Shortly after Daskar departed, Rei decided to head for the Treant Forest as well.
He had returned to Gilm in the first place solely because of the matter involving the defilement-corrupted corpses.
He had conveyed that information to Daskar, and in the process they had learned that the defilement-corrupted corpses eventually transformed into black dust humanoids—and that once they reached that form, half-hearted attacks were virtually useless, and nothing short of powerful magic like Rei's would have any effect.
He had managed to explain the defensive capabilities of the black dust humanoids—or rather, "regeneration ability" or "immortality" might have been more fitting terms in this case. Regardless, he had covered those sorts of abilities. Their attack power, however, remained unknown.
For Rei, who had actually fought them, taking a direct hit from a black dust humanoid was the last thing he wanted.
If it had been some ordinary monster roaming the area, he might have been willing to take a hit just to test it. But this was defilement—an entity that could potentially destroy the entire continent. He had no desire whatsoever to carelessly absorb an attack from such a being.
For that reason, the information Rei had given Daskar might have been somewhat incomplete, but given the current state of affairs where knowledge of defilement was virtually nonexistent, it was worth a fortune.
"Then, Marina, you cook and eat this meat."
Rei handed a chunk of Gamelion meat to Marina.
The reason Marina's name came up was simply because among those staying at the house, she was the best cook.
Vihera and Byune could cook to some extent as well. But that was strictly to some extent.
As a former princess of the Bestia Empire, Vihera was by no means skilled at domestic chores. After fleeing and becoming an adventurer, she had started cooking to some degree, but her culinary skills could not be described as good by any polite stretch.
Given the environment Byune grew up in, she hadn't so much cooked as eaten anything edible simply to stay alive. Even things that people normally wouldn't eat—Byune, desperate to survive, never had the option of refusing them.
Elena and Ara were both daughters of noble houses. They had their aspects as knights, but even so, preparing meals during military operations was the job of specialists in that field. Both were extremely skilled at brewing tea, and Ara's tea in particular was so good that even Marina admitted she couldn't match it. Cooking, however, was another matter.
"Yes, leave it to me. It's a precious first catch of the season, after all. I'll cook it deliciously. ...If possible, I would have liked to eat it together with you, Rei."
"I would have liked that too, but given the current situation, I can't afford to."
Having come to Gilm to report on the defilement, he needed to return to the Fairy Dwelling as quickly as possible to inform the Chief about this incident. This was especially true because the Chief had seemed to have little understanding of the matter regarding the defilement-corrupted corpses.
He needed to report that they had ultimately turned into black dust humanoids, and that Rei's magic had been able to destroy them—since they were no longer alive to begin with, "defeat" was probably the more appropriate term—and convey all of this to her.
(Besides, if I'm late getting back, it wouldn't be surprising for Nielson to explode with frustration.)
Given Nielson's personality, she surely would have wanted to come to Gilm herself. The one who had vetoed that was the Chief, on the grounds that Nielson's power was needed to process the defilement separated from Bob.
Considering the black dust humanoid incident, it wasn't as if the thought hadn't crossed his mind that Rei's magic, or perhaps the flower-shaped jewel that had sealed the defilement, might also be able to do something about it.
Regardless, this information was extremely significant for Daskar, but it was equally clear that it would be significant for the Chief as well. Since the Chief was the most knowledgeable person about defilement that Rei knew of, there was no question that he needed to inform her of this incident as quickly as possible.
(Besides, those people lurking around Marina's house—I just left, and now I'm right back, and then Lord Daskar shows up in a carriage from the lord's manor. They're definitely paying close attention. Even so, getting onto Marina's property would still be difficult, though.)
When Daskar and his group had left in the Seto Basket, Marina had used Spirit Magic to cover their tracks. But she probably couldn't cover everything completely, and the watchers were likely to take some kind of action.
That was exactly why Rei staying here indefinitely was a problem.
"Alright then, I'm heading out. Seto."
"Gruu!"
Called by name, Seto, who had been playing with Ielo, immediately came over to Rei. That this marked the end of playtime with Ielo was undoubtedly disappointing for Seto. However, perhaps because he fully understood Rei's intention that they needed to return to the Fairy Dwelling, he showed no sign of dissatisfaction.
Mounting Seto's back as he drew close, Rei called out to the people present.
"Well then, I'm off. I think I'll be back before too long, so take care."
"You should probably say those words to Vihera. You didn't get to see her today after all."
"That can't be helped. Vihera's work is primarily outside Gilm."
Elena said this in response to Marina's words, and she wasn't wrong. Elena often waited on standby at this house, and Marina worked at the treatment center. In contrast to those two, Vihera was frequently outside Gilm.
While Vihera might return to Marina's house at night, the chances of Rei running into her when returning during the daytime like this weren't impossible, but the probability was still very low.
(Ah, but I did run into Vihera heading toward Gilm on my way to the Fairy Forest earlier, right? In that case, maybe she's in Gilm... no, probably not.)
Rei wondered if perhaps Vihera was in Gilm, but immediately dismissed the thought. If Vihera were in Gilm, she would have definitely heard the rumors that Rei and Seto had returned. It was possible she might hear the rumors late, but even accounting for that, given the time it took for Rei to fight the black dust humanoid that the defilement-corrupted corpse had transformed into alongside Daskar and the others, and then fight and dissect the Gamelion, there was no possibility she hadn't heard.
