog. If he burned it to death, the magic stone would presumably become unusable as well.
"In that case... I'm a bit unsure about how to defeat it. No wait, the Smog Panther isn't always in fog form, right? Then I just need to decapitate it in one strike when it's not in fog form?"
"That's right. That would be the most reliable method. However, the Smog Panther turns into fog the moment it senses danger. In other words, to attack it, you need to defeat it with a surprise attack before it notices you."
Those words were convincing to Rei as well.
Since the goal was to attack before the opponent noticed, a surprise attack would be the most reliable approach.
Or alternatively, killing it in one blow before it could turn into fog even if it did notice.
Fortunately, Rei had attack methods that could kill an opponent instantly from long range, such as throwing his spear.
Or there was also the option of using magic to defeat the Smog Panther before it could turn into fog, rather than trying to kill it after it had already transformed.
"Based on what I've heard, I think I can manage somehow. But... when I wasn't around, how did you defeat such a monster and obtain its magic stone?"
That was a genuine question for Rei.
Based on the Chief's explanation, the Smog Panther was undoubtedly a troublesome opponent.
The fog transformation in particular would make it an extremely vexing opponent for anyone fighting it.
Rei had attack methods that could defeat such an opponent, but what had the fairies done?
Fairies were a race skilled in magic, but even so, Rei couldn't imagine they could easily defeat a likely high-rank monster like the Smog Panther.
"With magic, of course. It goes without saying that we couldn't defeat it easily, so it was quite dangerous."
But the Chief said it so casually.
That answer was somewhat in line with Rei's expectations, but if asked whether he was fully convinced, the answer was no.
It was true that fairies excelled at magic, but they weren't particularly specialized in attack magic.
What's more, if they had attacked the fog-transformed Smog Panther with magic, the magic stone would have been damaged as well.
That would mean they must have defeated it in one blow before it could turn into fog, but...
"Actually, maybe it's better I don't ask about the details. There are obviously things you don't want to... or can't say."
To Rei's words, the Chief only smiled.
She showed no sign of actually saying anything, but that silence itself seemed to be the answer.
If he was going to continue a friendly relationship with the fairies, it was better not to ask unnecessary questions.
If the Chief ever needed Rei in the future, she would surely explain those circumstances then.
"Putting that matter aside, the next problem is where this Smog Panther is located. Even if I can defeat it, I can't do anything if I don't know where it is specifically."
With Seto around, he wouldn't have any trouble traveling.
But searching the entire vast region of Elgin for the Smog Panther's location, combing through every spot together with Seto—that was something he obviously couldn't do.
If he tried something like that, he would never find the Smog Panther no matter how much time passed.
Naturally, the Chief understood this as well.
"Yes. That is why I will send Nielson along with you."
"...Nielson?"
If Nielson had heard that dubious tone, she would have definitely gotten angry.
That said, Rei's attitude wasn't only due to Nielson's personality issues—there was another reason.
It was because Nielson was, so to speak, the Fairy Dwelling's envoy—or perhaps a diplomatic agent would be a better way to describe her position.
She was here at the Fairy Dwelling today, but if she had gone to Gilm for some reason, there was a possibility she wouldn't have been here.
"If something comes up, I'll have someone else head to Gilm."
"Is that alright? Well, I appreciate you prioritizing my needs, at least."
"Yes. The magic stone for adding a function to the Fog Sound is something we will need when the time comes. In that sense, this is not solely for Rei-san's benefit—it is also for our own sake."
The Chief's words were enough to convince Rei.
Then—just as Rei was about to say so, he noticed two wolf pups approaching him.
He recognized those two wolf pups.
They were the children of the wolf that had led the pack originally tasked with guarding this Fairy Dwelling.
"Woof! Woof, woof!"
"Awooooooon!"
Seeing the two wolf pups crying out happily and rubbing their bodies against him, Rei smiled at the two of them—larger than when he had last seen them, yet still clearly pups.