(Which means, after finishing her business in Gilm, she probably left again right away for the Treant Forest or somewhere else. Or else... she's napping somewhere out of exhaustion? That would be a little dangerous.)
In this case, "dangerous" did not mean the kind of danger where Vihera—a woman of rare beauty—would be attacked by a man while sleeping in the sheer, revealing clothing reminiscent of a dancer or prostitute. Anyone who knew even a little about Vihera would never attempt such a thing.
However, many people had gathered in Gilm seeking work from the expansion construction, which meant those who knew nothing about Vihera were growing in number. If someone like that—particularly one of poor character—spotted Vihera napping, what would happen? They would naturally try to hassle her, and as a result, getting off with just a few broken bones in their arms and legs would be something to be grateful for.
In other words, in this case, "dangerous" referred not to Vihera, but to whoever tried to hassle her.
(That said, the question is where she'd take a nap. She wouldn't sleep by the roadside, of course. The Wheat Inn at Dusk... wait, did Vihera still have a room reserved there?)
In Rei's case, he still kept a room at the Wheat Inn at Dusk on the off chance it might be useful for something. Since it was one of the premier high-end inns in Gilm, the lodging fees were correspondingly steep, but even while maintaining a room there, Rei primarily stayed at Marina's house. Recently, he had often been staying in Egginis or the Fairy Dwelling, though.
This was something only Rei could pull off, thanks to having no financial troubles from defeating high-rank monsters or making bandit hunting his hobby. Of course, even if not to the extent of the Wheat Inn at Dusk, it wouldn't be unusual for a high-rank adventurer to have one or two hideouts.
"Anyway, when Vihera gets back, pass on my regards. I'd be happy if she and Byune could both have some of the Gamelion meat."
With that, Rei mounted Seto and flew out of Gilm.
"It feels like it's been a really long time since I was last back."
Rei said this right near the area where the protective fog surrounding the Fairy Dwelling was generated. In reality, less than a day—barely even half a day—had passed since he had left the Fairy Dwelling, but so many events had occurred within those few hours, and they had been so intense, that it somehow felt like several days had gone by. Of course, that was merely how Rei felt; in reality, things were naturally different.
"Gruru?"
Perhaps hearing Rei's mutter, Seto turned a curious gaze toward him. For Rei, it had been an incredibly busy few hours, but for Seto, it was probably nothing more than a happy time spent playing with Ielo. Naturally, Seto had also fought the black dust humanoid, though.
"Glad you seem energetic, Seto. Alright, we can't stay here forever, so let's get going. Once we enter the Fairy Dwelling, things will probably get busy again."
That was not a prediction but more of a conviction. After all, originally the only option would have been to erase the defilement through the Chief's power or Nielson's awakened power, but it had become clear that Rei's magic could also handle it.
What Rei had burned—incinerated—was strictly the black dust humanoid, and whether it would be effective on other forms of defilement could not be determined without actually testing it.
It would be good if it didn't cause further trouble.
Thinking that, Rei advanced into the fog together with Seto.
Along the way, a wolf pack appeared, but upon recognizing Rei and Seto, they did not attack and simply vanished. The wolves likely understood that Rei and Seto, if not quite allies, were not hostile to them.
Rei hoped they would eventually build a friendly relationship with Seto. The wolf pups being raised in the Fairy Dwelling had managed to build a good relationship with him, so it shouldn't be that difficult for the wolves guarding the Fairy Dwelling either.
(Or maybe it's just that they've been around him since they were young, so they're not afraid of Seto... that could be part of it.)
Rei suddenly recalled how someone who could casually catch insects as a child might become unable to do so as they grew up. The exact circumstances might differ, but it seemed somewhat similar to the wolf pack.
"Ah, Rei! Seto too! Where did you go!? Nielson was taken away by the Chief—did she pull another prank, I wonder?"
Upon entering the Fairy Dwelling, a fairy who spotted Rei and Seto immediately approached and asked this. From the fairy's perspective, it wouldn't be strange at all to think Nielson had been taken away by the Chief because she had pulled another prank. And it was only natural to be curious about what kind of prank she had committed.
"It's not because she did a prank. The matter with Bob... you remember the defilement incident, right? It's related to that."
"Defilement..."
The fairy was normally carefree in personality, but upon hearing the word "defilement," she grew quiet. That was how shocking the defilement they had witnessed during the Bob incident had been. Or perhaps she had been told various things about defilement by the Chief afterward. Regardless of the reason, there was no mistaking that the fairy had taken on a serious expression.
Several other fairies had also been approaching Rei's group, but they stopped upon hearing the word "defilement."
(Do they think they'll be punished by the Chief if they get involved with defilement? ...The fact that that's not entirely wrong is a little scary.)
Rei knew from observing Nielson that the Chief's punishments were frightening. What Rei had witnessed was Nielson being tossed around by the Chief using what seemed like telekinesis or something similar, but he had heard that there were punishments even beyond that. Given that, the fairies' fear of the Chief... honestly, it wasn't something he couldn't understand.
"The Chief is at her usual spot, right? I have something to discuss with her."
"Huh? Ah, yeah. I think she's at her usual spot."
Saying that, the fairy moved away from Rei.